Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

7) Hadith Al-Tawliyah

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 H) says:

قوله أنت وليي في كل مؤمن بعدي فإن هذا موضوع باتفاق أهل المعرفة بالحديث

His statement, “You are my wali over every believer after me”. Verily, this is a fabrication (mawdu’), by the consensus of the hadith scholars.1

This is a very big claim. It means that every single hadith scholar, from the start of Prophet Muhammad’s mission, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi, till the days of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah – without any exception – explicitly declared this Hadith al-Tawliyah to be mawdu’. At a specific level, our dear Shaykh claims that Malik b. Anas (d. 179 H), Ibn al-Mubarak (d. 181 H), al-Shafi’i (d. 204 H), al-Tayalisi (d. 204 H), ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-San’ani (d. 211 H), al-Humaydi (d. 219 H), Ibn Ja’d (d. 230 H), Ibn Sa’d (d. 230 H), Ibn Abi Shaybah (d. 235 H), Ibn Rahwayh (d. 238 H), Ahmad b. Hanbal (d. 241 H), al-Darimi (d. 255 H), al-Bukhari (d. 256 H), Muslim (d. 261 H), Ibn Majah (d. 273 H), Abu Dawud (d. 275 H), Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276 H), al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 H), Ibn Abi ‘Asim (d. 287 H), al-Nasai (d. 303 H), Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 H), al-‘Aqili (d. 322 H), Ibn Abi Hatim (d. 327 H), Ibn Hibban (d. 354 H), al-Tabarani (d. 360 H), al-Darqutni (d. 385 H), Ibn Shahin (d. 385 H), al-Hakim (d. 403 H), al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 H), al-Baghdadi (d. 463 H), Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (d. 463 H), al-Khawarazmi (d. 568 H), Ibn Asakir (571 H), al-Nawawi (d. 676 H), among others – each of them has an express statement about the hadith in which he grades it as mawdu’. However, the reverse is actually the truth! No scholar before Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 H) ever classed the hadith to be mawdu’ or even dha’if. By contrast, Imam al-Hakim (d. 403 H) actually calls its chain sahih2 ! What drove Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah into such reckless fallacy must have been something very huge!

Imam Ahmad has documented Hadith al-Tawliyah in his Musnad:

حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي ثنا يحيى بن حماد ثنا أبو عوانة ثنا أبو بلج ثنا عمرو بن ميمون ....قال بن عباس وخرج بالناس في غزوة تبوك قال فقال له علي أخرج معك قال فقال له نبي الله لا فبكى علي فقال له أما ترضى أن تكون منى بمنزلة هارون من موسى الا أنك لست بنبي انه لا ينبغي أن أذهب الا وأنت خليفتي قال وقال له رسول الله أنت وليي في كل مؤمن بعدي

‘Abd Allah – my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) – Yahya b. Hammad – Abu ‘Awanah – Abu Balj – ‘Amr b. Maymun Ibn ‘Abbas said:

.... He (the Messenger of Allah) went out for the battle of Tabuk. So, ‘Ali said to him, “Let me go out with you.” Therefore, the Prophet of Allah, peacebe upon him, said, “Do not weep, ‘Ali. Are you not pleased that you are to me of the status of Harun to Musa, with the exception that you are not a prophet? Verily, it is not right that I depart except with you as my khalifah. You are my wali over every believer after me.”3

‘Allamah Ahmad Muhammad Shakir (d. 1377 H) declares:

إسناده صحيح

Its chain is sahih.4

‘Allamah al-Albani (d. 1412 H) also states:

وأخرجه أحمد 1/330: ثنا يحيى بن حماد به مطولا وفيه: قال: وخرج صلى الله عليه وسلم بالناس في غزوة تبوك قال: فقال علي أخرج معك قال: فقال له نبي الله: "لا". فبكى علي قال له: " أما ترضى أن تكون منى بمنزلة هارون من موسى إِلا أنك لست بنبي انه لا ينبغي أن أذهب الا وأنت خليفتي". قال: وقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "أنت وليي في كل مؤمن بعدي". الحديث وأخرجه الحاكم بطوله 3/132-134 من طريق أحمد ثم قال: صحيح الإسناد ووافقه الذهبي

Ahmad (1/330) recorded it from Yahya b. Hamad in detail, and part of it is:

He (the Messenger of Allah) went out with the people for the battle of Tabuk. So, ‘Ali said to him, “Let me go out with you.” Therefore, the Prophet of Allah, peacebe upon him, said, “Do not weep, ‘Ali. Are you not pleased that you are to me of the status of Harun to Musa, with the exception that you are not a prophet? Verily, it is not right that I depart except with you as my khalifah. You are my wali over every believer after me.” the hadith.

Al-Hakim recorded it in full (3/132-134) through the route of Ahmad, and said, “Its chain is sahih” and al-Dhahabi concurred with him.5

The ‘Allamah himself adds concerning its chain:

إسناده حسن

Its chain is hasan.6

Commenting on this same chain of Hadith al-Tawliyah, Dr. Al-Jawabirah says:

اسناده حسن

Its chain is hasan.7

Imam al-Busiri too grades the chain as follows:

سند صحيح

A sahih chain.8

So, one wonders: why is Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah so panicky about this hadith? There must be a reason he is so desperate about it, to the extent of attributing patent fallacies to all the Sunni muhadithun – perhaps dozens or hundreds of them – before his time in order to bring it down. What is the scary secret?

It is apparent that wali in Hadith al-Tawliyah cannot possibly mean “friend”, “helper” or “supporter” in any logical sense. ‘Ali, ‘alaihi al-salam, was the friend, helper and supporter of the believers during the lifetime of the Prophet and after his death, in his presence and in his absence. Besides, changing wali in the hadith to “friend”, or “helper” or supporter” would only produce incoherent and insensible statements:

أنت وليي في كل مؤمن بعدي

“You are my friend over every believer after me.”

“You are my lover over every believer after me.”

“You are my supporter over every believer after me.”

“You are my friend over every believer after me.”

The Messenger of Allah was absolutely above making such kinds of statements. Moreover, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah himself cautions:

إن أراد الموالاة لم يحتج ان يقول بعدي

If he had intended friendship, he did not need to say “after me”.9

But, can we interpret “my wali” in the hadith to mean “my ruler”? This depends on the exact intended meaning. For instance, Allah says about His Prophet:

قل يا أيها الناس إني رسول الله إليكم جميعا

Say: “O mankind! Verily, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.”10

He was the Messenger appointed by Allah. The Qur’an also states about him:

أم تريدون أن تسألوا رسولكم كما سئل موسى من قبل

Or, do you want to ask your Messenger as Musa was asked before?11

Does this mean that the people appointed the Messenger? Of course, they never did! Rather, he was appointed by Allah – hence, the Messenger of Allah – and sent to the people – and thereby their Messenger. This is a similar verse:

أم لم يعرفوا رسولهم فهم له منكرون

Or is it that they did not recognize their Messenger so they deny him?12

In the light of the above, the following conclusions can be drawn about the word “messenger”:

1. “The Messenger of Allah” means the messenger appointed by Allah.

2. “Your Messenger” means the Messenger sent to you.

3. “Their Messenger” means the Messenger sent to them.

In the same manner:

1. The wali of the Prophet over his Ummah is the wali appointed by him over them.

2. The wali of the Ummah is the wali appointed over them or by them.

As such, the hadith “You are my wali over every believer after me” may mean “You are the wali I have appointed over every believer after me”. This is perfectly in line with Hadith al-Wilayah too.

Another probable meaning of “my wali” in the hadith is “my heir”. One of the rarer meanings of wali is “heir”. Prophet Zakariyah, ‘alaihi al-salam, prayed to Allah, while he was still barren, with these words:

فهب لي من لدنك وليا يرثني ويرث من آل يعقوب واجعله رب رضيا يا زكريا إنا نبشرك بغلام اسمه يحيى

“So give me fromYourself a wali, who shall inherit me and inherit the family of Ya’qub. And make him, my Lord, one with whomYou are well-pleased”. (Allah said): “O Zakariyah! Verily,We give you the glad tidings of a son, his name will be Yahya.”13

Zakariyah was a prophet. His wali, who was his son Yahya, ‘alaihi al-salam, inherited his prophethood and knowledge, and thereby became the next master of his father’s Ummah after his death. Professor Ibn Yasin also states in his tafsir:

أخرج عبد الرزاق بسنده الصحيح عن قتادة عن الحسن في قوله (يرثني ويرث من آل يعقوب)، قال: نبوته وعلمه

‘Abd al-Razzaq records with his sahih chain from Qatadah, that al-Hasan said concerning the verse {who shall inherit me and inherit the family of Ya’qub}: [who shall inherit] his prophethood and knowledge.14

Hadith al-Tawliyah therefore makes ‘Ali the wali – the heir - of the Messenger of Allah. Meanwhile, this inheritance was declared to be “over every believer” after the Prophet. Apparently, it concerned only matters and affairs between the Messenger and his Ummah. These, without doubt, included his powers, rights responsibilities, obligations, and duties over them. All of these were inherited by Amir al-Muminin after him.

A shahid that has been documented by Ibn Abi ‘Asim (d. 287 H) gives this same impression as well:

ثنا الحسين بن علي وأحمد بن عثمان قالا: ثنا محمد بن خالد بن عثمة، حدثنا موسى بن يعقوب، حدثني المهاجر بن مسمار، عن عائشة بنت سعد، عن أبيها قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول يوم الجحفة وأخذ بيد علي، فخطب فحمد الله وأثنى عليه ثم قال: أيها الناس إني وليكم. قالوا: صدقت يا رسول الله، وأخذ بيد علي رضي الله عنه فرفعها فقال: هذا وليي، والمؤدي عني

Husayn b. ‘Ali and Ahmad b. ‘Uthman – Muhammad b. Khalid b. ‘Athmah – Musa b. Ya’qub – al-Muhajir b. Mismar – ‘Aishah bint Sa’d – her father:

I heard the Messenger of Allah, peacebe upon him, saying on the Day of al-Juhfah while holding the hand of ‘Ali, and he delivered a sermon, and thanked Allah and praised Him, and then said: “O mankind! I am your wali”. They replied, “You have said the truth, O Messenger of Allah.” Then he held the hand of ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and raised it up, and said, “This is my wali, and the one to discharge on my behalf.”15

‘Allamah al-Albani says:

صحيح، فإن له شواهد

It is sahih because it has shawahid.16

‘Ali was the wali appointed by the Messenger of Allah over his Ummah, and the one to discharge on his behalf among them after him. It is further noteworthy that the responsibility of discharge granted to Amir al-Muminin was unqualified. Therefore, anything that was the responsibility of the Prophet among his Ummah, no one else has the right to do it for him except ‘Ali. As such, after the death of the Messenger of Allah, all his obligations, responsibilities and liabilities – with regards to the Ummah - naturally passed onto ‘Ali by inheritance.

‘Allamah al-Albani has equally copied a further shahid:

علي يقضي ديني

‘Ali will repay my debts.17

And he gives this verdict about it:

حسن

Hasan.18

In other words, ‘Ali – being the heir – inherited the liabilities of the Messenger of Allah, including his debts to members of his Ummah. So, the liabilities became his personal responsibilities after the death of his Prophet.

But, some unthinkable things happened in Islamic history. Although the Prophet had declared ‘Ali to be his wali over his whole Ummah after him, the one to discharge on his behalf and the one to repay his debts, some other people precluded Amir al-Muminin and arrogated these ranks to themselves! With support from their kinsmen and associates, they even proceeded to militarily install themselves in ‘Ali places. For instance, Imam al-Bukhari (d. 256 H) records that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab said:

توفى الله نبيه صلى الله عليه و سلم فقال أبو بكر أنا ولي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم توفى الله أبا بكر فقلت أنا ولي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم وأبي بكر

Allah caused His Prophet, peace be upon him, to die. So, Abu Bakr said, “I am the wali of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him”.... Allah (also) caused Abu Bakr to die. So, I (too) said, “I am the wali of the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr.”19

Elsewhere, al-Bukhari also records:

حدثنا إبراهيم بن موسى أخبرنا هشام عن ابن جريج قال أخبرني عمرو بن دينار عن محمد بن علي عن جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهم قال: لما مات النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم جاء أبا بكر مال من قبل العلاء بن الحضرمي فقال أبو بكر من كان له على النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم دين أو كانت له قبله عدة فليأتنا قال جابر وعدني رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم أن يعطيني هكذا وهكذا وهكذا فبسط يديه ثلاث مرات قال جابر فعد في يدي خمسمائة ثم خمسمائة ثم خمسمائة

Narrated Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah:

When the Prophet, peacebe upon him, died, Abu Bakr received some property from al-‘Ala b. al-Hadhrami. So, Abu Bakr said, “Whoever has a debt claim against the Prophet, peace be upon him, or was promised something by him, should come to us.” I said, “The Messenger of Allah, peacebe upon him, promised me that he would give me this much, and this much, and this much”. And I spread my hands three times. So, he (Abu Bakr) counted for me and handed me five-hundred, then five hundred and then five-hundred.20

What?! Abu Bakr was the wali of the Prophet over every believer after him? Abu Bakr was the one to repay the Messenger’s debts? What in the world was happening exactly! Wonders really never end! Besides, why was Abu Bakr repaying the Prophet’s personal debts and promises with state funds? Would the Messenger have misappropriated the Muslim treasury in such a manner?

Imam ‘Ali was apparently terribly disappointed by this turn of events. Therefore, despite his extraordinary patience, his shock made him to voice out angrily. Imam Muslim (d. 261 H) quotes ‘Umar as having said the following words to both ‘Ali and ‘Abbas:

فلما توفي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال أبو بكر أنا ولي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فرأيتماه كاذبا آثما غادرا خائنا والله يعلم إنه لصادق بار راشد تابع للحق ثم توفي أبو بكر وأنا ولي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم وولي أبا بكر فرأيتماني كاذبا آثما غادرا خائنا

When the Messenger of Allah, peacebe upon him, died, Abu Bakr said: “I am the wali of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.”....So both of you (‘Ali and ‘Abbas) thought him (i.e. Abu Bakr) to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that he was really truthful, pious, rightly-guided and a follower of the truth. Abu Bakr died and I became the wali of the Messenger of Allah, peacebe upon him, and the wali of Abu Bakr. So both of you thought me to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest.21

Due to Abu Bakr’s surprising claim that he was the wali of the Messenger of Allah - among others - ‘Ali declared him “a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest”.When ‘Umar made the same claim later, ‘Ali repeated those same words for him too. This is what Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah fears; the truth of ‘Ali’s accusations against them both. If his words about them were correct, then Sunni Islam crashes headlong! It cannot stand without the alleged saintly status of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Moreover, the fallacy of some “ahadith” circulated to highlight their “merits” becomes exposed as well. The cost is simply too much. So, our dear Shaykh seeks to save his Sunni sect by desperately and recklessly denying Hadith al-Tawliyah. The truth, however, never dies.

Notes

1. Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Halim b. Taymiyyah al-Harrani, Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Muasassat Qurtubah; 1st edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashad Salim], vol. 5, pp. 35-36

2. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 3, p. 143, # 4652

3. Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybani, Musnad (Cairo: Dar al-Hadith; 1st edition, 1416 H) [annotator: Ahmad Muhammad Shakir], vol. 1, p. 330, # 3062

4. Ibid, vol. 1, p. 331, # 3062

5. Abu Bakr b. Abi ‘Asim, Ahmad b. ‘Amr b. al-Dhahhak b. Mukhlid al-Shaybani, Kitab al-Sunnah (al-Maktab al-Islami; 1st edition, 1400 H) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 566, # 1189

6. Ibid, vol. 2, p. 565, # 1188

7. Abu Bakr b. Abi ‘Asim, Ahmad b. ‘Amr b. al-Dhahhak b. Mukhlid al-Shaybani, Kitab al-Sunnah (Dar al-Sami’i li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’) [annotator: Dr. Basim b. Faysal al-Jawabirah], vol. 1, pp. 799-800, # 1222

8. Ahmad b. Abi Bakr b. Isma’il al-Busiri, Itihaf al-Khiyarah al-Maharah bi Zawaid al-Masanid al-‘Ashara (Riyadh: Dar al-Watan; 1st edition, 1420 H), vol. 7, p. 184, # 6630

9. Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Halim b. Taymiyyah al-Harrani, Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Muasassat Qurtubah; 1st edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashad Salim], vol. 7, p. 391

10. Qur’an 7:158

11. Qur’an 2:108

12. Qur’an 23:69

13. Qur’an 19:5-7

14. Prof. Dr. Hikmat b. Bashir b. Yasin, Mawsu’at al-Sahih al-Masbur min al-Tafsir bi al-Mathur (Madinah: Dar al-Mathar li al-Nashrwa al-Tawzi’ wa al-Taba’at; 1st edition, 1420 H), vol. 3, p. 332

15. Abu Bakr b. Abi ‘Asim, Ahmad b. ‘Amr b. al-Dhahhak b. Mukhlid al-Shaybani, Kitab al-Sunnah (al-Maktab al-Islami; 1st edition, 1410 H) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 565, # 1189

16. Ibid, vol. 2, p. 566, # 1189

17. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami’ al-Saghirwa Ziyadatuhu (Al-Maktab al-Islami), vol. 2, p. 754, # 4092

18. Ibid

19. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Isma’il b. Ibrahim b. Mughirah al-Bukhari al-Ju’fi, al-Jami’ al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar (Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir; 3rd edition, 1407 H) [annotator: Dr. Mustafa Dib al-Bagha], vol. 5, p. 2048, # 5043

20. Ibid, vol. 2, p. 953, # 2537

21. Abu al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi, Sahih Muslim (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Fuad ‘Abd al-Baqi], vol. 3, p. 1376, #1757

8) Hadith Al-Wirathah, Establishing Its Authenticity

Allah informs us about two of His prophets in His Book:

وورث سليمان داوود

And Sulayman inherited Dawud.1

In other words, it was Sulayman, ‘alaihi al-salam, who inherited Dawud, ‘alaihi al-salam. Explaining this verse, Imam al-Tabari (d. 310 H) states:

يقول تعالى ذكره :وورث سليمان أباه داود العلم الذي كان آتاه الله في حياته، والملك الذي كان خصه به على سائر قومه

He, the Most High, says: Sulayman inherited the knowledge which Allah gave his father during his lifetime and the kingdom which He specially bestowed upon him above all of his people.2

Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (d. 774 H) also says:

قال الله تعالى: {وورث سليمان داود وقال يا أيها الناس علمنا منطق الطير وأوتينا من كل شئ إن هذا لهو الفضل المبين(النمل: ١٦)} أي ورثه في النبوة والملك، وليس المراد ورثه في المال، لأنه قد كان له بنون غيره، فما كان ليخص بالمال دونهم

Allah the Most High said: {And Sulayman inheritedDawud, and he (Sulayman) said, “O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and on us have been bestowed all things. This, verily, is an evident grace} [27:16], that is, inheritance of prophethood and kingdom. What was intended was not inheritance of material possessions. This is because he (Dawud) had several children apart from him (Sulayman) and he (Sulayman) could not have been exclusively given the material possessions at their expense.3

Imam Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 H) has these words too:

قوله تعالى: {وورث سليمان داود} أي :ورث نبوته وعلمه وملكه، وكان لداود تسعة عشر ذكرا، فخص سليمان بذلك، ولو كانت وراثة مال لكان جميع أولاده فيها سواء

Allah the Most High says {And Sulayman inherited Dawud}, that is: he inherited his prophethood, knowledge and kingdom. Dawud had nineteen sons. But, Sulayman was exclusively given that. If it had been inheritance of material possessions, all his children would have been equally entitled.4

There are a number of points from this verse:

1. Prophethood is an inheritable office.

2. Divine knowledge is inheritable.

3. Kingdom – which is also called khilafah5 - is inheritable.

Moreover, where someone, out of many possible heirs, is singled out as the only heir in any circumstance, then such inheritance could not have been about material possessions. Rather, it must have been with regards to knowledge, offices and ranks. Prophet Sulayman was the inheritor of his father, Prophet Dawud. As such, he became the prophet, the supreme scholar and the ruler after him.But, what about our dearest Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi? Was he inherited by anyone? Did he name any inheritor?

Imam al-Nasai (d. 303 H) records a really interesting hadith in this regard:

أخبرنا الفضل بن سهل قال حدثني عفان بن مسلم قال حدثنا أبو عوانة عن عثمان بن المغيرة عن أبي صادق عن ربيعة بن ناجد أن رجلا قال لعلي يا أمير المؤمنين لم ورثت بن عمك دون عمك قال: جمع رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم أو قال دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم بني عبد المطلب فصنع لهم مدا من طعام قال فأكلوا حتى شبعوا وبقي الطعام كما هو كأنه لم يمس ثم دعا بغمر فشربوا حتى رووا وبقي الشراب كأنه لم يمس أو لم يشرب فقال يا بني عبد المطلب إني بعثت إليكم بخاصة وإلى الناس بعامة وقد رأيتم من هذه الآية ما قد رأيتم فأيكم يبايعني على أن يكون أخي وصاحبي ووارثي فلم يقم إليه أحد فقمت إليه وكنت أصغر القوم فقال اجلس ثم قال ثلاث مرات كل ذلك أقوم إليه فيقول اجلس حتى كان في الثالثة ضرب بيده على يدي ثم قال أنت أخي وصاحبي ووارثي ووزيري فبذلك ورثت بن عمي دون عمي

Al-Fadhl b. Sahl – ‘Affan b. Muslim – Abu ‘Awanah – ‘Uthman b. al-Mughirah – Abu Sadiq – Rabi’ah b. Najid:

A man said to ‘Ali, “O Amir al-Muminin! Why is it you that have INHERITED your cousin (i.e. the Prophet) and not your uncle?”

He replied, “The Messenger of Allah, peacebe upon him, gathered/summoned the Banu ‘Abd al-Mutalib. He cooked some food for them, and they ate until they were satisfied while food was still remaining, as though they never touched it. Then he called for water, and they drank until their thirst was quenched, and the containers of the water remained as though they were never touched or drunk.

After that, he said, “O Banu ‘Abd al-Mutalib! I have been sent to you specially, and to mankind generally. You have seen in this verse what you have seen. Therefore, which one of you will give me a bay’ah (oath of allegiance) to become my brother, my companion and my inheritor?” None stood up. So, I (‘Ali) stood up, and I was the youngest of the people. So, he (the Prophet) said, “Sit down”. On the third time, he hit his hand on my hand (for the bay’ah) and then said: “You are my brother, and my companion, and MY INHERITOR, and my wazir.” So, through this, I have inherited my cousin, at the expense of my uncle.6

The above hadith has a sahih chain. All its narrators – without any exception – are thiqah (trustworthy), and it is well-connected. Strangely, this is what ‘Allamah al-Albani (d. 1420 H) says about it:

قلت: وهذا إسناد ضعيف، رجاله كلهم ثقات؛ غير ربيعة ين ناجد، قال الذهبي في ((الميزان)) : ((لا يكاد يعرف، وعنه أبو صادق بخبر منكر فيه: علي أخي ووارثي)) يشير إلى هذا الحديث. وصرح في ((الكاشف)) بأنه لم يرو عنه غير أبي صادق هذا. وقال في ((الضعفاء والمتروكين)) : ((فيه جهالة))ـ

I say: This chain isdha’if, all its narrators are thiqah (trustworthy), except Rabi’ah b. Najid. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Mizan:

“He is scarcely known, and Abu Sadiq narrated from him a munkar (repugnant) report, which contains: ‘Ali is my brother and inheritor.”

He was referring to this hadith. He explicitly declared in al-Kashif that none else narrated from him other than this Abu Sadiq. And he (al-Dhahabi) said in al-Dhu’afawa al-Matrukin: “There is jihalah in him (he is not known)”.7

So, the only narrator that the ‘Allamah has problem with is Rabi’ah b. Najid, and his only evidence against him is Imam al-Dhahabi’s (d. 748 H) overall verdict that he is “scarcely known”. The ‘Allamah places everything on the fact that only Abu Sadiq has narrated from him. It is also noteworthy that al-Dhahabi has called the above hadith “repugnant” without giving any proof or explanation.

But, does the fact that a narrator is “scarcely known” - where only a single person has transmitted from him – really affect his ahadith? Perhaps, the best way to answer that is to examine how the ‘ulama of the Ahl al-Sunnah have treated other similar cases.

A very clear example is Hasin b. Muhammad al-Ansari. Al-Hafiz (d. 852 H) says about him:

حصين بن محمد الأنصاري السالمي المدني يحتج به في الصحيحين لا يكاد يعرف قلت ذكره ابن حبان في الثقات

Hasin b. Muhammad al-Ansari al-Salimi al-Madani: He is relied upon as a hujjah in both Sahihs (i.e. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). He is scarcely known. I say: Ibn Hibban has included him in al-Thiqat.8

He also adds:

حصين بن محمد الأنصاري السالمي المدني صدوق الحديث من الثانية لم يرو عنه غير الزهري

Hasin b. Muhammad al-Ansari al-Salimi al-Madani: Saduq al-hadith (very truthful in ahadith), from the second (tabaqat). None narrated from him except al-Zuhri.9

He is exactly like Rabi’ah b. Najid! Yet, he is relied upon as a hujjah in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and is accepted as saduq (very truthful)!

Another case is that of Zayd b. Rabah. He too is like Rabi’ah; only one person as transmitted from him. Imam al-Dhahabi confirms:

زيد بن رباح مديني. سمع أبا عبد الله الأغر. ما وجدت أحدا روى عنه سوى مالك

Zayd b. Rabah, a resident of Madinah: He heard from Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Aghrah. I could not find anyone who has transmitted from him except Malik.10

Nonetheless, he is graded thiqah (trustworthy) by al-Hafiz:

زيد بن رباح المدني ثقة

Zayd b. Rabah al-Madani: Thiqah (trustworthy).11

In very simple words, whether or not only a single individual has transmitted from a narrator does not affect his standing as long as there is proof that he is trustworthy or very truthful. If there is no evidence for or against his reliability, then such a fact becomes relevant and makes him majhul (unknown). In the case of Rabi’ah, it is well-known that only his brother, Abu Sadiq, transmitted from him. Moreover, there is no evidence at all against his reliability. But, is there evidence to prove his trustworthiness or truthfulness?

Rabi’ah’s surname is spelt in two ways in the books of ahadith and rijal: Najid (ناجد ) and Najidh (ناجذ ).Meanwhile, the ‘ulama have used the two words to refer to the same individual. As such, Imam al-‘Ijli (d. 261 H) says about Rabi’ah:

ربيعة بن ناجذ كوفي تابعي ثقة

Rabi’ah b. Najidh: He was a Kufan, a Tabi’i, thiqah (trustworthy)12

Imam Ibn Hibban (d. 354 H) has also included him in his book of thiqah (trustworthy) narrators:

ربيعة بن ناجذ الأسدي الأزدي الكوفي يروى عن علي روى عنه أبو صادق

Rabi’ah b. Najidh al-Asadi al-Azdi al-Kufi: He narrated from ‘Ali, and Abu Sadiq narrated from him.13

Al-Hafiz confirms both of these in his al-Tahdhib:

ربيعة بن ناجد الأزدي ويقال أيضا الأسدي الكوفي. روى عن علي وابن مسعود وعبادة بن الصامت رضي الله عنهم. وعنه أبو صادق الأزدي يقال إنه أخوه ذكره ابن حبان في الثقات ….وقال العجلي كوفي تابعي ثقة

Rabi’ah b. Najid al-Azdi, also called al-Asadi al-Kufi. He narrated from ‘Ali, Ibn Mas’ud and ‘Ubadah b. al-Samit,may Allah be pleased with them. Abu Sadiq al-Azdi narrated from him, and he is said to have been his brother. Ibn Hibban mentioned him in al-Thiqat and al-‘Ijli said: A Kufan, Tabi’i, thiqah (trustworthy).14

Imam al-Hakim (d. 403 H) also considers the chain of Rabi’ah to be sahih, thereby accepting him as thiqah:

حدثني أبو قتيبة سالم بن الفضل الآدمي بمكة ثنا محمد بن عثمان بن أبي شيبة ثنا عمي أبو بكر ثنا علي بن ثابت الدهان ثنا الحكم بن عبد الملك عن الحارث بن حصيرة عن أبي صادق عن ربيعة بن ناجد عن علي رضي الله عنه.... صحيح الإسناد

Abu Qutaybah Salim b. al-Fadhl al-Adami –Muhammad b. ‘Uthman b. Abi Shaybah – Abu Bakr – ‘Ali b. Thabit al-Dihan – al-Hakam b. ‘Abd al-Malik – al-Harith b. Hasirah – Abu Sadiq – Rabi’ah b. Najid – ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.... The chain is sahih.15

In his al-Taqrib, al-Hafiz personally grades him thiqah (trustworthy) too:

ربيعة بن ناجد الأزدي الكوفي يقال هو أخو أبي صادق الراوي عنه ثقة

Rabi’ah b. Najid al-Azdi al-Kufi: It is said that he was the brother of the narrator, Abu Sadiq. He was thiqah (trustworthy).16

Intriguingly, ‘Allamah al-Albani himself concurs to a good extent:

عن عبد الله بن سالم المفلوج حدثنا عبيدة بن الأسود عن القاسم بن الوليد عن أبي صادق عن ربيعة بن ناجذ عن عبادة بن الصامت مرفوعا

قلت: وهذا إسناد جيد، رجاله ثقات غير ربيعة هذا فقد وثقه الحافظ فقط تبعا لابن حبان

‘Abd Allah b. Salim al-Mafluj – ‘Ubaydah b. al-Aswad – al-Qasim b. al-Walid – Abu Sadiq – Rabi’ah b. Najidh – ‘Ubadah b. al-Samit, in a marfu’ manner....

I say: This chain is good. Its narrators are trustworthy, except this Rabi’ah, for only al-Hafiz (Ibn Hajar) has declared him thiqah, copying Ibn Hibban.17

The ‘Allamah has reservations about the fact that –according to him – only al-Hafiz al-‘Asqalani, imitating Ibn Hibban, has declared Rabi’ah to be thiqah (trustworthy). Nonetheless, that does not stop him from authenticating the chain. Needless to say, however, the ‘Allamah’s position contains an error: al-‘Ijli, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim actually declared him thiqah before al-Hafiz. If the latter copied anyone, it was at least both al-‘Ijli and Ibn Hibban.

The bottom-line is that this hadith has a sahih chain:

أنت أخي وصاحبي ووارثي ووزيري

You are my brother, and my companion, and MY INHERITOR, and my wazir.

The objections of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah and ‘Allamah al-Albani to it are without basis.

We know from this authentic hadith that Amir al-Muminin ‘Ali b. Abi Talib, ‘alaihi al-salam, was the chosen inheritor of the Prophet’s knowledge, power and divine khilafah after him. In fact, if prophethood had not ended with Muhammad, ‘Ali would have inherited it too.

Notes

1. Qur’an 27:16

2. Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. Jarir b. Yazid b. Kathir b. Ghalib al-Amuli al-Tabari, Jami al-Bayan fi Tawil al-Qur’an (Dar al-Fikr; 1415 H) [annotator: Sidqi Jamil al-‘Attar], vol. 19, p. 172

3. Abu al-Fida Isma’il b. Kathir al-Dimashqi, al-Bidayahwa al-Nihayah (Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi; 1st edition, 1408 H) [annotator: ‘Ali Shiri], vol. 2, p. 22

4. Abu al-Faraj Jamal al-Din ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Ali b. Muhammad al-Jawzi al-Qurshi al-Baghdadi, Zad al-Masir fi ‘Ilm al-Tafsir (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr; 1st edition, 1407 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abd Allah], vol. 6, p. 60

5. See Qur’an 38:26

6. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Ahmad b. Shu’ayb al-Nasai, Sunan al-Kubra (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Dr. ‘Abd al-Ghaffar Sulayman al-Bandari and Sayyid Kasrawi Hasan], vol. 5, p. 125, # 8451

7. Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Dha’ifahwa al-Mawdhu’ah wa Atharihah al-Sayyiah fi al-Ummah (Riyadh: Dar al-Ma’arif; 1st edition, 1412 H), vol. 12, p. 646, # 5793

8. Shihab al-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Lisan al-Mizan (Beirut: Manshurat Muasassat al-A’lami li al-Matbu’at; 2nd edition, 1390 H), vol. 7, p. 199, # 2686

9. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 1, p. 223, # 1391

10. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Uthman al-Dhahabi, Mizan al-I’tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah; 1st edition, 1382 H) [annotator: ‘Ali Muhammad al-Bajawi], vol. 2, p. 103, # 3004

11. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 1, p. 328, # 2142

12. Abu al-Hasan Ahmad b. ‘Abd Allah b. Salih al-‘Ijli al-Kufi, Ma’rifat al-Thiqat (Madinah: Maktabah al-Dar; 1st edition, 1405 H), vol. 1, p. 359, # 471

13. Abu Hatim Muhammad b. Hibban b. Ahmad al-Tamimi al-Busti, Kitab al-Thiqat (Hyderabad: Majlis Dairat al-Ma’arif al-‘Uthmaniyyah; 1st edition, 1398 H), vol. 4, p. 229

14. Shihab al-Din Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (Dar al-Fikr; 1st edition, 1404 H), vol. 3, p. 228, # 498

15. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 3, p. 132, # 4622

16. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Ata], vol. 1, p. 298, # 1923

17. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihahwa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1415 H), vol. 4, p. 582, # 1942