A Research-Based Review of Ḥadīth Jābir and the Manuscript of Al-Muṣannaf of ʿAbd al-Razzāq
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Volume 1, Kitāb al-ʿAqāʾid, Page 130الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
This article presents a scholarly analysis of the debate surrounding the “Ḥadīth Jābir”, detailing the conditions necessary for using handwritten and printed books as reliable sources in Islamic discourse.
Preservation of the Qur'an and Authentic Hadith Books
➊ Preservation of the Noble Qur'an
The Book of Allah, the Glorious Qur’an revealed to Muhammad ﷺ, is preserved word for word in the hearts and hands of the Muslims. No alteration or distortion is possible in it.
➋ The Most Authenticated Books of Hadith
Among the books of Ḥadīth, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim are unanimously regarded by the Muslim Ummah as the most reliable and authentic.
Shāh Walīullāh Dehlawī al-Ḥanafī stated:
"All connected and elevated aḥādīth in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim are certainly authentic."
(Ḥujjatullāh al-Bālighah, Urdu Translation: ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq Ḥaqānī, 1/242)
Conditions for Deriving Evidence from Manuscripts and Printed Books
Before considering any book authoritative for deriving religious rulings or ḥadīth evidence, the following conditions must be fulfilled:
➊ The Author Must Be Reliable and Trustworthy
For example, Imām Abū Dāwūd, Imām al-Tirmidhī, Imām al-Nasā’ī, and Imām Mālik were trustworthy and credible ḥadīth scholars.
If the author is weak, unknown, or lacks integrity, his book cannot be considered a valid source.
Examples of unreliable authors:
- Aḥmad bin Marwān al-Dīnawarī (Weak)
- al-Dūlābī Ṣāḥib al-Kunā (Weak)
- Abū Jaʿfar al-Kulaynī (Rāfiḍī, unreliable)
➋ The Copyist of the Manuscript Must Be Reliable
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ stated:
"The copyist (scribe) must not be one who copies incorrectly, but rather someone who transcribes accurately."
(ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth, p. 303)
If the scribe is unreliable, the book loses its value as evidence.
➌ An Authentic Chain from the Copyist to the Author
Example: The chain of narration in Uṣūl al-Dīn by Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī is authentic.
Whereas, Sharḥ al-Sunnah by al-Barbahārī contains Ghulām Khalīl (a known liar) and Qāḍī Aḥmad bin Kāmil (weak), making it invalid for evidence.
➍ The Location, Script, and Date of the Manuscript
Older and error-free manuscripts are superior to newer ones with many errors.
➎ Authentication Through Scholarly Auditory Transmission
If scholars have heard and affirmed a manuscript (by writing their samāʿ upon it), it is deemed more credible.
Example: The manuscript of Musnad Ḥumaydī contains samāʿ of various scholars, increasing its authenticity.
➏ Widespread Recognition Among Scholars
If an unknown manuscript suddenly emerges, it carries no significance.
Example: A newly discovered manuscript from an obscure region such as Afghanistan could be fabricated.
➐ Comparison with Other Copies
Example: One manuscript of al-Muṣannaf by Ibn Abī Shaybah includes the phrase "taḥta al-surrah" (below the navel), while others do not.
Khalīl Aḥmad Sahāranpūrī (Deobandī) said:
"If a phrase appears in some manuscripts and not in others, it becomes questionable."
(Baẕl al-Majhūd, 4/471)
➑ Cross-Verification with Other Books
If a narration is found in a book, it must be cross-verified with other sources that transmit the same material.
Example: Narrations of Sunan Abī Dāwūd should be compared with al-Sunan al-Kubrā of al-Bayhaqī.
➒ No Scholarly Criticism on the Manuscript
If scholars have critiqued a manuscript negatively, it becomes unfit for use as evidence.
➓ Authentic Chain of Transmission Is Essential
Even if a book is authentic and verified, the narrations it contains must have ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) or ḥasan (good) chains of transmission.
🕯 The “Ḥadīth al-Nūr” Manuscript Discovered in Afghanistan
According to the Barelwī school of thought, a newly discovered manuscript from Afghanistan reportedly includes the “Ḥadīth Jābir” with at least five chains of narration.
Position of Ahl al-Ḥadīth Scholars:
Until this manuscript fulfills all the above scholarly conditions, it cannot be accepted as a valid source of evidence.
Four Fabricated and Spurious Books
➊ al-Fiqh al-Akbar attributed to Imām al-Shāfiʿī
This book is falsely attributed to Imām al-Shāfiʿī.
Abū ʿUbaydah Mashhūr bin Ḥasan Āl Salmān says:
"This book is a lie upon Imām al-Shāfiʿī."
(Kutub Ḥadhdhara Minhā al-ʿUlamāʾ, 2/293)
➋ al-Fiqh al-Akbar attributed to Imām Abū Ḥanīfah
Transmitted via Abū Muṭīʿ al-Balkhī (a fabricator), who is weak.
Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī states:
"This ḥadīth is fabricated by Abū Muṭīʿ."
(Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl, 3/42)
➌ al-Ṣalāh attributed to Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal
Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī states:
"This book is falsely attributed to Imām Aḥmad."
(Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ, 11/330)
➍ al-Mudawwanah al-Kubrā attributed to Imām Mālik
This book is not considered reliable.
(See: al-Qawl al-Matīn fī al-Jahr bi al-Tāmīn, p. 73)
Conclusion
- The “Ḥadīth Jābir” is not present in al-Muṣannaf of ʿAbd al-Razzāq.
- The manuscript discovered in Afghanistan is suspicious, and unless it meets all scholarly conditions, it cannot be accepted as evidence.
