What is the ruling on the poem "Bint Sadad" from the perspective of its chain of narration? And what is your comment on it?
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The questioner : Specialists in literature deal with it, and it is a matter of romantic poetry. They cite the poem "Bint Sadad". Well, I am just reading from one of the specialists, a doctor of hadith, just for review, and we want to know your opinion on this poem. Then we will quote some of Ibn Kathir's words, a brief comment by him on some verses of this poem, so that we may know your opinion. May Allah reward you with good.
This researcher says about the narration of "Bint Sadad": "Ibn Ishaq transmitted it without a chain of narration. Ibn Hisham mentioned this in his *Sirah*. Al-Bayhaqi also transmitted it with two weak chains, one of which includes Abu al-Qasim 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Khumays ibn Ahmad al-Asadi, who is weak, and he narrated it from Ibrahim ibn al-Husayn ibn Dazil."
The Shaykh : Dazil.
The questioner :"Dazil, who is known as Safinah. There is doubt regarding Abu al-Qasim ibn Dazil's hearing, and he was even accused of that and not believed in his narration from him. Look into this in *Sir A'lam al-Nubala* 16/15, *al-Mizan* 2/556, and *Lisan al-Mizan* 3/411. Furthermore, in the same chain, the researcher mentions al-Hajjaj ibn Dhi al-Ruqbah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ka'b ibn Zuhayr from his father from his grandfather, and there is strangeness in this chain. The second one: the second chain transmitted it via the first chain to Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Jazmi."
The Shaykh : al-Hizamī.
The questioner :"al-Hizamī, al-Hizamī from Ma'n ibn 'Isa Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Aftas from 'Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jad'an. And this 'Ali ibn Zayd is agreed upon to be weak. In fact, al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir described this chain as disconnected (mursal) in *al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah* 3/908, meaning by that its brokenness. And this, may Allah know best." We want your opinion, especially regarding the issue of these two narrations, one weak and the other weak; do the two narrations strengthen each other?
The Shaykh : The answer to this question with scientific precision is that it is not available for me now to give a hasty ruling on whether one of the chains strengthens the other, because one of the conditions of strengthening, as is established in the science of terminology, is that the weakness of the corroborating narration (shahid) or supporting chain (mutaba'ah) not be severe; otherwise, it is not valid to strengthen it with such. So, in what you have read, it appears at first glance that there is severe weakness in one of the chains, so it does not help, at least as I said earlier, to conclude that this chain is strengthened by that one. As for my previous study, it concludes with certainty that this story is weak.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the details, that is deposited in the place where you investigated the speech?
The questioner : Where, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : I do not remember the reference and source now. And this doctor failed to mention that among those who narrated this story is al-Hakim Abu 'Abd Allah al-Nisaburi. This is found in *al-Mustadrak* of al-Hakim. This is what is available for me to answer now.
The questioner : Well, where is the subject that indicates that there is a possibility of severe weakness in this speech?
The Shaykh : In what you mentioned regarding the accusation.
The questioner : Which is Abu al-Qasim ibn Dazil.
The Shaykh : Let us hear it now, please.
The questioner : Yes: "There is doubt regarding Abu al-Qasim ibn Dazil's hearing, and he was even accused of that and not believed in his narration from him."
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner : Well, he mentioned after that a Shaykh who follows this story.
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : Ibn Kathir mentioned it, and also some literary scholars cite it to establish the issue of romantic poetry. Well, in three places: The first place: that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave his cloak to Ka'b. The second place: that this Sadad was the wife of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, which indicates that the issue is not a technical romantic poetry issue.
And the third issue: that Ka'b recited to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), reciting this poem in the mosque in front of the Companions, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not deny it. Do you remember Ibn Kathir's statement regarding the first issue, the issue?
The Shaykh : Excuse me, is there a chance to pause here for a moment?
The questioner : Yes?
The Shaykh : Is there a chance to pause here for a moment?
The questioner : Please proceed.
The Shaykh : Is there a chance?
The questioner : There are chances.
The Shaykh : Well, all that you mentioned is based on the establishment of the story. But as was said in the past: "Does the shadow stand straight while the stick is crooked?"
The questioner : It does not hold up.
The Shaykh : What is the benefit of saying that Sadad is the wife of so-and-so? Where did we take this from? Is this established? And that it was recited in the mosque, is this established? And that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) presented his cloak to this reciter? All of this is built on the entire story. And as the scholars also say: "What is built on what is defective is defective, and what is built on what is weak is weak," and so on. Therefore, what you recited from that doctor, if this is the completion of his speech, is a repetition of what came before.
The questioner : This speech, the three points, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Ibn Kathir mentioned the narration without mentioning these three points. After he transmitted the narration with the two chains, it is as if these three points are independent. Ibn Kathir mentioned them.
The Shaykh : Well, where did they come from?
The questioner : Therefore, Ibn Kathir commented on them in specific places.
The Shaykh : No problem, where did they come from? Are they established?
The questioner : This is what I want to mention now, in a little while.
The Shaykh : Please proceed.
The questioner : That he said Ibn Kathir wants to comment on this specific issue, the issue of the Messenger giving Ka'b the cloak. Ibn Kathir said: "But I did not see that in any of these famous books."
The Shaykh : This is it.
The questioner : Even though the narration was narrated, for example, by al-Bayhaqi and so on with a chain I approve of.
The Shaykh : With a chain?
The questioner : I approve of it. I did not see it with a chain I approve of.
The Shaykh : I approve of it.
The questioner : Yes, what does this speech mean?
The Shaykh : It means it is not authentic.
The questioner : Well, does that mean this narration is attached to one of the two narrations?
The Shaykh : Or to another narration. Therefore, I said that this doctor missed, or he missed another source that he did not mention, which is higher than al-Bayhaqi's source. Because al-Hakim, as you know, is the Shaykh of al-Bayhaqi, so he did not mention *al-Mustadrak* of al-Hakim as a source. And it is possible, and this is usually the case as we have touched upon in many hadiths, that al-Bayhaqi narrates the hadith via al-Hakim himself, and it is usually narrated by him in *al-Mustadrak*. So it is possible that this narration in *al-Mustadrak* is the same as al-Bayhaqi's narration. In any case, have you reviewed this research in *Dalail al-Nubuwwah* by al-Bayhaqi?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Did you find the hadith?
The questioner : He only mentioned the full narration without commenting. Ibn Kathir only commented on the issue of disconnection and brokenness regarding the books of biography and history.
The Shaykh : Did al-Bayhaqi mention the story from one path or from two?
The questioner : By Allah, my memory of it is about six months old, I do not remember, but.
The Shaykh : Well, did you review *al-Mustadrak*?
The questioner : No, we did not review it.
The Shaykh : So this means scientific research needs expansion. And as I told you earlier, my knowledge is that this story is not authentic, and that al-Hakim is among those who narrated it, and that al-Bayhaqi followed up on it. And if *al-Mustadrak* is in your hands or close to your reach, it is possible, if necessary, that you refer to it. Anything else?
This researcher says about the narration of "Bint Sadad": "Ibn Ishaq transmitted it without a chain of narration. Ibn Hisham mentioned this in his *Sirah*. Al-Bayhaqi also transmitted it with two weak chains, one of which includes Abu al-Qasim 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Khumays ibn Ahmad al-Asadi, who is weak, and he narrated it from Ibrahim ibn al-Husayn ibn Dazil."
The Shaykh : Dazil.
The questioner :"Dazil, who is known as Safinah. There is doubt regarding Abu al-Qasim ibn Dazil's hearing, and he was even accused of that and not believed in his narration from him. Look into this in *Sir A'lam al-Nubala* 16/15, *al-Mizan* 2/556, and *Lisan al-Mizan* 3/411. Furthermore, in the same chain, the researcher mentions al-Hajjaj ibn Dhi al-Ruqbah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ka'b ibn Zuhayr from his father from his grandfather, and there is strangeness in this chain. The second one: the second chain transmitted it via the first chain to Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Jazmi."
The Shaykh : al-Hizamī.
The questioner :"al-Hizamī, al-Hizamī from Ma'n ibn 'Isa Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Aftas from 'Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jad'an. And this 'Ali ibn Zayd is agreed upon to be weak. In fact, al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir described this chain as disconnected (mursal) in *al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah* 3/908, meaning by that its brokenness. And this, may Allah know best." We want your opinion, especially regarding the issue of these two narrations, one weak and the other weak; do the two narrations strengthen each other?
The Shaykh : The answer to this question with scientific precision is that it is not available for me now to give a hasty ruling on whether one of the chains strengthens the other, because one of the conditions of strengthening, as is established in the science of terminology, is that the weakness of the corroborating narration (shahid) or supporting chain (mutaba'ah) not be severe; otherwise, it is not valid to strengthen it with such. So, in what you have read, it appears at first glance that there is severe weakness in one of the chains, so it does not help, at least as I said earlier, to conclude that this chain is strengthened by that one. As for my previous study, it concludes with certainty that this story is weak.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the details, that is deposited in the place where you investigated the speech?
The questioner : Where, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : I do not remember the reference and source now. And this doctor failed to mention that among those who narrated this story is al-Hakim Abu 'Abd Allah al-Nisaburi. This is found in *al-Mustadrak* of al-Hakim. This is what is available for me to answer now.
The questioner : Well, where is the subject that indicates that there is a possibility of severe weakness in this speech?
The Shaykh : In what you mentioned regarding the accusation.
The questioner : Which is Abu al-Qasim ibn Dazil.
The Shaykh : Let us hear it now, please.
The questioner : Yes: "There is doubt regarding Abu al-Qasim ibn Dazil's hearing, and he was even accused of that and not believed in his narration from him."
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner : Well, he mentioned after that a Shaykh who follows this story.
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : Ibn Kathir mentioned it, and also some literary scholars cite it to establish the issue of romantic poetry. Well, in three places: The first place: that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave his cloak to Ka'b. The second place: that this Sadad was the wife of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, which indicates that the issue is not a technical romantic poetry issue.
And the third issue: that Ka'b recited to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), reciting this poem in the mosque in front of the Companions, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not deny it. Do you remember Ibn Kathir's statement regarding the first issue, the issue?
The Shaykh : Excuse me, is there a chance to pause here for a moment?
The questioner : Yes?
The Shaykh : Is there a chance to pause here for a moment?
The questioner : Please proceed.
The Shaykh : Is there a chance?
The questioner : There are chances.
The Shaykh : Well, all that you mentioned is based on the establishment of the story. But as was said in the past: "Does the shadow stand straight while the stick is crooked?"
The questioner : It does not hold up.
The Shaykh : What is the benefit of saying that Sadad is the wife of so-and-so? Where did we take this from? Is this established? And that it was recited in the mosque, is this established? And that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) presented his cloak to this reciter? All of this is built on the entire story. And as the scholars also say: "What is built on what is defective is defective, and what is built on what is weak is weak," and so on. Therefore, what you recited from that doctor, if this is the completion of his speech, is a repetition of what came before.
The questioner : This speech, the three points, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Ibn Kathir mentioned the narration without mentioning these three points. After he transmitted the narration with the two chains, it is as if these three points are independent. Ibn Kathir mentioned them.
The Shaykh : Well, where did they come from?
The questioner : Therefore, Ibn Kathir commented on them in specific places.
The Shaykh : No problem, where did they come from? Are they established?
The questioner : This is what I want to mention now, in a little while.
The Shaykh : Please proceed.
The questioner : That he said Ibn Kathir wants to comment on this specific issue, the issue of the Messenger giving Ka'b the cloak. Ibn Kathir said: "But I did not see that in any of these famous books."
The Shaykh : This is it.
The questioner : Even though the narration was narrated, for example, by al-Bayhaqi and so on with a chain I approve of.
The Shaykh : With a chain?
The questioner : I approve of it. I did not see it with a chain I approve of.
The Shaykh : I approve of it.
The questioner : Yes, what does this speech mean?
The Shaykh : It means it is not authentic.
The questioner : Well, does that mean this narration is attached to one of the two narrations?
The Shaykh : Or to another narration. Therefore, I said that this doctor missed, or he missed another source that he did not mention, which is higher than al-Bayhaqi's source. Because al-Hakim, as you know, is the Shaykh of al-Bayhaqi, so he did not mention *al-Mustadrak* of al-Hakim as a source. And it is possible, and this is usually the case as we have touched upon in many hadiths, that al-Bayhaqi narrates the hadith via al-Hakim himself, and it is usually narrated by him in *al-Mustadrak*. So it is possible that this narration in *al-Mustadrak* is the same as al-Bayhaqi's narration. In any case, have you reviewed this research in *Dalail al-Nubuwwah* by al-Bayhaqi?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Did you find the hadith?
The questioner : He only mentioned the full narration without commenting. Ibn Kathir only commented on the issue of disconnection and brokenness regarding the books of biography and history.
The Shaykh : Did al-Bayhaqi mention the story from one path or from two?
The questioner : By Allah, my memory of it is about six months old, I do not remember, but.
The Shaykh : Well, did you review *al-Mustadrak*?
The questioner : No, we did not review it.
The Shaykh : So this means scientific research needs expansion. And as I told you earlier, my knowledge is that this story is not authentic, and that al-Hakim is among those who narrated it, and that al-Bayhaqi followed up on it. And if *al-Mustadrak* is in your hands or close to your reach, it is possible, if necessary, that you refer to it. Anything else?