The most beloved person to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the universe was Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه. At the end of this article, this matter has been explained in detail in the light of authentic and clear Prophetic ahadith.
Some people present the Hadith of the Birds against these authentic and clear ahadith.
Let us examine this narration according to the principles of the Muhaddithin:
➊ Hadith of Anas رضي الله عنه:
➊ It is attributed to Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه:
إن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم كان عنده طائر، فقال : ’اللهم ائتني بأحب خلقك إليك يأكل معي من هٰذا الطير‘، فجائ أبو بكر، فرده، وجاء عمر، فرده، وجاء علي، فأذن له .
“The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had a (cooked) bird. He prayed: O Allah! Send to me that servant of Yours who is most beloved to You among Your creation, so that he may eat the meat of this bird with me.” Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه came, but the Prophet ﷺ sent him back. After that, Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه came, and he was also sent back. Then Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه came, and the Prophet ﷺ allowed him.”
Comment:
This is a “weak” and “denied” narration, because:
➊ One of its narrators, Mushir bin Abdul Malik, is a weak narrator.
About him:
◈ Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
فيه بعض النظر .
“Some muhaddithin have spoken about him.”
◈ Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ولمسهر غير ما ذكرت، و ليس بالكثير .
“Musheer has narrated other narrations as well, but he is not a prolific narrator.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned him in Al-Thiqat
as:
يخطئ ويهم .
“This narrator was prone to mistakes and delusions.”
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, called him “Lain” (weak narrator).
◈ He also said he is “Laysa bil-Qawi” (not strong).
Clearly, only Hasan bin Hammad Nasibi Waraq has called him trustworthy.
↰ The majority of muhaddithin have called this narration “weak.” This narration has many chains. All of them are “weak.”
Below, the weakness of each chain is clarified.
——————
➋ طريق السدي عن أنس . . . .
Commentary:
This is a “Munkar” (rejected) narration, because:
Its narrator, Ubaidullah ibn Musa Absi, although a narrator of the Sihah Sittah and trustworthy, the great Muhaddithin have discussed this particular narration of his.
◈ Imam Ibn Sa’d (may Allah have mercy on him) says about him:
كان ثقة صدوقا، إن شاء الله، كثير الحديث، حسن الهيئة، وكان يتشيع، ويروي أحاديث فى التشيع منكرة، فضعف بذٰلك عند كثير من الناس .
“He is, God willing, trustworthy, truthful, and a narrator of many hadiths. He is handsome and also a Shia. He narrates Munkar narrations in Shi’ism, and for this reason many Muhaddithin have declared him weak.”
↰ Thus, this narration is indeed “Munkar.”
——————
➌ طريق الحارث بن نبهان عن السدي عن أنس . . .
Commentary:
This is a fabricated chain, because:
It includes Harith ibn Nahyan, who is a “Munkar al-Hadith” (one who narrates rejected hadith) and “Matrook al-Hadith” (one whose narrations are abandoned).
——————
➍ طريق حماد بن المختار عن عبد الملك بن عمير . . .
Comment:
This chain is “weak” because:
Its narrator Hammad bin Mukhtar is “unknown.”
◈ Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says about him:
وليس بالمعروف . “He is an unknown narrator.”
◈ Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ولم أعرفه . “I do not know him.”
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
لا يعرف .
“He is an unknown narrator.”
There is another defect in it as well.
——————
➎ قطن بن نسير، ثنا جعفر بن سليمان : ثنا عبد الله بن المثنٰي عن عبد الله بن أنس . . .
Comment:
This is a “Munkar” (rejected) narration, because:
Its narrator, Ja’far ibn Sulayman Du’bi, is trustworthy and a good narrator of hadith. He is a narrator of Sahih Muslim, and based on the consensus of the Ummah, all his narrations mentioned in Sahih Muslim are authentic. Apart from Sahih Muslim, some of his narrations are also Munkar. Among the narrations that the majority of muhaddithin have discussed is this narration as well.
Regarding him:
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
يخالف فى بعض حديثه .
“Some trustworthy narrators contradict him in some hadiths.”
◈ Hafiz Juzjani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
روٰي أحاديث منكرة، وهو ثقة متماسك، كان لا يكتب .
“He has narrated some Munkar hadiths, although he is trustworthy and precise. He used to narrate from his memory and did not write down his narrations.”
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
وهو صدوق فى نفسه، وينفرد بأحاديث عدة، مما ينكر .
“He is personally a trustworthy narrator, but he has uniquely narrated several Munkar hadiths.”
Great Benefit:
◈ Sheikh Al-Islam Thani, the divine scholar, Allama Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) beautifully said:
ولا عيب علٰي مسلم فى إخراج حديثه، لأنه ينتقي من أحاديث هٰذا الضرب ما يعلم أنه حفظه، كما يطرح من أحاديث الثقة ما يعلم أنه غلط فيه، فغلط فى هٰذا المقام من استدرك عليه إخراج جميع حديث الثقة، ومن ضعف جميع حديث سيئ الحفظ، فالـأولٰي طريقة الحاكم وأمثاله، والثانية طريقة أبي محمد ابن حزم وأشكاله، وطريقة مسلم هي طريقة أئمة هٰذا الشأن .
“Narrating the hadiths of Ja’far ibn Sulayman is not a fault for Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him), because he selects those narrations from such narrators which he knows are memorized by them. Just as he filters out narrations from trustworthy narrators about which he knows there is an error. At this point, those people erred who declared all narrations of any trustworthy narrator as mustadrak (to be added) or declared all narrations of narrators with weak memory as weak. The example of the first group is Imam Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) and others like him (who consider all narrations of narrators of the two Sahihs as authentic), and the example of the second group is Allama Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) and others like him (who consider all narrations of narrators with weak memory as weak). Imam Muslim’s method is the one that is appropriate for the great imams of this science.”
——————
➏ أبو الهندي عن أنس . . .
Commentary:
This chain is also “weak” because:
Abu Al-Hindi, the narrator, is “unknown.”
◈ Imam Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
مجهول، واسمه لا يعرف . “He is unknown. His name is not even known.”
◈ Hafiz Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
لا يعرف . “He is an obscure narrator.”
——————
➐ عن إسماعيل بن سلمان الأزرق عنه . . .
Commentary:
This chain is extremely “weak” because:
Its narrator Ismail ibn Salman Azraq is very “weak.”
He has been declared “weak” and “abandoned” by Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in, Imam Abu Zur‘ah Al-Razi, Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi, Imam An-Nasa’i, Imam Ibn Numayr, Imam Al-Daraqutni, Imam Ya‘qub ibn Sufyan Al-Fasawi, Imam Ibn Hibban, and the majority of the great muhaddithin.
——————
➑ عثمان الطويل عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This chain is also “weak” because:
➊ Its narrator Uthman al-Tawil is “a narrator who speaks about the subject.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, after mentioning him in Al-Thiqat
, writes:
ربما أخطأ .
“He sometimes makes mistakes.”
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
هو شيخ .
◈ Imam Ibn ‘Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
عثمان الطويل عزيز السند، إنما له هٰذا وآخر عن أنس .
“The chain of Uthman al-Tawil is ‘Aziz’ (two intermediaries). One of his narrations is this one. The other narration is from our master Anas, may Allah be pleased with him.”
◈ Imam Shu’bah, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated from him, but Imam Bazzar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
عن أنس من وجوه، وكل من رواه عن أنس، فليس بالقوي .
“This narration has been transmitted from our master Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, through many chains, but whoever narrates this narration from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, is not strong.”
◈ Imam Khalili, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وما روٰي حديث الطير ثقة .
“Hadith al-Tayr was not narrated by any trustworthy narrator.”
Therefore, its weakness is predominant.
➋ Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ولا يعرف لعثمان سماع من أنس بن مالك .
“The hearing of Uthman al-Tawil from our master Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, is not established.”
Therefore, this chain is also “weak” due to “interruption.”
——————
➒ عن محمد بن عياض، عن يحيي بن حسان، عن سليمان ابن بلال، عن يحيي بن سعيد عن أنس . . .
Comment:
Its chain is “weak” because:
➊ Ibn ‘Iyad, the narrator, is “unknown.”
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says about him:
فلا أعرفه . “I do not know him.”
Hafiz al-Haythami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ولم أعرفه .
“I do not know who he is.”
➋ Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Iyad ibn Abu Taybah, the narrator, is also “unknown in status.”
Therefore, Imam al-Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, calling this narration “authentic according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim” is based on leniency.
In response to him, Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وهٰذا فيه نظر . “Imam al-Hakim’s statement is open to criticism.”
——————
➓ عن إسماعيل بن سليمان الرازي، عن عبد الملك بن أبي سليمان، عن عطاء عن أنس . . .
Commentary:
This chain is also weak because:
➊ It contains many “unknown” narrators. The claimant of the authenticity of this narration must present the authentication of all narrators.
➋ Regarding Ismail bin Sulayman Al-Razi:
◈ Imam Aqili (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
الغالب علٰي حديثه الوهم .
“There is a predominance of doubt over his hadith.”
After mentioning the above hadith and another hadith:
◈ Imam Aqili (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
كلاهما لا يتابع عليه، وليسا بمحفوظين .
“These two narrations are not corroborated. Both are unreliable.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
وهٰذا لا يصح، وفيه مجاهيل، لا يعرفون .
“This narration is not authentic. It contains unknown narrators whose identity cannot be established.”
——————
⓫ عن مسلم بن كيسان، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
Its chain of narration is severely “weak,” because its narrator Muslim bin Kaysan Awar is considered “weak” by the majority of the scholars of hadith.
◈ Hafiz Haithami (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
وضعفه جماعة كثيرون .
“A large group of hadith scholars have declared him weak.”
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
يتكلمون فيه .
“The noble hadith scholars have criticized him.”
◈ Imam Firas (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
هو منكر الحديث جدا .
“He is a severe denier of hadith.”
◈ Imam Abu Hatim Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
يتكلمون فيه، وهو ضعيف الحديث .
“The hadith scholars have criticized him and he is a weak narrator of hadith.”
◈ Imam Abu Zur’ah Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) also says that he is “weak in hadith.”
◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Imam Nasai, Imam Juzjani, Imam Yahya bin Ma’in and the majority of hadith scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) call him “weak.”
◈ Imam Ibn ‘Adi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
والضعف علٰي رواياته بين .
“His narrations clearly show weakness.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
اختلط فى آخر عمره، كان لا يدري ما يحدث به، فجعل يأتى بما لا أصل له عن الثقات، فاختلط حديثه ولم يتميز .
“In his later years, he suffered from confusion of memory; he did not even realize what he had narrated. Consequently, he attributed narrations to trustworthy narrators that were baseless. Thus, his narrated hadiths became mixed up and it was not possible to distinguish between authentic and weak.”
⓬ عن إبراهيم بن ثابت البناني، عن أنس . . .
Commentary:
This is a very “weak” chain, because:
Regarding its narrator Ibrahim bin Thabit Qassar Basri:
◈ Hafiz Al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ضعيف جدا . “He is a very weak narrator.”
He also states that he is a “discredited” narrator.
——————
⓭ عن بشر بن الحسين، عن الزبير بن عدي عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This chain is also invalid because:
Regarding its narrator Bishr ibn Husayn Asbahani:
◈ Imam Darqatni, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
بشر بن حسين أصبهاني عن الزبير بن عدي، وله عنه نسخة موضوعة، والزبير ثقة .
“Bishr ibn Husayn Asbahani narrates from Zubayr ibn ‘Adi. Zubayr ibn ‘Adi is trustworthy, but Bishr has fabricated a collection of narrations attributed to him.”
◈ The same was stated by Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him.
◈ Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
فيه نظر . “There is criticism of him by the muhaddithin.”
◈ Imam Ibn ‘Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وعامة حديثه ليس بالمحفوظ .
“Most of his narrations are not reliable.”
He also called him “weak.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
يروي عن الزبير بن عدي بنسخة موضوعة .
“He narrates from a collection of fabricated narrations attributed to Zubayr ibn ‘Adi.”
◈ Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
يروي عن الزبير بن عدي، عن أنس بن مالك، وغيره كتابا يزيد عدده علٰي مائة وخمسين حديثا، أكثرها موضوعة .
“He narrates from Zubayr ibn ‘Adi through Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik and others. He had a book containing more than one hundred and fifty narrations, most of which were fabricated.”
This narration is also narrated by Bishr from Zubayr ibn ‘Adi, therefore this narration is false.
——————
⓮ عن عبد الله بن محمد بن عمارة، عن مالك، عن إسحاق بن عبد الله، عن أنس . . .
Commentary:
This is a “weak” chain because:
About the narrator Ibn ‘Amarah:
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
مستور، ما وثق ولا ضعف . “He is an obscure narrator. He has neither been authenticated nor declared weak.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
أورد له الدارقطني فى الغرائب عن مالك، عن إسحاق بن عبد الله، عن أنس، حديث الطير، وهو منكر، وقال : تفرد ابن عمارة عن مالك، وغيره أثبت منه .
“Imam al-Daraqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated Hadith al-Tayr in his book al-Ghara’ib with the chain مالك عن اسحاق بن عبدالله عن انس. This is a rejected narration. Imam al-Daraqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, says: Ibn ‘Amarah is unique in narrating from Malik; he is a weak narrator.”
——————
⓯ عن أبي مكيس دينار، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This chain of narration is also false, because:
About Abu Mukais Dinar:
◈ Hafiz Zahbi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ساقط. “He is a very weak narrator.”
◈ He also says:
عن أنس، ذاك التالف المتهم .
“He narrates from our master Anas (may Allah be pleased with him). He is very weak and accused of lying.”
◈ Imam Ibn Adi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
منكر الحديث، ذاهب الحديث، شبه المجهول .
“The hadiths he narrates are rejected and very weak. He is like an unknown person.”
——————
⓰ عن يغنم بن سالم، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This is a false chain of narration, because:
About Yaghnam ibn Salim the narrator:
◈ Hafiz Zahbi (may Allah have mercy on him) says he was a very lying narrator.
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
شيخ يضع الحديث علٰي أنس بن مالك .
“He attributes false narrations to our master Anas (may Allah be pleased with him).”
——————
⓱ عن على بن الحسن، حدثنا خليد بن دعلج، عن قتادة عن أنس . . .
Commentary:
This is also a fabricated chain because:
① Regarding its narrator Ali ibn Hasan Sami:
Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
وهو فى عداد المتروكين .
“He is counted among the abandoned narrators.”
② Khalid ibn Da’lj, the narrator, has been declared “weak” by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him), Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in (may Allah have mercy on him), Imam Darqutni (may Allah have mercy on him), Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him), Imam ‘Uqaili (may Allah have mercy on him), Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him), and the majority of hadith scholars.
③ Qatadah ibn Da’ama, a Tabi’i, is a “mudallis” who narrates using the word “an” and there is no explicit clarification of his hearing.
——————
⓲ عن خالد بن عبيد، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This chain is also invalid because:
Regarding its narrator Khalid bin Ubaid Ataki:
◈ Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
فيه نظر . “He has been criticized.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
يروي عن أنس بنسخة موضوعة، ما لها أصل، يعرفها من ليس الحديث صناعته أنها موضوعة، لا تحل كتابة حديثه؛ إلا علٰي جهة التعجب .
“He narrates a fabricated and invented version attributed to our master Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him. It has no basis. Even those who are not skilled in hadith know that this version is fabricated (invented). It is not permissible to write down his hadith. However, it may be written for the sake of warning.”
◈ Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
حدث عن أنس بأحاديث موضوعة .
“He attributed false narrations to our master Anas, may Allah be pleased with him.”
◈ Imam Abu Nu’aym Asbahani, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
حدث عن أنس بأحاديث موضوعة، لا شيئ .
“He attributed false narrations to our master Anas, may Allah be pleased with him. His statements are not reliable.”
◈ Imam Aqili, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
لا يتابع علٰي حديثه . “His narrations are rejected.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
متروك الحديث مع جلالته .
“Despite his status and rank, his narration is abandoned.”
——————
⓳ عن عبد اللہ بن زياد أبي العلائ، عن على بن زيد، عن سعيد بن المسيب، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This is a very “weak” chain because:
① Abdullah bin Ziyad has been declared “Munkir al-Hadith” (denier of hadith) by Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him.
② Ali bin Zaid bin Jud’an is considered “weak” by the majority of hadith scholars.
He has been declared “weak” by Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him
, Allama Busiri
, Allama Ibn al-Araqi
, and Allama Baqa’i
according to the majority.
He is a weak, mixed, and unreliable narrator. No one has explicitly called him trustworthy.
③ Saleh bin Abdul Kabir bin Shabib is “unknown.”
Therefore, Imam Ibn Shahin, may Allah have mercy on him, calling this hadith “Hasan” is not correct.
——————
(20) عن ميمون أبي خلف، عن أنس …. .
Comment:
This is a very weak chain because:
Regarding its narrator Maymun bin Jabir Abu Khalaf:
◈ Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
لا شيئ . “He is not reliable.”
◈ Imam Aqili, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
ولا يصح حديثه . “The narration he reports is not authentic.”
——————
(21) عن عبد اللہ بن ميمون، عن جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This is also a very weak chain because:
Regarding its narrator Abdullah bin Maymun Qaddah:
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
منكر الحديث، متروك .
“He is a denier of hadith and an abandoned narrator.”
——————
(22) عن محمد بن زكريا بن ذويد، عن حميد الطويل، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This is a fabricated chain because:
Regarding its narrator Muhammad bin Zakariya, Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
روٰي عن حميد الطويل خبرا باطلا، والراوي عنه؛ هو على بن صدقة الجوهري، لا أعرفه .
“He attributed a false narration to Humayd Tawil. Ali bin Sidqah Jawhari reports this. I do not know him.”
——————
(23) عن الحسن بن عبد اللہ الثقفي، عن نافع، عن أنس . . .
Commentary:
This is also a weak chain because:
① Regarding its narrator Hasan ibn Abdullah Thaqafi:
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, states that he is a “denier of hadith.”
◈ He also called him “abandoned.”
② Nafi’ ibn Harmuz is also a “weak and abandoned” narrator.
◈ Imam al-Daraqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned him in
.
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ضعفه أحمد وجماعة، وكذبه ابن معين مرة، وقال أبو حاتم : متروك، ذاهب الحديث، وقال النسائي : ليس بثقة .
“Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, and a group of muhaddithin have declared him weak. Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in, may Allah have mercy on him, once called him a liar. Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, called him abandoned and a fabricator of hadith. Also, Imam al-Nasa’i, may Allah have mercy on him, said he is not trustworthy.”
——————
(24) عن محمد بن سليم، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This is a “weak” chain, because:
Muhammad bin Salim, the narrator, is “unknown.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has declared him “unknown.”
——————
(25) عن عبد اللہ بن المثنٰي، عن ثمامة، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This chain is invalid, because:
① In Ibn Asakir’s chain there is Abdus Salam bin Rashid, about whom:
◈ Hafiz Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
لا يدرٰي من ذا ؟
“No one knows who he is.”
In that chain there is Abbas bin Bakkar, about whom:
◈ Imam Al-Daraqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
بصري كذاب . “He is a Basri liar.”
——————
(26) عن سالم مولي عمر بن عبيد اللہ، عن أنس . . .
Comment:
This is a false chain, because:
In its chain, Ahmad bin Saeed bin Farqad is the narrator, about whom:
◈ Hafiz Zahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
روٰي حديث الطير بإسناد الصحيحين، فهو متهم بوضعه .
“He has narrated Hadith al-Tayr through the chains of Bukhari and Muslim, but he himself is accused of fabricating this hadith.”
——————
(27) عن مفضل بن صالح، عن الحسن بن الحكم، عن أنس…. .
Comment:
This is a false chain of narration because:
Mufaddal bin Salih Al-Asadi has been declared a “denier of hadith” by Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him
, and Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him
.
◈ Imam Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ليس عند أهل الحديث بذاك الحافظ .
“According to the noble muhaddithin, his memory is not strong.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
منكر الحديث، كان ممن يروي المقلوبات عن الثقات، حتٰي يسبق إلى القلب أنه كان المتعمد لها من كثرته، فوجب ترك الاحتجاج به .
“He is a denier of hadith narrator, narrates distorted reports from trustworthy narrators, and due to the abundance of his narrations, it is suspected that he does this deliberately. It is obligatory to abandon the hadith he narrates.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has called him “weak.”
——————
(28) عن حماد، عن إبراهيم النخعي، عن أنس …. .
Comment:
This is a fabricated (man-ghurat) chain of narration because:
① It includes Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Ibrahim Ahwazi, who is a “fabricator” narrator. See:
② It also contains several other critical defects.
——————
(29) عن عبد الملك بن أبي سليمان، عن أنس …. .
Commentary:
This narration is “weak” due to “interruption,” as:
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
عبد الملك بن أبي سليمان عن أنس مرسل .
“Abdul Malik ibn Abi Sulayman’s narration from Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, is a mursal narration.”
——————
(30) عن يحيي بن أبي كثير، عن أنس …. .
Commentary:
Its chain is “weak” because:
① Yahya ibn Abi Kathir is a “mudallis” (one who practices tadlis) and he reports using the word “an” (from), but there is no explicit clarification of his hearing (sama‘).
It should be noted that except for Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, the “an‘anah” (repetitive use of “an”) of a mudallis is unacceptable unless elsewhere his hearing is explicitly clarified or a trustworthy follower is found.
② Yahya ibn Abi Kathir does not have direct hearing from Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him.
(31) عن خالد بن عبيد أبي عصام، عن أنس …. .
Comment:
Its chain of narration is invalid because it contains Khalid bin Ubaid Ataki, a “discarded” narrator.
This has already been explained on previous pages.
——————
(32) عن عمر بن عبد الله بن يعلي بن مرة، عن أبيه، عن جده، وعن أنس …. .
Comment:
This is a very “weak” chain of narration because:
Its narrator Umar bin Abdullah bin Ya’la has been declared “weak and defective” by the critics and scholars Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Imam Yahya bin Ma’in, Imam Abu Hatim Razi, Imam Abu Zur’ah Razi, Imam Bukhari, Imam Nasai, Imam Ya’qub bin Sufyan Fasawi, may Allah have mercy on them.
◈ Imam Al-Daraqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, called him “discarded”.
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
منكر الرواية عن أبيه . “His narrations from his father are rejected.”
This narration is also being reported by him from his own father.
——————
(33) عن عبد اللہ بن المثنٰي، عن أبان، عن أنس …. .
Comment:
This is a weak chain of narration because:
① Aban bin Abu Ayash is unanimously considered a “Matruk al-Hadith” (a narrator whose hadiths are abandoned).
② The biography of Abu al-Walid Hashim bin Ahmad bin Masroor is not available.
③ The authentication of Ubaidullah bin Ishaq bin Sahl Sanjari is required.
④ There are other defects in this chain as well.
——————
(34) عن الحسن، عن أنس بن مالك …. .
Comment:
This is a weak chain of narration because:
① Imam Tabarani, may Allah have mercy on him, his teacher Haroon bin Muhammad bin Munkhal Wasiṭi is “unknown.”
② Musa bin Saad Basri, the narrator, is also “unknown.”
③ Hafs bin Umar Adani is considered very “weak” by the majority of hadith scholars.
◈ Hafiz Iraqi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ضعفه الجمهور . “The majority of the noble hadith scholars have declared him weak.”
◈ Imam Darqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, called him “abandoned.”
④ Imam Hasan Basri is a “mudallis” (one who conceals defects in the chain) and he did not specify the hearing.
These are all the chains of narration attributed to Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, whose reality we have clarified.
◈ Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
فهٰذه طرق متعددة عن أنس بن مالك، وكل منها فيه ضعف ومقال .
“These are the various chains of narration reported from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him. Each of them contains weakness and fabrication.”
◈ When Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, defended this narration by saying:
وقد رواه عن أنس أكثر من ثلاثين نفسا .
“This narration has been reported by more than thirty narrators from Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him.”
In response to this, Hafiz Zahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, said very well:
فصلهم بثقة يصح الإسناد إليه .
“Let any one of them present a trustworthy narrator whose chain reaches the authentic source.”
Hadith Safina:
This hadith has three chains of transmission. The status of each is presented below:
➊ عن مطير، عن ثابت البجلي، عن سفينة …. .
Comment:
This is a weak chain, because:
Its narrator Mutair bin Abu Khalid is “abandoned”.
◈ Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, says about him:
ولا يصح حديثه . “His narration is not authentic.”
◈ Imam Abu Hatim Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
متروك الحديث . “He is an abandoned narrator of hadith.”
◈ Imam Abu Zur’ah Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, called him “weak in hadith”.
◈ Imam Darqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned him in Al-Du’afa wal-Matrukoon
.
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, also called him “abandoned”.
——————
➋ عن بريدة بن سفيان، عن سفينة …. .
Comment:
Its chain of narration is invalid because:
Buraidah bin Sufyan is considered “weak” by the majority of hadith scholars.
Regarding him:
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
فيه نظر . “There is speech in it.”
◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
له بلية تحكٰي عنه . “A fabricated narration is attributed to him.”
◈ Imam Darqutni (may Allah have mercy on him) called him “abandoned.”
◈ Imam Abu Hatim Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ضعيف الحديث . “He is a weak hadith narrator.”
◈ Imam Nasai (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
هٰذا ليس بالقوي فى الحديث . “He is not strong in hadith.”
◈ Hafiz Jauzjani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
رديئ المذهب . “He is a follower of a deviant sect.”
——————
➌ عن سليمان بن قرم، عن فطر بن خليفة، عن عبد الرحمٰن بن أبي نعم، عن سفينة …. .
Comment:
This sanad is weak because:
Its narrator, Sulaiman bin Qaram, is considered very “weak” by the majority of hadith scholars.
◈ Imam Ali bin Madini (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لم يكن بالقوي، وهو صالح .
“He is a good man, but not strong in hadith.”
◈ Imam Yahya bin Ma’in (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ليس بشيئ، وهو ضعيف . “He is nothing, a weak narrator.”
Imam Abu Hatim Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) called him ليس بالمتين and Imam Abu Zur’ah Razi called him ليس بذاك.
◈ Imam Nasai (may Allah have mercy on him) called him ليس بالقوي.
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
كان رافضيا غاليا فى الرفض، ويقلب الـأخبار .
“He was an extremist Rafidhi and used to distort narrations.”
◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لا أرٰي به بأسا، ولٰكنه كان يفرط فى التشيع .
“I do not find any harm in him, but he was excessive in Shi’ism.”
◈ Imam Ibn ‘Adi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
إنه مفرط فى التشيع، ولسليمان أحاديث حسان أفرادات، وهو خير من سليمان بن أرقم بكثير .
“He was an extremist Shia; Sulaiman’s unique narrations are good, he is much better than Sulaiman bin Arqam.”
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from him with a condition, and Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated in following.
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) called him “weak.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
سيئ الحفظ، يتشيع . “His memory was weak and he was Shi’a.”
Therefore, this narrator is “weak.”
——————
Hadith of Ibn Abbas:
Comment:
This chain of narration is weak because:
① It contains Sulayman bin Qaram, a “weak” narrator.
② Regarding the narrator Muhammad bin Shu’aib, Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لا يعرف . “He is an unknown narrator.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) called him “unknown.”
In Tabarani, it is Muhammad bin Sa’id, which is a scribal error. The correct wording is Muhammad bin Shu’aib.
◈ Hafiz Haithami (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ولم أعرفه . “I could not identify him.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
هٰذا حديث لا يصح، محمد بن شعيب (سعيد) مجهول .
“This hadith is not authentic because Muhammad bin Shu’aib (Sa’id) in its chain is unknown.”
◈ Imam ‘Aqili (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
حديثه غير محفوظ . “Its hadith is not reliable.”
Regarding this narration, he says:
الرواية فى هٰذا؛ فيها لين . “There is weakness in this narration.”
——————
Hadith Ali:
عن عيسي بن عبد اللہ بن محمد بن عمر بن على بن أبي طالب، حدثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن جده، عن على …. .
Comment:
This is a false narration, because:
Its narrator, Isa bin Abdullah bin Umar:
◈ Imam Darqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, said about him: “Matrook al-Hadith” (abandoned in hadith).
◈ Imam Abu Hatim Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
لم يكن بقوي الحديث .
“This hadith is not strong.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
يروي عن أبيه، عن آبائه أشيائ موضوعة، لا يحل الاحتجاج به، كأنه كان يهم ويخطئ، حتٰي كان يجيئ بالـأشيائ الموضوعة عن أسلافه، فبطل الاحتجاج بما يرويه لما وصفت .
“He narrates fabricated reports from his ancestors. It is not permissible to use the narrations he reports as evidence, because he was prone to error and mistake, to the extent that he narrated fabricated reports from his forefathers. Therefore, taking evidence from his narrations is invalid.”
Also, after mentioning him in
, he said:
فى حديثه بعض المناكير . “Some of his narrations are rejected.”
◈ Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
روٰي عن أبيه، عن آبائه أحاديث موضوعة .
“He narrates fabricated reports from his ancestors through his father.”
◈ Imam Abu Nu’aym Asbahani, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
روٰي عن أبيه، عن آبائه أحاديث مناكير، لا يكتب حديثه، لا شيئ .
“He narrates rejected reports from his ancestors through his father; his hadith should not be recorded, and he is not trustworthy.”
◈ Imam Ibn ‘Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
وعامة ما يرويه لا يتابع عليه .
“Most of his narrations are rejected.”
When Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote about this narration:
صحت الرواية عن على . “This narration is established from our master Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.”
So Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, refuted it in these words:
لا، والله، ما صح شيئ من ذٰلك .
“By Allah! There is no authentic narration regarding this.”
——————
Hadith of Ya’la bin Murta:
◈ Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وقد روي من حديث يعلي بن مرة، والـإسناد إليه مظلم، وروي من حديث حبشي بن جنادة، ولا يصح أيضا، ومن حديث أبي رافع نحوه، وليس بصحيح .
“There is also a narration from Ya’la bin Murta regarding this, but its chain is very weak. Similarly, there is a narration from Habashi bin Janadah, which is also not established. There is also a narration from Abu Rafi’, and it is not authentic either.”
Confusion in the Text:
You have already observed the condition of the chain of this hadith, that not a single chain reaches the level of authenticity according to the principles of the scholars of hadith. It is not only the chain that is problematic; there is also confusion and disagreement in the text itself.
① The first disagreement is: which bird was it? In the Musnad of Abu Ya’la and the narration of Ibn ‘Adi, it is mentioned as Hujl; in the narration of Ibn Asakir, which is reported from Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, it is Habariyah; in the narration of Ibn al-Mu’azzali, which is reported from Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, it is Ya’aqib; and in another narration of Ibn al-Mu’azzali, it is Nahamah; while in one narration of Ibn Asakir, it is mentioned as Dijahah.
② There is also disagreement in the number of birds. Some narrations mention “Atyar,” some mention “Tuyur,” and some mention “Nuhamat.”
③ There is also disagreement about who gifted the bird. In the narrations of ‘Aqili and al-Tabarani, Sayyida Umm Ayman, may Allah be pleased with her, is mentioned; in the narrations of Ibn Asakir and Ibn al-Mu’azzali, a woman from the Ansar is mentioned. It is established that Sayyida Umm Ayman was not from the Ansar.
To add to this, many scholars of hadith have declared this narration weak in terms of its chain.
Honorable Muhaddithin and the Hadith of the Bird:
◈ Imam Aqili, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وهٰذا الباب؛ الرواية فيها لين وضعيف، ولا نعلم فيه شيئا ثابتا .
“There is weakness and deficiency in all the narrations transmitted regarding this. To our knowledge, nothing is established in this chain.”
He also says:
طرق هٰذا الحديث؛ فيها لين .
“There is weakness in the chains of this hadith.”
◈ Imam Bazzar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
روٰي عن أنس من وجوه، وكل من رواه عنه؛ فليس بالقوي .
“This narration has been transmitted from Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, through many chains, but none of the narrators who reported it from Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, is strong.”
③ Imam Khalili, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وما روٰي فى حديث الطير ثقة، رواه الضعفائ، مثل : إسماعيل ابن سليمان الـأزرق وأشباهه، ويرده جميع أئمة الحديث .
“No trustworthy narrator has reported the Hadith of the Bird. It is narrated only by weak narrators, such as Ismail ibn Sulayman Azraq and other similar narrators. All Muhaddithin have rejected it.”
④ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, quotes Hafiz Muhammad ibn Tahir al-Maqdisi, may Allah have mercy on him:
كل طرقه، أى حديث الطير، باطلة معلولة .
“All the chains of the Hadith of the Bird are false and defective.”
⑤ Hafiz Muhammad ibn Nasir Salami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
حديث موضوع، وإنما جاء من سقاط أهل الكوفة، عن المشاهير والمجاهيل، عن أنس وغيره .
“This narration is fabricated because it was narrated from Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, and others through weak Kufan narrators via unknown and obscure narrators.”
⑥ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, himself explained the defect in each of its sixteen chains and said:
قد ذكره ابن مردويه من نحو عشرين طريقا؛ كلها مظلم، وفيها مطعن .
“Ibn Mardawayh mentioned this narration with nearly twenty chains, but all of them are very weak and contain defects.”
⑦ Hafiz ‘Iraqi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وله طرق؛ كلها ضعيفة .
“It has many chains, but all of them are weak.”
⑧ Shaykh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
إن حديث الطائر من المكذوبات الموضوعات عند أهل العلم والمعرفة بحقائق النقل .
“The Hadith of the Bird is fabricated and false according to the scholars and experts in Hadith.”
⑨ Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وهٰذا الحديث قد صنف الناس فيه، وله طرق متعددة، وفي كل منها نظر .
“Many books have been written by people on this hadith. It has many chains, but each one of them has defects.”
After mentioning some chains of the narration, he says:
وفي جملة؛ ففي القلب من صحة هٰذا الحديث نظر، وإن كثرت طرقه .
“In summary, although there are many routes for this hadith, its authenticity is doubtful in the heart.”
⑩ Allama Damiri, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
حديث الطير؛ رواه الطبراني وأبو يعلٰي والبزار من عدة طرق، كلها ضعيفة .
“The Hadith of the Bird has been narrated by Imam Tabrani, Abu Ya’la, and Bazzar with multiple chains, but all of them are weak.”
⑪ Allama Shawkani, may Allah have mercy on him, regarding Imam Hakim’s authentication, says:
واعترض عليه كثير من أهل العلم .
“Most scholars have objected to Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, calling it authentic.”
⑫ Allama Muhammad ibn Ya’qub Firoozabadi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
له طرق كثيرة؛ كلها ضعيفة .
“It has many chains, but all of them are weak.”
⑬ To prove this hadith as “weak,” Allama Abu Bakr Barqani, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote a voluminous book.
Contradiction with authentic hadith:
The hadith of the bird is not only “weak” but also contradicts this agreed-upon authentic hadith. Please observe:
❀ Statement of Sayyiduna Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him):
فقلت : أى الناس أحب إليك؟ قال : ’عائشة‘، قلت : من الرجال؟ قال : ’أبوها‘، قلت : ثم من؟ قال : ’عمر‘، فعد رجالا، فسكت مخافة أن يجعلني فى آخرهم .
“I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: Who among the people is most beloved to you? He, peace be upon him, said: Aisha. Then I asked: Among the men, who are they? He said: Her father (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him). I asked: After him? The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Umar. After that, the Prophet, peace be upon him, mentioned several other men. I became silent out of fear that the Prophet, peace be upon him, would mention me last.”
Another narration:
There is no doubt that Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه loved Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and was also beloved to Allah and the Messenger.
However, to say that Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه was generally the most beloved to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم is not correct; rather, it is equivalent to distorting the facts.
You already know that the Hadith of the Bird is not proven at all, but some people present another hadith in this regard, so please observe:
❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Nu’man ibn Bashir رضي الله عنه:
استأذن أبو بكر على النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فسمع صوت عائشة عاليا، وهى تقول : والله، قد علمت أن عليا أحب إليك من أبي، فأهوٰي إليها أبو بكر ليلطمها، وقال : يا ابنة فلانة، أراك ترفعين صوتك علٰي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فأمسكه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وخرج أبو بكر مغضبا، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : يا عائشة، كيف رأيتني أنقذتك من الرجل؟ ثم استأذن أبو بكر بعد ذٰلك، وقد اصطلح رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وعائشة، فقال : أدخلاني فى السلم، كما أدخلتماني فى الحرب، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : قد فعلنا .
“When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه sought permission to enter from the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, Lady Aisha Siddiqah رضي الله عنها was heard loudly saying to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم: By Allah! I know that you love Ali رضي الله عنه more than my father. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه advanced to slap Lady Aisha رضي الله عنها and said: I hear your voice louder than the voice of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم stopped Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه left there in anger. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to Lady Aisha رضي الله عنها: See, how I saved you from your father. Later, when Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه again sought permission to enter, by that time the reconciliation between the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and Lady Aisha رضي الله عنها had taken place. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: Include me in your reconciliation as you included me in your displeasure. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: We have done so.”
But its chain of narration is “weak.” In its chain, Abu Ishaq Sa’id is a “mudallis” (one who conceals a link), which is found in Sunan Abu Dawood
. Undoubtedly, this
is connected. In such a case, if the narrator before the intermediary explicitly states hearing from the narrator after the intermediary, the doubt of discontinuity is removed; otherwise, it remains. Yunus ibn Abu Ishaq did not explicitly state hearing from ‘Aizar ibn Harith, so due to the doubt of discontinuity, this chain is “weak.”
Even if this narration is accepted as authentic, it proves that on a particular occasion for a specific matter, the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم’s choice fell upon Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه, and Lady Aisha رضي الله عنها alluded to this particular occasion in this hadith. It is not correct to conclude from her words that generally Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه was more beloved to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم than Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه.
The commentator of Sahih al-Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله, while combining and reconciling these two hadiths, states in these words:
ويمكن الجمع باختلاف جهة المحبة؛ فيكون فى حق أبي بكر علٰي عمومه بخلاف على .
“Considering different aspects of love, it is possible to combine and reconcile these two hadiths. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه was generally more beloved to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, while Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه was beloved on a particular occasion.”
Summary:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ loved Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه the most among men; that is why he was chosen as the first Caliph. Even Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه acknowledged this fact that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه was the best person in the Ummah. It is not at all proven from Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه that he considered himself the most beloved to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and thus the foremost rightful claimant to the Caliphate.
Other Companions also believed that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه was the most beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Mentioning the evidences regarding this would cause lengthiness.
It should also be remembered here that loving all the Companions رضي الله عنهم is an essential part of our faith. Comparing the virtues of the Companions through evidences does not lead to belittling anyone. We love Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه as well as Sayyiduna Ali Murtaza رضي الله عنه.
