The Reality of the Incident Involving the Armor of Ali (RA) Found with a Jew

Compiled by: Hafiz Muhammad Anwar Zahid (Hafizahullah)

Incident of the Armor of Ali (RA) and the Jew​

It is narrated that an armor belonging to Ali (RA) fell off his camel. Later, he saw it in the possession of a Jew. Ali (RA) said to him, "This is my armor." The Jew responded, "It is in my hands, thus it belongs to me." Ali (RA) then suggested that a Muslim judge should decide the matter. Consequently, both of them went to the court of Qadi Shurayh.

When Qadi Shurayh saw Ali (RA) approaching, he made way for him to sit. Ali (RA), however, sat down and remarked:
"If my opponent was a Muslim, I would have equaled the seating arrangement, but I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: Do not give equal seating to disbelievers and force them to use narrower pathways. If they insult you, beat them, and if they attack you, then kill them."

Qadi Shurayh then asked, "O Leader of the Believers, what do you desire?" Ali (RA) replied, "My silver armor fell off my camel, and this Jew picked it up." The Jew insisted, "This is my armor, and it is in my possession."

Qadi Shurayh said, "O Leader of the Believers! While I believe you, evidence is still required." Ali (RA) then stated, "Yes, I can call upon my slave Qanbar and my son Hasan as witnesses." However, Qadi Shurayh responded, "We can accept Qanbar’s testimony, but not that of Hasan since he is your son." Ali (RA) replied in frustration,
"May your mother lose you! Have you not heard the Hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) reported by Umar bin Khattab (RA): 'Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the youth in Paradise?' How can you reject the testimony of the leader of the youth in Paradise?"

Qadi Shurayh, however, remained firm and insisted on not accepting Hasan’s testimony due to his familial relationship with Ali (RA).

Realizing the decision was not in his favor, Ali (RA) turned to the Jew and said, "Take the armor." At this, the Jew was astonished and said, "The leader of the Muslims came to court with me, accepted a judgment against himself, and acknowledged it! Indeed, you are truthful, O Leader of the Believers. This armor is indeed yours; it fell off your camel." Then he testified:
"I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad (ﷺ) is His Messenger."

In response, Ali (RA) gave the armor to the Jew and even gifted him nine hundred dirhams. This Jew, after embracing Islam, stayed with Ali (RA) and was later martyred in the Battle of Siffin.

Hadith Verification​

Status of the Chain of Narration: Weak (Ḍa‘īf)

The chain of narration for this incident is weak as mentioned in various sources:

• Al-Hilya (4/140)
• Al-Abatīl wal-Manākīr (2/198)
• As-Sunan al-Kubrā (10/136)
• Al-‘Ilal al-Mutanāhiya (2/388)

The chain includes a narrator named Hakim bin Khidam Abu Samir, who is considered weak.

• Imam Al-Bukhari: He is classified as a "Munkar al-Hadith" (a narrator whose narrations are rejected).
• Abu Abdullah Al-Jawzqani: States that this narration is false.
• Ibn al-Jawzi: Asserts that this Hadith is not authentic.

There exists another chain for this incident, but it includes narrators such as Amr bin Shammur and Jabir Al-Ju‘fi, both of whom are weak.

Conclusion​

The incident of Ali’s (RA) armor found with a Jew, followed by a court case before Qadi Shurayh, is narrated with weak chains and contains unreliable narrators. Therefore, it cannot be accepted as authentic and is classified as a weak narration according to Hadith scholars.