Imam Zahri was accused of fabricating hadiths! The famous orientalist Goldziher writes: Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan prevented people from performing Hajj during the rebellion of Ibn al-Zubayr. He built the Dome of the Rock in Al-Aqsa Mosque so that people would visit (perform Hajj) there and circumambulate it instead of the Kaaba. Then he wanted people to perform this visitation (Hajj) with religious conviction. Thus, he found Imam Zahri, who was famous among the Muslim community and ready to fabricate hadiths, so Imam Zahri fabricated hadiths.
First Point:
Imam Zahri, may Allah have mercy on him, was a great Tabi‘i. He was a great muhaddith, a strong trustworthy narrator, an imam, a hafiz, and a jurist of his time. The Ummah agrees on his grandeur and precision. It is impossible to summarize his virtues, merits, and biography in a brief article. He is one of the pillars of hadith from whom narrated hadiths are found in every book of hadith.
Second Point:
Before the mentioned accusation, no one had ever accused Imam Zahri, may Allah have mercy on him. Rather, all Islamic scholars and historians have always agreed that Imam Zahri, may Allah have mercy on him, is the embodiment of truthfulness and trustworthiness. Some statements of the critical Imams regarding this are as follows:
Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
عليكم بابن شهاب هذا فانكم لاتلقون أحدا أعلم بالسنة الماضية منه
Reference: (Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim: 8/72)
Translation: It is necessary for you to definitely hold on to this Ibn Shahab because you will not find anyone who knows the Sunnah of the past more than him.
Imam Amr bin Dinar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ما رأيت أحدا أبصر بحديث من الزهري
Reference: (Tabaqat al-Kubra by Ibn Sa'd: 1/174)
Translation: I have not seen anyone with more insight into Hadith than Zahri.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
الفقيه الحافظ متفق على جلالته وإتقانه وثبته
Reference: (Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb: 6296)
Translation: He was a jurist and a Hafiz, and the Ummah is unanimous on his grandeur, precision, and reliability.
Third point:
Are Imam Zahri's, may Allah have mercy on him, relations with Banu Umayyah sufficient for fabricating hadiths? Certainly not...
Although the study of history tells us that his relationship was not of the kind where the weak is subservient to the powerful, rather his relationship with Banu Umayyah was one of respect between teacher and student, not that of servant and master.
Fourth point:
The incident of Imam Zahri, may Allah have mercy on him, being strict about the truth and standing firm on the truth without considering anyone, which happened with Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. When Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik asked Imam Zahri about this verse in relation to the incident of Ifk:
وَالَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Reference: (An-Nur:11)
Translation: And whoever among them is made responsible for the greater part of this accusation, for him is a great punishment.
Who is meant by this person? They said it refers to Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. Hisham denied this and said it refers to Ali ibn Abi Talib! Imam Zahri expressed severe displeasure over this and said: By Allah, even if a call came down from the sky that Allah has made lying permissible, I would still not lie. Then he narrated from his chain of transmission that the person meant is Abdullah ibn Ubayy.
The mentioned incident is clear evidence that the Imam was not afraid of any kind of blame regarding the rightful Imam, so the idea of fabricating hadiths for someone's benefit from such a personality is absolutely inconceivable.
Fifth point:
Goldzihr himself has acknowledged that Imam Zahri, may Allah have mercy on him, was not the kind of person who would do such things out of desire for wealth and status.
Amr ibn Dinar says that he never saw dirhams and dinars so devalued anywhere as he saw with Zahri; for him, dirhams and dinars were like dung.
Similarly, it is also acknowledged that Imam Zahri held a very high position among the Muslims, so how could a person who did not seek wealth and status fabricate hadiths?
Sixth Point:
If Imam Zahri, may Allah have mercy on him, fabricated hadiths in favor of Banu Umayyah and to strengthen their rule, then why was this not pointed out during the Abbasid era, whose enmity with Banu Umayyah is well known? Rather, even in that era, he was praised and commended.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
الزُّهْريّ أَحْسَنُ النَّاسِ حَدِيثًا وَأَجْوَدُ النَّاسِ إِسْنَادًا
Reference: (Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi: 1/139)
Translation: Zahri was the best in hadith among the people, and the most excellent in chains of narration.
Therefore, there is no truth to the objections against Imam Zahri; it is merely a conspiracy to make the abundance of his narration of hadiths objectionable.
