A scholar’s correction of Shaykh Al-Albani regarding two hadiths he graded as weak; what is your opinion?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. One of the researchers, in a book he titled “Opening from the Magnificent, the Forgiver, in Proving that the One Who Abandons Prayer Is Not Among the Disbelievers,” cited two hadiths and corrected you on this issue.
The first hadith is from [name missing], narrated by Imam Ahmad. He said: Waki’ narrated to us, Shu’bah narrated to us from Qatadah from Nasr ibn ‘Asim from a man from among them:.
The second hadith is from Ibn ‘Umar. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:. Then, after some discussion, he said: From what has been mentioned, it is clear that this hadith, by the sum of these routes, does not fall below the rank of hasan (good), and thus it is suitable for use as evidence. Al-Suyuti has cited this hadith.
The Shaykh : Which hadith do you mean?
The questioner : This second one.
The Shaykh : Which hadith do you mean by saying it is valid by the sum of the routes?
The questioner : The second hadith.
The Shaykh: The second?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : I mean the last one you mentioned.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You just recited two hadiths.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is the second hadith valid by the sum of the routes in his view?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, okay.
The questioner : He said: Al-Suyuti has cited this hadith in the additions to “Al-Jami’ al-Saghir,” and attributed it to al-Tabarani from the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar. Al-Albani graded it as weak, having traced it in “Al-Da’if” with the number 2,178. He was not correct in that, and we have not come across what he said about it, because this volume of “Al-Silsilah al-Da’ifah” has not been printed, as far as we know. As a result of his grading it as weak, he included it in “Da’if al-Jami’ al-Saghir wa Ziyadatuhi” with the number 257.
The Shaykh : Look there, is there a lot? What is its number in “Da’if al-Jami’”?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Which hadith did Al-Albani grade as weak, the first or the second of them?
The questioner : The second one.
The Shaykh : The second one.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, “Da’if al-Jami’,” my brother, the first volume. What is the evidence for this hadith in his view? He says that the hadith is, meaning, strong by the routes.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What are the routes that strengthened it? In other words, he did not reach the chain of the hadith to say that its chain is hasan or sahih, but rather, as far as I read and we heard, he says that this hadith rises to the rank of hasan; by what? By its corroborating narrations or its routes, yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Fine; and where is the corroborating narration for this long hadith here, which takes up four lines? Where is the corroborating narration?
The questioner : He cited a long statement, saying: From what has been mentioned, it is clear that the hadith, by the sum of these routes...
The Shaykh : I say, what are these routes?
The questioner : Fine, he said: First, al-Tabarani narrated it in “Al-Kabir,” then he said: This narration of al-Tabarani has a weak chain.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : It contains Yahya ibn ‘Abd Allah.
The Shaykh : No problem, skip it, where is the corroborating narration?
The questioner : The corroborating narration: And ‘Abd al-Razzaq also narrated it in “Al-Musannaf.”
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : From ‘Amr ibn Sharahbil from his statement. ‘Abd al-Razzaq said: From Ma’mar ibn Abi Ishaq, from ‘Amr ibn Sharahbil, who said: “A man died, and when he was put into his grave, the angels came to him and said: We are going to beat you a hundred lashes from the punishment of Allah. He mentioned his prayer, his fasting, and his jihad. So they lightened it for him until it reached ten, then he asked them to lighten it for him until it reached one. They said: We are going to beat you one lash, and it is unavoidable. So they beat him one lash, and his grave burst into flames by day” – this is how it is in “Al-Musannaf,” and it appears to be a distortion; the correct version is “fire,” as is explicitly stated in the other narrations – “and he fainted. When he came to, he said: Why did you beat me this lash? They said: You urinated one day and then prayed without performing ablution, and you heard a man calling for help while he was being wronged, but you did not help him.”
The Shaykh : What is the state of the chain?
The questioner : He said: This chain has weakness in it, for Abi Ishaq is al-Sab’i, and he is trustworthy but he became confused in his old age, and he is also a practitioner of tadlis (concealment of a defect in a chain), and he did not explicitly state that he heard it from ‘Amr. The rest of the men in the chain are trustworthy. Ma’mar is ibn Rashid, and it is said about him in “Al-Taqrib”: “Trustworthy, firm, and excellent; except that there is something in his narration from Thabit al-A’mash and Hisham ibn ‘Urwah.”
The Shaykh : Anyone else? Anything else?
The questioner : This hadith has also been narrated from the route of Ibn Mas’ud, marfu’ (traced to the Prophet), and more complete than this. Al-Tahawi said in “Mushkil al-Athar”: Fahd ibn Sulayman narrated to us, saying: ‘Amr ibn ‘Unan al-Wasiti narrated to us, saying: Ja’far ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from ‘Asim, from Shaqiq, from Ibn Mas’ud, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he; Fahd ibn Sulayman is ibn Yahya, Abu Muhammad al-Kufi, who came to Egypt and narrated there, and he was trustworthy and firm. ‘Amr ibn ‘Unan is ibn Aws al-Wasiti, and Ja’far ibn Sulayman and Abu Sulayman al-Misri, it is said about him in “Al-Taqrib”: “Truthful and ascetic, but he used to lean toward Shi’ism.”
The Shaykh : Anyone else?
The questioner : And ‘Asim ibn Abi Bahdalah: he is ibn Abi al-Najud, truthful but has errors, and is an authority in recitation. Shafiq is ibn Salama al-Asadi, Abu Wa’il al-Kufi, trustworthy and a veteran of both eras, and he is among the narrators of “Al-Sahihayn” (the two authentic collections). From what has been mentioned, it is clear that this chain is hasan or has slight weakness, so it is suitable for strengthening others.
The Shaykh : Is there anything left?
The questioner : Al-Mundhiri has cited this hadith in “Al-Targhib,” and attributed it to Abu [name missing]The Shaykh : in the book “Al-Tawbikh” from the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, but he prefixed it with the word “narrated” (ruwi), and omitted discussion of it at the end. This indicates that the chain of the hadith is weak, very weak, or fabricated in his view, as he clarified in the introduction to “Al-Targhib.” We have not come across the chain of the hadith with Abu [name missing]The Shaykh : even though the printed “Al-Tawbikh” is approximately a copy of the original book, and this is regrettable.
The Shaykh : In any case, the man, in truth, has exerted a commendable effort in tracing the routes of this hadith. And I, as stated in “Da’if al-Jami’,” have traced it in the fifth or sixth volume of “Al-Da’if.” I must have traced the routes of this hadith, as is my custom, and it is obvious that I do not recall what I wrote there. But if I return – if Allah wills – to Oman, I will review it in light of what I have just heard. But what is the name of the book so that I can return to it again?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Ah, I have it here. So knowledge, and especially the science of hadith, does not accept bias toward an opinion; because research in hadith, especially in this time, has greatly expanded its scope; due to what Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has bestowed upon the Muslims in this era in the form of the spread of manuscripts, on the one hand, due to the copying machines, and then due to some students or doctors devoting themselves to bringing these books into the circle of publications. By this method, researchers increase their knowledge of what they were not previously aware of. So it is no wonder that you sometimes find me retracting the authentication of a hadith or the weakening of another hadith because of this sudden exposure that I mentioned earlier. And I cannot confirm what he said or refute it now, and that will only be after I return to my references, my library, and my sources.
Please proceed.
The first hadith is from [name missing], narrated by Imam Ahmad. He said: Waki’ narrated to us, Shu’bah narrated to us from Qatadah from Nasr ibn ‘Asim from a man from among them:
That he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and accepted Islam on the condition that he would pray two prayers, and he accepted from him.
أنه أتى النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فأسلم على أن يصلي صلاتين فقبل منهThe second hadith is from Ibn ‘Umar. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:
A man was put into his grave and two angels came to him, and they said: We are going to strike you with a blow. He said to them: For what are you striking me? So they struck him with a blow, and his grave was filled with fire from it. They left him until he came to, and the terror left him. He said to them: For what did you strike me? They said: You prayed a prayer while you were not in a state of ritual purity, and you passed by a wronged man and did not help him.
أُدخل رجل قبره فأتاه ملكان ، فقالا : إنا ضاربوك ضربة ، فقال لهما : علامَ تضرباني ؟ فضرباه ضربةً امتلأ قبره منها نارًا ، فتركاه حتى أفاق ، فذهب عنه الرُّعب ، فقال لهما : علام ضربتماني ؟ فقالا : إنك صليت صلاة و أنت على غير طهور ، ومررت برجلٍ مظلوم ولم تنصرهThe Shaykh : Which hadith do you mean?
The questioner : This second one.
The Shaykh : Which hadith do you mean by saying it is valid by the sum of the routes?
The questioner : The second hadith.
The Shaykh: The second?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : I mean the last one you mentioned.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You just recited two hadiths.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is the second hadith valid by the sum of the routes in his view?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, okay.
The questioner : He said: Al-Suyuti has cited this hadith in the additions to “Al-Jami’ al-Saghir,” and attributed it to al-Tabarani from the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar. Al-Albani graded it as weak, having traced it in “Al-Da’if” with the number 2,178. He was not correct in that, and we have not come across what he said about it, because this volume of “Al-Silsilah al-Da’ifah” has not been printed, as far as we know. As a result of his grading it as weak, he included it in “Da’if al-Jami’ al-Saghir wa Ziyadatuhi” with the number 257.
The Shaykh : Look there, is there a lot? What is its number in “Da’if al-Jami’”?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Which hadith did Al-Albani grade as weak, the first or the second of them?
The questioner : The second one.
The Shaykh : The second one.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, “Da’if al-Jami’,” my brother, the first volume. What is the evidence for this hadith in his view? He says that the hadith is, meaning, strong by the routes.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What are the routes that strengthened it? In other words, he did not reach the chain of the hadith to say that its chain is hasan or sahih, but rather, as far as I read and we heard, he says that this hadith rises to the rank of hasan; by what? By its corroborating narrations or its routes, yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Fine; and where is the corroborating narration for this long hadith here, which takes up four lines? Where is the corroborating narration?
The questioner : He cited a long statement, saying: From what has been mentioned, it is clear that the hadith, by the sum of these routes...
The Shaykh : I say, what are these routes?
The questioner : Fine, he said: First, al-Tabarani narrated it in “Al-Kabir,” then he said: This narration of al-Tabarani has a weak chain.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : It contains Yahya ibn ‘Abd Allah.
The Shaykh : No problem, skip it, where is the corroborating narration?
The questioner : The corroborating narration: And ‘Abd al-Razzaq also narrated it in “Al-Musannaf.”
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : From ‘Amr ibn Sharahbil from his statement. ‘Abd al-Razzaq said: From Ma’mar ibn Abi Ishaq, from ‘Amr ibn Sharahbil, who said: “A man died, and when he was put into his grave, the angels came to him and said: We are going to beat you a hundred lashes from the punishment of Allah. He mentioned his prayer, his fasting, and his jihad. So they lightened it for him until it reached ten, then he asked them to lighten it for him until it reached one. They said: We are going to beat you one lash, and it is unavoidable. So they beat him one lash, and his grave burst into flames by day” – this is how it is in “Al-Musannaf,” and it appears to be a distortion; the correct version is “fire,” as is explicitly stated in the other narrations – “and he fainted. When he came to, he said: Why did you beat me this lash? They said: You urinated one day and then prayed without performing ablution, and you heard a man calling for help while he was being wronged, but you did not help him.”
The Shaykh : What is the state of the chain?
The questioner : He said: This chain has weakness in it, for Abi Ishaq is al-Sab’i, and he is trustworthy but he became confused in his old age, and he is also a practitioner of tadlis (concealment of a defect in a chain), and he did not explicitly state that he heard it from ‘Amr. The rest of the men in the chain are trustworthy. Ma’mar is ibn Rashid, and it is said about him in “Al-Taqrib”: “Trustworthy, firm, and excellent; except that there is something in his narration from Thabit al-A’mash and Hisham ibn ‘Urwah.”
The Shaykh : Anyone else? Anything else?
The questioner : This hadith has also been narrated from the route of Ibn Mas’ud, marfu’ (traced to the Prophet), and more complete than this. Al-Tahawi said in “Mushkil al-Athar”: Fahd ibn Sulayman narrated to us, saying: ‘Amr ibn ‘Unan al-Wasiti narrated to us, saying: Ja’far ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from ‘Asim, from Shaqiq, from Ibn Mas’ud, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he
A man among the servants of Allah was ordered to be beaten in his grave with one hundred lashes. He kept asking and making supplication until it was reduced to a single lash. He was struck with that one lash, and his grave filled with fire. When the fire subsided, he regained consciousness and said, “For what did you beat me?” They said, “You prayed one prayer without performing the ablution, and you passed by an oppressed person and did not help him.”
أُمِرَ بعبدٍ من عباد الله أن يُضرب في قبره مائة جلدة ، فلم يزل يسأل ويدعو حتى صارت جلدة واحدة ، فجُلد جلدة واحدة ، فامتلأ قبره عليه نارًا ، فلما ارتفع عنه أفاق قال : علام جلدتموني ؟ قال : إنك صليت صلاة واحدة بغير طهور ، ومررت على مظلومٍ فلم تنصرهThe Shaykh : Anyone else?
The questioner : And ‘Asim ibn Abi Bahdalah: he is ibn Abi al-Najud, truthful but has errors, and is an authority in recitation. Shafiq is ibn Salama al-Asadi, Abu Wa’il al-Kufi, trustworthy and a veteran of both eras, and he is among the narrators of “Al-Sahihayn” (the two authentic collections). From what has been mentioned, it is clear that this chain is hasan or has slight weakness, so it is suitable for strengthening others.
The Shaykh : Is there anything left?
The questioner : Al-Mundhiri has cited this hadith in “Al-Targhib,” and attributed it to Abu [name missing]The Shaykh : in the book “Al-Tawbikh” from the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, but he prefixed it with the word “narrated” (ruwi), and omitted discussion of it at the end. This indicates that the chain of the hadith is weak, very weak, or fabricated in his view, as he clarified in the introduction to “Al-Targhib.” We have not come across the chain of the hadith with Abu [name missing]The Shaykh : even though the printed “Al-Tawbikh” is approximately a copy of the original book, and this is regrettable.
The Shaykh : In any case, the man, in truth, has exerted a commendable effort in tracing the routes of this hadith. And I, as stated in “Da’if al-Jami’,” have traced it in the fifth or sixth volume of “Al-Da’if.” I must have traced the routes of this hadith, as is my custom, and it is obvious that I do not recall what I wrote there. But if I return – if Allah wills – to Oman, I will review it in light of what I have just heard. But what is the name of the book so that I can return to it again?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Ah, I have it here. So knowledge, and especially the science of hadith, does not accept bias toward an opinion; because research in hadith, especially in this time, has greatly expanded its scope; due to what Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has bestowed upon the Muslims in this era in the form of the spread of manuscripts, on the one hand, due to the copying machines, and then due to some students or doctors devoting themselves to bringing these books into the circle of publications. By this method, researchers increase their knowledge of what they were not previously aware of. So it is no wonder that you sometimes find me retracting the authentication of a hadith or the weakening of another hadith because of this sudden exposure that I mentioned earlier. And I cannot confirm what he said or refute it now, and that will only be after I return to my references, my library, and my sources.
Please proceed.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.