Discussion of al-Dabari’s narration of the Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq, given that al-Dabari was known for confusion.
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The questioner : O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : Regarding the *Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq*, they say: Isma'il ibn Ibrahim al-Dabari heard from him after his confusion set in, and at the same time, they say: he was young, seven years old or something like that.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The questioner : So in this case, it means he only heard the book, meaning he received it in written form. How does confusion affect a written book?
The Shaykh : How does confusion affect a book?!
The questioner : If the finding is written, and the finding is written, then even if he was young.
The Shaykh : The question rests on a hypothesis: that he compiled the book before his confusion, or compiled it after his confusion, or part of it before and part after. Does your question specify one of these three possibilities?
The questioner : I cannot specify, but generally, a person compiles a book while he is sane and in control, because after confusion sets in, it is difficult for him to compile a book.
The Shaykh : Confusion does not take a person out of being sane.
The questioner : Confusion affects narration.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : It takes him out of precision.
The Shaykh : That is it, but you say he does not compile.
The questioner : I mean, it is a large book, the *Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq*, and generally, a book like this cannot be compiled in a state of confusion. So it must be that he gathered and compiled it before his confusion, and then some narrators heard from him after his confusion.
The Shaykh : This claim, in truth, is not accepted in its entirety. It can be accepted in part. For example, is it not possible that he compiled part of it after confusion set in? Or I would bring this closer to something nearer to this:
We all know by observation that confusion sometimes comes gradually and sometimes suddenly, like one who is struck, for example, by a stroke. Sometimes it comes suddenly, and sometimes it starts with some of his limbs trembling, and then this tremor increases until he is struck by a stroke—may Allah forbid. Do you not imagine with me that confusion is sometimes, at least, gradual? Yes?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That is it. So, we cannot be certain that it is impossible for him to have compiled a chapter of his books in a state of confusion. And I do not want from this anything other than discussing the theory, meaning that this is possible.
But is the *Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq* from the narration of Ibrahim ibn Isma'il al-Dabari only, as far as you know?
The questioner : The printed copy is said to be from the narration of al-Dabari. They mentioned it this way, that its narrator is Ibrahim al-Dabari, and not from anyone else.
The Shaykh : No, it is not so.
The questioner : That is what they said. It appears they mentioned it in the introduction.
The Shaykh : No, if you look again at some of the books of 'Abd al-Razzaq, you will find them from the narration of al-Ramadi from 'Abd al-Razzaq, and not from the narration of al-Dabari.
The questioner : It is Mansur al-Ramadi.
Another questioner: Abu Mansur.
The Shaykh : Isma'il ibn Mansur al-Ramadi. Do you notice that some parts or volumes begin with the chain of narration until it reaches al-Dabari, and it says: "Abd al-Razzaq narrated to me." But if you read the book from beginning to end, you will find that the chain changes from the narrator from 'Abd al-Razzaq and connects to al-Ramadi. This one says: "Abd al-Razzaq narrated to me." Therefore, I sometimes pay attention to this difference, and it encourages me to be that the narration of the hadith is from the path of al-Ramadi and not from Isma'il al-Dabari. And while it is possible to cite his narration from 'Abd al-Razzaq, we can rely on the narration of al-Ramadi from 'Abd al-Razzaq. So this should be noted when you transmit a hadith from the *Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq*, because it is not all from the narration of al-Dabari from 'Abd al-Razzaq only.
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : Regarding the *Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq*, they say: Isma'il ibn Ibrahim al-Dabari heard from him after his confusion set in, and at the same time, they say: he was young, seven years old or something like that.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The questioner : So in this case, it means he only heard the book, meaning he received it in written form. How does confusion affect a written book?
The Shaykh : How does confusion affect a book?!
The questioner : If the finding is written, and the finding is written, then even if he was young.
The Shaykh : The question rests on a hypothesis: that he compiled the book before his confusion, or compiled it after his confusion, or part of it before and part after. Does your question specify one of these three possibilities?
The questioner : I cannot specify, but generally, a person compiles a book while he is sane and in control, because after confusion sets in, it is difficult for him to compile a book.
The Shaykh : Confusion does not take a person out of being sane.
The questioner : Confusion affects narration.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : It takes him out of precision.
The Shaykh : That is it, but you say he does not compile.
The questioner : I mean, it is a large book, the *Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq*, and generally, a book like this cannot be compiled in a state of confusion. So it must be that he gathered and compiled it before his confusion, and then some narrators heard from him after his confusion.
The Shaykh : This claim, in truth, is not accepted in its entirety. It can be accepted in part. For example, is it not possible that he compiled part of it after confusion set in? Or I would bring this closer to something nearer to this:
We all know by observation that confusion sometimes comes gradually and sometimes suddenly, like one who is struck, for example, by a stroke. Sometimes it comes suddenly, and sometimes it starts with some of his limbs trembling, and then this tremor increases until he is struck by a stroke—may Allah forbid. Do you not imagine with me that confusion is sometimes, at least, gradual? Yes?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That is it. So, we cannot be certain that it is impossible for him to have compiled a chapter of his books in a state of confusion. And I do not want from this anything other than discussing the theory, meaning that this is possible.
But is the *Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq* from the narration of Ibrahim ibn Isma'il al-Dabari only, as far as you know?
The questioner : The printed copy is said to be from the narration of al-Dabari. They mentioned it this way, that its narrator is Ibrahim al-Dabari, and not from anyone else.
The Shaykh : No, it is not so.
The questioner : That is what they said. It appears they mentioned it in the introduction.
The Shaykh : No, if you look again at some of the books of 'Abd al-Razzaq, you will find them from the narration of al-Ramadi from 'Abd al-Razzaq, and not from the narration of al-Dabari.
The questioner : It is Mansur al-Ramadi.
Another questioner: Abu Mansur.
The Shaykh : Isma'il ibn Mansur al-Ramadi. Do you notice that some parts or volumes begin with the chain of narration until it reaches al-Dabari, and it says: "Abd al-Razzaq narrated to me." But if you read the book from beginning to end, you will find that the chain changes from the narrator from 'Abd al-Razzaq and connects to al-Ramadi. This one says: "Abd al-Razzaq narrated to me." Therefore, I sometimes pay attention to this difference, and it encourages me to be that the narration of the hadith is from the path of al-Ramadi and not from Isma'il al-Dabari. And while it is possible to cite his narration from 'Abd al-Razzaq, we can rely on the narration of al-Ramadi from 'Abd al-Razzaq. So this should be noted when you transmit a hadith from the *Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq*, because it is not all from the narration of al-Dabari from 'Abd al-Razzaq only.