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Analysis of the Narration: “After Me, Seek Knowledge from ʿAlī and Salmān”

✍ Compiled by: Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Anwar Zāhid (ḥafiẓahullāh)


◉ The Narration


It is reported that:


Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) said:
“It was asked: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, after you, from whom should we write down knowledge?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: ‘From ʿAlī and Salmān.’”



Sources:


  • Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl (p. 234)
  • Tārīkh Jurjān (p. 64)
  • Al-ʿIlal al-Mutanāhiyah (1/284)

◉ Hadith Authentication (Taḥqīq al-Ḥadīth)


❖ Chain of Transmission Includes:


  • Aḥmad ibn Abī Rūḥ

Ibn ʿAdī:


“His narrations are not sound.”


Al-Dhahabī:


“All the narrators mentioned by Aḥmad ibn Abī Rūḥ in this chain are questionable.”


He further states:


“This narration with this chain is fabricated (mawḍūʿ).”
(Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl, 1/94)


❖ Other Individuals in the Chain


  • The narrator Aḥmad ibn Abī Ḥafṣ al-Saʿdī, from whom Ibn ʿAdī narrates, is also criticized.

Ibn ʿAdī says:


“He narrates munkar (denied) narrations. Though he may not fabricate himself, he transmits fabrications from others.”


Thus, this chain includes both weak and untrustworthy narrators, making the entire narration invalid.


◉ Historical and Contextual Inconsistencies


1. Claim on Anas (RA):
Historically, Anas ibn Mālik (RA) did not maintain close relations with ʿAlī (RA) and is not reported to have studied under him, which makes it unlikely for him to narrate such a virtue specifically about ʿAlī (RA) and Salmān (RA).


2. Timing of Salmān’s Death:
Salmān al-Fārisī (RA)
passed away during the caliphate of ʿUthmān (RA), well before any significant political sectarianism (e.g., the rise of the Sabāʾiyyah) began. Thus, attributing such exclusive status to Salmān in a post-Prophetic academic context is historically unsound.


3. Sectarian Use of the Narration:
This narration seems tailored to support specific sectarian ideologies, particularly those that elevate ʿAlī and Salmān disproportionately. This raises further suspicion regarding its authenticity.


◉ Conclusion


✔ The narration “After me, take knowledge from ʿAlī and Salmān” is not authentically established.
✔ The chain is weak and contains fabricators and unknown narrators.
✔ The content contradicts historical realities, making it inaccurate both isnād-wise and dirāyah-wise.
Imām al-Dhahabī and other leading critics have clearly stated: This narration is fabricated (mawḍūʿ).
 
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