Fabricated Traditions: a Critical Assessment of Traditions On Classification of Caliphs and Their Excellences

Caliphs equal Muslim community

The eighth fabricated tradition is narrated by Tabarani. He narrates from Ma'az bin Jabal who quotes the Holy Propeht (s) as saying:

I saw in a dream that I was on one pan of scale and my community was on the other. I equaled my entire community. Thereupon Abu Bakr was on one pan of scale and my community on the other. Abu Bakr equaled all of them. Then Umar was on one pan of scale and my community on the other. Umar equaled all of them. Uthman was also on one pan of scale and my community was on the other. Uthman equaled all of them. Thereupon the scale was removed.

Haythami and Muttaqi Hindi have narrated this tradition from Tabarani.[^50]

'Amr bin Waqid as one of the reporters of this tradition

After quoting this tradition, Haythami says that 'Amr bin Waqid is one of the reporters of this tradition. 'Amr is a rejected person. All scholars have considered him as weak. Here are some of the comments made by Sunni scholars concerning Amr.

Quoting Abu Mushir, Yazid bin Muhammad bin Abd al-Samad says that he used to lie unintentionally. Quoting Dahim, Ya'aqub bin Sufyan says that great Sunni scholars do not narrate traditions from him. According to Ya'aqub Dahim was not skeptic that 'Amr was a liar. According to Bukhari and Tirmidhi he used to narrate unknown traditions.

In Abu Hatam's point of view, he is weak, reporting unknown traditions. Nisaee, Dar Qutni and Barqani say that his traditions are rejected.[^51]

In hisMizan al-Itidal , Dahabi puts him in the rank of those narrators from whom Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah report. He rebukes him and mentions some of his fabricated traditions among which is the tradition under question. According to him such traditions have got popularity through people like Amr who is not reliable.[^52]

Caliphs and divine order

The ninth tradition on the excellences of caliphs and the order of their caliphate is narrated by Muttaqi Hindi. He narrates it from Ibn Asakir and Ibn Udai from Ibn Umar who quote the Holy Prophet (s) as saying:

Allah ordered me to love four ones from among my companions. I love Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali.

After quoting this tradition, Muttaqi Hindi says that one of the reporters of this tradition is Sulayman bin Isa bin Najih. Commenting on him, Ibn Udai says that he fabricates tradition.[^53]

Sulayman bin Isa Sajzi is among the reporters of this Tradition

Here are the views of some the scholars of tradition concerning him:

According to Dahabi, he used to narrate the traditions of Malik through Ibn 'Awn and other reporters. In Juzjani's point of view, he is known for telling lie. Abu Hatam is also of the view that he is a liar. According to Ibn Udai he used to fabricate traditions. He, according to him, wrote hisTafdil al-Aql in two volumes.

Among other baseless traditions, he narrates one from Laith, from Nafi'a, from Ibn Umar using a marfu'a format. According to him, the Holy Prophet (s) said:

Allah ordered me to love four ones; Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali.[^54]

It has to be pointed out that Ibn Hajar has also touched these issues.[^55]