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Source: Fatawa 'Ilmiyyah (Tawdih al-Ahkam), vol. 2 p. 421
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Narration:
عن ابی هریرة رضی الله عنه عن النبی صلی الله علیه وسلم قال: قال الله
ثلاثة انا خصمهم یوم القیامة رجل اعطی بی ثم غدر ورجل باع حرا فاکل ثمنه ورجل ستاجر اجیرا فاستوفی منه ولم یعطه اجره۔
Translation:
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Allah the Exalted says: “There are three people whose adversary I shall be on the Day of Resurrection:
① A person who made a promise in My Name, then acted treacherously.
② A person who sold a free man as a slave and consumed the price.
③ A person who hired a labourer, took full work from him, but did not pay him his wages.”
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Shaykh Nasir al-Din al-Albani رحمه الله declared this hadith weak due to criticism on its narrator Yahya ibn Salim al-Ta’ifi, alleging that he “fabricated narrations contrary to qiyas.”
However, this allegation is not proven in any reliable hadith source.
Even Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله himself merely expressed tawaqquf (suspension of judgment) regarding this narrator in Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari, not outright weakening.
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This narration is transmitted by several hadith masters through the chain:
Yahya ibn Salim al-Ta’ifi → Isma'il ibn Umayyah → Sa’id al-Maqburi → Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه
Among the scholars who narrate through this chain:
✦ Imam Ahmad (2/358, hadith 8692)
✦ Ibn al-Jarud (579)
✦ Ibn Majah (2442)
✦ Ibn Hibban (al-Ihsan 7695)
Ruling of the Chain: Hasan li-dhātih (intrinsically sound)
Because:
⑴ Sa’id ibn Abi Sa’id al-Maqburi and his father are both thiqah (reliable).
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Criticism (Jarh):
① Imam Ahmad: his ahadith contain some weakness.
② Abu Hatim al-Razi: truthful, but not strong in memory; his hadith are written but not used as proof.
③ al-Nasa'i: munkar al-hadith regarding his narrations from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar.
④ Abu Ahmad al-Hakim: not a hafiz.
⑤ al-Daraqutni: poor memory.
⑥ al-‘Aqili: reported munkar narrations, especially from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar.
⑦ Ibn Hajar: truthful but weak in memory; weak specifically when narrating from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar.
⑧ al-Saji: truthful but made errors, especially from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar.
⑨ al-Bayhaqi: frequent mistakes, weak memory.
Authentication (Ta'dil):
① Yahya ibn Ma‘in: Thiqah
② Ibn Sa’d: Thiqah, prolific narrator
③ al-‘Ajli: Thiqah
④ Ibn Shahin: Declared him reliable
⑤ Ibn Hibban: Included him among the trustworthy
⑥ al-Nasa’i: also called him thiqah in some places
⑦ Ya‘qub ibn Sufyan: If he narrates from his book, the hadith is hasan.
⑧ Imam al-Bukhari: Narrated from him in Sahih Bukhari (2227, 2270)
⑨ Imam Muslim: Narrated from him
⑩ Ibn ‘Adi: Truthful; his narrations are acceptable
⑪ Ibn al-Jarud: narrated his hadith in his Sahih
⑫ al-Saji: truthful (despite mentioning errors)
⑬ al-Dhahabi: Thiqah
⑭ al-Hakim: declared his narration sahih
⑮ al-Tirmidhi: graded it hasan
⑯ Ibn Khuzaymah: declared it sahih
⑰ al-Busiri: chain is hasan, narrators are trustworthy
⑱ al-Baghawi: graded hadith sahih
⑲ al-Zayla’i: called him thiqah
⑳ al-Mundhiri: pointed to the strength of the narration
㉑ al-Haythami: indicated support for strengthening
㉒ al-Isma‘ili: narrated it in his Mustakhraj
㉓ Ibn Hajar: strengthened the narration in Fath al-Bari
㉔ al-‘Ayni: authenticated him
㉕ Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi: Truthful; those who weakened him have no proof
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His narrations fall into four categories:
① From ‘Abdullah ibn Khuthaym → Excellent / Reliable
② Narrations reported through al-Humaydi → Sahih
③ Narrations except from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar and Ibn Khuthaym → Hasan
④ Narrations from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar → Weak
Conclusion:
This hadith is Hasan li-dhātih.
Shaykh al-Albani’s weakening is not correct.
Misunderstanding the statement of Imam al-Bukhari:
"ما حدث الحميدي عن يحيى بن سليم فهو صحيح"
and using it as a negative implication (mafhum al-mukhalafah) to weaken all other narrations is an incorrect deduction.
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Narration:
عن علی قال سمعت رسول الله صلی الله علیه وسلم یقول:
یخرج قوم فی آخر الزمان احداث الاسنان سفهاء الأحلام یقولون من خیر قول البریة لا یجاوز ایمانهم حناجرهم یمرقون من الدین کمایمرق السہم من الرمیة فاینما لقیتموهم فاقتلوهم فان فی قتلهم اجرا لمن قتلهم یوم القیامة۔
Translation:
‘Ali رضي الله عنه narrated: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“A people will emerge in the end of times — young in age, immature in thought. They will utter the best words of creation (i.e., Qur’an), yet their faith will not go past their throats. They will exit the religion just as an arrow passes through the prey. Wherever you find them, fight them, for killing them carries reward on the Day of Resurrection.”
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Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله indicated that this narration contains inkār (denial), especially regarding the phrase:
“من قول خیر البریۃ”
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The narrators are all reliable:
✦ Suwayd ibn Ghafalah – thiqah
✦ Khiythamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Ju‘fi – thiqah
✦ Sulayman al-A‘mash – thiqah, and explicitly stated hearing, so no tadlis issue applies
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Across the books of hadith, the narration occurs as follows:
✦ “من خیر قول البریة” → recorded by:
Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Musnad Ahmad
✦ “من قول خیر البریة” → appears in some manuscript variants, and this is the wording Shaykh al-Albani initially expressed reservation about.
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Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله himself authenticated the version:
“من خیر قول البریة”
in Sahih al-Jami‘ (no. 3654).
He also accepted the hadith in Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari (4/239).
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① The chain of the hadith is completely sahih.
② The phrase “من خیر قول البریة” is authentic and not munkar.
③ Shaykh al-Albani himself authenticated this wording.
④ Therefore, the hadith is Sahih and Muttafaq ‘Alayh (agreed upon).
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① The first hadith (“Three people Allah will be an enemy to”) is Hasan li-dhātih, and because it is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, it is unquestionably reliable.
② The second hadith (regarding the Khawarij and fighting them) is sahih al-isnad and agreed upon (Bukhari & Muslim).
Thus:
✔ Both ahadith are sound and acceptable in chain and text.
✔ The criticisms attributed to Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله have been academically refuted.
✔ According to the principles of hadith sciences, both narrations are firmly established and authoritative.
Objections Raised Against Two Ahadith of Sahih al-Bukhari and Their Research-Based Answers
Source: Fatawa 'Ilmiyyah (Tawdih al-Ahkam), vol. 2 p. 421
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Hadith No. 1 – Three Types of People Against Whom Allah Will Be an Enemy on the Day of Judgement
Narration:
عن ابی هریرة رضی الله عنه عن النبی صلی الله علیه وسلم قال: قال الله
ثلاثة انا خصمهم یوم القیامة رجل اعطی بی ثم غدر ورجل باع حرا فاکل ثمنه ورجل ستاجر اجیرا فاستوفی منه ولم یعطه اجره۔
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 1/302; Musnad Ahmad 2/358
Translation:
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Allah the Exalted says: “There are three people whose adversary I shall be on the Day of Resurrection:
① A person who made a promise in My Name, then acted treacherously.
② A person who sold a free man as a slave and consumed the price.
③ A person who hired a labourer, took full work from him, but did not pay him his wages.”
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Criticism of Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله
Shaykh Nasir al-Din al-Albani رحمه الله declared this hadith weak due to criticism on its narrator Yahya ibn Salim al-Ta’ifi, alleging that he “fabricated narrations contrary to qiyas.”
However, this allegation is not proven in any reliable hadith source.
Even Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله himself merely expressed tawaqquf (suspension of judgment) regarding this narrator in Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari, not outright weakening.
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Chain Analysis
This narration is transmitted by several hadith masters through the chain:
Yahya ibn Salim al-Ta’ifi → Isma'il ibn Umayyah → Sa’id al-Maqburi → Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه
Among the scholars who narrate through this chain:
✦ Imam Ahmad (2/358, hadith 8692)
✦ Ibn al-Jarud (579)
✦ Ibn Majah (2442)
✦ Ibn Hibban (al-Ihsan 7695)
Ruling of the Chain: Hasan li-dhātih (intrinsically sound)
Because:
⑴ Sa’id ibn Abi Sa’id al-Maqburi and his father are both thiqah (reliable).
Reference: Taqrib al-Tahdhib nos. 2321, 5676
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Detailed Jarh wa Ta'dil on Yahya ibn Salim al-Ta'ifi
Criticism (Jarh):
① Imam Ahmad: his ahadith contain some weakness.
② Abu Hatim al-Razi: truthful, but not strong in memory; his hadith are written but not used as proof.
③ al-Nasa'i: munkar al-hadith regarding his narrations from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar.
④ Abu Ahmad al-Hakim: not a hafiz.
⑤ al-Daraqutni: poor memory.
⑥ al-‘Aqili: reported munkar narrations, especially from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar.
⑦ Ibn Hajar: truthful but weak in memory; weak specifically when narrating from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar.
⑧ al-Saji: truthful but made errors, especially from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar.
⑨ al-Bayhaqi: frequent mistakes, weak memory.
Authentication (Ta'dil):
① Yahya ibn Ma‘in: Thiqah
② Ibn Sa’d: Thiqah, prolific narrator
③ al-‘Ajli: Thiqah
④ Ibn Shahin: Declared him reliable
⑤ Ibn Hibban: Included him among the trustworthy
⑥ al-Nasa’i: also called him thiqah in some places
⑦ Ya‘qub ibn Sufyan: If he narrates from his book, the hadith is hasan.
⑧ Imam al-Bukhari: Narrated from him in Sahih Bukhari (2227, 2270)
⑨ Imam Muslim: Narrated from him
⑩ Ibn ‘Adi: Truthful; his narrations are acceptable
⑪ Ibn al-Jarud: narrated his hadith in his Sahih
⑫ al-Saji: truthful (despite mentioning errors)
⑬ al-Dhahabi: Thiqah
⑭ al-Hakim: declared his narration sahih
⑮ al-Tirmidhi: graded it hasan
⑯ Ibn Khuzaymah: declared it sahih
⑰ al-Busiri: chain is hasan, narrators are trustworthy
⑱ al-Baghawi: graded hadith sahih
⑲ al-Zayla’i: called him thiqah
⑳ al-Mundhiri: pointed to the strength of the narration
㉑ al-Haythami: indicated support for strengthening
㉒ al-Isma‘ili: narrated it in his Mustakhraj
㉓ Ibn Hajar: strengthened the narration in Fath al-Bari
㉔ al-‘Ayni: authenticated him
㉕ Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi: Truthful; those who weakened him have no proof
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Summary of Research on Yahya ibn Salim
His narrations fall into four categories:
① From ‘Abdullah ibn Khuthaym → Excellent / Reliable
② Narrations reported through al-Humaydi → Sahih
③ Narrations except from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar and Ibn Khuthaym → Hasan
④ Narrations from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar → Weak
Conclusion:
This hadith is Hasan li-dhātih.
Shaykh al-Albani’s weakening is not correct.
Misunderstanding the statement of Imam al-Bukhari:
"ما حدث الحميدي عن يحيى بن سليم فهو صحيح"
and using it as a negative implication (mafhum al-mukhalafah) to weaken all other narrations is an incorrect deduction.
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Hadith No. 2 – The Emergence of the Khawarij and the Command to Fight Them
Narration:
عن علی قال سمعت رسول الله صلی الله علیه وسلم یقول:
یخرج قوم فی آخر الزمان احداث الاسنان سفهاء الأحلام یقولون من خیر قول البریة لا یجاوز ایمانهم حناجرهم یمرقون من الدین کمایمرق السہم من الرمیة فاینما لقیتموهم فاقتلوهم فان فی قتلهم اجرا لمن قتلهم یوم القیامة۔
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari: 6930, 5057, 3611; Sahih Muslim: 154/1066; Sunan Abi Dawud: 4767; Sunan al-Nasa'i 7/119, hadith 4107
Translation:
‘Ali رضي الله عنه narrated: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“A people will emerge in the end of times — young in age, immature in thought. They will utter the best words of creation (i.e., Qur’an), yet their faith will not go past their throats. They will exit the religion just as an arrow passes through the prey. Wherever you find them, fight them, for killing them carries reward on the Day of Resurrection.”
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Shaykh al-Albani’s View
Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله indicated that this narration contains inkār (denial), especially regarding the phrase:
“من قول خیر البریۃ”
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Chain Authentication
The narrators are all reliable:
✦ Suwayd ibn Ghafalah – thiqah
✦ Khiythamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Ju‘fi – thiqah
✦ Sulayman al-A‘mash – thiqah, and explicitly stated hearing, so no tadlis issue applies
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Variant Wordings
Across the books of hadith, the narration occurs as follows:
✦ “من خیر قول البریة” → recorded by:
Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Musnad Ahmad
✦ “من قول خیر البریة” → appears in some manuscript variants, and this is the wording Shaykh al-Albani initially expressed reservation about.
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Shaykh al-Albani’s Clarification
Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله himself authenticated the version:
“من خیر قول البریة”
in Sahih al-Jami‘ (no. 3654).
He also accepted the hadith in Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari (4/239).
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Conclusion of Research
① The chain of the hadith is completely sahih.
② The phrase “من خیر قول البریة” is authentic and not munkar.
③ Shaykh al-Albani himself authenticated this wording.
④ Therefore, the hadith is Sahih and Muttafaq ‘Alayh (agreed upon).
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Final Result
① The first hadith (“Three people Allah will be an enemy to”) is Hasan li-dhātih, and because it is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, it is unquestionably reliable.
② The second hadith (regarding the Khawarij and fighting them) is sahih al-isnad and agreed upon (Bukhari & Muslim).
Thus:
✔ Both ahadith are sound and acceptable in chain and text.
✔ The criticisms attributed to Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله have been academically refuted.
✔ According to the principles of hadith sciences, both narrations are firmly established and authoritative.
