Question:
In a hadith, it is mentioned:
"Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: When one of you is sitting in the shade, and the shade moves (such that he is partly in the sun and partly in the shade), he should stand up and move (either fully into the shade or fully into the sun) [Abu Dawood]. In Sharh al-Sunnah, it is narrated with the words: When one of you is sitting in the shade and the shade moves away, he should stand up, because sitting partly in the shade and partly in the sun is the way of the devil."
(Mishkat al-Masabih, Volume 2, page 457, Hadith 4725, 4726)
Respected Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai Sahib, please explain the ruling on praying in sunlight and shade according to the Quran and Sunnah. Provide a detailed explanation. May Allah reward you abundantly. Ameen.(Kaleem Abdul Rahman Nadeem, Ahmed Dawakhana Mohalla Rasoolpura, Samundari Faisalabad)
Answer:
The narration in Mishkat is also found in Sunan Abi Dawood (Book of Manners, Chapter 15, Hadith 4821), Musnad al-Humaydi (authenticated: 1145), and al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi (Volume 3, pages 236-237) from Muhammad bin al-Munkadir, who said: "Someone who heard Abu Hurairah narrated it to me."
In this chain, the narrator "someone who heard" is unknown, thus making this chain weak. Al-Munziri said: "The follower of this narrator is unknown."(Al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, Volume 4, page 59)
Note:
This unknown follower is omitted in Musnad Ahmad (Volume 2, page 383, Hadith 8976) and other sources.
The narration in Sharh al-Sunnah by al-Baghawi (Volume 12, page 301, Hadith 3335) is mawqoof (attributed to a companion) and interrupted. The unknown intermediary between Muhammad bin al-Munkadir and Abu Hurairah is missing in this hadith.
This narration is also present in Musannaf 'Abd al-Razzaq (Volume 11, pages 23-24, Hadith 19799). The author, 'Abd al-Razzaq al-San'ani, was known for tadlis (concealing defects), thus his narration cannot be accepted unless he clearly mentions his hearing. For more on the tadlis of Imam 'Abd al-Razzaq, see Kitab al-Du'afa by al-'Aqili (Volume 3, pages 110-111).
'Abd al-Razzaq narrated with a weak chain from Muhammad bin al-Munkadir that he considered it permissible to sit in sunlight and shade.(Hadith 19801 from Isma'il bin Ibrahim bin Aban)
Imam 'Abd al-Razzaq also narrated from Ma'mar from Qatadah that Qatadah (a Tabi'i) considered it makruh (disliked) to sit in sunlight and shade. (Hadith 19800) This chain is weak due to the tadlis of 'Abd al-Razzaq.
Two supporting narrations of the unknown Tabi'i in the marfoo' (attributed to the Prophet) hadith are as follows:
Shaykh al-Albani did not provide the chain up to Shu'bah, thus this reference is also invalid. On the contrary, Musaddad bin Masrahid narrated from Yahya (bin Sa'id al-Qattan) from Shu'bah that this narration is mursal (disconnected). See It-haf al-Mahrah (Volume 16, page 763, Hadith 21215).
It is evident that there is a defect due to tadlis in the connected chain. This same narration with the tadlis is found in Mustadrak al-Hakim (Volume 4, page 271, Hadith 7710) with the chain "from Abu Hurairah." Both Hakim and Dhahabi declared it authentic, but the chain is weak due to the tadlis of Qatadah. For a mursal narration by Qatadah, see Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (Volume 8, page 491, Hadith 25949).
From this detailed analysis, it is clear that the narration without the words "majlis al-shaytan" or "maq'ad al-shaytan" is hasan, making the narration in Sunan Abi Dawood hasan as well.
The Tabi'i 'Ikrimah said: When a person sits partly in the sun and partly in the shade, it is the sitting of the devil.(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Volume 8, page 4891, Hadith 25953, its chain is authentic) Ubayd bin Umayr (Tabi'i) said: Sitting partly in the sun and partly in the shade is the sitting of the devil.(Ibn Abi Shaybah: 25952, its chain is authentic)
Therefore, such sitting should be avoided.
(19 Safar 1427 AH)
In a hadith, it is mentioned:
"Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: When one of you is sitting in the shade, and the shade moves (such that he is partly in the sun and partly in the shade), he should stand up and move (either fully into the shade or fully into the sun) [Abu Dawood]. In Sharh al-Sunnah, it is narrated with the words: When one of you is sitting in the shade and the shade moves away, he should stand up, because sitting partly in the shade and partly in the sun is the way of the devil."
(Mishkat al-Masabih, Volume 2, page 457, Hadith 4725, 4726)
Respected Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai Sahib, please explain the ruling on praying in sunlight and shade according to the Quran and Sunnah. Provide a detailed explanation. May Allah reward you abundantly. Ameen.(Kaleem Abdul Rahman Nadeem, Ahmed Dawakhana Mohalla Rasoolpura, Samundari Faisalabad)
Answer:
The narration in Mishkat is also found in Sunan Abi Dawood (Book of Manners, Chapter 15, Hadith 4821), Musnad al-Humaydi (authenticated: 1145), and al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi (Volume 3, pages 236-237) from Muhammad bin al-Munkadir, who said: "Someone who heard Abu Hurairah narrated it to me."
In this chain, the narrator "someone who heard" is unknown, thus making this chain weak. Al-Munziri said: "The follower of this narrator is unknown."(Al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, Volume 4, page 59)
Note:
This unknown follower is omitted in Musnad Ahmad (Volume 2, page 383, Hadith 8976) and other sources.
The narration in Sharh al-Sunnah by al-Baghawi (Volume 12, page 301, Hadith 3335) is mawqoof (attributed to a companion) and interrupted. The unknown intermediary between Muhammad bin al-Munkadir and Abu Hurairah is missing in this hadith.
This narration is also present in Musannaf 'Abd al-Razzaq (Volume 11, pages 23-24, Hadith 19799). The author, 'Abd al-Razzaq al-San'ani, was known for tadlis (concealing defects), thus his narration cannot be accepted unless he clearly mentions his hearing. For more on the tadlis of Imam 'Abd al-Razzaq, see Kitab al-Du'afa by al-'Aqili (Volume 3, pages 110-111).
'Abd al-Razzaq narrated with a weak chain from Muhammad bin al-Munkadir that he considered it permissible to sit in sunlight and shade.(Hadith 19801 from Isma'il bin Ibrahim bin Aban)
Imam 'Abd al-Razzaq also narrated from Ma'mar from Qatadah that Qatadah (a Tabi'i) considered it makruh (disliked) to sit in sunlight and shade. (Hadith 19800) This chain is weak due to the tadlis of 'Abd al-Razzaq.
Two supporting narrations of the unknown Tabi'i in the marfoo' (attributed to the Prophet) hadith are as follows:
- Qatadah narrated from Kathir (bin Abi Kathir al-Basri) from Abu 'Iyadh (Amr bin al-Aswad al-Ansari) from a man among the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
Musnad Ahmad, Volume 3, pages 413-414, Hadith 15421)
Shaykh al-Albani did not provide the chain up to Shu'bah, thus this reference is also invalid. On the contrary, Musaddad bin Masrahid narrated from Yahya (bin Sa'id al-Qattan) from Shu'bah that this narration is mursal (disconnected). See It-haf al-Mahrah (Volume 16, page 763, Hadith 21215).
It is evident that there is a defect due to tadlis in the connected chain. This same narration with the tadlis is found in Mustadrak al-Hakim (Volume 4, page 271, Hadith 7710) with the chain "from Abu Hurairah." Both Hakim and Dhahabi declared it authentic, but the chain is weak due to the tadlis of Qatadah. For a mursal narration by Qatadah, see Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (Volume 8, page 491, Hadith 25949).
- Abu al-Munib narrated from Ibn Buraidah from his father that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade sitting partly in the sun and partly in the shade.(Ibn Majah 3722, Ibn Abi Shaybah in Musannaf, Volume 8, page 491, Hadith 25954, Mustadrak 272/4, Hadith 7714)
From this detailed analysis, it is clear that the narration without the words "majlis al-shaytan" or "maq'ad al-shaytan" is hasan, making the narration in Sunan Abi Dawood hasan as well.
The Tabi'i 'Ikrimah said: When a person sits partly in the sun and partly in the shade, it is the sitting of the devil.(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Volume 8, page 4891, Hadith 25953, its chain is authentic) Ubayd bin Umayr (Tabi'i) said: Sitting partly in the sun and partly in the shade is the sitting of the devil.(Ibn Abi Shaybah: 25952, its chain is authentic)
Therefore, such sitting should be avoided.
وما علینا إلا البلاغ
(19 Safar 1427 AH)