❀ A Critical Review of the Attribution of “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh” to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ❀
Based on: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh, Page 405
Is Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh truly a work authored by Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله?
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
The book “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh”, published in various Arab countries and often attributed to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, is not authentically proven to be his work.
Imām al-Dhahabī explicitly refutes this attribution. He writes:
"Wa kitāb ar-Risālah fī aṣ-Ṣalāh — I say: it is fabricated upon the Imām."
(Siyar Aʿlām an-Nubalāʾ, Vol. 11, p. 330)
This statement clearly indicates that the book is falsely attributed to Imām Aḥmad.
Qāḍī Abū al-Ḥusayn Muḥammad ibn Abī Yaʿlā mentions a chain of transmission in Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanābilah:
However, multiple narrators in this chain are unknown or unreliable, such as:
◈ Ṭayyib
◈ Abū ʿAmr, etc.
Thus, the chain is weak and unestablished.
The author of the introductory research in “Namāz-e-Nabawī” initially wrote:
“Several scholars have authored books on ṣalāh, such as Abū Nuʿaym al-Faḍl ibn Dukayn (d. 218 AH)...”
(MS Page 1)
However, in the Darussalam publication, this sentence was edited and published as:
“...such as Abū Nuʿaym al-Faḍl ibn Dukayn (d. 218 AH) and Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241 AH)’s Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh...”
(Namāz-e-Nabawī, p. 18)
This addition of Imām Aḥmad’s name was not by the author but inserted by the editors of Darussalam.
Later, the director of Maktabah Darussalam issued an official written apology on letterhead:
“This was printed due to editorial oversight. We apologize to the author of the Muqaddimah al-Taḥqīq.”
The original copy of this apology is preserved with the author.
More details can be found in:
Maḥnāmah al-Ḥadīth Hazro, Issue 5, Page 22
Darussalam corrected this mistake in later editions by removing the additional attribution.
جزاهم الله خيراً for their correction and acknowledgment.
Refer to:
◈ Namāz-e-Nabawī (Corrected & Verified Edition)
◈ al-Ḥadīth, Issue 28
✔ The book “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh” cannot be authentically attributed to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله.
✔ Notable scholars like Imām al-Dhahabī have declared it fabricated.
✔ The chain of attribution is weak with unknown narrators.
✔ A mistaken attribution by Darussalam was acknowledged and corrected through a written apology.
ھٰذا ما عندي، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
Based on: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh, Page 405
❖ Question:
Is Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh truly a work authored by Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله?
✿ Research-Based Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
The book “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh”, published in various Arab countries and often attributed to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, is not authentically proven to be his work.
✦ Statement of Imām al-Dhahabī رحمه الله
Imām al-Dhahabī explicitly refutes this attribution. He writes:
"Wa kitāb ar-Risālah fī aṣ-Ṣalāh — I say: it is fabricated upon the Imām."
(Siyar Aʿlām an-Nubalāʾ, Vol. 11, p. 330)
This statement clearly indicates that the book is falsely attributed to Imām Aḥmad.
✦ Chain Mentioned in
Qāḍī Abū al-Ḥusayn Muḥammad ibn Abī Yaʿlā mentions a chain of transmission in Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanābilah:
However, multiple narrators in this chain are unknown or unreliable, such as:
◈ Ṭayyib
◈ Abū ʿAmr, etc.
Thus, the chain is weak and unestablished.
✦ Misattribution in Darussalam’s First Edition of
The author of the introductory research in “Namāz-e-Nabawī” initially wrote:
“Several scholars have authored books on ṣalāh, such as Abū Nuʿaym al-Faḍl ibn Dukayn (d. 218 AH)...”
(MS Page 1)
However, in the Darussalam publication, this sentence was edited and published as:
“...such as Abū Nuʿaym al-Faḍl ibn Dukayn (d. 218 AH) and Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241 AH)’s Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh...”
(Namāz-e-Nabawī, p. 18)
This addition of Imām Aḥmad’s name was not by the author but inserted by the editors of Darussalam.
✦ Darussalam’s Written Apology
Later, the director of Maktabah Darussalam issued an official written apology on letterhead:
“This was printed due to editorial oversight. We apologize to the author of the Muqaddimah al-Taḥqīq.”
The original copy of this apology is preserved with the author.
More details can be found in:
Maḥnāmah al-Ḥadīth Hazro, Issue 5, Page 22
✦ Correction in Subsequent Editions
Darussalam corrected this mistake in later editions by removing the additional attribution.
جزاهم الله خيراً for their correction and acknowledgment.
Refer to:
◈ Namāz-e-Nabawī (Corrected & Verified Edition)
◈ al-Ḥadīth, Issue 28
Final Summary:
✔ The book “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh” cannot be authentically attributed to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله.
✔ Notable scholars like Imām al-Dhahabī have declared it fabricated.
✔ The chain of attribution is weak with unknown narrators.
✔ A mistaken attribution by Darussalam was acknowledged and corrected through a written apology.
ھٰذا ما عندي، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
