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33. Hadith Al-Ikhtiyar, ‘Ali: The True Second Of Two

In the cave, the Messenger of Allah,sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi , repeatedly assured Abu Bakr of Allah’s Presence. But it did not work:

إذ يقول لصاحبه لا تحزن إن الله معنا

Whenhe was saying to his companion: “Do not fear , surely Allah is with us.”

Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (d. 774 H) comments about this verse:

عام الهجرة ، لما هم المشركون بقتله أو حبسه أو نفيه ، فخرج منهم هاربًا صحبة صدِّيقه وصاحبه أبي بكر بن أبي قحافة ، فلجأ إلى غار ثور ثلاثة أيام ليرجع الطَّلَبُ الذين خرجوا في آثارهم ، ثم يسيرا نحو المدينة ، فجعل أبو بكر ، رضي الله عنه ، يجزع أن يَطَّلع عليهم أحد ، فيخلص إلى الرسول ، عليه السلام منهم أذى ، فجعل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يُسَكِّنه ويَثبِّته ويقول : " يا أبا بكر ، ما ظنك باثنين الله ثالثهما"

During the year of the Hijrah, the pagans tried to kill, imprison or expel him (i.e the Prophet). So, he escaped with his friend and companion, Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafah, to the Thawr Cave. They remained in there for three days. So the scouts who were sent in their pursuit returned, and they proceeded to Madinah. (While in the cave), Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was afraid that they might be discovered by someone, that some harm might come to the Messenger, peace be upon him, from them.

Therefore, the Prophet, peace be upon him, kept reassuring him and strengthening his resolve , saying, “O Abu Bakr! What do you think of two, the third of whom is Allah?”539

Apparently, one word was not enough for Abu Bakr. When the Prophet mentioned the presence of Allah the first time, he obviously noticed that his companion was not convinced. So, he kept repeating it, telling him not to fear. The Sunni argument is that Abu Bakr only had great, uncontrollable fears for the life and safety of the Messenger of Allah. Well, there is nothing in the verse orhadith remotely suggesting that.

By contrast, the words of the Prophet, “Allah is with us”, suggest that Abu Bakr’s fears were about both of them together in the cave. Otherwise, he would have said, “Allah is with me”, placing the emphasis upon himself. Abu Bakr’s fears about the Prophet could also have actually been self-serving! Their fates were interconnected in that dire situation. If the Messenger fell into any danger, Abu Bakr was sure to have a good taste of it too. So, he wanted the Prophet safe, so that he too could be safe.

What support our contention – that Abu Bakr did not really care about the Prophet’s life – are his latter actions on the battlefields. For instance, he abandoned the Messenger of Allah to the mercy of the pagans on different days of battle, and fled away, again and again, with his life fromjihad . Imam Muslim (d. 261 H) records:

حدثنا محمد بن أبي بكر المقدمي وحامد بن عمر البكراوي ومحمد بن عبدالأعلى قالوا حدثنا المعتمر (وهو ابن سليمان) قال سمعت أبي عن أبي عثمان قال لم يبق مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم في بعض تلك الأيام التي قاتل فيهن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم غير طلحة وسعد عن حديثهما

Muhammad b. Abi Bakr al-Muqaddami, Hamid b. ‘Umar al-Bakrawi and Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-A’la – al-Mu’tamar (and he is Ibn Sulayman) – father – Abu ‘Uthman:

“None remained with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,on some of the days in which the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was fightingapart from Talhah and Sa’d . They both (i.e. Talhah and Sa’d) narrated that to me.”540

On several expeditions of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman fled and escaped from battle! They ran way, and did not look back, knowing fully well that their actions could get the Prophet killed, injured or imprisoned.

In any case, what matters to our discussion in this chapter is that Abu Bakr doubted the assurances of the Messenger of Allah while they both were in danger, in the cave. He was unconvinced by them. Therefore, when Allah sent down His sakinah, He excluded him. The same thing happened with ‘Umar later on the Day of al-Hudaybiyyah. Imam Ibn Hibban (d. 354 H) records his own words concerning what he did on that day:

فقال عمر بن الخطاب رضوان الله عليه والله ما شككت منذ أسلمت إلا يومئذ فاتيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقلت ألست رسول الله حق

So, ‘Umar b. al-Khaṭṭab, may Allah be pleased with him, said (about the Day of al-Hudaybiyyah): “By Allah!I never doubted since I accepted Islam EXCEPT on that day . So, I went to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, ‘Are you not truly the Messenger of Allah? ’”541

‘Allamah al-Albani (d. 1420 H) comments:

صحيح

Sahih 542

Moreover, Shaykh al-Arnauṭ agrees:

حديث صحيح

It is asahih hadith 543

He doubted thenubuwwah of Muhammad on that day! This removed him from the ranks of believers. So, when Allah sent down His sakinah, He excluded ‘Umar, and whoever was like him:

فأنزل الله سكينته على رسوله وعلى المؤمنين

So, Allah sent down His sakinah upon His Messengerand upon the believers .544

And:

لقد رضي الله عن المؤمنين إذ يبايعونك تحت الشجرة فعلم ما في قلوبهم فأنزل السكينة عليهم

He knew what was in their hearts. Therefore, He sent down sakinah upon them.545

At this point, it is apposite to quote this verse:

إنما المؤمنون الذين آمنوا بالله ورسوله ثم لم يرتابوا وجاهدوا بأموالهم وأنفسهم في سبيل الله أولئك هم الصادقون

The believers are only those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger,and do not doubt afterwards , and they dojihad with their wealth and with their lives, for the Cause of Allah. They are the truthful ones.546

Did Abu Bakr and ‘Umar ever doubt Allah or His Messenger after they had accepted Islam? Did Abu Bakr and ‘Umar ever shield their lives fromjihad by running away? Were they true believers then? Can people like them really be the best ones in thisUmmah after our Prophet? What about those of the Sahabah, like Imam ‘Ali,‘alaihi al-salam , and perhaps others, who never doubted after their acceptance of Islam, and who never fled the battlefield? How could they have been inferior?

How can a doubter be superior to a firm, unshakable believer? How can someone who escapes with his life fromjihad be better than someone who completely sold his life to Allah? How can someone who abandoned the Messenger of Allah in fatal danger and ran to save his own life be more valuable than another who placed his life in the midst of pagan swords so that the Prophet could live?

Most importantly, the Messenger also specifically named the second best of the entirety of thisUmmah – during his lifetime – after himself. It is in Hadith al-Ikhtiyar, recorded by Imam al-Tabarani (d. 360 H):

حدثنا محمد بن جابات الجند نيسابوري و الحسن بن علي المعمري قالا : ثنا عبد الرزاق عن معمر عن ابن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس قال لما زوج النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم فاطمة عليا قالت فاطمة : يا رسول الله زوجتني من رجل فقير ليس له شيء فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : أما ترضين يا يا فاطمة أن الله عز و جل اختار من أهل الأرض رجلين أحدهما أبوك والآخر زوجك

Muhammad b. Jabat al-Jund Naysaburi AND al-Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Ma’mari – ‘Abd al-Razzaq – Ma’mar – Ibn Abi Najih – Mujahid – Ibn ‘Abbas:

When the Prophet, peace be upon him, married Faṭimah to ‘Ali, Faṭimah said, “O Messenger of Allah! You are marrying me to a poor man who has nothing.” So, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “Are you not pleased, O Faṭimah, thatAllah the Almighty the Most Glorious chose, from the people of the earth, two men : one of them is your father and the other is your husband?”547

Concerning the First Narrator B, ‘Allamah al-Albani states:

الحسن بن علي المعمري هو صدوق حافظ

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Ma’mariHe is saduq (very truthful), a hafiz (hadith scientist) .548

Al-Hafiz (d. 852 H) says something similar:

الحسن بن علي بن شبيب المعمري الحافظ واسع العلم والرحلة

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Shabib al-Ma’mari: thehafiz (hadith scientist), very knowledgeable and widely travelled (in search of knowledge).549

And Imam al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H) corroborates them:

المعمري :الامام، الحافظ، المجود، البارع، محدث العراق، أبو علي، الحسن بن علي بن شبيب البغدادي المعمري.

Al-Ma’mari:the Imam, the hafiz (hadith scientist) , the generous, the pious,the hadith master of ‘Iraq , Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Shabib al-Baghdadi al-Ma’mari.550

Imam al-Hakim (d. 403 H) has equally documented his chain in his Mustadrak:

حدثنا أبو سعيد أحمد بن يعقوب الثقفي ثنا الحسن بن علي المعمري ثنا أبو مصعب الزهري ثنا هشام بن عمار السلمي ....

Abu Sa’id Ahmad b. Ya’qub al-Thaqafi –al-Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Ma’mari – Abu Mus’ab al-Zuhri - Hisham b. ‘Ammar al-Sulami....551

Al-Hakim says about the chain:

هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد

Thishadith has asahih chain.552

And al-Dhahabi corroborates him:

صحيح

Sahih 553

This proves that al-Ma’mari wasthiqah (trustworthy) .

Al-Hafiz also states about the second narrator:

عبد الرزاق بن همام بن نافع الحميري مولاهم أبو بكر الصنعاني ثقة حافظ

‘Abd al-Razzaq b. Hammam b. Nafi’ al-Humayri, their freed slave, Abu Bakr al-San’ani:Thiqah (trustworthy), hafiz (a hadith scientist) .554

He further says about the third narrator:

معمر بن راشد الأزدي مولاهم أبو عروة البصري نزيل اليمن ثقة ثبت فاضل

Ma’mar b. Rashid al-Azdi, their freed slave, Abu ‘Urwah al-Basri, he lived in Yemen:Thiqah (trustworthy), thabt (accurate), fadhil (meritorious) .555

The fourth narrator is like him, as confirmed by Imam al-Dhahabi:

عبد الله بن أبي نجيح المكي، صاحب التفسير. أخذ عن مجاهد، وعطاء، وهو من الأئمة الثقات.

‘Abd Allah b. Abi Najih al-Makki: the scholar of tafsir. He learnt from Mujahid and ‘Aṭaand was one of the thiqah (trustworthy) Imams .556

Al-Hafiz adds:

عبد الله بن أبي نجيح يسار المكي أبو يسار الثقفي مولاهم ثقة رمي بالقدر وربما دلس

‘Abd Allah b. Abi Najih Yasar al-Makki, Abu Yasar al-Thaqafi, their freed slave:Thiqah (trustworthy) , accused of believing in fatalism,and maybe he practised tadlis .557

There is aprobability that he practisedtadlis . It is not definite. In any case, his‘an-‘an reports from Mujahid are accepted assahih . For instance, Imam Muslim records this chain in hisSahih :

وحدثني حسن بن علي الحلواني حدثنا زيد بن الحباب حدثني إبراهيم بن نافع حدثني عبدالله بن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد عن عائشة رضي الله عنها

Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Halwani – Zayd b. al-Habab – Ibrahim b. Nafi’ –‘Abd Allah b. Abi Najih – Mujahid – ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her.558

Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal (d. 241 H) also records:

حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي ثنا عبد الرزاق ثنا معمر عن بن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد عن عبد الرحمن بن أبي ليلى عن كعب بن عجرة

‘Abd Allah (b. Ahmad) – my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) –‘Abd al-Razzaq – Ma’mar – Ibn Abi Najih – Mujahid – ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Layli – Ka’b b. ‘Ujrah.559

And Shaykh al-Arnanuṭ comments:

إسناده صحيح على شرط الشيخين

Its chain is sahih upon the standard of the two Shaykhs.560

Imam al-Hakim is not left out:

أخبرني عبد الرحمن بن الحسن القاضي بهمدان ثنا إبراهيم بن الحسين ثنا آدم بن أبي إياس ثنا ورقاء عن ابن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما

‘Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hasan al-Qadi – Ibrahim b. al-Husayn – Adam b. Abi Iyas – Waraqa –Ibn Abi Najih – Mujahid – Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both.561

Al-Hakim states:

هذا حديث صحيح على شرط الشيخين

Thishadith issahih upon the standard of the two Shaykhs.562

Imam al-Dhahabi concurs:

على شرط البخاري ومسلم

(Sahih ) upon the standard of al-Bukhari and Muslim.563

Imam al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 H) has documented a similar chain:

حدثنا ابن أبي عمر حدثنا سفيان عن ابن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد عن أبي معمر عن ابن مسعود

Ibn Abi ‘Umar – Sufyan –Ibn Abi Najih – Mujahid – Abi Ma’mar – Ibn Mas’ud564

Al-Tirmidhi says:

هذا حديث حسن صحيح

Thishadith ishasan sahih .565

‘Allamah al-Albani agrees too:

صحيح

Sahih 566

Imam Abu Ya’la (d. 307 H) records as well:

حدثنا زهير أخبرنا يزيد بن هارون أخبرنا محمد بن إسحاق عن عبد الله بن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس

Zuhayr – Yazid b. Harun – Muhammad b. Ishaq –‘Abd Allah b. Abi Najih – Mujahid – Ibn ‘Abbas .567

Shaykh Dr. Asad comments:

إسناده صحيح

Its chain issahih 568

And finally, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 H) has documented this chain in hisSahih too:

ثنا الفضل بن يعقوب الجرزي ثنا عبد الأعلى عن محمد عن عبد الله بن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس

Al-Fadhl b. Ya’qub al-Hirzi – ‘Abd al-A’la – Muhammad – ‘Abd Allah b. Abi Najih – Mujahid – Ibn ‘Abbas.69

Shaykh Dr. al-A’zami states:

إسناده صحيح

Its chain issahih .570

At this point, it is needless to prove that Mujahid, the last narrator ofHadith al-Ikhtiyar – was alsothiqah (trustworthy) . However, we shall still do so, in case there is someone who prefers that. Al-Hafiz says about him:

مجاهد بن جبر بفتح الجيم وسكون الموحدة أبو الحجاج المخزومي مولاهم المكي ثقة إمام في التفسير وفي العلم

Mujahid b. Jabr, Abu al-Hajjaj al-Makhzumi, their freed slave, al-Makki:Thiqah (trustworthy) , an Imam in tafsir and in (religious) knowledge.571

With this, it becomes absolutely proven thatHadith al-Ikhtiyar issahih . All its narrators arethiqah (trustworthy) , and there is no disconnection whatsoever in the chain. Thehadith establishes that Allah chose only Muhammad and ‘Ali – in a special selection - out of all the people of the earth. It is clear from the text that Allah had not chosen anyone else among them before He chose the two. As such, whatever other selections were made by Him, apparently, came after this first, unique selection.

The Qur’an makes it absolutely clear that creation and choosing areexclusive divine functions:

وربك يخلق ما يشاء ويختار ما كان لهم الخيرة

And your Lord creates whatever He wills,and He chooses . They have no right to choose.572

Among those He chose was His Messenger, Musa:

وأنا اخترتك فاستمع لما يوحى

And I have chosen you . So listen to that which is inspired to you.573

He equally chose the Israelites:

ولقد اخترناهم على علم على العالمين

And We had knowinglychosen them above the worlds .574

The chosen ones, of course, are also the best:

وإنهم عندنا لمن المصطفين الأخيار

And with Us, they are verily fromthe chosen ones, the best .575

So, when Allah chose His Messenger andAmir al-Muminin out of all the people of the earth, He was basically declaring them both as the best of all. Since Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman were alive at that time, it is obvious that both Muhammad and ‘Ali were better than them, by Allah’s Own Decree. These facts are very uncomfortable to mainstream Sunni teachings, and pose an existential threat to Sunni Islam as a whole.

If thekhilafah of Abu Bakr collapses, nothing else can survive from the SunniSahih . This is why Sunnis generally feel very uneasy about Hadith al-Ikhtiyar. Perhaps, it is also why ‘Allamah al-Albani grades the authentichadith in this manner:

موضوع

Mawdu’ (fabricated)576

Fabricated?! By who? By thethiqah (trustworthy) narrators?! Then, our ‘Allamah states:

روي من حديث أبي هريرة، وعبد الله بن عباس، وأبي أيوب الأنصاري، وعلي الهلالي، ومعقل بن يسار.

It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah, ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abbas, Abu Ayub al-Ansari, ‘Ali al-Hilali and Ma’qil b. Yasar.577

Five Sahabah! That is enough to make itmutawatir by the standards of some Sunnimuhadithun ! What exactly is the problem with our dear ‘Allamah al-Albani? The worst part of it all is that the ‘Allamah – whether deliberately or by mistake – omits thesanad of al-Ma’mari above in his extensive discussion against the authenticity of thehadith !

This, of course, makes it possible for him to reject it! However, if he had included thatsahih chain in his analysis, the story would have been far different. It is unclear how the ‘Allamah misses thatsanad of al-Ma’mari, despite that he has quoted other chains of the samehadith from the same Mu’jam al-Kabir of al-Tabarani! In any case, ‘Allamah al-Albani’s verdict upon thehadith is based upon incomplete research. As such, it is void.

Sadly, our ‘Allamah takes things even more disturbing levels – to an all-time low - with this comment of his over a chain that has some common names with that of al-Ma’mari:

ولو أنه ثبت عنه؛ لبقي فيه علة أخرى تقدح في صحته، وهي احتمال أن يكون هذا الحديث أيضاً مما أدخله ابن أخي معمر في كتب معمر؛ فإنه كان رافضياً

Even if it is established from him (i.e. ‘Abd al-Razzaq), there is still another defect in it which discredits its authenticity. It is the possibility that thishadith too is one of those things which the nephew of Ma’mar inserted into the books of Ma’mar, for he (that nephew) was a Rafidhi.578

Possibility?! Mere conjecture? So, there is no concrete evidence? But even then, no such possibility ever exists, to begin with! We will simply round off this chapter with this angry reply of the Sunnihadith master, ‘Allamah al-Maghribi:

قلت : هذا كلام باطل جدا ، وبيان ذلك : أن ابن أخي معمر، شخص وهمي لا وجود له ، ولا يعرف أخ لمعمر وكيف يوجد ابن بدون أب غير عيسى عليه السلام ؟

I say: This is complete nonsense! The reason for this is:That nephew of Ma’mar was only an imaginary figure. He never existed! Ma’mar was not known to have any brother. How could a son exist without a father, apart from ‘Isa, peace be upon him?579

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Abu ‘Isa Muhammad b. ‘Isa al-Sulami al-Tirmidhi,al-Jami’ al-Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani]

Abu ‘Umar Yusuf b. ‘Abd Allah b. Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Barr b. ‘Asim al-Nimri al-Qurṭubi,al-Isti’ab fi Ma’rifat al-Ashab (Beirut: Dar al-Jil; 1st edition, 1412 H) [annotator: ‘Ali Muhammad al-Bajawi]

Abu ‘Uthman ‘Amr b. Bahr al-Jahiz,al-‘Uthmaniyyah (Egypt: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi; 1374 H) [annotator: ‘Abd al-Salam Muhammad Harun]

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

Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-Haytami,al-Sawaiq al-Muhriqah ‘ala Ahl al-Rafdh wa al-DHalal wa al-Zindiqah (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 1st edition, 1997 CE) [annotators: ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Abd Allah al-Turki and Kamil Muhammad Khuraṭ]

Abu al-Fadhl ‘Abd Allah b. al-Siddiq al-Maghribi, al-Qawl al-Muqni’ fi Radd ‘ala al-Albani al-Mubtadi’

Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani,al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah (Beirut: Dar al-Jil; 1412 H) [annotator: ‘Ali Muhammad Bajawi]

Abu al-Fadhl Mahmud al-Alusi, Ruh al-Ma’ani fi Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim wa Sab’ al-Mathani (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi)

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]

Abu al-Fida Isma’il b. ‘Umar b. Kathir al-Qurshi al-Dimashqi,Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim (Dar al-Taybah li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 2nd edition, 1420 H) [annotator: Sami b. Muhammad Salamah]

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

Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali b. ‘Umar b. Ahmad b. Mahdi b. Mas’ud b. al-Nu’man b. Dinar al-Baghdadi al-Daraquṭni,al-‘Ilal al-Waridah fi Ahadith al-Nabawiyyah (Damam: Dar Ibn al-Jawzi; 1st edition, 1427 H) [annotators: Muhammad b. Salih b. Muhammad al-Dabasi and Mahmud Khalil]

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]

Abu al-Qasim ‘Ali b. al-Hasan b. Habat Allah b. ‘Abd Allah, Ibn Asakir al-Shafi’i,Tarikh Madinah Dimashq (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr; 1415 H) [annotator: ‘Ali Shiri]

Abu al-Qasim Sulayman b. Ahmad al-Tabarani,Kitab al-Awail (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 3rd edition, 1408 H) [annotator: Muhammad Shakur b. Mahmud al-Haji]

Abu al-Qasim Sulayman b. Ahmad b. Ayub al-Tabarani,Mu’jam al-Kabir (Mosul: Maktabah al-‘Ulum wa al-Hukm; 2nd edition, 1404 H) [annotator: Hamadi b. ‘Abd al-Majid al-Salafi]

Abu Bakr ‘Abd al-Razzaq b. Hamamal-Sa’nani, al-Musannaf [annotator: Habib al-Rahman al-A’zami]

Abu Bakr Ahmad b. al-Husayn b. ‘Ali b. Musa al-Bayhaqi,Sunan al-Kubra (Makkah: Maktabah Dar al-Baz; 1414 H) [annotator: Muhammad ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Aṭa]

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]

Abu Dawud Sulayman b. al-Ash’ath al-Sijistani al-Azdi,Sunan (Dar al-Fikr) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani]

Abu Dawud Sulayman b. al-Ash’ath al-Sijistani,Sunan Abi Dawud (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani]

Abu Hamid Muhammad b. Muhammad al-Ghazali,Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah)

Abu Hatim Muhammad b. Hibban b. Ahmad al-Tamimi al-Busti,Kitab al-Thiqat (Hyderabad: Majlis Dairat al-Ma’arif al-‘Uthmaniyyah; 1st edition, 1393 H)

Abu Hatim Muhammad b. Hibban b. Ahmad b. Hibban b. Mu’adh b. Ma’bad al-Tamimi al-Darimi al-Busti, Sahih Ibn Hibban bi Tartib Ibn Balban (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 2nd edition, 1414 H) [annotators: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani and Shu’ayb al-Arnaut]

Abu Ja’far Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Salamah b. ‘Abd al-Malik b. Salamah,Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1399 H) [annotator: Muhammad Zuhri al-Najjar]

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: Sadafi Jamil al-‘Aṭṭar]

Abu Muhammad ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Darimi,Sunan (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi; 1st edition, 1407 H) [annotator: Husayn Salim Asad]

Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Hatim al-Razi, Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim (al-Maktabah al-‘Asriyyah) [annotator: As’ad Muhammad al-Tayyib]

Abu Ya’la Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Muthanna al-Mawsili al-Tamimi,Musnad (Damascus: Dar al-Mamun li al-Turath; 1st edition, 1404 H) [annotator: Dr. Husayn Salim Asad]

Abu Zayd ‘Umar b. Shabah al-Numayri al-Basri,Tarikh al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1417 H) [annotators: ‘Ali Muhammad Dandal and Yasin Sa’d al-Din Bayan]

Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani,al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1415 H) [annotators:

Shaykh ‘Adil Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Mawjud and Shaykh ‘Ali Muhammad Ma’udh]

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 ‘Aṭa]

Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Muhammad b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani,Ta’jil Munfa’at bi Zawaid Rijal al-Aimah al-Arba’at (Beirut: Dar al-Bashair; 1st edition, 1996 CE) [annotator: Dr. Ikram Allah Imdad al-Haqq]

Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani al-Shafi’i,Hadi al-Sari Muqaddimah Fath al-Bari (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi; 1st edition, 1408 H)

Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Muhammad, Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani,Ta’rif Ahl al-Taqdis bi Maratib al-Mawsifin bi al-Tadlis (Jordan: Maktabah al-Manar; 1st edition) [annotator: Dr. Asim b. ‘Abd Allah al-Qaryuni]

Al-Muwaffaq b. Ahmad al-Bakri al-Makki al-Hanafi al-Khawarazmi,al-Manaqib (Qum: Muasassat al-Nashr al-Islami; 2nd edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Shaykh Malik al-Mahmudi]

Ibn al-Athir, Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali b. Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Karim b. ‘Abd al-Wahid al-Shaybani al-Jazari,Usd al-Ghabah (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi; 1st edition, 1417 H) [annotator: ‘Adil Ahmad al-Rufa’i]

Ibn Majah Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Yazid al-Qazwini,Sunan (Dar al-Fikr) [annotator: Muhammad Fuad ‘Abd al-Baqi]

Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Irwa al-Ghalil fi Takhrij Ahadith Manar al-Sabil (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami; 2nd edition, 1405 H)

Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani,Tahzir al-Sajid min Itikhaz al-Qubur Masajid (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami; 4th edition)

Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh al-Albani,Silsilah al-Ahadith al-DHa’ifah wa al-Mawdhu’ah wa Atharihah al-Sayyiah fi al-Ummah (Riyadh: Dar al-Ma’arif; 1st edition, 1412 H)

Nur al-Din ‘Ali b. Abi Bakr al-Haythami,Majma’ al-Zawaid (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr; 1412 H)

Nur al-Din ‘Ali b. Abi Bakr al-Haythami,Mawarid al-Zaman ila Zawaid Ibn Hibban (Damascus: Dar al-Thaqafah al-‘Arabiyyah; 1st edition, 1412 H) [annotators: Husayn Salim Asad al-Darani and ‘Abd ‘Ali al-Kushk]

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-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’ wa al-Taba’at; 1st edition, 1420 H)

Rob Williams, “Omar Borkan Al Gala: Is this one of the three men who are ‘too sexy’ for Saudi Arabia”,The Independent , Friday 26 April 2013 [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/omar-borkan-al-gala-...

Shams al-Din Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Ahmad b. al-Dhahabi al-Dimashqi, al-Kashif fi Ma’rifat Man Lahu Riwayat fi al-Kutub al-Sittah (Jeddah: Dar al-Qiblah li al-Thaqafat al-Islamiyyah; 1st edition, 1413 H)

Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Uthman al-Dhahabi,Siyar A’lam al-Nubala (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 9th edition, 1413 H)

Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Uthman al-Dhahabi,Tarikh al-Islam wa Wafiyat al-Mashahir wa al-A’lam (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi; 1st edition, 1407 H) [annotator: Dr. ‘Umar ‘Abd al-Salam Tadmuri]

Shihab al-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani,Lisan al-Mizan (Beirut: Manshurat Muasassat al-A’lami li al-Maṭbu’at; 2nd edition, 1390 H)

Shihab al-Din Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani,Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (Dar al-Fikr; 1st edition, 1404 H)

Shihab al-Din Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Fath al-Bari SharhSahih al-Bukhari (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah li al-Taba’ah wa al-Nashr; 2nd edition)

Taj al-Din b. ‘Ali b. ‘Abd al-Kafi al-Subki,Tabaqat al-Shafi’iyyah al-Kubra (Hajr li al-Taba’at wa al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 2nd edition, 1413 H) [annotators: Dr. Mahmud Muhammad al-Tanahi and Dr. ‘Abd al-Fattah Muhammad al-Halwi]