Authored by:
Dr Syed Kazim Tabatabai
Presented by:
ShiaOfAhlulbayt
http://groups.msn.com/shiaofahlulbayt
(Note: All references provided in this book are from Quran or Sunni Sources unless stated otherwise)
Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Chapter 1
Admonition to Kinsmen and Nomination of Imam
‘Alī (‘a)
Chapter 2
Hadith al-Manzilah
Chapter 3
Abū Bakr’s Dismissal
from leading the Hajj and the Entrustment to Imam ‘Alī (‘a) to Convey
Surah al-Barā’ah
Chapter 4
The Prophet’s Declaration of
Imam ‘Alī’s (‘a) Vicegerency
Chapter 5
Hadith al-Thaqalayn
Chapter 6
Hadith al-Ghadir
Chapter 7
Preventing the Prophet from
Writing the Will
Chapter 8
Three Merits of Imam
‘Alī (‘a) in One Hadith
Chapter 9
The merits of Imam ‘Alī
(‘a) According to Ibn ‘Abbas
Chapter 10
The Canonical Meaning of Ahl
al-Bayt (‘a)
Chapter 11
Friendship with the Ahl al-Bayt
(‘a)
Chapter 12
Imam ‘Alī’s (‘a)
Comparison with Prophet Jesus (‘a)
Chapter 13
Sadaqah Forbidden to the
Prophet’s Progeny
Chapter 14
Imam ‘Alī (‘a) will
Fight for Interpretation of the Qur’ān
Chapter 15
‘Ammār would be Killed by Transgressors
Chapter 16
Prophecy of the Martyrdom of
Imam Husayn (‘a)
Chapter 17
The Number of the Prophet’s
Righteous Successors
Chapter 18
The Uprising of the
Mahdī (‘a)
Abstract
Abu ‘Abdillāh Ahmad bin
Muhammad bin Hanbal Shaybānī (166-241 AH/780-855 CE) [1]
is the founder of one of the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence and his book
al-Musnad [2]
is considered among the most comprehensive and early collections of
hadīth. It contains some 30,000 sayings attributed to the Prophet and the
period of its writing makes it among the foremost of the sihāh al-sittah
(six authentic books) of the Sunni sect. One of the characteristics of this
work is the wide space given to hadīth concerning the merits of the
Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt, most of which are confirmed from the viewpoint of
Shi‘ite Muslims as well. Compared to the other hadīth compendiums of the
Sunnis, the Musnad’s emphasis on this subject is so pronounced that it has
attracted the attention of orientalists and other researchers. The writer of
this article has attempted to focus on this particular point of the Musnad and
its author by selecting some of the hadīth mentioned in this bulky
compendium with a short explanation wherever necessary.
The key words of this brief
article are Tashayyu‘, Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Hadīth Compendiums, Merits of
the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), Hadīth al-Ghadīr, Hadīth al-Thaqalayn, Hadīth
al-Manzilah.
Notes:
[1] He is popularly known as Ibn Hanbal. Born in
[2] Musnad (pl. Masānīd) is the name given to
works where the hadith are arranged in order of the names of the companions who
after the Prophet are regarded as the prime source by the Sunnis. Several books
were compiled under this title, of which Ahmad bin Hanbal’s Musnad is the most
famous one.
Introduction
The Musnad of Ibn Hanbal is probably
the first of the six books of hadīth considered authentic by Sunni
Muslims, since its author died 15 years before the death of the senior-most of
the six hadīth compilers, Muhammad bin Ismā‘īl
al-Bukhārī (d. 256 AH), and 62 years before the last of them, Ahmad
bin Shu‘ayb al-Nasā’ī, passed away (303 AH). Throughout
history, Sunni scholars have attached great importance to Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad
and eulogized it. Hāfiz Abu Musā Madyanī (581 AH), writes:
This book is a great source
and a reliable reference work for researchers of hadīth. The author has
selected from the bulky hadīth literature, a large number of narrations to
serve as guidelines and support for the people so that when differences arise
they take refuge in them and cite them as authentic. [3]
Shams al-Dīn Muhammad
bin Ahmad al-Dhahabī (748 AH) writes:
This
book focuses on the hadīth of the Prophet. There are very few hadīth
not included (in this collection) whose authenticity has been confirmed...One
of the fortunate things about the Musnad is that we find very few hadīth
which are considered inauthentic. [4]
Ibn al-Jazarī (833 AH)
is even more ecstatic about Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad, and says:
On
the face of the earth no better book of hadīth has been compiled. [5]
Ibn Hajar
al-‘Asqalānī writes in Tajrīd Zawā’id al-Musnad al-Bazzāz:
If
a hadīth is mentioned in Musnad Ibn Hanbal, other Masānīd are
not cited for its sources.
Jalāl al-Dīn
al-Suyutī (849-911 AH) [6]
says:
Even
the weak hadīth found in it are near to hasan (fair). [7]
Although these expressions
are a clear exaggeration, they nonetheless confirm the importance of this book
for the Sunnis. In the light of historical accounts, it was a habit among the
Sunnis of the past to recite this book in the presence of scholars of
hadīth, and at times such a recitation would be held in a sacred place.
For instance, during the first half of the 9th century AH, Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad
was recited in the presence of Shams al-Dīn Muhammad bin Muhammad
al-Jazarī in the Masjid al-Harām of Mecca with the last session
ending in the month of Rabī‘ al-Awwal 828 AH.[8]
It is also reported that during the 12th century AH (18th century CE), a group
of pious Sunnis gathered in the Prophet’s Mosque in
However, the most outstanding
characteristic of the Musnad is that it contains several eyecatching
hadīth on the merits of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), whereas most of
the compilers of the other masānīd, sihāh and sunan, have either
ignored these ahādīth or related only a few of them. Ibn Hanbal got
into trouble with the authorities for having related these ahādīth on
the merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and his house was searched on the orders of
the ‘Abbāsid caliph Mutawakkil on suspicion of supporting the Alawid
cause.[10]
It is a well known fact that
Ahmad bin Shu‘ayb al-Nasā’ī, the last of the six Sunni compilers of
the sihāh al-sittah, relied on Ahmad bin Hanbal’s narrations for writing
his excellent work titled Khasā’is Amīr al-Mu’minīn ‘Alī
bin Abī Tālib (‘a).[11]
In short, the Musnad contains narrations, many of which are considered
authentic from the Shi‘ite point of view. These are so pronounced when compared
to the other Sunni collections of hadīth that orientalists and researchers
have attempted to investigate the cause, and after drawing a comparison between
Ahmad bin Hanbal and his contemporary compilers of the sihāh al-sittah,
have come to the conclusion that Muhammad bin Ismā‘īl
al-Bukhārī and Muslim bin Hajjāj al-Qushayrī, for fear of
the ‘Abbāsids, left out these ahādīth but since Ahmad was
courageous he showed no fear in relating the ahādīth on the merits of
Imam ‘Alī (‘a) and the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a).[12]
Ibn Hanbal did not confine
the merits of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) to his book, but whenever necessary
he opened his mouth to speak about these virtues. Despite the fact that he held
all the companions of the Prophet in great esteem and considered those who
cursed them to be outside the pale of Islam,[[13]]
he strongly defended the superiority of the Prophet’s immediate family against
their enemies, especially against Mutawakkil who left no stone unturned
in his enmity to the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). His son ‘Abdullāh bin Ahmad relates:
Once,
when I was sitting with my father, a group of the people of Karkh (a locality
of
O
people, you have said enough concerning (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] and the
caliphate. Be informed that the caliphate did not embellish (Imam) ‘Alī
[(‘a)] but it was (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] who embellished the caliphate.
Ibn Abī al-Hadīd
Mu‘tazilī (d. 655 AH), commenting on the above remarks of Ahmad bin Hanbal
says:
The
meaning of this statement is that the other caliphs adorned themselves with the
caliphate and the caliphate covered their flaws, but there was no shortcoming
or deficiency in (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] to be made up by the caliphate.[15]
‘Abdullāh bin Ahmad bin
Hanbal also quotes his father as saying:
No
narration with genuine isnād (chain of authority) has been related on the merits
of anyone else (of the companions), as in the case of (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)].[16]
He further states:
I
asked my father what credence he had concerning the preferential merits of the
companions? He replied:
In
the matter of caliphate, Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān are superior to
all others.
I
asked him what about (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)]? He answered:
O
my son! (Imam) ‘Alī bin Abī Tālib [(‘a)] is from a family
concerning whom (whose merits) no one can deliberate.[17]
One of the students of Ibn
Hanbal narrates:
We
were in the presence of Ahmad bin Hanbal when a person asked:
O
Abā ‘Abdillāh! What is your opinion about the hadīth which says
that (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a) stated:
“I am the distributor of hell?”
Ibn
Hanbal replied:
From
what aspect do you doubt its credence? Has it not been related that the Prophet
told (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a):
“None
will love you but the faithful believer and none will hate you but the
hypocrite?”
We
said:
Yes.
He
asked:
Where is the place of the faithful believer?
“In paradise”,
we
answered.
He
asked:
Where is the place of the hypocrite?
“In hell”,
we
replied.
He
said:
Ali is thus the distributor of hell.[18]
Ibn Hanbal’s belief thus
bears close resemblance to that of his teacher, Shāfi‘ī, who also
recorded the merits and virtues of Imam ‘Alī (‘a) and his descendants and
considered himself their devotee. When Ibn Hanbal was asked about the battle
between Imam ‘Alī (‘a) and Mu‘āwiyah bin Abī Sufyān, he
said regarding them he knew nothing but good,[19]
but added that in the field of jurisprudential studies he found Imam ‘Alī
(‘a) to be linked to the truth. For instance, when in his presence
Shāfi‘ī was accused of tashayyu for listing Imam ‘Alī’s (‘a)
battles with Mu‘āwiyah and the Khawārij under the rules of
transgressors, he replied that among the companions of the Prophet, Imam
‘Alī (‘a) was the first leader who had to deal with the sedition and revolt
of opponents.
This reply makes it clear
that Shāfi‘ī’s categorizing of the battles between Imam ‘Alī
(‘a) and Mu‘āwiyah under rules for transgressors, does not expose him to
the fault-finding of his critics. In fact, for any fair observor, the verdict
between Shāfi‘ī and his critics is that Mu‘āwiyah was a
transgressor, as could be further confirmed by the famous saying of the Prophet
to his companion ‘Ammār bin Yāsir: “taqtuluka al-fi’ah
al-bāghiyah” (you will be killed by a party of transgressors).[20]
No one can deny that ‘Ammār, while fighting on the side of Imam ‘Alī
(‘a), was killed by the forces of Mu‘āwiyah during one of the battles of
the Siffīn War, and thus in the light of this hadīth, beyond an iota
of doubt, Mu‘āwiyah is a transgressor.[21]
Ibn Hanbal was a
contemporary of four of the infallible Imams of the Prophet’s Household – Imam
Musā al-Kāzim (‘a), Imam ‘Alī bin Musā al-Rizā (‘a),
Imam Muhammad al-Jawād (‘a) and Imam ‘Alī al-Hādī (‘a). The
author of Rawzāt al-Jannāt relates on the authority of Daylamī’s
Irshād al-Qulub that Ahmad bin Hanbal was a student of Imam al-Kāzim
(‘a).[22]
Shaykh al-Tā’ifah Tusī considers him among the students of Imam
al-Rizā (‘a).[23]
A contemporary researcher pointing out Ibn Hanbal’s links with Imāmī
scholars, writes that he studied under many of those known to be followers of
the school of Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (‘a), and for this reason he has often
been criticised by the enemies of the Shi‘ites.[24]
In view of the above facts
it could be said that since Ahmad bin Hanbal was under the influence of the
Infallible Imams (‘a) or their disciples or that he had a spirit of courage and
fair-mindedness, he did not hesitate to include in his Musnad many of the
hadīth on the virtues and merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). These
hadīth are so eye-catching that one of the contemporary scholars has
collected them in an exclusive work titled Musnad al-Manāqib.[25]
In this article the writer
has selected some hadīth from the Musnad and highlighted them with brief
explanations.
Notes:
[3] Abu Musā al-Madyanī, Khasā’is
al-Musnad (This treatise has been published at the beginning of Ibn Hanbal’s
Musnad by Ahmad Muhammad Shākir), p. 21.
[4] Al-Jazarī, Muhammad bin Muhammad, al-Mus‘ad
al-Ahmad fī Khatm-i Musnad al-Imam Ahmad, p. 39. This treatise has also
been included by Shākir in his introduction to the Musnad.
[5] Ibid, p. 28.
[6] Al-Suyutī, Jalāl al-Dīn, Jāmi‘ al-Ahādīth, compiled and arranged by
‘Abbās Ahmad Saqar and Ahmad ‘Abd al-Jawād, pulished in 21 volumes by
Dār al-Fikr,
[7] Hasan or fair, according to Sunni traditionists is
the term used to classify a hadith which is traced to the Prophet or his
companions or the second generation of Muslims, on the authority (sanad) of a
person of short memory but considered reliable. This type of hadith is also
free of shādh, which means a tradition of reliable isnād but contrary
to another similarly attested tradition.
[8] Ibn al-Jazarī, al-Mus‘ad al-Ahmad fī khatm
Musnad al-Imam Ahmad, pp. 53-55.
[9] Al-Murādī, Silk al-Durar, vol. 4, p. 160
[10] On Ibn Hanbal’s accusation of support for the
Alawids refer to Abu al-Faraj ‘Abd al-Rahmān bin ‘Alī bin
al-Jawzī’s Manāqib al-Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal with a foreword by ‘Adil
Nuwayhiz, Dār al-Afāq al-Jadīdah Publishers,
[11] This work brought about the death of
al-Nasā’ī. It is said that when on a trip to
[12] Ahmad Amīn, Zuhā al-Islām, 6th
edition, vol, 2, pp. 122-123, published by Maktabah al-Nihzat al-Misriyyah,
1961.
[13] Ibn al-Jawzī, Manāqib al-Imam Ahmad bin
Hanbal, p. 165.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibn Abī al-Hadīd, Sharh
Nahj al-Balāghah, vol. 1, p. 17.
[16] Ibn al-Jawzī, Manāqib al-Imam Ahmad bin
Hanbal, p. 163.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Abu al-Husayn Muhammad bin Abī Ya‘lā,
Tabaqat al-Hanābilah, vol. 1, p. 320, edited by Muhammad Hāmid
al-Faqī, Cairo, 1952. It is interesting to note that Ibn Hanbal’s reply
bears close resemblance to the answer given by Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (‘a) to
Mufazzal bin ‘Umar concerning this same hadith. Imam ‘Alī bin Musā
al-Rizā (‘a) also gave a similar reply to Ma’mun; refer to ‘Allāmah
Majlisī: Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 39, pp. 193-194, Dār
al-Ihyā’ al-Turāth al-‘Arabī, Beirut. It is essential to know
that according to many narrations, Imam ‘Alī (‘a) has stated: I am the
distributor of heaven and hell”,
[19] Ibn al-Jawzī, Manāqib al-Imam Ahmad bin
Hanbal, p. 164.
[20] Bāghī is used to describe a person who on
the basis of a wrong cause rebels against and fights the just leader. In the
view of Imami scholars, such a bāghī is a kāfir. Refer to al-Miqdād
bin ‘Abdullāh al-Suyurī’s Kanz al-‘Irfān fī fiqh
al-Qur’ān, edited by Muhammad Bāqir Behbudī, al-Maktabah
al-Murtazawiyyah, vol. 1, p. 386,
[21] For more details refer to Shaykh Muhammad Abu
Zuhrah’s book Ibn Hanbal: Hayātuhu wa ‘Asruhu,
Arā’uhu wa Fiqhuh, pp. 148-149.
[22] Muhammad Bāqir
al-Musawī al-Khwansārī, Rawzāt al-Jannāt, vol. 1, p.
187, Maktabah Ismā‘īliyān,
[23] Al-Tusī, Muhammad bin al-Hasan, al-Rijāl,
p. 367, edited by Muhammad Sādiq Al-i Bahr al-‘Ulum, 1st edition, Najaf,
1381/1961. Also refer to Sayyid Abu al-Qāsim al-Khu’ī: Mu‘jam
Rijāl al-Hadith, vol. 2, p. 260, 3rd edition, Dār al-Zahrā’,
[24] Asad Haydar, al-Imam al-Sādiq wa al-Madhāhib al-Arba‘ah, vol. 2, pp. 503-506, 2nd
edition, Dār al-Kitāb al-‘Arabī,
[25] Ustādī, Rizā, Musnad al-Rizā
(‘a) in 40 articles, p. 154, 1st edition, published by Kitāb-Khāneh
Ayatullāh Mar‘ashī Najafi, Qum, 1413/1371.
Chapter1
Admonition to Kinsmen and Nomination
of Imam ‘Alī (‘a)
Ahmad bin Hanbal says:
Aswad
bin ‘Amir has related to us from Sharīk from A‘mash from Minhal from
‘Abdullāh bin Asadi, that (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a) said:
When
the āyah “And warn your relatives of nearest kin” (26:214) was revealed,
the Prophet gathered his family around him and treated 30 of them to a meal and
then said:
“Who
is willing to guarantee my debts and commitments so that he should be with me
in paradise and should be my successor from among my family.”
A person whom
Shurayk did not name, answered:
O
Messenger of Allah you are like a sea,[26]
who can take charge of this responsibility.
The
Prophet repeated his statement to his relatives, and (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)]
replied:
“I
will undertake this responsibility.”[27]
Ahmad Muhammad Shākir
the annotator of the Musnad has enumerated the isnād of this hadīth
as hasan or fair. The same event has been narrated in greater detail in the
words of Imam ‘Alī (‘a) in hadīth no. 1371 of the Musnad (vol. 2, pp.
352-353) and the annotator has termed its isnād as sahīh
(authoritative).
Notes:
[26] Reference to the great generosity and munificence of
the Prophet, Ahmad Shākir’s explanation on the margins of this hadith.
[27] Ahmad bin Hanbal, al-Musnad, annotated by Ahmad
Muhammad Shākir in 15 volumes, Dār al-Ma‘ārif,
Chapter 2
Hadith al-Manzilah
In 9 AH the Prophet prepared
to march for the expedition against the Romans, and according to Shaykh
Mufīd and Shaykh Tusī since he was concerned of the evil intentions
of the enemies, he told Imam ‘Alī (‘a): “It is not advisable to leave
Medina without me or you.” He subsequently placed Imam ‘Alī (‘a) in charge
of Medina before departing for the expedition to Tabuk, and in order to quell
the hypocrites’ ill-speaking of his cousin, he said the latter’s position to
him was like that of Aaron to Prophet Moses (‘a). This saying is known as
Hadīth al-Manzilah and has been reported by all scholars. Ibn Hanbal has
recorded it in the Musnad twenty times through different chains of isnād
on the authority of several companions of the Prophet including Jābir bin
‘Abdullāh al-Ansārī, Asmā’ bint ‘Umays, ‘Abdullāh bin
‘Abbās, Abī Sa‘īd al-Khidrī and Sa‘d bin Abī
Waqqās.[28]
The last named has related it ten times and one of the versions reads as
follows:
Abī
Ahmad Zubayri quotes ‘Abdullāh bin Habīb bin Abī Thābit
from Hamzah bin ‘Abdullāh from his father and from Sa‘d (bin Abī
Waqqās) who narrating this hadīth for us, said:
When
the Messenger of Allah left Medina for Tabuk he placed (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)]
as his vicegerent in Medina. (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] asked the Prophet:
“Are
you making me your vicegerent?”
The
Prophet replied:
“Are
you not happy that your position to me is that of Aaron to Moses, except that
there is no Prophet after me?”[29]
Ahmad Shākir has termed
the isnād of this hadīth as fair.
Notes:
[28] Hamdī ‘Abd al-Majīd al-Salafī,
Murshid al-Muhtār, vol. 1, p. 239, 2nd edition,
[29] Al-Musnad, hadith no. 1600 (Ahmad Shākir).
Chapter 3
Abū Bakr’s Dismissal from
leading the Hajj and the Entrustment to Imam ‘Alī (‘a) to Convey Surah
al-Barā’ah
Ibn Hanbal says of the event
which occurred in the month of Dhī al-Hijjah, 9 AH:
Wakī‘
has related to us from Isrā’īl from Abī Ishāq from Zayd bin
Yuthay‘ from Abū Bakr:
The
Prophet sent him (Abū Bakr) with Surah al-Barā’ah to the people of
Mecca (to proclaim) that after this year no polytheist will be allowed at the
Hajj, neither should the nude circumambulate the Ka‘bah, none will enter
paradise except the person who has become Muslim, whoever has a pact between
him and the Messenger of Allah it is valid until the specified period, and
Allah and His Messenger are free from any obligation to the polytheists. After
a while, he told (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)], may Allah be pleased with him:
Overtake
Abū Bakr and send him back to me and you proclaim (the Surah to the
Meccans).
(Imam)
‘Alī [(‘a)] acted as per the instructions and when Abū Bakr returned
to the Prophet he cried and said:
O
Messenger of Allah, did anything happen?
He
replied:
Nothing
has happened concerning you except good, but I have been commanded (by Allah)
that these (commandments) should either be conveyed by my or by a man who is
from me.[30]
Ahmad Shākir, the
annotator of the Musnad has considered the isnād of this hadīth as
sahīh (authoritative) and has said that Zayd bin Yuthay‘ was a trustworthy
person of the first generation of Muslims after the Prophet and the name of his
father has also been mentioned as Uthay‘.
Habashī bin
Junādah al-Sulukī who took part in the Farewell Pilgrimage of the
Prophet, has recorded four hadīth with a similiar text in his own Musnad
which confirms Ibn Hanbal’s narration of the above hadīth. Habashī
quotes Abū Bakr that the Messenger of Allah (S) said:
‘Alī
is from me and I am from him. My words will not be conveyed except by me or by
‘Alī.[31]
Notes:
[30] Al-Musnad, hadith no. 4.
[31] Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad published in 6 volumes by
Matba‘ah al-Maymaniyyah, vol. 4, pp. 164-165, 1st edition,
Chapter 4
The Prophet’s Declaration of Imam
‘Alī’s (‘a) Vicegerency
Ahmad bin Hanbal says:
Burayrah
(Aslamī) has related:
The
Prophet (S) dispatched two regiments towards Yemen, one under the command of
(Imam) ‘Alī bin Abī Tālib [(‘a)] and the other led by
Khālid bin Walīd with instructions that when the two regiments are
with each other they should be under the sole command of (Imam) ‘Alī
[(‘a)], and when they are separate they will remain under different commanders.
We the Muslim forces, encountered the Yemeni tribe of Banī Zayd and fought
and defeated these infidels. When their men had died fighting, the families
surrendered and from among the captives, (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] chose a maid
for himself.
Burayrah
continues:
Khālid
bin Walīd sent me to the Prophet with a letter informing him of this
matter. I submitted the letter to the Prophet and when he had read it I saw signs
of anger appear on his face. I said:
O
Messenger of Allah (S), you sent me with a man instructing me to obey him, and
accordingly I performed whatever duty I was ordered to do.
The
Messenger of Allah (S) said:
Lā
taqa‘ fī ‘Alīyyin fa innahu minnī wa ana minhu wa huwa
waliyyukum ba‘dī wa innahu minnī wa ana minhu wa huwa waliyyukum
ba‘dī (Don't try to find faults with ‘Alī, he is indeed from me and I
am from him, he is your leader after me. He is from me and I am from him, he is
your leader after me).[32]
Notes:
[32] Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad, vol. 5, 356,
Matba‘ah al-Maymaniyyah.
Chapter 5
Hadith al-Thaqalayn
Ahmad bin Hanbal says:
Aswad
bin ‘Amir has related from Abī Isrā’īl, i.e. Ismā‘īl
bin Abī Ishāq Malaie, from ‘Atiyyah from Abī Sa‘īd who
quotes the Prophet as saying:
“Innī
tārikun fīkum al-thaqalayn, ahaduhumā akbaru min al-akhar,
Kitaballāh hablun mamdudun min al-samā’-i ilā al-arz wa
‘itratī Ahl-i Baytī, wa annahumā lan yaftaraqā hattā
yaridā ‘alayya al-hawz” (I am leaving among you two precious things, one
of which is greater than the other. The Book of Allah which is the rope
extending from the sky to the earth and my progeny my Ahl al-Bayt. And the two
will never part with each other until they return to me at the pool (of kawthar
in paradise).[33]
Notes:
[33] Ibid, vol. 3, p. 14. Hadith al-Thaqalayn has been
recorded extensively in the Musnad, e.g. vol. 3, pp. 17, 26 & 59; vol. 4,
p. 367; vol. 5, pp. 181, 189, 190.
Chapter 6
Hadith al-Ghadir
Ahmad bin Hanbal says:
‘Abdullāh
bin Ahmad relates from ‘Alī bin Hakīm Awdī from Sharīk from
Abi Ishāq from Sa‘īd bin Wahab and Zayd bin Yuyhay‘ both of whom have
narrated:
(Imam)
‘Alī [(‘a)] complained and addressed the people at Rahbah, saying:
“All those who had heard
the Prophet’s words at Ghadīr Khum, stand up.”
The
narrator says:
Six
persons on behalf of Sa‘īd and six persons on behalf of Zayd stood up and
bore testimony that they heared the Prophet say on the Day of Ghadīr:
“A
laysa Allahu awlā bi al-mu’minīn? Qālu: Balā. Qāla:
Allahumma man kuntu mawlāh fa ‘Alīyyun mawlāh. Allahumma
wāli man wālāh wa ‘adi man ‘adāh (Is not God superior to
the faithful?
Yes!
said the gathering. He said:
O
Allah! For whomsoever I am master ‘Alī is his master. O Allah! befriend his friends and despise his enemies)”.[34]
Ibn Hanbal has recorded the
event of Ghadīr over 30 times in his Musnad through different isnād
or chains of authority and in the words of more than 10 companions of the
Prophet.[35]
The version of Hadīth al-Ghadīr mentioned above is from the notes of
Ibn Hanbal’s son ‘Abdullāh on his father’s work. Ahmad Shākir the
annotator of the Musnad has described as sahīh the isnād of this
hadīth and has said about Sa‘īd bin Wahab
Khaywānī that he was among the trustworthy and experienced Muslims of
the first generation after the Prophet.[36]
Notes:
[34] Al-Musnad, hadith no. 950 (Ahmad Shākir).
[35] Al-Salafī, Murshid al-Muhtār, vol. 3, pp.
156-157.
[36] Ahmad Shākir’s
explanation on Hadith al-Ghadīr.
Chapter 7
Preventing the Prophet from Writing
the Will
Ahmad bin Hanbal says:
Wahab
bin Jarīr has related from his father from Yunus from Zuharī from
‘Ubaydullāh that ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Abbās narrated a hadīth to
us that the Prophet said in his last days:
“Come,
I will write for you a text so that you will never go astray after me”.
Several
persons including ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb were present and ‘Umar told the
gathering:
Pain
has prevailed upon the Prophet. The Qur’ān is with you and the Book of Allah
is sufficient for us.
The
gathering disputed with each other in this matter, with some repeating ‘Umar’s
words and others telling him (‘Umar):
Hearken,
so that the Prophet may write something for you.
Since
voices were raised and disputes arose the Prophet felt distressed and told them
firmly:
“Get up and leave my presence”.
Ibn
‘Abbās added:
The
great tragedy is that, by their dispute and clamour, they prevented the Prophet
from writing the will for them.[37]
Ahmad Shākir describing
the isnād of this hadīth as sahīh,[38]
writes: This hadīth has been repeated in this book (Musnad) in the same words
or in a summarised form in several places.[39]
Notes:
[37] Al-Musnad, hadith no. 2992 (Ahmad Shākir)
[38] Refer to footnotes of the same hadith.
[39] Al-Musnad, hadith nos. 2676 & 31111; also refer
to Musnad, Matba‘ah al-Maymaniyyah, vol. 3, p. 346 (Musnad Jābir bin
‘Abdullāh al-Ansārī).
Chapter 8
Three Merits of Imam ‘Alī (‘a)
in One Hadith
Ahmad bin Hanbal says:
Qutaybah
bin Sa‘īd has related to us from Hātam bin Ismā‘īl from
Bukayr bin Mismār from ‘Amir bin Sa‘d from his father (Sa‘d bin Abī
Waqqās) who narrated the hadith that when the Prophet on leaving for a
campaign asked (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a) to stay (behind in the city) in his place,
the latter said:
“Are
you leaving me with the women and children?”
I
heard the Prophet reply to him:
“Yā
‘Alī amā tarzā ‘an takuna minnī bi manzilati Hārun min
Musā illā annahu lā nabiyya ba‘dī (O ‘Alī! Are you not
pleased that your position to me is similar to that of Aaron to Moses, except
that prophethood will cease after me?).”
(Sa‘d
bin Abī Waqqās says) I also heard (the Prophet say) on the Day of
Khaybar:
“La-u‘tiyanna
al-rāyah rajulan yuhibbu Allaha wa Rasulahu wa yuhibbuhu Allahu wa
Rasuluh” (I will give the standard to the man who loves Allah and His Prophet
and who is loved (in turn) by Allah and His Prophet).”
All
of us raised our necks (to see). He said:
“Call
‘Alī to me.”
On
hearing this instruction (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] was brought to the Prophet
with sore eyes. The Prophet rubbed his eyes with his saliva and gave him the
standard and through his hands Allah conquered Khaybar for the Muslims. And
when the ayah “Call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women and
ourselves and yourselves” (3:61) was revealed, the Messenger of Allah called
‘Alī (‘a), Fātimah (‘a), Hasan (‘a) and Husayn (‘a) and said:
“Allahumma hāulā’i ahlī (O Allah these
[persons] are my family).”[40]
The annotator of the Musnad
considers the isnād of this hadith as sahīh (authoritative) and
writes:
This
hadith has also been recorded through Qutabyah on the same chain of authority
by Muslim and Tirmidhi in their books. At the beginning of this hadith, it is mentioned
in the two books (Sahīh Muslim and Sahīh Tirmidhi) that
Mu‘āwiyah (bin Abī Sufyān) ordered Sa'd (bin Abi Waqqas) to
curse (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a), saying:
What
prevents you from cursing Abu Turab?
Sa'd
replied:
“I
remember three things which the Messenger of Allah said to (Imam) ‘Alī
(‘a) and accordingly I will never curse him. If only one of these virtues was
for me I would have considered it better than possessing red-haired camels.”
Then
he related the three virtues (of Imam ‘Alī) for Mu‘āwiyah as said
before.[41]
Notes:
[40] Al-Musnad, hadith no. 1608 (Ahmad Shākir).
[41] Muslim bin Hajjāj, al-Jāmi‘
al-Sahīh, vol. 2, pp. 236-237, Bulaq Press,
Chapter 9
The merits of Imam ‘Alī (‘a)
According to Ibn ‘Abbas
Ahmad bin Hanbal says:
Yahyā
bin Hammād has related to us from Abī ‘Awwānah from Abī
Balj from ‘Amr bin Maymunah who narrated the hadith, saying:
“I
was sitting with (‘Abdullāh) bin ‘Abbās when nine parties approached
him and said:
Either
get up and come with us or leave this place for us.
Ibn
‘Abbās who at that time had not yet lost his eyesight, answered:
I
will come with you.
They
conferred with him in slow tones and we did not understand what they spoke
about. Ibn ‘Abbās then returned to his place and while shaking his clothes
said:
Alas,
alas! They are trying to fault with a man who has ten privileges (which he
recounted as follows):
A.
The Prophet (on the day of the conquest
of Khaybar) said: “I will send the one whom God will never turn back
distressed; he loves Allah and His Prophet.” Then he enquired: “Where is
‘Alī?” They answered that he was at home writhing in pain. He said: “May
none of you be afflicted with pain.” Then ‘Alī came with his sore eyes in
a state that he was almost unable to see a thing or the way. The Prophet blew
his breath into his eyes and after shaking the standard thrice, handed it to
‘Alī, who returned victorious from this mission and brought with him (for
the Prophet) Safiyyah bint Ibn Akhtab.[42]
B.
The Prophet had sent someone (Abū
Bakr) for conveying Surah al-Barā’ah (to the people of Mecca). Then he
sent (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a) after him to take charge of the Surah and said:
“This Surah should not be conveyed except by him who is from me and I am from
him.”
C.
He told his near of kin (children of
‘Abdul-Muttalib): “Who among you is ready to accept my wilāyah in this
world and the hereafter?” They did not reply to him. ‘Alī (‘a) who was
sitting near him said: “I am your friend in this world and the hereafter.” The
Prophet said: “You are (indeed) my friend in this world and the hereafter.” The
Prophet again turned to the gathering and asked: “Who among you will choose my
friendship in the world and the hereafter?” They did not reply but ‘Alī
said: “O Messenger of Allah! I choose your friendship in this world and
hereafter.” He said: “You are certainly my friend in this world and the
hereafter.”
D.
He is the first one after Khadījah
to practice the Muslim faith.
E.
The Prophet raised his cloak and
covering ‘Alī, Fātimah, Hasan and Husayn with it, said: “Indeed,
Allah desires to remove uncleanness from you O Ahl al-Bayt and keep you pure as
pure can be.” (Holy Qur’ān 33:33)
F.
(Imam) ‘Alī sold (risked) his life,
put on the Prophet’s clothes and slept in his place when the infidels (of
Mecca) intended to make the Prophet the target of their malevolence. ‘Alī
[(‘a)] was sleeping when Abū Bakr approached him thinking him to be the
Prophet. (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] told him: “The Prophet has gone towards the
well of Maymun, go and join him.” Abū Bakr left and entered the Cave of
Thaur with him. The infidels started pelting (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] with
stones (mistaking him to be the Prophet). He flexed himself, writhed in pain
but did not remove the cloth covering his head. Only with the break of dawn did
he remove aside the cloth covering his head.
G.
When the Prophet was leaving Medina with
the people for the Tabuk expedition, (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a) asked him: “Am I not
accompanying you?” The Prophet replied in the negative. (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a)
sighed and the Prophet told him: “Are you not pleased that your position to me
is similar to that of Aaron to Moses, except that you are not a Prophet? Is it
not proper for me to leave and you should stay as my vicegerent?”
H.
The Prophet told him: “After me you are
the Master and Leader of all faithful people.”
I. The Prophet said: “Close all doors (of houses) leading into the Mosque
(of Medina) except that of the house of ‘Alī.” As a result he could enter
the mosque in any state, since except for this passage there was no other
entrance to his house.
J. The
Prophet said: “For whomsoever I am Master, ‘Alī is his Master.”[43]
Notes:
[42] The conquest of Khaybar by Imam ‘Alī (‘a) is
among the widely related hadith. Ibn Hanbal has recorded this several times in
his Musnad, e.g. refer to vol. 3, p. 116 and vol. 4, p. 52, al-Maymuniyyah
print.
[43] We have mentioned this hadith in brief because of
its length. For the full text refer to Musnad, hadith 3062 (Ahmad Shākir),
and also hadith no. 3063 recorded through different isnād. Ahmad
Shākir considers the isnād of both the hadith as sahīh.
Chapter 10
The Canonical Meaning of Ahl al-Bayt
(‘a)
Ibn Hanbal says:
A.
Ahmad has related from Muhammad bin Mas‘ab from Awzā‘ī from
Shaddād Abī ‘Ammār who narrates:
I
approached Wāthilah bin Asqa‘ while a group of people was with him and
were speaking about (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)]. When they got up and left,
Wāthilah said:
Do
you want me to inform you what I had seen of the Messenger of Allah (S).
I
replied in the affirmative. Wathilah said:
I
went to Fātimah [(‘a)] to enquire about (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] and she
said that he had gone to the Messenger of Allah (S). I waited for him to come
and saw the Messenger of Allah (S) approaching with ‘Alī, Hasan and
Husayn. The Prophet entered with Hasan and Husayn holding either of his hands,
and he went near to ‘Alī and Fātimah and made them sit on their knees
in front of him and Hasan and Husayn. Then he covered them with his cloak and
recited this ayah:
“Indeed,
Allah desires to remove uncleanness from you O Ahl al-Bayt and keep you pure as
pure can be.” (Holy Qur’ān 33:33)
Then
he said:
“Allāhumma
hāulā’i Ahlu Bayti wa Ahlu Bayti ahaqq (O
Allah these the people of my house and the people of my house are [certainly]
most meritorious).”[44]
B.
Aswad bin ‘Amir has related to us from Hammād bin Salamah from ‘Alī
bin Zayd from Anas bin Mālik who narrates that for six months every
morning when the Prophet came out (of his house), he would pass by the doorstop
of Fātimah’s house and say:
“To
prayer O Ahl al-Bayt, Indeed, Allah desires to remove uncleanness from you O
Ahl al-Bayt and keep you pure as pure can be.”[45]
The above description
reveals that the word Ahl al-Bayt in the context of this ayah is a canonical
term established by the Holy Qur’ān and elucidated by the Prophet who
determined the identity of this group. The Prophet by gathering his daughter
Fātimah (‘a), her husband Imam ‘Alī (‘a) and the couple’s two sons
Imam Hasan (‘a) and Imam Husayn (‘a) under his cloak and reciting this ayah
which was revealed in praise of this group, made it clear that who actually are
the Ahl al-Bayt and who are not included in the concept of this ayah.[46]
An interesting point to note
here is that although Ibn Hanbal’s narrations of the above ahādīth
have made clear the concept of the Ahl al-Bayt in Ayah al-Tathīr (Verse of
Purity), he has recorded under the section Musnad Ahl al-Bayt several hadith
not only from Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (‘a) but from their uncles ‘Aqīl
bin Abī Tālib and Ja‘far bin Abī Tālib as well as from
their cousin ‘Abdullāh bin Ja‘far.[47]
It is worth noting that the last three persons, despite being the meritorious scions
of the Prophet’s clan, the Banī Hashim, are not members of the Ahl al-Bayt
in view of the canonical term of the Qur’ānic ayah. This slip on the part
of Ibn Hanbal can be explained by the ahādīth concerning Imam
‘Alī (‘a) which he has included in the so-called group ‘Asharah
al-Mubashshirah and also mixed up ahādīth on the merits of Hazrat
Fātimah al-Zahrā’ (‘a) in the section titled Musnad al-Nisā’.[48]
Notes:
[44] Musnad, vol. 4, p. 107 (Musnad Wāthilah bin
Asqa‘), Matba‘ah al-Maymaniyyah; also refer to vol. 6, pp. 292, 298, 304, 323
(Musnad Umm-i Salamah).
[45] Ibid, vol. 3, p. 259 (Musnad Anas bin Mālik);
also refer to vol. 3, p. 286.
[46] On the identity of the Ahl al-Bayt.
[47] Al-Musnad, vol. 3, pp. 167, 199 (Ahmad
Shākir)
[48] For hadith on Hazrat
Fātimah al-Zahrā’ (‘a) refer to al-Musnad, vol. 6, p. 282, Matba‘ah
al-Maymaniyyah.
Chapter 11
Friendship with the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a)
Ibn Hanbal says:
A.
Ahmad has related from Ibn Numayr from A‘mash from ‘Adiyy bin Thābit from
Zirr bin Husbaish from (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] who narrates:
By
Allah! One of the covenants which the Messenger of Allah (S) bound me with is
this: