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

Writing on the leaves of Paradise trees

The thirteenth tradition on the excellences of caliphs and the order of their caliphate is reported by Tabarani, Abu Na'aeem Isfahani, Ibn Udai, Khatib Baghadadi and other Sunni scholars. They have reported this tradition from Ibn Abbas.

Khatib Baghadadi narrates from Ibn Abbas who quotes the Holy Prophet (s) as saying:

It is written on each leaf of Paradise trees that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr is truthful, Umar is the distinguisher between truth and falsehood and Uthman is the owner of two lights.[^74]

Scholars and fabricated tradition

In section devoted to the excellences of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, Ibn Jawzi has narrated a few traditions. The first tradition of this section is narrated from Abd al-Rahman bin Muhammad Qazzar, from Ahmad bin Ali bin Thabit from Qazi Abu al-Faraj Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Hasan Shafi'ai … from Mujaheed from Ibn Abbas who quotes the Holy Prophet (s) as saying:

It is written on each leaf of Paradise trees that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr is truthful, Umar is the distinguisher between truth and falsehood and Uthman is the owner of two lights.

Commenting on this tradition, Abu Hatam says that this tradition is false and fabricated. Ali bin Jamil used to fabricate traditions. It is by no means permissible to narrate from him.

According to Abu Ahmad bin Udai no one other than Ali bin Jamil has narrated this tradition from Jarir. It is he who narrated false traditions from reliable narrators. He is thus a stealer of traditions.[^75] Based on Dahabi's point of view, he narrates from Jarir bin Abd al-Hamid and Isa bin Musa. Ibn Hayyan rejects him and Dar Qutni and others regard him as weak in narrating traditions. Ali bin jamil narrates from Jarir from Mujahid from Ibn Abbas who quotes the Holy Prophet (s) as saying: During the Mi'araj, when I was ascended to Heaven …..

An unknown master named 'Ma'aruf bin Abi Ma'aruf Balkhi has narrated this tradition like Ali bin Jamil from Jarir.[^76]

Commenting on this tradition and its reporter, Suyuti says: Tabarani narrates from Sa'eed bin Abd Rabbah Saffar Baghdadi from Ali bin Jamil Ruqqi from Jarir bin Abd al-Majid from Laith from Mujaheed (in a marfu'a format) from Ibn Abbas who quotes the Holy Prophet (s) as saying:

There is no tree in Paradise except that its leaves bear ….

According to Ibn Hayyan this tradition is fabricated by Ali bin Jamil. Suyuti says that Abu Na'aeem Isfahani has narrated this tradition in his al-Hilliya, from Qazi Abu Ahmad bin Muhammad from Ahmad bin Hasan bin Abd al-Malik from Ali bin Jamil.

In hisal-Dibaj , Khatli says that Qasim bin Ali Kufi has narrated this tradition in a marfu'a format from Abd al-Aziz bin Amr Khurasani from Jarir Razi from Laith from Mujaheed from Ibn Abbas.

According to Dahabi in his al-Mizan, Abd al-Aziz is an unknown figure and this tradition is false. This is the fault that lies with this tradition.

In Ibn Udai's point of view, Ahmad bin Amir Barqi'adi has narrated this tradition using a marfu'a format from Ma'aruf Balkhi in Damascus, from Jarir, from Laith, from Mujahid from Ibn Abbas.

Dahabi remarks that this tradition is forged and fabricated.[^77]