Clarification Regarding the Hadith on the Supplication for Wudu

Written by: Sheikh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (may Allah protect him)

Question:
I saw a supplication for wudu written as "Bismillah walhamdulillah" in a mosque, with a reference to Majma' al-Zawa'id. Is this narration authentic?

Answer:
In Majma' al-Zawa'id, this narration is quoted by Al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) from Tabarani, where he considered its chain of transmission (isnad) as Hasan (acceptable). However, this judgment is incorrect.

The narration mentioned in Tabarani [1/73] contains a narrator named Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Basri, who is classified as Munkar al-Hadith (a transmitter of rejected narrations). Refer to the following sources:

  • Mizan al-I'tidal [1/56]
  • Al-Mughni fi al-Du'afa [161]
  • Diwan al-Du'afa [247] by Al-Dhahabi
Furthermore, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared this narration as weak in Nata'ij al-Afkar [1/227], and he also classified it as Munkar (rejected) in Lisan al-Mizan [1/98].

Similarly, Allama Muhammad Tahir al-Patni (may Allah have mercy on him) also classified this narration as Munkar in Tadhkirat al-Mawdu'at [p.31]. For further details, refer to:

  • Kitab al-Mawdu'at by Ibn al-Jawzi [1680]
  • Tanzih al-Shari'ah al-Marfu'ah 'an al-Ahadith al-Shani'ah al-Mawdu'ah [2/340]
Some scholars have also declared Ali bin Thabit, the teacher of Ibrahim bin Muhammad, as unknown (majhool), as mentioned in Nata'ij al-Afkar and Tartib al-Mawdu'at. However, Imam Ahmad considered him trustworthy (thiqqah), and Abu Hatim al-Razi deemed him as La ba'sa bihi (there is no harm in him) [Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil, 6/177].

The primary issue with this chain of transmission is the presence of Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Basri, whose narrations are considered Munkar (rejected).

Therefore, the chain of this narration is weak and unreliable due to the presence of Ibrahim bin Muhammad.
 
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