Question:
What is the grading of the chain of the following narration?
❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أطلبوا العلم ولو بالصين، فإن طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلم
“Seek knowledge, even if it means going to China, for seeking knowledge is an obligation (kifayah) upon every Muslim (man and woman).”
Answer:
All of the chains of this narration are weak.
❀ Imam Ishaq bin Rahawayh (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
لم يصح الخبر فيه
“No hadith on this subject is established.”
❀ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
لا يثبت عندنا فيه شيء.
“According to us, no narration on this subject is established.”
❀ Imam al-Bazzar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
كل ما يروى فيها عن أنس، فغير صحيح.
“All the narrations from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) on this subject are not established.”
❀ Imam al-Uqayli (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
الرواية فى هذا الباب فيها لين.
“The narrations related on this topic are weak.”
❀ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
ليس بصحيح.
“This narration is not established.”
❀ Hafiz al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
هذا حديث متنه مشهور، وإسناده ضعيف، وقد روي من أوجه كلها ضعيف.
“The text of this hadith is well known among the people, but its chain is weak. This narration has been reported through several chains, all of which are weak.”
❀ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
هذا حديث يروى عن أنس بن مالك عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم من وجوه كثيرة كلها معلولة لا حجة فى شيء منها عند أهل العلم بالحديث من جهة الإسناد.
“This hadith has been narrated through several chains from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet ﷺ; all of its chains are defective, and none of them can be used as evidence according to the hadith scholars.”
❀ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
هذه الأحاديث كلها لا يثبت.
“All these hadiths (narrated on this subject) are unestablished.”
❀ Hafiz al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
هذا الحديث وإن لم يكن ثابتا.
“This hadith, although not established…”
❀ He also called it “weak”.
❀ Allama al-Zarkashi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
في كل طرقه مقال.
“There is discussion regarding all of its chains.”
❀ Hafiz al-Sakhawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
في كل منها مقال.
“There is criticism in every one of the narrations (on this subject).”
