Abul Hasan
02-06-2005, 11:38 PM
Assalamu alaikum
Those of you who are familiar with the fitna of the claimants to the Salaf these days, will no doubt have realised that they alone claim to be the Saved Sect in Islam with the most profound understanding of all affairs connected to the Aqeeda of the Salafus-Salihin; especially when it is related to Tawheed and the Attributes of Allah (Sifat).
One interesting quote I read attributed to Imam Malik (ra) shows how the Imam of Dar al-Hijra dealt with narrating these types of Ahadith; and this should be a warning to the untrained, self-styled People of Hadith today, who make it their mission in life to furnish their own "understandings" of these types of narrations from the Kitab and Sunna. This is a delicate issue which the likes of Imam Malik were fully aware of, like on the issue of Istiwa and the innovator who came to ask him about it.
Anyway, read on and take heed of the circumspection of some of the Imams of the Salaf:
Imam Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani al-Maliki (b. 310 – d. 386 AH) mentioned in his Kitab al-Jami, translated into English by Abdas Samad Clarke under the title: “A Madinan View on the Sunnah, courtesy, wisdom, battles and history” (Taha publishers, London, 1999, p. 30):
Narration of certain Ahadith
Someone said, ‘What about one who narrates the hadith, ‘Allah created Adam on his form,’ and that ‘Allah will unveil His shank on the Day of Resurrection,’ and that ‘He will put His hand into Jahannam and bring out whomever He wills out of it’, and He (Malik) rejected them strenuously, and forbade anyone to narrate them. Someone said, ‘Ibn Ijlan has narrated it.’ He said, ‘He was not one of the people of fiqh.’ Malik did not reject the hadith of ‘descent’ nor the hadith of ‘laughter.’ Someone said, ‘What about the hadith that ‘the Throne shook because of the death of Sa’d?’ He said, ‘It should not be narrated, and what call has a man to narrate that when he sees what danger it contains?’”
This quote is very similar to what Imam al-Dhahabi mentioned in his Siyar a'lan an-Nubala, and note the words highlighted regarding Tafweed of the Ma'na in al-Dhahabi's own words:
أَبُو أَحْمَدَ بنُ عَدِيٍّ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بنُ عَلِيٍّ المَدَائِنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بنُ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ بنِ جَابِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو زَيْدٍ بنُ أَبِي الغَمْرِ، قَالَ:
قَالَ ابْنُ القَاسِمِ: سَأَلْتُ مَالِكاً عَمَّنْ حَدَّثَ بِالحَدِيْثِ: الَّذِيْنَ قَالُوا: (إِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ آدَمَ عَلَى صُوْرَتِهِ)، وَالحَدِيْثِ الَّذِي جَاءَ: (إِنَّ اللهَ يَكْشِفُ عَنْ سَاقِهِ)، (وَأَنَّهُ يُدْخِلُ يَدَهُ فِي جَهَنَّمَ حَتَّى يُخْرِجَ مَنْ أَرَادَ). (8/104)
فَأَنْكَر مَالِكٌ ذَلِكَ إِنْكَاراً شَدِيْداً، وَنَهَى أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِهَا أَحَدٌ.
فَقِيْلَ لَهُ: إِنَّ نَاساً مِنْ أَهْلِ العِلْمِ يَتَحَدَّثُوْنَ بِهِ.
فَقَالَ: مَنْ هُوَ؟
قِيْلَ: ابْنُ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ.
قَالَ: لَمْ يَكُنِ ابْنُ عَجْلاَنَ يَعْرِفُ هَذِهِ الأَشْيَاءَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ عَالِماً.
وَذَكَرَ أَبَا الزِّنَادِ، فَقَالَ: لَمْ يَزَلْ عَامِلاً لِهَؤُلاَءِ حَتَّى مَاتَ.
رَوَاهَا: مِقْدَامٌ الرُّعَيْنِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي الغَمْرِ، وَالحَارِثِ بنِ مِسْكِيْنٍ، قَالاَ: حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ القَاسِمِ.
قُلْتُ: أَنْكَرَ الإِمَامُ ذَلِكَ، لأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَثبُتْ عِنْدَهُ، وَلاَ اتَّصَلَ بِهِ، فَهُوَ مَعْذُورٌ، كَمَا أَنَّ صَاحِبَي (الصَّحِيْحَيْنِ) مَعْذُورَانِ فِي إِخرَاجِ ذَلِكَ - أَعْنِي: الحَدِيْثَ الأَوَّلِ وَالثَّانِي - لِثُبُوتِ سَنَدِهِمَا، وَأَمَّا الحَدِيْثُ الثَّالِثُ، فَلاَ أَعْرِفُه بِهَذَا اللَّفْظِ، فَقَولُنَا فِي ذَلِكَ وَبَابِهِ: الإِقرَارُ، وَالإِمْرَارُ، وَتَفْويضُ مَعْنَاهُ إِلَى قَائِلِه الصَّادِقِ المَعْصُومِ. (8/105)
وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَدِيٍّ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بنُ هَارُوْنَ بنِ حَسَّانٍ، حَدَّثَنَا صَالِحُ بنُ أَيُّوْبَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَبِيْبُ بنُ أَبِي حَبِيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، قَالَ:
يَتَنَزَّلُ رَبُّنَا - تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى - أَمْرُهُ، فَأَمَّا هُوَ، فَدَائِمٌ لاَ يَزُولُ.
قَالَ صَالِحٌ: فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِيَحْيَى بنِ بُكَيْرٍ، فَقَالَ: حَسَنٌ وَاللهِ، وَلَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ مِنْ مَالِكٍ.
قُلْتُ: لاَ أَعْرِفُ صَالِحاً، وَحَبِيْبٌ مَشْهُوْرٌ، وَالمَحْفُوْظُ عَنْ مَالِكٍ -رَحِمَهُ اللهُ- رِوَايَةُ الوَلِيْدِ بنِ مُسْلِمٍ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلهُ عَنْ أَحَادِيْثِ الصِّفَاتِ، فَقَالَ: أَمِرَّهَا كَمَا جَاءتْ، بِلاَ تَفْسِيْرٍ.
Now, if the meanings to all the Ahadith speaking on the Sifat of Allah were known to the pious Salaf - why then did Imam Malik take such a stern position? This adds to the strength that Tafweed is not just of the Kayf but also of the Ma'na, and this is why some of the Salaf are on record as saying such narrations are accepted as they were narrated and without delving into the Tafsir of them without some form of explicit dalil. The answer is in the Kalam of al-Dhahabi above as well.
Wassalam
Abul Hasan
Those of you who are familiar with the fitna of the claimants to the Salaf these days, will no doubt have realised that they alone claim to be the Saved Sect in Islam with the most profound understanding of all affairs connected to the Aqeeda of the Salafus-Salihin; especially when it is related to Tawheed and the Attributes of Allah (Sifat).
One interesting quote I read attributed to Imam Malik (ra) shows how the Imam of Dar al-Hijra dealt with narrating these types of Ahadith; and this should be a warning to the untrained, self-styled People of Hadith today, who make it their mission in life to furnish their own "understandings" of these types of narrations from the Kitab and Sunna. This is a delicate issue which the likes of Imam Malik were fully aware of, like on the issue of Istiwa and the innovator who came to ask him about it.
Anyway, read on and take heed of the circumspection of some of the Imams of the Salaf:
Imam Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani al-Maliki (b. 310 – d. 386 AH) mentioned in his Kitab al-Jami, translated into English by Abdas Samad Clarke under the title: “A Madinan View on the Sunnah, courtesy, wisdom, battles and history” (Taha publishers, London, 1999, p. 30):
Narration of certain Ahadith
Someone said, ‘What about one who narrates the hadith, ‘Allah created Adam on his form,’ and that ‘Allah will unveil His shank on the Day of Resurrection,’ and that ‘He will put His hand into Jahannam and bring out whomever He wills out of it’, and He (Malik) rejected them strenuously, and forbade anyone to narrate them. Someone said, ‘Ibn Ijlan has narrated it.’ He said, ‘He was not one of the people of fiqh.’ Malik did not reject the hadith of ‘descent’ nor the hadith of ‘laughter.’ Someone said, ‘What about the hadith that ‘the Throne shook because of the death of Sa’d?’ He said, ‘It should not be narrated, and what call has a man to narrate that when he sees what danger it contains?’”
This quote is very similar to what Imam al-Dhahabi mentioned in his Siyar a'lan an-Nubala, and note the words highlighted regarding Tafweed of the Ma'na in al-Dhahabi's own words:
أَبُو أَحْمَدَ بنُ عَدِيٍّ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بنُ عَلِيٍّ المَدَائِنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بنُ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ بنِ جَابِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو زَيْدٍ بنُ أَبِي الغَمْرِ، قَالَ:
قَالَ ابْنُ القَاسِمِ: سَأَلْتُ مَالِكاً عَمَّنْ حَدَّثَ بِالحَدِيْثِ: الَّذِيْنَ قَالُوا: (إِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ آدَمَ عَلَى صُوْرَتِهِ)، وَالحَدِيْثِ الَّذِي جَاءَ: (إِنَّ اللهَ يَكْشِفُ عَنْ سَاقِهِ)، (وَأَنَّهُ يُدْخِلُ يَدَهُ فِي جَهَنَّمَ حَتَّى يُخْرِجَ مَنْ أَرَادَ). (8/104)
فَأَنْكَر مَالِكٌ ذَلِكَ إِنْكَاراً شَدِيْداً، وَنَهَى أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِهَا أَحَدٌ.
فَقِيْلَ لَهُ: إِنَّ نَاساً مِنْ أَهْلِ العِلْمِ يَتَحَدَّثُوْنَ بِهِ.
فَقَالَ: مَنْ هُوَ؟
قِيْلَ: ابْنُ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ.
قَالَ: لَمْ يَكُنِ ابْنُ عَجْلاَنَ يَعْرِفُ هَذِهِ الأَشْيَاءَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ عَالِماً.
وَذَكَرَ أَبَا الزِّنَادِ، فَقَالَ: لَمْ يَزَلْ عَامِلاً لِهَؤُلاَءِ حَتَّى مَاتَ.
رَوَاهَا: مِقْدَامٌ الرُّعَيْنِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي الغَمْرِ، وَالحَارِثِ بنِ مِسْكِيْنٍ، قَالاَ: حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ القَاسِمِ.
قُلْتُ: أَنْكَرَ الإِمَامُ ذَلِكَ، لأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَثبُتْ عِنْدَهُ، وَلاَ اتَّصَلَ بِهِ، فَهُوَ مَعْذُورٌ، كَمَا أَنَّ صَاحِبَي (الصَّحِيْحَيْنِ) مَعْذُورَانِ فِي إِخرَاجِ ذَلِكَ - أَعْنِي: الحَدِيْثَ الأَوَّلِ وَالثَّانِي - لِثُبُوتِ سَنَدِهِمَا، وَأَمَّا الحَدِيْثُ الثَّالِثُ، فَلاَ أَعْرِفُه بِهَذَا اللَّفْظِ، فَقَولُنَا فِي ذَلِكَ وَبَابِهِ: الإِقرَارُ، وَالإِمْرَارُ، وَتَفْويضُ مَعْنَاهُ إِلَى قَائِلِه الصَّادِقِ المَعْصُومِ. (8/105)
وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَدِيٍّ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بنُ هَارُوْنَ بنِ حَسَّانٍ، حَدَّثَنَا صَالِحُ بنُ أَيُّوْبَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَبِيْبُ بنُ أَبِي حَبِيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، قَالَ:
يَتَنَزَّلُ رَبُّنَا - تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى - أَمْرُهُ، فَأَمَّا هُوَ، فَدَائِمٌ لاَ يَزُولُ.
قَالَ صَالِحٌ: فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِيَحْيَى بنِ بُكَيْرٍ، فَقَالَ: حَسَنٌ وَاللهِ، وَلَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ مِنْ مَالِكٍ.
قُلْتُ: لاَ أَعْرِفُ صَالِحاً، وَحَبِيْبٌ مَشْهُوْرٌ، وَالمَحْفُوْظُ عَنْ مَالِكٍ -رَحِمَهُ اللهُ- رِوَايَةُ الوَلِيْدِ بنِ مُسْلِمٍ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلهُ عَنْ أَحَادِيْثِ الصِّفَاتِ، فَقَالَ: أَمِرَّهَا كَمَا جَاءتْ، بِلاَ تَفْسِيْرٍ.
Now, if the meanings to all the Ahadith speaking on the Sifat of Allah were known to the pious Salaf - why then did Imam Malik take such a stern position? This adds to the strength that Tafweed is not just of the Kayf but also of the Ma'na, and this is why some of the Salaf are on record as saying such narrations are accepted as they were narrated and without delving into the Tafsir of them without some form of explicit dalil. The answer is in the Kalam of al-Dhahabi above as well.
Wassalam
Abul Hasan