Ibn Asakir mentions long chains of narration in his book *History of Damascus*; should I study the chain from the beginning, or how should I proceed?

The questioner : I contacted you, O Shaykh, regarding this point because I have Ibn Asakir’s *History of Damascus*, which narrates through many lost books. Should I study the chain from Ibn Asakir himself to its end, or should I stop at the author who is known to have a book, from which Ibn Asakir narrates, and study from the author of that book? This was the point: in Ibn Asakir’s *History of Damascus*, I would trace the chain from its beginning, even if it was the book of an author, except in two or three narrations. This was based on my reliance on the fact that Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr quotes directly from the book of Asad ibn Musa, so I became confident that this exists in the book of Asad ibn Musa. Then I stopped searching for its chain from Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr to Asad ibn Musa and began studying from Asad ibn Musa to its end.

The Shaykh : This statement, my brother, is not accepted. Do you think that every narration reported from Asad ibn Musa or others must necessarily be in the book of Asad ibn Musa?
The researcher: Everything attributed to Asad ibn Musa, we cannot be certain that it is in the book of Asad ibn Musa. However, I gained some confidence regarding Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr’s transmission, as he is trustworthy, from the book of Asad ibn Musa.
Al-Halabi : O my Shaykh, the strongest thing is this last question. I wanted to speak, but this last question resolves the issue in my opinion. He says, "And Asad ibn Musa narrated, saying: So-and-so narrated to us." Does the narration of Asad ibn Musa necessitate that it be in his book? And Asad ibn Musa, look in the book of , he is often narrated from without any book, without anything. Do you understand? Therefore, it is not necessary that it be in the book.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Al-Halabi : This is a very important point.

The Shaykh : Now, regarding the book mentioned in the story of the fitnah of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), where it is said he sent to the governor of Egypt: "If so-and-so comes to you, kill him" instead of "accept him." What is the value of this narration? Have you come across it?
The researcher: "Accept him"? I have not come across it.

The Shaykh : "Kill him"?
The researcher: "Kill him" came, meaning it includes this, but with the specific wording "kill him."

The Shaykh : In history, it is mentioned that the original narration was "accept him," and it was distorted to cause fitnah to "kill him."
The researcher: O Shaykh, what appeared to me from my research is that there is no written book from ‘Umar at all.

The Shaykh : Excuse me, did you just make a jump? You said: "Accept him," you didn’t know it. "Kill him," you knew it?
The researcher: I did not understand the question now. Is it?

The Shaykh : ‘Umar sent a letter to the governor of Egypt with a person he wanted to kill. So, according to what came in history, which needs to be sifted and purified as you did, and may Allah reward you with good, the word "accept him" was distorted to "kill him." This is mentioned in some books of history that we used to read in the past before turning to serving the Sunnah. When I asked you, you said you did not come across the narration "accept him," but only the narration "kill him." But finally, it seems you also denied the second narration. Is that so?
The researcher: O Shaykh, I came across its meaning, but not the exact wording "kill him." What was reported is that ‘Umar was accused.

The Shaykh : Now the question is: is there a letter or not? Is there a letter sent from ‘Umar to the governor of Egypt or not? Then after that, you can say: as for the meaning, yes; as for the wording, no.
The researcher: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab never wrote a letter at all.

The Shaykh : If this is the answer, then there is no "accept him" and no "kill him."
Al-Halabi : Did you come across anything regarding this?
The researcher: He was accused of it. When the delegation of the Egyptians and the Iraqis came to ‘Umar and they reconciled with him on five points: that the exiled person is returned, the deprived person is given his rights, etc. Then they returned to their lands, and on the way, they discovered a man who would approach them and then run away, approaching them as if to say, "Take me," as in the narration. Here they stopped and captured him. As soon as they captured him, they asked him, "What is your news?" He said, "I have a letter from ‘Umar to the governor of Egypt, sealed." They asked him to open it, and when they opened it, they found in it that Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and so-and-so and so-and-so should be killed, and their beards shaved, as in some narrations, and such and such should be done. Here the delegation returned to Madinah and came to argue with ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about this. So ‘Umar swore to them that he had never written a letter. They accused Marwan because they found his seal on it, as they say and claim, and because they also found with this man a camel belonging to ‘Umar. So here they said, "Either you wrote it, or your governor who carries your seal wrote it." Then the fitnah erupted. This is the summary of the narrations that came regarding that. But I doubted the authenticity that this was sent from Marwan or from ‘Umar or anyone else. What became more probable for me, or what I adhered to, and I placed a possibility that I considered, is that they plotted this conspiracy on the way and wrote this letter and instructed this man to come and approach them as if to say, "Take me."
Abu Yahya: I inferred this from the fact that this statement from this person, his offering himself, and the fact that he offered himself means that he is one of them.
The researcher: And I mentioned that there are other routes to Egypt other than the route these people took. So if he really wanted to reach Egypt, he would have taken another route. He did not come to expose himself to them.

The Shaykh : Now, can you summarize what is authentic regarding the fitnah of ‘Umar? What was the position of ‘Ali? What was the position of al-Hasan? The position of al-Husayn, and so on?
The researcher: Yes, I summarized only what is authentic. I took the authentic narrations and those that appeared to me to be good, composed of some narrations, and formed an image of the event. I hope it is complete. It reached 230 pages, which is now in the hands of my brother ‘Ali. But among the most important things in it, because there are many, the most important is the position of the Companions in defending ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). I dedicated a special chapter, a special section in the chapter of the Day of the House, on the defense of the Companions of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). This is summarized in that the Ansar came to him, as is authentic, the Ansar came to him and offered him defense and said to him: "If you wish, we are the supporters of Allah twice." Meaning, we supported the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the migration, and we will support you now. Also, Ibn ‘Umar came, and al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came, and a large number came, whom I mentioned with attribution of information to their sources and mention of their grading and reference to the appendix. Because I divided the research into two parts: an appendix and a summary. In the appendix, the narration is with its chain from the author to its end to the text, then the discussion of the men, defects, and chains. And the summary is the summary of these narrations. So I would mention the position of the Companions, then mention the grading of the narration and refer to the appendix.

The Shaykh : Now, what is attributed to ‘Umar regarding the appointment of his relatives from Banu Umayyah, is there anything authentic?
The researcher: This is considered one of the justifications for the rebellion that the rebels used to justify their rebellion against him.

The Shaykh : Sideways, sideways from the answer.
The researcher: No, I will give the answer, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : No, the best speech is what is little and effective. Say it exists or it does not exist, and then if the matter requires detail, elaborate for us.
The researcher: It does not exist.
Al-Halabi : O my brother Muhammad, this is a practical exercise fromThe Shaykh : for discussion
The researcher: On the conclusion, meaning, please benefit us if there are observations. If you like, shall I read it?

The Shaykh : Read it.
The researcher: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy:
Praise be to Allah, by whose praise good deeds are completed, and blessings and peace be upon the Seal of the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and peace be upon them abundantly. And after:

The Shaykh : As for the word "and after," this is contrary to the Sunnah. The Sunnah is "As for after."
The researcher: The most important results that appeared to me through this research are as follows:
First: It is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he informed of the occurrence of a fitnah in which ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would be killed.

The Shaykh : "Informed of it"?? How is it?
The researcher: "Informed of it." It is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he informed of the occurrence of a fitnah in which ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would be killed, and that he called people to be with him when it flared up, and that he specified the time of its occurrence, and that ‘Umar and his companions are upon the truth and guidance in it.

The Shaykh : What do you mean?
The researcher: The time of its occurrence.

The Shaykh : Yes, what do you mean?
The researcher: In the hadith in which he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And I had quoted your commentary on this hadith and the discussion of it from *Al-Silsilah*.

The Shaykh : The killing of 'Uthman took place in the thirty-fifth year, did it not?
The researcher: Yes, that is correct.

The Shaykh : Very well, please continue.
The researcher: Second, he pointed to the magnitude of this fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) by comparing it to the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the fitnah of the Dajjal (the false messiah). He stated that whoever is saved from it is saved, and that 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) would be martyred in it while he was upon the truth, patient in the face of being killed, and that he would be granted the status of a martyr, transitioning after his martyrdom to the Garden of Eternal Abode.

The Shaykh : That he was upon the truth.
The researcher: And he was upon the truth.

The Shaykh : What is the grammatical status of "patient"?
The researcher: Upon the truth. It is a state (hal). He was upon the truth, in the state of being patient.

The Shaykh : And the news (khabar)?
The researcher: Is it a news clause (khabar an)?

The Shaykh : And he
The researcher: And that 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) would be martyred in it, while he was upon the truth, patient.
Al-Halabi : So, where does it end, Shaykh? "He was upon the truth. Patient upon the truth. He was upon the truth." The speech ends there. Patient... the connection...

The Shaykh: Okay
The researcher: Third, he informed 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) of the occurrence of this fitnah and that they would demand he abdicate the caliphate, and he commanded him not to do so. Fourth, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the magnitude of this fitnah and that whoever is saved from it is saved, and that this includes those who lived through it and those who did not; the salvation of those who did not live through it is by not engaging in it with falsehood. Fifth, the defects attributed to 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) in the sources include some that are authentically reported from those who rebelled against him, some that are not authentic, and some that are famous for which I have not found a chain of narration. These defects, in their three categories, are in reality either virtues of his, or fabrications against him, or an ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) for which he is rewarded. Sixth, the personality of Ibn Saba' is a real one, indicated by authentic reports, and it is not established solely by the reports of Saif ibn 'Umar al-Tamimi, but others have narrated it with authentic and weak chains.
Seventh, the obligation to be cautious when speaking about the positions of 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) in the fitnah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided him to positions to take when this fitnah occurred, of which only a little has reached us. Eighth, the creed of the Salaf (the earliest generations) regarding the Companions (the Companions of the Prophet) is not to delve into what occurred between them, except when an innovator (mubtadi') appears who disparages them with falsehood; in that case, it is obligatory to defend them with truth and justice. Ninth, Allah is not pleased with any of His creation unless He knows, Glorified and Exalted is He, that they will meet His pleasure; and since Allah has been pleased with the Companions, their end will certainly be in goodness, and this is what actually happened. Tenth, 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) did his utmost to suppress the fitnah from the arrival of the people of the provinces until he opened the door and the killer entered and killed him. Eleventh, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did their utmost to defend 'Uthman on the day of the house, but he prevented them, and he intensified his prevention of them from doing so, thus standing between them and their desire to defend him. And since he was their commander and obedience to him was obligatory upon them, they carried out his order and did not fight those who rebelled against him after they despaired of his permission for them to defend him.

The Shaykh : Which of these Companions, or non-Companions, offered to defend him and he refused, may Allah be pleased with him? Do you remember?
The researcher: Yes,

The Shaykh : For example?
The researcher: Zayd ibn Thabit was the delegate of the Ansar, and he offered to him the request of all the Ansar to defend him, and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar.

The Shaykh : Where is the narration?
The researcher: The narration was narrated by Khalifah ibn Khayyat in his book al-Tarikh with a chain that is either authentic or good.

The Shaykh : Very well, anyone other than Zayd ibn Thabit?
The researcher: 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and there are many narrations from him, and al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, with many narrations from him, including one narrated by 'Ali ibn al-Ja'd with a good chain, and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).

The Shaykh : What was 'Ali's position?
The researcher: He wanted to defend him.

The Shaykh : Is there a narration about him like this?
The researcher: There is a narration, in several weak narrations, from which some things are authentic that I mentioned as points: that he sent 'Uthman to 'Ali to ask for him, so 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) rose and headed to the house. Then, when he approached the house, one of his household members stood up to him; in some narrations, it was Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, who warned him against entering the house because he saw the enemy surrounding it with weapons, so he feared for him. Then 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) threw his turban into the house to indicate that he had responded to the call. Then he went to the oil stones, and news of 'Uthman's killing came to him, so he was grieved by his killing, may Allah be pleased with him.

The Shaykh : Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs, yes.
Twelfth: Among the reasons for 'Uthman's refusal to fight are the following:
A- His knowledge that this fitnah would end with his killing, due to the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) informing him of this.
B- His lack of desire to be the first to follow the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in his community by shedding blood.
C- His knowledge that the rebels did not want anyone other than him, so he disliked to be protected by the believers and preferred to protect them with himself.
D- Acting on the advice of 'Abdullah ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) to refrain from fighting.
Thirteenth: There was no fierce fighting on the day of the house, but rather a light skirmish that resulted in the injury of al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) and his being carried out of the house following this injury.
Fourteenth: 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) saw in a dream on his last day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with him, along with Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), saying to him: "O 'Uthman, break your fast with us." So he became fasting, and he sent out those who were with him in the house who wanted to defend him. Then he placed the mushaf (a written copy of the Qur'an) before him and ordered the door to be opened, and he began to recite the Qur'an. Then a black man from the people of Egypt entered, whose skin was very dark, and it is not unlikely that he was 'Abdullah ibn Saba' the Jew.

The Shaykh : Was 'Abdullah ibn Saba' from Egypt?
The researcher: I mentioned that the narrator may have described him as such because he arrived with the people of Egypt, and because he spent a period of time in Egypt and his ideas penetrated among them.

The Shaykh : Meaning he lived his life in Egypt?
The researcher: No, but it says he was from the people of Egypt.
Abu Yahya: He was influenced in Egypt and stayed there, and he had supporters.
The researcher: It is a possibility.
Abu Yahya: A possibility from Muhammad, and he wants to attribute this to Ibn Saba' even though he is not Ibn Saba'.
The researcher: No, Shaykh, there is no certainty; I did not assert it, I stated the possibility.
Al-Halabi : You are being cautious.The Shaykh : Very well, if you could point to a reference.
The researcher: It came to my mind, and I indicated that it is possible that some of it was intended.
Al-Halabi : No, the Egypt issue, meaning.
The researcher: Yes, that is right.
Al-Halabi : His being from the people of Egypt is a more precise expression than that he arrived with the people of Egypt or such; "from the people of Egypt" implies a permanent attribute.

The Shaykh : The expression implies that he is from the people of Egypt, so if this hypocrite 'Abdullah ibn Saba' is not known to have resided in Egypt, and as was said,The Shaykh : Abu Yahya: If he settled there, for example, that would be a weak interpretation.
The researcher: Shaykh, I am telling you my statement, and you give us the observation on it.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The researcher: Inside the message, I said that he is considered from the people of Egypt due to the penetration of his ideas among some of its people and his stay there at the end.

The Shaykh : This reasoning is not sound.
The researcher: And his stay there at the end of his affairs, and his arrival with its people, meaning these three things.

The Shaykh : First, the penetration of his ideas among the people of Egypt is not --- ---, meaning if a man's ideas penetrate in America, he is not called an American.
The researcher: No.

The Shaykh : Very well, second, what is it?
The researcher: If you combine it with his stay there at the end of his affairs.

The Shaykh : No, it was not the end of his affairs.
The researcher: Yes, that is right.

The Shaykh: Okay
The researcher: And his arrival with its people.

The Shaykh : Excuse me, here هنا Here, do you want to note something? Was it the end of his life when the fitnah of 'Uthman occurred?
The researcher: The end of his affairs, Shaykh.

The Shaykh : It is all one thing, meaning we changed the hamza to an 'ayn, so the meaning is the same. Did you notice this observation? Meaning, the end of his affairs, is that not so?

The Shaykh : Very well, in any case, we are a people of travel, so our excuse is with us and your excuse is with you, so depart with peace.
The researcher: This is remaining, Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Very well, if you wish to read it, I have no objection, but on the condition... please proceed.
The researcher: Fourteenth: 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) saw in a dream on his last day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with him, along with Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), saying to him.

The Shaykh : With him Abu Bakr, is this a correct sentence?
The researcher: He saw in a dream the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and with him Abu Bakr.
Al-Halabi : If it were without "with him" it would be correct, but with "with him"...
The researcher: Meaning Abu?
Al-Halabi : Abu.
The researcher: And with him was Abu Bakr, who said to him: O Uthman, break your fast with us, then he became a fasting person and he expelled from the house those who were with him who had come to defend him, then he placed the mushaf in front of him and ordered the door to be opened, and he began to recite the Qur'an. Then a black man from the people of Yalqib Jibalah, due to the darkness of his skin, entered upon him, and it is not unlikely that he was Abdullah ibn Saba' the Jew. Fifteenth: That he did not participate in inciting against Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), let alone in killing him.

The Shaykh : By the way, the narration of his blood falling on the word of Allah the Exalted: فسيكفيكهم الله So Allah will suffice you against them did it pass by you?
The researcher: Yes, indeed.

The Shaykh : Is it authentic?
The researcher: It is not established.

The Shaykh : It is not established.
The researcher: What is established is that the blood fell on the mushaf, meaning when his hand was cut off.

The Shaykh: Okay
The researcher: Fifteenth: That none of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) participated in inciting against Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), let alone in killing him, and that everything narrated regarding that is weak in chain of transmission.
Sixteenth: That Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr did not participate in the incitement nor in the killing of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and that everything narrated regarding the accusation of him with that is false and has no validity.
Al-Halabi : Sixteenth, and the seventh. Because it is based on opening the two sections.

The Shaykh : And so it is.
Al-Halabi : The thirteenth, the fourteenth, the fifth, all of them are to be based.
The researcher: Seventeenth: That his killing was on the morning of the Friday corresponding to the middle days of Tashriq, the twelfth of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah of the year thirty-five after the Hijrah.
Eighteenth: That his age at the time of his killing was eighty-two years, according to the stronger position.
Nineteenth: That many trials and tribulations resulted from his killing (may Allah be pleased with him), which the Muslim community is still suffering from to this day.
Twentieth: That most of the writings of contemporaries regarding the trial of the killing of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) are not to be trusted, due to the authors' failure to verify the authentic narrations in constructing the historical picture of the trial, and their reliance mostly on weak narrations reported by weak narrators or the Rafidah, and their failure to attribute the information to its sources.
Twenty-first: That the narrations of Muhammad ibn Umar al-Waqidi regarding the trial of the killing of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) contain much fabrication and contradict the authentic narrations in most of the facts, and that they reflect a distorted picture of the trial and highlight incorrect positions of the Companions, and in them appear the features of Shi'ism.

The Shaykh : And why did you not reveal the truth about al-Waqidi?
The researcher: I mentioned it in the paper, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Here, with a word, a quick word.
The researcher: In the conclusion?

The Shaykh : Of course, you are summarizing.
Al-Halabi : For example, the narrations of Muhammad ibn Umar al-Waqidi, who is accused, regarding the trial of such and such, but it is just between two objections.
The researcher: Okay... and his Shi'ism as well. Twenty-second: That the narrations of Saif ibn Umar al-Tamimi regarding the trial of the killing of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) are a collection of narrations with chains of transmission which Saif deletes, then he narrates them through a number of his sheikhs, which sometimes reach four sheikhs, and that Saif's narrations are not free from disparaging some of the Companions and accusing them of what they are innocent of, and sometimes they are moderate and show the correct picture of their positions.

The Shaykh : The same is said about Saif as was said about al-Waqidi, so he is abandoned.
Al-Halabi : I ask my brother Muhammad, did you come across the book عثمان بن عفان ذو النورين Uthman ibn Affan, the Possessor of the Two LightsMusannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 29:416 following Sa'd 'Arjoub?
The researcher: Yes, indeed.
Al-Halabi : How is this book?
The researcher: Like the contemporary books I mentioned, it does not rely on authentic narrations and does not clarify.
Al-Halabi : Other than the defense, meaning, or not?
The researcher: There is defense, but it does not rely on authentic narrations; it must happen.