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

Caliphs on Day of Judgment

The fourteenth tradition on the excellences of caliphs and the order of their caliphate is reported by a group memorizers of tradition.

Ibn Jawzid narrates the second of his traditions from Hibatullah bin Muahmmad bin Hasin from Abu Talib bin Ghaylan from Abu Bakr Sha'afi'a from Muhammad bin Uthman bin Abi Shaiba from Hasan bin Salih from Hasan bin Hasan Narsi from Asba'a bin Faraj from Bai'a bin Muhammad from Abu Sulayman Iili from Ibn Jarih from Amr bin Dinar from Ibn Abbas who quotes the Holy Prophet (s) as saying:

When there is the Day of Judgment, a caller calls from beneath the Arsh saying: Where are the companions of Muhammad? It is at this moment that Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali are brought. Abu Bakr is told to stand at the gate of Paradise and let anyone he pleases enter Paradise through the mercy of Allah and not to let anyone he pleases enter Paradise through the knowledge of Allah!

Umar is told to control the scale increasing the weight of the pan of anyone he pleases through the mercy of Allah and decreasing the weight of the pan of anyone he please with Allah's knowledge!

The Holy Prophet goes on saying: Two sumptuous dresses are prepared for Uthman bin Affan and he is told to wear them for [Allah] has saved them for him as He was creating the heaven and the earth.

Ali bin Abi Talib is given a rod from Usaj, a tree created by Allah in Paradise and he is told to disperse through it the people from around the pool!

Ibn Jawzi says that Isba'a has narrated this tradition from Sulayman bin Abd al-'Ala from Ibn Jarih. Similarly, according to him, Isba'a has narrated this tradition from Sari bin Muhammad from Abu Sulayman Iili from Ibn Jarih. This shows that Isba'a or other narrators of this tradition are talking nonsensical things. The chain of this tradition contains some unknown names.

Ahmad bin Hasan Kufi has narrated this tradition from Waki'a who according to Dar Qutni is rejected. According to Ibn Hayyan he narrates fabricated traditions from reliable persons.

Ibrahim bin Abdullah Masisi has also narrated this tradition from Hajjaj bin Muhammad from Ibn Jarih. On Ibn Hayyan's view, Ibrahim used to steal traditions and change them. According to him, he used to narrate traditions from reliable people, which were not part their traditions. Thus on his view, Ibrahim is to be placed among people whose traditions are rejected.[^78]

Fabricated tradition and Dahabi and Asqalani

After mentioning the name of Ibrahim bin Abdullah in his Mizan, Dahabi gives an account of his life. While elaborating on his life, he touches two traditions -one of which we mentioned above- saying that on his view he is a liar. Hakim says that his traditions are forged and fabricated.

Hakim narrates in a marfu'a format from Ibrahim from Waki'a from Sufyan from Amr bin Dinar from Ibn Abbas who quotes the Holy Prophet (s) as saying: when there is the Day of Judgment Abu Bakr will be at one of the pillar of the pool, Umar at the second pillar, Uthman at the third pillar

and Ali at the fourth. Anyone who is hostile towards anyone of them will not be given water to drink.

Ibrahim narrates in a marfu'a fomat from Hajjaj from Ibn Jarih from Amr bin Dinar from Ibn Abbas who quotes the Holy Prophet as saying:

When there is the Day of Judgment, a caller calls from beneath the Arsh saying: Where are the companions of Muhammad? It is at this moment that Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali are brought. Abu Bakr is told to stand at the gate of Paradise and let in anyone he pleasesthrough the mercy of Allah and not to let in anyone he pleasesthrough the knowledge of Alllah![^79]

In hisLisan , Ibn Hajar follows in the footstep of Dahabi. While giving an account of his life, he refers the said two traditions and says that Ibrahim bin Abdullah is a liar.[^80]