Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith
Ka’b’s Cunning and Stratagem:
In Malik’s Muwatta’ it is reported that when Ka’b became aware that Umar ibn al-Khattab intended to go out toward Iraq, he said to him: O Amir al-Mu’minin! It is better not to go there, as in it there is nine-tenth of sorcery: the debauchees of jinn, and it has the irremediable malady. 280
Jewish Traditions Spread by Ka’b and Wahb:
To be acquainted with the Jewish fabricated traditions (Israeliyyat) spread by these two priests, that constituted suspicions with which enemies of Islam used to argue against it, being beyond its followers’ power, and turning to be among the most detrimental troubles getting rid of which being so problematic. Following are some of them given as an example:
Mu’awiyah said to Ka’b: You say that Dhu al-Qarnayn used to tie his horse to the chandelier! Ka’b said: If I said so, these words are said by God: “...and We gave him the means of access to every thing.”!!
Ibn Kathir, in his Tafsir, 281 writes: What Mu’awiyah disapproved against Ka’b being the correct, and Mu’awiyah has the right in this denial, as he used to say in regard of Ka’b: We used to put falsity to test through him.
Al-Qurtubi, in his interpretation of Surat Ghafir, reported from Khalid ibn Mi’dan, from Ka’b that he said: When God created the Throne, it said: God has never created anything greater than me, and it moved out of pride. So God encircled it with a snake having seventy thousand wings, each wing having seventy thousand feathers, each one having seventy thousand faces, in each one there are seventy thousand tongues. Everyday these mouths produce hymns (of praise) that equal in number the rain drops, leaves of trees, stones and soil, all days of life, and all angels. Thereat the snake twisted around the Throne, which reached half the snake while it was twisted around it. Only then it (Throne) behaved humbly!
In the Tafsir 282 books, it is reported that Abd Allah ibn Qullabah went out looking after his camel, till reaching the garden of Shaddad where he
collected from there whatever he could. When this news reached Mu’awiyah, he sent for him, when he came and told him about the event. Then Mu’awiyah sent for Ka’b and asked him (about the region). He said: It is the many-columned Iram...and it will be visited by a Muslim man during your time, who will be red-faced, blond, short (of stature), with a mole on his eye-brow and another mole on his neck, going out in request of his camels. Then he turned his face, and on seeing Ibn Qullabah, he said: By God, this is the man meant (in the hadith),
Abu al-Shaykh in his book al-’Adamah, reported from Ka’b as saying: The seven earths rest upon a rock, and the rock is in an angel’s hand, and the angel is on a wing of a whale. The whale is in the water, and the water is on the wind, and the wind is over the air. It is a barren wind that never pollinates (the plants), and its horns are hanging from the Throne.
Wahb ibn Munabbih is reported to have said: Four angels hold the Throne on their shoulders, each one of them (angels) has four faces: an ox face, a lion’s face, an eagle’s face, and a human being’s face. Every angel has four wings, two on his face so as to keep him from looking to the Throne, when he would stun and float in the air. Thereat he can say nothing but the words: Quddus (the All Holy), the Mighty King... Whose Greatness has filled the heavens and the earth.
Ibn al-Faqih, in his Ta’rikh, reports:
The Prophet (may God’s peace and benediction upon him and his Progeny) was asked once about the earth, can it be seven? He replied: Yes and the heavens are seven. Then he cited the verse: “God is He Who created the seven heavens and of the earth, the like unto them...” One of those present there said: So are we (living) on the first face of the earth? He said: Yea...and
on the second one there are creatures, who obey God and never disobey Him. On the third one creatures are there. On the fourth one there is a smooth rock. On the fifth face there is a shallow of water. On the sixth one there is baked clay upon which rests throne of Iblis. And on the seventh one there is an ox, which is over a fish, and the fish is on the water, and the water is on the air. The air is on the soil, and the soil (thara) is separated, containing the knowledge of the scholars.
Mu’awiyah once read the verse: “Until when he reached the place where settest the sun (the Western most land)”, till reaching the words: “a black muddy pool,” Ibn Abbas said: It is a black muddy pool. Then they decided to make Ka’b as an arbitrator between them, so they sent for him and questioned him about meaning of these words. He said: Regarding the sun, it sets in tha’t, which means mud. Again he said: It sets in a black mud.
It is also reported that Ibn Abbas and Amr ibn al-’As differed regarding the way of reading these words: “...in a black muddy pool”, raising the issue for arbitration 288 to Ka’b al-Ahbar, to settle the dispute.
Ibn Khaythamah reported on the authority of Qatadah as saying: It came to Hudhayfah’s knowledge that Ka’b was saying: The sky revolves round an axis like a quern (handmill), when he said: Ka’b has lied...Allah says: “Verily God holdeth the heavens and the earth lest they come to naught. 289
Ibn Hajar said that Ka’b al-Ahbar narrated that the heaven door which is called “the angels lift” (mas’ad al-mala’ikah) is opposite to Bayt al-Maqdis 290 (Quds). From it some ulama’ learnt that the philosophy behind isra’ (circulating) to Bayt al-Maqdis before ‘uruj (ascension), was that to make the ascension occur smoothly and in a straight way, without any crookedness.
In this way the Jewish falsified traditions passed into our beliefs and tenets. After citing this superstition, Ibn Hajar said: There should be some consideration in this hadith due to stating that in every heaven there is a populated house, and the house which is in the lowest heaven is located
opposite to the Ka’bah. It was more proper for the Prophet to ascend from Mecca so as to reach the inhabited house (al-bayt al-ma’mur) without any crookedness! Since he ascended from one heaven to another till reaching al-bayt al-ma’mur!!
Ka’b reports that in the Paradise there is an angel, whom I can name if I will. He coins for paradise inhabitants the ornaments, from the day he was created till the Day of Resurrection. If one bracelet of them was to be brought out, it would drive back the sun ray as the sun repels the moon’s ray.
The evidence confirming that the Companions used to refer to him (Ka’b) even in respect of questions of which they were aware, especially when he said: “Nothing is there but recorded in the Torah”, can be found when Abu Abd al-Rahman reported that Umar said to Ka’b – after referring to poetry: O Ka’b, is there any mention of poetry in the Torah? Ka’b said: I find in the Torah people from among the offspring of Isma’il, having their gospels kept in their hearts, pronouncing only wisdom and coining the proverbs. We know them to be none but the Arabs.
Yazid ibn Habib reported that Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan asked Ka’b al-Ahbar: Do you find in the Book of Allah any reference to this (River of) Nile? He said: Yea, by Him Who split the sea for Moses (peace be upon him) I find in the Book of Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, that: God reveals to it twice a year, and reveals to it when it flows that: Allah orders you to flow. Then it flows in the way ordained by God. After that God reveals to it: Return commendably.
Al-Bayhaqi, in al-Asma’ wa al-sifat, through a reliable sanad, reports from Ibn Abbas, saying: In regard of the Almighty’s saying: “God is He Who created the seven heavens and of the earth, the like unto them” he (Ka’b) said: They are seven earths, in each one there is a prophet like yours, Adam like yours, Noah like yours, Abraham like yours and Jesus like Jesus Christ. But he never referred to any equal to Moses! In his book al-Shu’ab, al-Bayhaqi said: He is extremely eccentric.
Al-Suyuti says: This utterance of al-Bayhaqi is quite handsome, as he
doesn’t necessitate veracity of text as a condition for veracity of the isnad, due to possibility of the isnad’s being correct with the text having eccentricity or a defect that deprives it of veracity.
After ascribing this hadith to Ibn Jarir with the wording: “Every earth is similar in respect of creation to this earth, its Adam is like your Adam and Ibrahim is like Ibrahim you have”, Ibn Kathir says: It is probably thought – if be correctly reported from Ibn Abbas – that he (Ibn Jarir) has taken from Jewish falsified traditions (Israeliyyat).
Makhul reported that Ka’b said: Four of the prophets are alive so as to be safety for the inhabitants of the earth, two of whom are on the earth: al-Khidr and Ilyas, and two are in the heaven: Idris and Jesus. 293
In Tafsir al-Tabari it is reported that Ibn Abbas inquired Ka’b about Sidrat al-Muntaha (the Lote-tree of the all-Comprehensive Terminus). He said: It is over the heads of the Throne-bearers, and towards it ends the knowledge of all creatures, beyond which no one has any knowledge, the reason for which it was called Sidrat al-Muntaha, due to the end (intiha’) of knowledge at it. This being what he said to his second disciple. Whereas his first disciple Abu Hurayrah, has answered his question by a hadith saying in it: It is a tree from whose root come out rivers of unpolluted water, rivers of milk, rivers of wine, and rivers of honey. It is a tree under the shade of which the passenger moves forward without being able to cover it as a whole. Every leaf of this tree can cover and include the Ummah altogether – O God protect us!
In the ascension hadith, it is stated that when Allah prescribed fifty prayers upon His bondmen during day and night, none of the apostles, except Moses, could comprehend the impossibility of performing them by mankind! And he alone took notice of this fact, urging Muhammad (may God’s peace and benediction be upon him and his Progeny) to refer to his Lord ten times, according to a narration, and five times in another narration, and a few times in a third narration. All these narrations state that whenever any number of prayers was revealed from God upon the Prophet, Moses would tell him to
refer to his Lord to decrease them till reaching them to five (salats), as if when Allah Subhanahu prescribed the prayers upon the Muslims, He was unaware – Higher be He than this so highly – of the extent of endurance of His slaves to perform them. And also Muhammad, whom He chose for conveying the universal message to all mankind as God knows best where to put His Message – does not know whether those to whom he was delegated tolerate the burden of this worship or be unable to perform it, until when he was enlightened by Moses!
In this manner, the Jewish falsified traditions penetrate into our religion and prevail among our beliefs, having their corruptive effects, with no one found, but very rarely, to reveal their falsehood and refute them. But, alas, we find them believed by some from among the Hashwiyyah (interpolators) of the end of Time, who trade with religion never caring for ascribing ignorance to the Seal of Apostles (S), keeping on referring to Ka’b al-Ahbar with mastery titles.
Is It Permissible to Narrate Israeliyyat
The Islamic Shari’ah came and abrogated all the precedent statutes (laws), though reserving the foundations of the doctrines and whatever be non-contradictory with the rules with which Allah sent all the messengers to His creatures. The holy Qur’an declared clearly that People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) have inscribed books from their own for parting with them for a trifling price.
Because of this, the Messenger of Allah forbade Muslims from learning or taking from Ahl al-Kitab any thing that contradicts the principles, rules and norms of the Din of Allah, flying into a rage when observing any of the Muslims reporting anything from them. Ahmad reported from Jabir ibn Abd Allah that Umar ibn al-Khattab brought the Prophet a book he got from someone of Ahl al-Kitab and read it for him. Thereat the Prophet became
angry exclaiming: Are you believing in them, O Ibn al-Khattab? By Him in Whose hand is my soul, had Moses been alive, it would have not been within his power but to follow my guide. In another narration: He became furious and said: I have brought to you a pure pristine law (shari’ah). Never inquire Ahl al-Kitab about any matter, as they either tell you the truth and you belie it, or tell you falsehood and you believe it
Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah as saying: Never believe Ahl al-Kitab and never belie them (all the time), but you should say: we believe in Allah and in that which was revealed to us and that was revealed to you, and our God and yours is One, and unto Him we have surrendered.
Al-Bukhari also reported the hadith of al-Zuhri on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he said: How do you inquire Ahl al-Kitab about anything, while your Book, which Allah revealed to His Messenger, being the last of books (scriptures), so pure and devoid of any blemish, for you to read. It revealed to you that Ahl al-Kitab have made many changes and alterations in the Book of Allah, writing by their hands a book claiming it to be from God so as to part with it for a trifling price! Doesn’t the knowledge revealed to you forbid you from questioning them? No by God, we never saw a man asking you about that which was revealed to you.
Ibn Jarir reported that Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud said: Never inquire about anything from Ahl al-Kitab, as verily they never guide you (to truth) while they are misguided. You either deny the truth, or believe in falsehood!
These being the correct narrations that agree with religion and reason (‘aql), and were known among the researchers.
The above-mentioned were some of the traditions reported from the Prophet (S) in respect of forbidding from taking knowledge from Ahl al-Kitab. But so soon the matter was reversed after Muslims be beguiled by some of the Jewish rabbis who embraced Islam for misleading others. That was with the emergence of some traditions ascribed to the Prophet (S) that permit learning from Ahl al-Kitab and abrogate the ones in which he forbade
this. Abu Hurayrah and Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As and others reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “There is no bjection to relate from Banu Israel. 296 It is known that Abu Hurayrah and Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr were among disciples of Ka’b al-Ahbar. The reports indicate that the second one – i.e. Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As – got during the Battle of Yarmuk two scholarships of the sciences of Ahl al-Kitab, and used to relate from them. Ibn Hajar added to this: “For this reason many of the Imams of the Followers avoided reporting from him.” 297
Siyanat al-insan 'an waswasat Ibn Dahlan, p. 538.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. III, p. 101.
The word here is quoted from Tafsirs of al-Fakhr al-Razi, al Tabari, Abu al-Su'ud, and al-Nisaburi, in a margin of Tafsir al-Tabari, vol. III, p. 87.
One of their legends being: 'Ad had two sons with the names Shaddad and Shadid, who ruled and subdued the world. When Shadid died, the sovereignty became under Shaddad who dominated the whole world, subduing its kings to his rule. When he heard of the paradise he said: I will build one like it. Then he built an Iram in some of Eden deserts within 300 years, when he was 900 years old. It was a magnificent city with golden and silver palaces, and its pillars made of olivine and ruby, containing various kinds of trees and rivers. When its construction was completed, he marched together with people of his kingdom toward it. When being at a distance of one day and one night to reach it, Allah sent down a scream from the sky upon them, when they all perished…
By this he confined the route before Mu'awiyah, as if any other one reaching it to search for him would disgrace him and reveal truth about his narrations and superstitions.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. IV, p. 36.
Al-Malati, al-Tanbih fi al-Radd ala ahl al-ahwa' wa al-bida', p.
Ta'rik al-Adab al-Jughrafi al-Arabi, by the Orientalist Aghnatyaus Yolya Novitch Czechoviski.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi, published in India, Vol. II, p. 112.
Al-Isabah fi tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. V, p. 323.
Fath al-Bari, Vol. VII, p. 156.
Ibn Rashiq, al-Umdah, p.8.
Al-Nujum al-Zahirah, Vol,. I, p.33.
Fath al-Bari, vol. VI, p. 337.
They used to consider Ka'b among the first calss of Tabi'un (al-Nujum al-Zahirah, vol. I, p. 90), and the Hashwiyah still give him this rank.
Refer to my book Shaykh al-mudirah, to be aware of the Jewish traditions (Israeliyyat), which Abu Hurayrah took from his teacher Ka'b al-Ahbar.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. I, p. 4.
Fath al-Bari, vol. I, p. 167.