Research into the chain of narration of the story of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr in his famous poem "Bint Sa'd."

The questioner : , O Shaykh. It is the issue of courtship, and they cite the poem "Bint Sa'd" as evidence. I was reading a work by a specialist, a doctor of hadith, from the chapter of... review... In this poem, I only followed the words of Ibn Kathir, the words of... the poem... May Allah reward you with good. This researcher says about the narration of "Bint Sa'd": Ibn Ishaq transmitted it without a chain of narration. Ibn Hisham reported this in his "Sirah." Al-Bayhaqi also transmitted it with two weak chains of narration. One of them contains Abu al-Qasim 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Asadi, who is weak, and he narrated it from Ibrahim ibn al-Husayn...

The Shaykh : Dayzal.

The questioner : Dayzal, known as Sufaynah. There is a concern regarding the praise of Abu al-Qasim ibn Dayzal... and he was not truthful in narrating from him. He said, look at: "Al-Sirah A'lam al-Nubala" , and "..." . And beyond this, in the same chain of narration, the researcher says: al-Hajjaj ibn Dhi al-Ruqbah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, from his father, from his grandfather. There is strangeness in this chain. The second one—the second chain of narration—he transmitted it via the first chain to Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir...

The Shaykh : al-Hizamī.

The questioner : al-Hizamī, from Ma'n ibn 'Isa, from Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Awqas, from 'Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jad'an. This 'Ali ibn Zayd is unanimously agreed upon to be rejected. In fact, al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir described him in... as ... This chain of narration... This is, may Allah know best. I want your opinion specifically on the issue of the two narrations: one authentic and the other weak; do not two narrations strengthen each other?

The Shaykh : The answer to this question, with scientific precision, is that I do not have the ability to give a hasty ruling on whether one chain of narration strengthens the other. Because one of the conditions of strengthening, as is established in the science of terminology, is that the corroborating or supporting narration not be severely weak; otherwise, it does not... strengthen with such a narration. So now, in what you have read, it appears at first glance that one of the chains of narration has severe weakness; so it does not help—at least as I said earlier—to conclude that this chain of narration is strengthened by that one. As for my previous study, it concludes with certainty that this story is weak. As for the details, that is a topic in the place where I investigated the matter.

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-Naysaburi. This is found in "Al-Mustadrak" of al-Hakim. This is what I am able to answer now.

The questioner : Okay; ... that the weakness is severe, by what description?

The Shaykh : By the accusation you mentioned.

The questioner : Who is Abu al-Qasim...?

The Shaykh : We heard earlier.

The questioner : ... Abu al-Qasim... due to their connection in that matter, and he was not truthful in narrating from him.

The Shaykh : That is it.

The questioner : Okay; he mentioned...The Shaykh : ... this story.

The Shaykh: Go ahead.

The questioner : He mentioned that Ibn Kathir—also—this is cited by some literary scholars in verifying the issue of courtship 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 these verses were a taste for Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, which indicates that the issue is not an issue of..., and the third issue: that... Ka'b 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 he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not reject it. Ibn Kathir speaks more about the first issue; the issue of...

The Shaykh : Excuse me, is there room to pause for a moment here?

The questioner : Yes?

The Shaykh : Is there room to pause for a moment here?

The questioner : Yes, please.

The Shaykh : Is there room?

The questioner : There are rooms.

The Shaykh : Okay; all of this that you mentioned is based on the establishment of the story. But as was said long ago: "Can the shadow be straight if the stick is crooked?!"

The questioner : It cannot be straight.

The Shaykh : So then, what is the benefit of saying that Sa'd 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 (may Allah's prayer and peace 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... O Shaykh, Ibn Kathir mentioned the narration without mentioning the three points. After he transmitted the narration with the two chains, it is as if these three points are independent...

The Shaykh : Okay; where did they come from?

The questioner : Therefore, Ibn Kathir commented on them in...

The Shaykh : No problem; where did they come from? Are they established?

The questioner : This is what I wanted... in a little while.

The Shaykh: Please proceed.

The questioner : ... that the issue; specifically the issue of giving Ka'b the cloak to the Messenger, Ibn Kathir said: "But I did not see that in any of these famous books," although the narration is clear that it... ended, "with a chain of narration that I approve of."

The Shaykh : With a chain of narration?

The questioner : That I approve of. I did not see a chain of narration that I approve of.

The Shaykh : That I approve of.

The questioner : Yes, what does this phrase mean?

The Shaykh : It means it is not authentic.

The questioner : Okay; is this narration related to one of the two narrations?

The Shaykh : Or to another narration. Therefore, I said: this doctor missed or failed to mention the other source, which is higher than the source of al-Bayhaqi; because al-Hakim, as you know, is the teacher of al-Bayhaqi. And he did not mention "Al-Mustadrak" of al-Hakim as a source. And it is possible—and this is usually the case as we hear in many hadiths—that al-Bayhaqi narrates the hadith via the path of al-Hakim himself, and he usually narrates it in "Al-Mustadrak." So it is possible that this narration in "Al-Mustadrak" is the same narration of al-Bayhaqi. In any case; have you reviewed this research "Dalail al-Nubuwwah" of al-Bayhaqi?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Did you find the hadith?

The questioner : He only mentioned the narration in full without commenting. Only Ibn Kathir commented on the issue of... in the books of biographies and history.

The Shaykh : Did al-Bayhaqi mention the story from one path or from two paths?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Okay; did you review "Al-Mustadrak"?

The questioner : No, we have not reviewed it.

The Shaykh : That is it; meaning, 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 the matter requires it, that you refer to it.