Written by: Fazilat al-Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri Hafizahullah
(Question): What is the status of the following Hadith?
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: [إذا خرج ثلاثة في سفر فليؤمروا أحدهم]
When three people set out on a journey, they should appoint one of them as their leader.
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawood: 2608
(Answer): The chain of narration is weak.
It is a narration with the ‘Ananah (repeated transmission) of Ibn Ajlan. In fact, the very receipt of this Hadith is flawed; it is a mursal narration from Abu Salamah, as stated by the scholars of ‘Ilal, Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi, Imam Abu Zur’ah al-Razi, Imam al-Daraqutni رحمهم الله and others.
Reference: ‘Ilal al-Hadith by Ibn Abi Hatim: 225, ‘Ilal al-Daraqutni: 1795
Note:
Some people use this weak and mursal narration as evidence for personal imitation, arguing that since there is a command to appoint a leader in worldly matters, then all the more so there should be a leader in religious matters.
This is like a drowning person clutching at a straw. It is not correct to use a weak hadith to justify personal imitation, because the Imams of Hadith did not consider imitation permissible in religion. Appointing a leader in worldly matters is definitely not imitation, because obedience to the leader is based on what is known; if the act is known to be wrong and unlawful, obedience to the leader is not permissible. There are arguments supporting this.
Similarly, one can seek guidance from someone in religious matters, but when the guide's error becomes clear, it is necessary to abandon them. If someone persists in following a guide even after the error is clear, that too is a clear mistake. Also, it is not correct to analogize religious matters with worldly matters without evidence.
