Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith
Ambiguous Traditions
I previously stated that riwayah from the Messenger of Allah included many ambiguous and odd traditions, of which I cite some herewith for exemplary sake only as covering them all needs several volumes.
Ibn Abbas is reported to have said: Allah created a preserved label from a white pearl with two leafs made of red ruby, and a pen and a book of light. Its width extends between the skies and earth, in which he makes a glance every day. He gives life and causes death, renders strong" and subdues, doing whatever He likes, as He said in the holy Book: "Every day He exerciseth (universal) power -" (55:29). This hadith is reported by Abd al-Razzaq, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Tabarrani and al-Hakim.
Al-Shaykhan (al-Bukhari and Muslim) with some Sunan, Musnads and Tafsir reported that the Messenger of Allah said to Abu Dharr: Do you know where does it go? He said: Allah and His Messenger know better! He(S) said: It moves along till reaching a place where it will prostrate under the Throne. Thereat it will ask for permission, which it will be granted. In a short time, it may try to prostrate but it won't be accepted of it, and seek permission which will not be granted to it. It will be said to it: Go back to wherever you like. Thereat it will rise from its point of maghrib (sunset), the fact to which Allah the Exalted refers in the holy Qur'an: "and the sun runneth on unto a resting-place for him.."(36-38).
In the introduction to his book, Muslim reported from Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-'As, owner of the two fellowships, as saying: In the sea, there are detained devils, tied by Sulayman ibn Dawud, and they are about to go out and recite Qur'an for people.
Al-Bukhari, in his Sahih under "bab al-Dawa’ bi al-‘Ajwah li al-sahar" (Remedy with compressed dates for daybreak meal), reported from
`Amir ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, from his father, as saying: The Prophet said: "Whoever takes breakfast with compressed dates, will never be harmed neither by poison nor by the daybreak meal of that day till night." In another narration. "... with seven compressed dates...". The same hadith was reported by Muslim from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.
Al-Nasa'i reported from Jabir as saying: The compressed dates (‘ajwah) being from paradise and remedy for toxication.
The two Shaykhs reported from Abu Hurayrah that he said "when it is called for prayers, the Satan retraces his steps with producing (breaking) wind, so that not to hear call for prayers. When adhan is over he comes in, till on starting prayers he retreats, after which he would come back to sow dissension between man and his nafs (soul).
The investigating ulama, in exposing this hadith, say: He did this so as not to hear (adhan) and will be obliged to give witness in favour of it on the Day of Resurrection.
Muslim reported that Abu Sufyan said to the Prophet: O Messenger of Allah, promise me to achieve three things: get married to my daughter Umm Habibah, and make my son Mu'awiyah a scribe, and command me to fight the disbelievers as I fought the Muslims (before).
And so it happened, as Umm Habibah was married by the Messenger of Allah when he was in Abyssinia with al-Najashi naming a dowry for her. Also Abu Sufyan embraced Islam (?) in the year of conquest (of Makkah), while several years separated between migration (hijrah) and conquest (of Makkah).
Muslim reported from `Amr ibn al-Sharid that he said: I rode behind the Prophet (S) who said to me: Do you remember any of Umayyah's poetry? I said: Yes. Then I recited for him a hundred verses, when he said: He was
about to confess Islam in his poetry.
In his Musnad, Ahmad reported from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (S) said: Umayyah said the truth in some of his poetry. In another narration, the Messenger of Allah said: Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt said the truth in part of his poetry when he said:
Saturn and Thawr being under His right leg,
And Vulture is under the left and Layth is prepared.
The Messenger of Allah said: He said the truth and he said:
And the sun rises every end of night,
Red with its colour becoming rosy,
It comes but never rises for us fluently,
But only when suffering pain and tolerating.
This hadith is of correct isnad (chain of transmission), and recorded in Majma’ al-zawa’id, beside being reported by Abu Ya'la and al-Tabarrani through trustworthy rijal.
When objection was raised against his saying "But only when suffering pain and tolerating", Ibn Abbas said: 433 By Him Who owns my soul, the sun would never rise but only when being pricked by seventy thousand angels who would say to her: Rise, rise! she would say: Nay, I never rise for a people worshipping me other than Allah! Thereat an angel would approach her, when she would blaze for producing light for mankind. A devil would come to her intending to restrain her from rising when she would rise from between his two horns, under which Allah would burn her. To this the Messenger of Allah referred by saying: The sun has neither risen nor set but only between the devil's two horns, nor it has ever set but only when prostrating her self. Then a devil would come to her intending to curb her from prostration, when it would set between his two horns, under which Allah
would burn her.
Also al-Tabarrani reported from Abu Amamah as saying: Allah put the sun into the charge of nine angels hurling snow at her every day, unless which she would set to fire every thing subject to her rays.
In Sahih Muslim, the two Shaykhs reported from Anas ibn Malik that he said: A man questioned the Prophet: When will the Hour come (Doomsday)? Anas said, that the Messenger of Allah kept silent for a while, looking at a lad near him from the tribe of Azd Shanu'ah, saying then: If this lad lives long, he will never become decrepit till the coming of the Hour (Resurrection Day)". Anas said: That lad was among my contemporaries at that time.
It is known that Anas died in 93 H., after his life was contemporaneous with that of the lad regarding whom the Prophet said that he would never reach decrepitude till the coming of the Hour...thus, as is defined by the hadith, the coming of the Hour would have been before the end of the first Hijrah year!! 434
So what would adorers of asanid say about this?? Some may daresay and claim that: Who knows, this lad may have not reached decrepitude yet?!!
Hadith on Dispute in Celestial City:
In his Musnad Ahmad reports that the Messenger of Allah (S), once upon a morning, came out feeling happy with a shining face. When asked about the reason he said: Why not! my Lord the glorious and Exalted, came toward me with the best shape saying: O Muhammad! I said: Here I am my Lord and be felicitous! He said: About what the Celestial City is disputing? I said: I know not O my Lord! He (Messenger) said: He then put His two palms (of His hand) between my shoulders, when I sensed their coolness between my
two breasts till whatever the heavens and earth containing became clear for me!
In another narration by al-Shahristani, (the Prophet said): My Lord met me, shook hands with me and received me, placing His hand between my shoulders till I felt the coolness of the tips of His fingers.
The Paradise Bull:
In Bada’i’ al-fawa’id, 435 Ibn al-Qayyim reported that the Prophet used to say that for the believers, on the Day of Resurrection, the Bull of Paradise of which it used to eat, will be sacrificed and be their entertainment. Ibn al-Qayyim said: This animal which used to eat from Paradise, will be sacrificed and presented as entertainment for its inhabitants.
Prophet's Seeing God Eleven Times, and Isra' was Reality:
Al-Qadi 436 said: Ahmad confirmed that Isra’ was reality. And when it was related to him that Musa ibn Aqabah holds that traditions on Isra’ were all dreams, he said: This is the claim of the scowling people. 437
Abu Bakr al-Najjar said: He (the Prophet) saw God for eleven times! nine of which were on the Mi’raj (ascension) night, when he was frequenting to and fro between Moses and his Lord, the Glorious and Exalted, and two other times in the Book.
An Angel among Throne Bearers:
It is reported in Muntakhab Kanz al-ummal fi sunan al-aqwal wa al-af’al that: Anas quoted the Prophet as saying: I was permitted to relate a hadith on an angel from among the Throne bearers, whose two legs being on
the lower earth, with the Throne being rested on his horn, and between the lobe of his ear and his shoulder there being 700-year flutters of the bird saying: You are the Sovereign Lord, be Glorified wherever You be.
The Thunder:
Ibn Abbas said: Thunder is one of Allah's angels charged with the clouds, holding rags of fire with which he drives the clouds wherever Allah, the most High, will. 438
From him also it is reported: The snakes are the transformation of Jinn as the apes and pigs were metamorphosed during the era of the Children of Israel. From him further: The first thing Allah created was the "qalam" (pen), then He created the nun (alphabet letter). Then He compressed the earth on the back of the (Nun).
The Black Stone:
Ibn Abbas is reported to have said: The Black Stone is Allah's right hand in the earth, with which He shakes hand with whomever He wills from among His creatures. 440 In another narration by him also, he said: The Black Stone is in origin from Paradise, and it was much whiter than the snow, till it was blackened by the guilts of polytheism, and it is said that it will come on the Day of Resurrection, having a tongue and two lips to give witness in behalf of that who touched (istalama) it as it should be.
It is obvious that this hadith is an Israeli (Jewish fabricated) one, and it is reported from Wahb ibn Munabbih who said in it: "It (Black Stone) was a white pearl but blackened by the polytheists.
Al-Jahiz scoffed at this hadith saying: The Muslims were supposed to whiten it on embracing Islam...
Favour of Basmalah:
Ala' ibn Abi Rabah reported from Jabir ibn Abd Allah that he said: When 'In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful' was revealed, the clouds fled toward the east, the winds calmed, the sea agitated, the beasts listened with their ears, the devils were stoned from the sky, and Allah the Most High took an oath with His Power and Glory that when His name be pronounced on anything, that thing would be verily blessed with it. 442
One of Throne Bearers:
Jabir said: The Messenger of Allah said: "I was permitted to relate a hadith on an angel from among the Throne bearers, between the lobe of his ear and shoulder there being a distance of seven hundred years." It is reported by Abu Dawud and al-Bayhaqi.
Gabriel has 600 Wings:
Al-Imam Ahmad reported from Abd Allah as saying: "The Messenger of Allah saw Gabriel in his shape, having six hundred wings, each of which can fill up the horizon, with pearls and ruby falling down in succession from his wing with quantity known only by Allah." (Its isnad is strong).
Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud said: The Messenger of Allah saw Gabriel, wearing a green vestment, filling up the space between the sky and the earth. This hadith was reported by Muslim.
Our Lord Uncovering His leg:
The Two Shaykhs reported that the Prophet (S) said: Allah will verily uncover His leg. In another narration recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari: Abu Sa'id said: I heard the Prophet say: Our Lord will uncover His leg, when every
believing man and believing woman will prostrate for it.
Ibn Mas'ud said: Allah will uncover His right leg, with the light of which He will illuminate the earth.
Sheep Being among Paradise Mounts:
In Sunan Ibn Majjah, Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet said: The sheep is among the Paradise mounts (animals).
Foot of the Almighty Allah:
In the two Sahihs, through a hadith reported by Anas, the Prophet said: Still whenever people are flung into hell, it keeps on saying: Can there be more to come? Till the Almighty Lord places His foot in it, when it will shrink and gather its sides.
A Tree in Paradise:
Al-Bukhari reported from Abu Sa'id, that the Prophet said: In the heaven there is a tree, that the horse mounter or fast racer keeps on moving for a hundred years without managing to cover its distance. In another narration: In the heaven there being tree under whose shade the rider moves for a hundred years but failing to cover it.
The Most Credible Hadith:
Al-Tabarrani in al-Awsat, and al-Tirmidhi and others reported from Anas that (the Prophet said): The most credible hadith is that which it is sneezed when cited.
Touba A Tree in Paradise:
Ahmad and Ibn Hibban reported in a hadith: Touba is a tree in Paradise. In another narration: Touba is a tree in Paradise which Allah planted with His hand, and breathed into it of His Spirit. It will produce ornaments and vestments, with its branches being seen from behind the fence of Paradise.
The problems are too many to be enumerated. It is sufficient to know that al-Tahawi compiled the book Mushkil al-athar in four bulky volumes, but failed to cover all the problems in it. this book was printed and published in India.
Traditions on al-Mahdi:
Out of the controversial narrations we can refer to the various traditions cited in the books widely known among the Sunnis, dealing with al-Mahdi the Awaited, stating that he will reappear at the end of time to fill the world with justice as it was filled with oppression.
Ahl al-Sunnah take him to be Muhammad ibn Abd Allah, and in another narration: Ahmad ibn Abd Allah. While the Shi'ah concur that he is Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi, one of the Infallible Imams, giving him the title al-Hujjah and al-Qa'im al-Muntazar.
The Kaysanites hold that al-Mahdi is: Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, and he is alive and residing on a Ridawi mountain between two lions protecting him, having two sprinkling eyes overflowing water and honey, with forty (supporters) accompanying him.
Regarding his ancestral lineage he is known to be Alawi Fatimi, and among the sons of al-Imam al-Hasan, with the Imami Shi'ah taking him to be one of the sons of (al-Imam) al-Husayn.
In his Muqaddimah, Ibn Khaldun 443 writes:
It is commonly known among all Muslims throughout course of time, that at the end of time a man from among Ahl al-Bayt should appear, to support the Din and make justice prevail ... he will be followed by the Muslims and will dominate all the Islamic kingdoms, and his name is al-Mahdi. The appearance of al-Dajjal and consequent events will be verily among the provisos of the appointed hour (of his reappearance), which were established in the sahih works. It is also stated that Jesus will come down after him, and help him in killing al-Dajjal, and he will perform his prayers behind him (al-Mahdi). They argue in this bab with traditions reported by the Imams, but doubted by the deniers to this belief, or even objected by some reports (akhbar)... etc.
Ibn Khaldun confuted and doubted most of the traditions on al-Mahdi cited in the Sunni books known among the Jumhur (Ahl al-Sunnah). Whereas the Shi'ah — particularly the Imamiyyah — have certain evidences they report from their Imams, upon which they depend to proving the reappearance of al-Mahdi. Every people have their own sunnah and leader.
The Abbasid al-Mahdi:
There are several traditions expressing that he will be one of the sons of al-Abbas. Due to the abundance of these traditions, we suffice by referring to them in a reviewing way, leaving the door open for those desiring to be acquainted with their full texts and details to refer to their sources.
Al-Mahdi al-Sufyani:
When the Alavids have their Mahdi, and the Abbasids another one, why don't the Umayyads have a third Mahdi! as long as the field of
fabrication has capacity for whatever coming into it. Especially after the Umayyads got that much power and dominance, to the extent that fabricators used to make advances to them to have share in their gifts and donations. There are reports stating that they had their own Mahdi called al-Sufyani, that it is out of scope here to prolong the discussion by referring to the traditions and reports cited about him.
Rasl means rifq (leniency - slowness), see Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. IV, p. 7.
Ibn Abbas was one of great disciples of Ka'b al-Ahbar, and was surnamed Habr al-Ummah. Al-Mu'arri, with his biting style, sarcasted this hadith counting it among their falsities they used to fabricate against the Prophet (S) saying: They lied even against the sun that it,
Is contempted and beaten sunrise.
See al-Luzumiyyat, vol. I, p. 207.
There are other traditions on life-time of the world, that will be stated later on.
Bada'i' al-fawa'id, vol. III, p. 177.
Ibid., vol. IV, p. 39. Al-Bukhari reported from Sharik as saying: The isra' was (only) a dream.
Ibid., vol. II, p. 455.
Ibid., p. 459.
Ibid., p. 449, and nun is the wale.
Ta'wil mukhtalif al-hadith, p. 271.
Ibid., p. 368.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. I, p. 17.
Edition of Beirut, p. 311.