'Ilm ur-Riwayah - Risalah fil-Jarh wa Ta'deel

8/14/2019 'Ilm ur-Riwayah - Risalah fil-Jarh wa Ta'deel

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'Ilm ur-Riwayah: Risalah fil-Jarh wa Ta'deel

A Letter Regarding Al-Jarh and At-Ta`deel: A Fatwa (Ruling) Regarding Hadith Terminology from Al-Hafidh Al-Mundhiri

[Taken from the third treatise in: The narrators that al-Hafidh al-Mundhiri mentioned al-Jarh and

at-Ta`deel about in his book at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb compiled by Abu Sima Majid binMuhammad bin Abu al-Layl.]

A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF AL-HAFIDH AL-MUNDHIRI

In Tathkiratul-Hufaaz, Al-Hafidh Ath-Thahabi, may Allah have mercy with him, said:

Al-Mundhiri: Abdul-Azim Ibn Abdul-Qawwi, Ibn Abdullah, Ibn Salaamah, Ibn Sad. Al-Hafidh al-Kabir, al-Imam ath-Thabit, Shaykh al-Islam, Zaki ad-Deen, Abu Muhammad al-Mundhiri, ashShaami, then, al-Misri.

He was born during the beginning of Shabaan in the year 581H. He learned to recite the QuranArabic studies, fiqh and then he sought knowledge in this field (hadith) and became proficient init. He heard from

Then he listed a number of Shaykhs and the various cities in Muslim lands to which he traveledto listen to them and learn from them, as well as mentioning some of his books. Among the mostfamous were his abridged Sahih Muslim and abridged Abu Dawud.

Then he listed some of the important Hufaaz who learned from al-Hafidh al-Mundhiri, and that heheld an important teaching position in Cairo.

Ath-Thahabi said: Ash-Sharif Izz ad-Deen said: Our Shaykh Zaki ad-Deen was unequalled inuloom al-hadith regarding its various branches, knowledgeable of the sahih, the weak, thedeficient, and the various routes. He was profound in knowing its rulings, meanings, andconflicting issues. He was proficient in the rare narrations of hadith, precise pronunciation ofhadith, and their various wordings. He was an Imam, a proof, firm, cautious, precise in speechand reliable in narration, who when an excerpt was read before him, he could expound on itsmay benefits. End quote.

Al-Hafidh al-Mundhiri is reported to have passed away in the year 656H, may Allah have mercywith him and exalt his rank.

Then it should be mentioned, that al-Hafidh al-Mundhiri, with all of his great attributes asmentioned above, was know to be lenient in his grading of hadiths. This is most noted in hisgreat and invaluable precious work: At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb. For those interested in researchingthis last point further in Arabic, it is recommended that they read the details that Shaikh Nasirmay Allah have mercy with him, mentioned in his introduction to Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-

Tarheeb.]

What follows is the translation of the text - the headings were added and bracketed.

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So look at these differences about him, yet al-Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, an-Nasai, and Ibn Majah record narrations from him.

How can this be done by these Imams who are taken as an example while it has been stipulatedregarding hadith that it be a report of a just precise narrator from a just, precise narratorreaching to Allahs Messenger (sallallaahu àlaihi wa sallam) as Ibn as-Salah, may Allah havemercy upon him, said in his book on Ulum al-Hadith, as well as others besides him.

And if this stipulation is not that which is treaded upon by those who know the condition of thetwo Shaykhs [al-Bukhari and Muslim], and perhaps you may Allah reward you may explain thecondition of the two Sahihs [of al-Bukhari and Muslim] so that the benefit may be complete ifAllah wills by your blessing. So provide clarity with what you have of knowledge. May Allahbenefit the Muslims by you. And may he grant you the company of the pure and righteous. AminAmin.

And may Allah make mention of Muhammad, the Unlettered Prophet, and his family and all hisCompanions. And may he grant the most complete, abundant peace.

The Answers

So the Shaykh, the Imam, al-Hafidh, al-Àllamah Zaki ad-Deen, Abu Muhammad Àbdul-Àzim binAbdul-Qawwi bin Àbdullah al-Mundhiri ash-Shafiì, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote inresponse to the questions mentioned:

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, and may Allah make mention of Muhammadand his family and grant complete peace.

As to what follows, praising Allah, the High, the Great, and sending salah upon the best of hiscreation Muhammad, the Noble Prophet, and his family and his Companions and his followerswho are worthy of preference and eminence.

I have seen what you have indicated may Allah make the benefit taken from you all to becontinuous and may He guard you in the most excellent manner, and may He cause you toalways take the most beautiful of positions. And I have besought from Allah (subhaanahu wataaalaa) earnestly that He encompass all of us with the blessings from the Chief of theMessengers, may Allah make mention of him and his family and grant him peace as well asthem.

So here I mention before that, what shall be an answer to some of what you have mentioned,and a facilitation for some of it, hoping from Allah for firmness upon what is correct in speech and

action, and seeking refuge in him from errors and slips, for whatever He wishes, He does.

Al-Hafidh Abu Muhammad al-Qasim bin al-Hafidh Àli bin al-Hasan ad-Dimashqi informed us inhis letter to me in which he said: Al-Hafidh Abu Tahir Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ahmadinformed us in his letter to me from the port of Alexandria saying: Àbu Maktum Ìsa bin al-Hafidh Abu Tharr Àbd bin Ahmad al-Harawi informed us, by permission, saying: My fatherrelated to me, saying: Abu Àli Hamd bin Àbdullah al-Asbahaani related to us saying: Al-ImamAbu Muhammad Àbdur-Rahman bin Abu Hatim Muhammad bin Idris al-Hanzali said: I found thatthe expressions about al-jarh and at-ta`deel are of different levels:

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A. Levels of at-Ta`deel

1. When they say about someone that he is trustworthy, or mutqin, thabt (precise, reliable), thenhe is one whose hadiths are used as a proof.2. When they say he is truthful or, his place is truthfulness or no harm in him then he isone whose hadiths are written, and he is to be looked into, this is the second rank.3. When they say: Shaykh then he is of the third rank, his hadiths are written, and he is lookedinto, but he is lower than the second.4. When they say: salih al-hadith then his hadiths are written for itibaar (the expressions theycontain).

B. Levels of al-Jarh

1. When they reply about a man: feeble in hadith then he is among those whose hadiths arewritten and looked into for i`tibaar.2. When they say: he is not strong then he is like the first level regarding writing his hadiths,yet he is lower than him.3. When they say: weak in hadith then he is less than the second, his hadiths are notdisregarded, rather they are used for i`tibaar.4. When they say: abandoned in hadith or thaahib al-hadith or liar then his hadiths aredropped, his hadiths are not written, and this is the fourth level.

This is what Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned about what he found regarding their expressions.

Is Their Saying: A Proof Stronger Than Their Saying: Trustworthy

Yahya bin Maìn said about Muhammad bin Ishaq: Trustworthy, but he is not a proof it appearsthat his view is that being trustworthy is less than being a proof. And this contradicts what ismentioned from most of them about that.

The Response of Ad-Daraqutni About Their Saying: So-and so- is feeble and about one who hasmany mistakes

Abu Hafs Umar bin Muhammad bin Ma`mar al-Baghdadi informed us in ad-Dimashq saying: Al-Wazeer al-Ajl Abu al-Qaasim Àli bin Naqeeb an-Nuqabaa Abu al-Fawaaris Tiraad bin Muhammadaz-Zainabi informed us, saying: Abu al-Qasim Ismaìl bin Masàdah al-Jurjani informed us and

ash-Shaykh Abu al-Fadhl Ja`far bin Àli al-Muqri informed us, and the wording is his, saying: Al-Hafidh Abu Taahir Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ahmad informed us saying: Al-Hafidh Abu Nasr Al-Mutaman bin Ahmad as-Saaji informed us saying: Abu al-Qaasim Ismaìl bin Masàdah informedus saying: I heard Abu al-Qaasim Hamzah bin Yusuf as-Sahmi al-Hafidh saying: I asked Abu al-Hasan ad-Daraqutni, saying to him: When it is said: So-and-so is feeble what is meant bythat? He said: He is not dropped and abandoned in hadith, but he was criticized with somethingthat does not drop his attribute of being just. And I asked him about one who has manymistakes. He said: If they told him about that and he returned from that, then he is not dropped,and if he did not return, then he is dropped.

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Al-Aseel Abu al-Muzaffar Àbdur-Raheem bin al-Hafidh Abu Sa`d Àbdul-Karim bin al-Hafidh AbuBakr Muhammad bin al-Imam Abu al-Muzaffar Mansur bin Muhammad as-Samàani informed usin his letter to me from Khurasaan saying: Al-Imam Abu Bakr Ubaydullah bin Ibrahim at-

Taftazaani informed me in Nasa in Shawwal of the year 544H saying: Abu Ishaq Ibrahim binMuhammad bin Ibrahim al-Jurjaani informed me saying: Abu Shurayh Ismaìl bin Ahmad ash-Shaashi informed us: Abu al-Hasan Àli bin Muhammad al-Maydaani informed us saying: AbuSa`d Abdur-Rahman bin al-Hasan bin Alayyik informed us so he mentioned issues which heasked the Ustaath, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Isfaraaeeni about, among them:

When one hears from his shaykhs that a person is not trustworthy in hadith, or he sees that inthe books of the Huffaz, is he to judge by their criticism in taqleed of them? And is he of thosewho backbite or not.

The reply: When he hears it from his shaykhs then that is jarh, and not taqleed in his jarhBecause this is his proof and his evidence. He does not judge by something that he finds in thebooks, unless that is something he heard from individuals among the people of hadith.

The Disagreements of the People of Knowledge about the Ta`deel of Men and Gradingthem Weak

The Shaykhs Abu Hafs Ùmar bin Ma`mar bin Muhammad al-Baghdadi, and Abu al-Hasan Àli binNasr al-Waasiti, and Abu al-Fadhl Muhammad bin Yusuf an-Nu`maani and the wording is his informed us saying: Abu al-Qaasim Àbdul-Malik bin Abu Sahl related to us saying: Abu ÀamirMahmud bin al-Qaasim and Abu Bakr al-Ghawrja informed us saying: Abu Muhammad al-Jaraahiinformed us: Abu al-Abbas bin Mahbub informed us:

Al-Imam Abu Ìsa Muhammad bin Ìsa at-Tirmidhi informed us saying: The Imams among thepeople of knowledge differed in grading men weak, just like they differed in other areas ofknowledge. This is the end of his statement.

Their Disagreements about Accepting the Report of an Innovator

The people of knowledge differed in the case of the people of innovations like the Qadariyyah,the Rawaafidh, and the Khawaarij.1. A group of them said: Their hadiths are not used as a proof altogether.2. Some of them held the view of accepting the reports of the people of desires who were notknown to consider as lawful lying or bearing witness for those who agreed with them for whatthey did not witness.3. A group followed the view of accepting the non-caller among the people of desires. As for the

caller, then his narrations are not to be used as a proof.4. Some of them [followed the view] that his hadiths are accepted when they do not containanything that supports their innovation.

Their Differences Over The Necessary Number For Verification Or Disparagement

They also differed over setting conditions on the number of those praising and disparaging, andwitnesses and reporters.

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A. So some of them made a number of them a condition.B. Some of them said they are not subject to a condition, even though when bearing witness, it isbetter to give precedence to the number of those who praise.C. Some of them said: It is a condition for testimony, but not for narrators. Because the numberis not a condition for accepting information. So it can not be a condition for narrators, contrary totestifying witnesses, for in the case of accepting testimony and judging accordingly there areconditions. So it is a condition in testimony.

Their Differences over accepting Explanative and Vague Criticism

They also differed over the criticism, when what the criticism is not explained.

1. Among them are those who said: The crticism is not accepted without explanation.2. Among them are those who said: The critic does not need to explain except when it is generaland the criticism would not be recognized. But when the criticism is known then it does not needto be explained.

Muhammad bin Ishaq in the View of the People of Knowledge

The Imams have discussed him a great deal in two ways: praise and censure. As for al-Bukharand Muslim, they did not use him as a proof at all in their Sahihs. Muslim only recorded somehadiths of his as follow up narrations, not foundational narrations.

In this way al-Bukhari also did not record anything it all from him as a foundation. He onlymentioned him in supporting narrations, following their custom regarding those whose hadithsare not used as a proof. As al-Bukhari did with Abu Az-Zubair Al-Makki, Suhail bin Abi Saalih andtheir like. And as Muslim did with Ìkrimah the freed slave of Ibn Àbbas, Shareek bin Àbdullahal-Qaadhi and their like.

Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Ali al-Khateeb said: More than one of the scholars have refrained fromusing narrations of Ibn Ishaq as proof for various reasons: Among them that he was accused ofShii tendancies and the topic of qadr, and he committed tadlees in his narrations. As for histruthfulness, it is not enough to defend him.

Sulaiman bin Dawud said: Yahya bin Saìd Al-Qattaan said to me: I testify that Muhammad bin

Ishaq lies. He said: I said: How do you know? He said: Wuhaib bin Khaalid said to me:Indeed he lies. He said: I said to Wuhaib: How do you know? He said: Malik bin Anas said tome: I testify that he lies. I said to Malik: How do you know? He said: Hishaam bin Urwah said tome: I testify that he lies. I said to Hishaam: How do you know? He said: He narrated from mywife Faatimah bint al-Munthir. But she came to me when she was nine years old, and no man sawher until she met Allah.

Àbdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal said: So my father narrated hadiths of Ibn Ishaq and said: Asfor Hishaams rebuke of him, perhaps he came and sought persmision from her and shepermitted him and I think he said and did not inform him.

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Imam Ahmad said another time: It is possible that such hearing occurred when she went out tothe Masjid or, she went out and he heard her. And Allah knows best.

Ali bin al-Madeeni said: What Hishaam said is not a proof. Perhaps he visited his wife when hewas a boy and heard from her.

So whoever avoided using the narrations of Ibn Ishaq it is to be understood that he abandonedhim due to the issue of qadr or Shii tendencies, or due to tadlees in the case of those who heldthe view that this was disparaging. Or, it could have been due to this or other criticismsconcerning him, even though this may not be a proof to him for rejecting his hadiths. But it mayhave created a doubt which prevented him from using him as a proof, and this has beenindicated by the two Hafidhs Ahmad bin Ibrahim al-Jurjaani and Ahmad bin Ali al-Khatteeb.

For those who used his narrations as proof, then it implies that he did not see that innvoationwas a preventive factor, nor tadlees. As for the story of Hishaam, it has been replied to. And[they would have determined] that the criticism regarding him is not clarified and is not ofconsequence in his view. And also, that which came from one person while he made thenumber a condition then it was not of consqeunce in his view. And Allah azza wa jall knowsbest.Shabaabah bin Sawwaar in the View of the People of Knowledge

Al-Bukhari and Muslim used his narrations in their Sahihs and three of the Imams narrated fromhim, and some of them criticized him. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said: I have abandoned him, I donot report from him due to irja. They said: O Abu Abdullah! What about Abu Muaawiyah? Hesaid: Shabaabah was a caller.

The narration of Shabaabah that he reports from Shubah concerning ad-dubba [gourd: but itmeans a type of container made from gourd used for khamr] was mentioned to Ali bin al-Madini,so he said: What are we able to do about this one meaning Shabaabah he was a shaykh,truthful, except that he expressed the view of irja, and a man who heard from another man athousand or two thousand [hadiths] is not to be rejected because he narrated a [single] gharibhadith.

Abu Bakr Ahmad al-Jurjaani said: That which is that rejected regarding him is the error, perhapshe narrated it from memory. [In al-Kaamil, al-Jurjaani, who is Ibn `Adi, said: Just as `Ali bin al-Madeeni said: That which is rejected regarding him is the error]

They said to Abu Zurah about Abu Muaawiyah: He had the view of irja? He said: Yes! Heused to call to it. They said: The same for Shabaabah bin Sawwaar? He said: Yes. They said:He recanted from that? He said: Yes! He said: Faith is speech and action.

So this is Imam Ahmad making it clear that he only abandoned him because he was a caller toirja. And this is Ali bin al-Madeeni who did not see that his saying of irja and his lone narrations

were applicable in his case, and error is something that almost no one is exempt from. Sowhoever used his narrations as a proof, then he saw that irja, calling to it, and having lonenarrations, were things that did not destroy him, especially when it has been reported that herecanted from irja.

Whoever did not use his narrations as proof, then it is because he saw that these were barriersagainst using him, and this resulted in his doubt about him, and halting from using him as aproof, as preceded. And Allah azza wa jall knows best.

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Are the Disagreements of the Muhaditheen in Jarh and Ta`deel Similar to TheDisagreements of the Fuqaha in Issues of Fiqh?

The disagreement of these people is like the disagreement of the fuqaha, all of that isdetermined through ijtihaad. So in the case of the judge, when he is given damaging testimonyabout a person, he makes ijtihaad with whether that is applicable or not. Like that, themuhaddith, when he wants to use the narrations of a person as proof, and criticism about him isconveyed to him, he makes ijtihaad with it, determining whether it is applicable or not. Thecriticisms about him may be a disparagement in his view, depending on the explanation of thecriticism or the lack thereof, or depending upon the condition of the numbers, as is the case withthe faqih. There is no difference whether the criticizer is informing the muhaddith himself orreporting to him from someone else by his route, and Allah azza wa jall knows best.Shujaa` bin al-Waleed In The View of the People of Knowledge

As for Shujaa` bin al-Waled Abu Badr, al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs, and a group ofauthors used him as proof. His condition with respect to worship and righteousness is well known

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said, in a story mentioning him: He would only say to us: Sulaiman binMihraan mentioned it and he did not say: Al-A`mash and Mugheerah mentioned it andSaeed bin Abi Arubah mentioned it and he would almost never say to us: It was narrated tous Then after that he used to say: So and so narrated to us, and Musa bin Uqbah informed us.While earlier he would not say anything to us but he mentioned it.

Waki bin al-Jarraah was asked about Abu Badr Shujaa` bin al-Waleed, so he said: He was ourneighbour here. We do not know of him to be with Ata bin as-Saib nor with al-Mugheerah.While others besides him mentioned that he narrated from them. He was criticized for thenarration of the hadith of Salman al-Farsi, may Allah be pleased with him, about hatred of theArabs and it is a munkar hadith. [O Salmaan! Do not hate me and leave your religion And howwould I hate you O Messenger of Allah! While it is by you that Allah has guided us? By hatingthe Arabs you would be hating me. Musnad At-Tayalisi, Ahmad At-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim]

And the hadith of Shareek from Abu Husain about the pebbles and their munaashidah [Indeedthe pebbles supplicate to Allah against the one who removes them from the Masjid Abu Dawud,al-Bayhaqi and others.] is taken from him in marfu form while it is mawquf.

So for the one who used his hadiths as a proof, he did not see that any of this prevented usinghis narrations as a proof. It is possible that it be said that he mentioned his hearing [a narration]after that, so he is clear in narrating the hadith, or that a reporter may be being zealous onetime, so he gave a chain, and not as concerned another time, so he did not give a chain, and hedid not mention a person one time, while he mentioned him another, as circumstances dictated.

Whoever refrained from using his narrations as proof, then that was a result on his part of thatshortcoming, even if the criticism was not affirmed in his case. Still, he stopped short of usinghim because of that. And Allah azza wa jall knows best.

What Is the Meaning of Their Statement: So And So Is Nothing?

As for their saying: so-and-so is nothing and they say another time: His narrations arenothing then he is to be looked into. So if the one that this is said about has been gradedtrustworthy and used as a proof by some one other than the one saying this, then it implies thathe means that none of his narrations are used as a proof, but to him, his narrations are writtenfor i`tibaar, as supporting witnesses, and other than tha

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If the one they say that about is well know to be weak and there is none among the Imams foundto consider his case as good, then that implies that his hadiths are not to be used as a proof norfor i`tibaar nor as supporting witnesses. This is akin to matrook [abandoned]. And Allah azza wa

jall knows best.The Criteria of the Two Shaykhs

As for the criteria of the Two Shaykhs, it has been mentioned by the Imams about al-Bukhari andMuslim that it has not been reported from either one of them that he said: I stipulated that Irecord in my book what agrees with such and such criteria, that is only known from probing intotheir books and pondering over what they recorded.

There are various replies to this matter from the Imams, some of them said it is the musnadhadith whose chain is connected by the report of a just, precise narrator from a just, precisenarrator until its end.

And if it is said to him: He reported in the Sahih from so-and-so and, such and such has beensaid about him? He says: He is a just, precise narrator in the view of the one who used him as aproof in his Sahih, and what has been said concerning him is responded to with similar to thatwhich we have previously mentioned, and Allah azza wa jall knows best.

The last of it is: praise to Allah as He deserves to be praised, and His Salawaat upon His chosenone from His creation, Muhammad, His Prophet and His worshipper, and upon his family and hisCompanions after him, and may He grant them peace most abundantly. And Allah is the one whosuffices us, and He is the best Disposer of Affairs.

That is the end of the letter.

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'Ilm ur-Riwayah - Risalah fil-Jarh wa Ta'deel

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