with a 9 Hadith pair preview for Part 2 - Non-Sahih Hadith vs Sahih Hadith
(e.g. 1 of the 9 pairs : Sahih Hadith implication : Hyena is game {page 492} vs Da'eef Hadith implication : Who eats Hyenas? {page 492}.
Another : Sahih Hadith implication : Mastigure (a reptile) is not prohibited (but not Sunnah) {page 497} vs Da'eef Hadith implication : Mastigure (a reptile) is forbidden (i.e. Haram) {page 496})
Another : Sahih Hadith implication : Horse flesh is not forbidden {page 481} vs Da'eef Hadith implication : Horse flesh is forbidden (i.e. Haram) {page 479})
Another : Sahih Hadith implication : Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ate locusts {page 489} vs Da'eef Hadith implication : Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not eat locusts {page 488})
and a 1 Hadith pair preview for Part 3 - Sahih Hadith and Non-Sahih Hadith having same or similar content.
Download PDF : DSHCCP Part 1 Sample - The Sahih Hadith Bluff (100 MB PDF, 500+pages, 200+Hadiths)
Stream Online
alternate download link 1
alternate download link 2
PDF Last edited = 3rd May 2023.
If you still assert that all Sahih Hadiths / Ahadith can be attributed with certainty to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ even after reading this comprehensive PDF sample or if you are too scared to face the evidences presented in this PDF, then I only have 1 question for you:
Is it the devil's deception or
are you an eternity risking daredevil?
Method of sponsoring / Funding:
See this page for payment options. (Note that many more Sahih Hadiths that are important for this DSHCCP are in Arabic, and with funding inshaALLAH!, I can also attempt to carefully translate all such Hadiths in English).
Preview the pages
Youtube Video : Decisive Sahih Hadith Content Check Project - The Sahih Hadith Bluff - Full Video Preview
Appendix 1: Some Quranic Aayaat to evaluate the standard narrative for the Science of Hadith:
Quran 49:6
(Based on The Quran: Matn of a faasiq's report is to also be investigated vs Science of Hadith: A faasiq's report is not to be considered at all).
Quran 24:12
(Based on The Quran: Somethings narrated regarding believers are to be called out as obvious falsehood or lie etc. regardless of who narrates them vs Science of Hadith : Even Hadiths disrespecting Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to be blindly accepted because ones called Sahaba need not be investigated at all for trustworthiness in narrator analysis and if remaining narrators are labeled as trustworthy etc. by a scholar, the Hadith is to be accepted as Sahih, no matter how strange and disrespectful the matn of the Hadith seems to be.
Also see:
Quran 4:83.
Appendix 2: Shia Hadith Source with Arabic and Labeling Found
Sponsorship or funding offers required to inshaALLAH! allocate the first 100 to 200 hours on the 1st round with Shia Hadiths and add them to DSHCCP PDF. Here is the link for the site planned to be used inshaALLAH!. Email me @ aasimiqbaal @ gmail.com / asimiqbal2nd @ live.com
Appendix 3: InshaALLAH! Hadiths to be added in next edition whenever work is started again on this paused project
Only Sunnah.com, Dorar.net and thaqalayn.net references and links are mainly quoted for now:
Note that for the links to Dorar.net, some of the Hadiths are not displayed by them directly and you have to click للمتخصص to display those Hadiths also.
Sunni:
Bukhari: 5716 (Honey and diarrhea)
Muslim: 2788a vs Nasai: 5379 (2 Hands?)
Abu Dawud: 4142, Nasai: 3385 and Muslim: 2084 (House should have the 4th bedding for the shaytan?)
Abu Dawud: 3963 (child of adultery is worst of the 3?)
Abu Dawud: 184, Abu Dawud: 493, Ibn Majah: 769 (Hasan), Sahih versions in Arabic for the Ibn Majah Hadith (sheep vs camel : part 2)
Abu Dawud: 4482, Sahih versions in Arabic for this Hadith (If someone drinks even after being punished 3 times for drinking, on his 4th drinking, kill him)
Abu Dawud: 4723, Ibn Majah: 193, Similar Hadiths, but labeled as Sahih or the like. "...Above the seventh heaven there is a sea, the distance between whose surface and bottom is like that between one heaven and the next. Above that there are eight mountain goats the distance between whose hoofs and haunches is like the distance between one heaven and the next. Then Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, is above that." i.e. above the 7th heaven a huge sea and above the sea... 8 humongous mountain goats?? The 2 Hadiths translated in English are labeled Da'eef, but multiple Hadiths discussing the same allegation in Arabic but labeled as Sahih are also linked via this link.
Also see the following post in Arabic proving that some famous scholars graded this Hadith as Sahih:
حديث الأوعال رواية ودراية
some Hadiths with English translation, Similar Hadiths in Arabic only but some with additional allegations and some labeled as Sahih (Allegation that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had a vessel made from date tree under his ﷺ bed in which he ﷺ would urinate at night and place it under his ﷺ bed. Some Sahih Hadiths even allege that a female servant drank it...)
An article in English defending these and related Hadiths
Adab: 963, Hadiths on the same issue in Arabic, multiple of which are labeled as Sahih. (tell him to bite his father's male *****)
Sahih Hadith in Arabic (...Indeed, the distance between each earth and the one that follows it is a journey of five hundred years. The uppermost of them rests on the back of a fish whose two ends have met in the sky. The fish is upon a rock, and the rock is in the hand of an angel...)
Sahih Hadith in Arabic (...and further on He created the Nuun* upon the water, and further on He pressed the Earth down over it...)
*(the mythological great fish according to mythology of some Hadiths and some Tafasir)
Sahih Hadith in Arabic (...and further on He created the Nuun (the great fish), and He spread out the Earth upon it ... and the Nuun became agitated, and so the Earth began to quake. Thus, it was made firm with the mountains...
Sahih Hadith in Arabic according to the criterion of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim (...and further on He created the Nuun (the great fish), and the Earth was spread out upon it. And the Earth was on the back of the Nuun. Then the Nuun became agitated, and so the Earth began to quake. Thus, it was made firm with the mountains; for indeed, the mountains take pride over the Earth...)
Hakim: 3840
Streaming scanned pages
Streaming scanned pages (alternate edition)
The Nuun is hinted at as a giant whale in Sahih Bukhari along with a giant ox (See 1st Hadith from Shia Hadiths also). A Jew allegedly talked about this and allegedly, according to Sahih Bukhari, prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not correct the Jew or highlight any mistakes in what the Jew said.
Bukhari:6520
...Then the Jew further said, "Shall I tell you of the udm (additional food taken with bread) they will have with the bread?" He added, "That will be Balam and Nun." The people asked, "What is that?" He said, "It is an ox and a fish, and seventy thousand people will eat of the caudate lobe (i.e. extra lobe) of their livers."
Also see these Hadiths in Arabic and Bukhari: 3329
Using Google search term: jewish monsters whale ox: In Jewish mythology, Leviathan, Behemoth, and Ziz are three powerful, mythical creatures representing the sea, land, and sky, respectively. Leviathan is often depicted as a large sea monster, sometimes resembling a whale, serpent, or dragon. Behemoth is a massive land creature, often described as a bull or other large herbivore...
Tirmidhi: 3117, Some Sahih versions for this Hadith in Arabic (What is thunder?)
Bukhari: 5708 (Truffle juice is a cure for the eye?)
Sahih Hadiths in Arabic (Translation attempt for 1 Hadith : "We happened to be with the Messenger of ALLAH ﷺ by Marr al-Zahran, when we came upon numerous crows. Among them was a white-footed, red-beaked crow. He ﷺ said: 'Will not enter the Garden (Paradise) from the women except the likeness of this crow among these crows'.")
Abu Dawud: 4048 (men to use colorless perfume and women to use odorless perfume?)
Ibn Majah: 1944 (Hasan Hadith already included in DSHCCP), Sahih version of the same Hadith in Arabic (not yet added to DSHCCP) (“The Verse of stoning and of breastfeeding an adult ten times was revealed1, and the paper was with me under my pillow. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, we were preoccupied with his ﷺ death, and a tame sheep came in and ate it.”
1: These verses were abrogated in recitation but not ruling. Other ahadith establish the number for fosterage to be 5.)
Abu Dawud: 2061, Abu Dawud: Volume 2: Chapter 9: Hadith: 2061 (Allegation of adult breastfeeding in a Sahih Hadith, and severe allegation on a mother of the believers Aishah: "... And so ‘Āishah would follow that decision, and would command her sister’s daughters and brother’s daughters to breast-feed five times those whom ‘Āishah wished to visit her, even if he was an adult, and they would then visit her." ... )
Sahih Hadiths in Arabic (translation attempt for 1 such Hadith : "The snakes are transmutation of the jinn, just as the monkeys and the pigs were transmuted from children of Israel")
Sahih Hadiths in Arabic (Translation attempt for selected portions of 1 Hadith: ...So the wolf sat upright and further on, it said: "O shepherd! be cautious of ALLAH! You come between me and a provision that Allah has provided me?...)
Mostly Sahih Hadiths in Arabic (Translation attempt for selected portions of 1 Hadith: ... "ALLAH Created Adam, when He Created him, then He Struck his right shoulder and then Extracted white offspring as if indeed they were the pearls. And He Struck his left shoulder and Extracted black offspring as if indeed they were the charcoal. Then He Said to those in his right: 'To Paradise, and I do not mind.' And He said to those in the left: 'To the Fire, and I do not mind.'" ...)
Muslim: 2995a (When one of you yawns, he should keep his mouth shut with the help of his hand, for it is the devil that enters therein)
Abu Dawud: 2283 (The Prophet (ﷺ) divorced Hafsah, but he took her back in marriage.)
Abu Dawud: 2495 (Killing a kafir permanently saves one from Hell? : “An infidel and the one who killed him will never be brought together in Hell.”)
Abu Dawud: 2686, Sahih version of this Hadith in Arabic, Sahih version of this Hadith in Arabic 2 (... when the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to kill your father, he said: Who will look after my children? He replied: Fire. I also like for you what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) liked for you ... )
Sahih Hadiths in Arabic (translation attempt : ... "Were it not that indeed the dogs are a nation from among the nations, definitely I would have ordered their killing, but kill the pure black one, for indeed, it is a devil" ...)
Ibn Majah:1985 (From do not beat the female slaves of ALLAH to beat wives on the suggestion of Umar?)
Muslim:2955a (1 bone (tail bone as per some other Hadiths) would not decay according to Sahih Hadith science)
“The slave women of ‘Umar used to serve us bare-headed, with their hair coming down to their breasts..." (Islam QA's deduction: "The free woman is to observe complete hijab, whereas slave women do not have to wear hijab, and it is permissible for a slave woman to uncover her head, hands and face...")
Musannaf ibn Abi Shaibah: Hadith: 6382 (Sahih), 6383 (Sahih) (Umar struck a slave girl wearing a veil? (6382)... According to Umar, the jilbab is only for the free women and he kept hitting the head of a slave woman with a whip till she took it off her head? (6383))
Ibn Majah: 3463 (‘The cure for sciatica is the fat from the tail of a Bedouin sheep (or wild sheep), which should be melted and divided into three parts, one part to be taken each day on an empty stomach.’)
Bukhari: 5096 ("After me I have not left any trial more severe to men than women.")
Sahih and related Hadiths in Arabic (Translation attempt for 1 such Hadith: "He ﷺ forbade sitting between the sunlight and the shade. He ﷺ said: 'seat of the shaytan.'")
الشَّيخُ والشَّيخةُ the old man and the old woman Hadiths and direct attack on The Quran (Click this link for the detailed set):
Some specific examples follow:
Ibn Majah (Labeled as Sahih: ...I have read it (in the Quran). “And if an old man and an old woman commit adultery, stone them both.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stoned (adulterers) and we stoned (them) after him.'”)
Malik's Muwatta: Book 41: Hadith 10
Sahih Hadith in Arabic
كانت سورةُ الأحزابِ توازي سورةَ البقرةِ فكان فيها: الشَّيخُ والشَّيخةُ إذا زنَيا فارجُموهما ألبتَّةَ
(Translation attempt: Surah al-Ahzab happened to be equivalent in length to Surah al-Baqarah, and so it happened to contain:
'(Translation attempt for the so called non-existent Ayah:)
'The old man and the old woman, if they commit adultery, then stone them both as a definitive punishment.'")
The various Sahih Hadiths can't even agree on what was the exact text of this so called Ayah or set of words that were part of The Quran according to them. Below, I quote the various Sahih Hadiths giving different texts. Click the text to view the Hadith.
الشَّيخُ والشَّيخةُ فارْجُموهما الْبتَّةَ بما قَضَيا مِنَ اللَّذَّةِ
Imagine! Sahih Hadiths don't even agree on the alleged and so called missing text of The Quran, and you want to use "or should I say blindly follow?" the same science of Hadith to allege 980 Turuq or variant readings of The Quran. To save this science of Hadith, will you claim that ALLAH sent 980 variant readings of The Quran to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
Examples of Hadith labeled as Sahih despite an unknown man in the chain of narrators:
Ahmad: 19450 عَنْ رَجُلٍ from a man...? an unknown man, undeclared man, yet the Hadith is labeled as Sahih?
Also see :
Abu Dawud: 3477
Nasai: 2278
عَنْ رَجُلٍ Dorar.net search
عَنْ رَجُلٍ Hadithunlocked.com search
Many Sahih Hadiths are found in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, in which:
'Abdur Rahman bin Harmaz al-A'araj
(who reportedly died in 117 AH)
allegedly narrated from:
Abu Hurairah
(who reportedly died in 59 AH)
i.e. Abu Hurairah reportedly died about 58 years before A'araj reportedly died, yet A'araj allegedly narrated many Hadiths from Abu Hurairah.
Examples of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are as follows:
Sahih Bukhari examples
Sahih Muslim examples
Even a more serious example follows:
Multiple Sahih Hadiths are found in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, in which:
Hamam bin Munabbih
(who reportedly died in 132 AH)
allegedly narrated from:
Abu Hurairah
(who reportedly died in 59 AH)
i.e. Abu Hurairah reportedly died about 73 years before Hamam reportedly died, yet Hamam allegedly narrated multiple Hadiths from Abu Hurairah.
How did Hamam bin Munabbih narrate Hadiths from Abu Hurairah when according to this timeline, even if Hamam bin Munabbih took all Hadiths from Abu Hurairah in the year of his death, even then Hamam would be at maximum 9 years old at that time.
Examples of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are as follows:
Sahih Bukhari examples
Sahih Muslim examples
Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Sunan:
Ibn Majah: 369 and this critical issue noted from The Origins of Hadith: Traditional and Modern Perspectives! | Dr. Joshua Little
"Muhammad b. Bashshar related to us:
“Ubaydullah b. ‘Abd al-Majid related to us:
“Abd al-Rahman b. Abi al-Zinad related to us, from his father, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said:
“The Messenger of ALLAH (ﷺ) said:
"Cats do not invalidate the prayer, because they are one of the things that are useful in the house."
””””
Legend:
- = Allegedly Ibn Majah's words
- = Allegedly Ibn Bashshar's words
- = Allegedly ‘Ubaydullah's words
- = Allegedly Abu Hurayrah's words
- = Allegedly Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ words
This critical issue is found in many so called Sahih isnads due to usage of عَنۡ which is usually translated in English in Hadiths as "from" and this is a vague word in isnad. See this example: Ibn Majah: 302: A Hadith labeled as Sahih with 5 عَنۡ i.e. instead of 5 separate persons independently making 5 link-points in the chain, 5 persons in the same single link-point. عَنۡ can be easily used for concealing the fact that the narrator didn't directly hear it from the particular narrator in the chain. Tadlees cannot be ruled out where عَنۡ is used, unless someone wants to blindly trust the particular narrator who allegedly used this word.
Variant Readings of The Sahih Hadiths or independent variant events for every difference in wording between the hadiths on the same event or issue etc.:
This issue may also be touched if work is resumed on DSHCCP. Unless Hadiths on the same issue or event or context are exactly and word by word the same, and since these people use certain words like said instead of using reportedly said, their only solution is to claim that every Hadith is unique and different, and even if there are 100 variations, they will have to allege 100 variant events for the same Hadith, because if they had really believed that the variations are due to human error of oral transmission, they should not have failed to defend prophet Muhammad ﷺ by using words like reported to have said this or something like this because attributing even 1 false word to him ﷺ without clarifying the lack of certainty can be a serious crime. For some variant hadiths like who served the honey? mentioned in DSHCCP project, contradiction cannot be resolved without either alleging repeat of the same issue again or so called 2 parallel universes (classic scholars didn't go to this length, but maybe modern celebrity scholars may start alleging this if I start presenting dozens of Sahih Hadiths on the same historical events but having differences in wording).
Both back to back and so called Sahih Hadiths: Muslim: 1474a and Muslim: 1474b describe an alleged event for which allegedly a Quranic Ayah Quran 66:1 was revealed. Now to defend the honor of Sahih Hadiths and the honor of Sahih Muslim, they will have to attack the honor of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by alleging that he ﷺ repeated the refusal to take the honey in a similar situation that arose again, despite the Quranic Ayah. Or they will have to allege that these are 2 different universes and each event is from a different universe (totally baseless multiverse option but maybe celebrity scholars will resort to this to save Sahih Hadiths). In 1 Hadith regarding the mothers of the believers, Zaynab served the honey, while in the 2nd Sahih Hadith, Hafsah served the honey. In 1 Sahih Hadith, Aisha and Hafsah participated in the plan and in the 2nd Sahih Hadith, Aisha, Sawdah and Safiyyah participated in the plan.
Shia:
Al Kafi: Volume 8, Book 1, Chapter 55, Hadith 1 Earth and the alleged whale, water, rock, bull, mist?
55. Muhammad, from Ahmad, from Ibn Mahboub, from Jameel Bin Saleh, from Aban Bin Tabligh has narrated the following: Abu Abdullah (a.s) said, ‘I asked him (a.s) about the earth, which thing does it rest upon? He (a.s) said: ‘It is upon the whale’. I said, ‘So the whale, which thing does it rest upon?’ He (a.s) said: ‘Upon the water’. I said, ‘So the water, upon which thing does is rest upon?’ He (a.s) said: ‘Upon a rock’. I said, ‘So upon which thing does the rock rest upon?’ He (a.s) said: ‘Upon the horns of a bull’ I said, ‘So upon which thing does the bull rest upon?’ He (a.s) said: ‘Upon the mist’. I said, ‘So upon which thing does the mist rest upon?’ He (a.s) said: ‘This is how far knowledge of scholars is permitted (to reveal) and beyond this is straying’.
Scanned pages
Al Kafi: Volume 8, Book 1, Chapter 491, Hadith 1 and Al Kafi: Volume 8, Book 1, Chapter 490, Hadith 1 (Earth folds up during the end of the night?)
Al Kafi: Volume 6, Book 1, Chapter 6, Hadith 7, Al Kafi: Volume 6, Book 1, Chapter 6, Hadith 3, Al Kafi: Volume 6, Book 1, Chapter 6, Hadith 4 etc. (Going against verified Embryology and observation?)
Al Kafi: Volume 2, Book 3, Chapter 14, Hadith 28 and Muʿjam al-Aḥādīth al-Muʿtabara: Book 5, Chapter 6, Hadith 3 (Direct frontal attack on the Qur'an: Original Qur'an has 17000 Aayaat and not 6236 Aayaat?)
Al Kafi: Volume 2, Book 4, Chapter 15, Hadith 5 (Yawning is from shaytan and sneezing is from ALLAH ?)
Al Kafi: Volume 3, Book 3, Chapter 51, Hadith 2 (Sun rises and sets between the 2 horns of shaytan?)
Al Kafi: Volume 3, Book 1, Chapter 37, Hadith 6 (Dung of donkeys is not harmful?)
Ibadis:
Musnad al-Rabi' English translation PDF for usage in this project, unless a better version of the book found.
Another edition of the same book is Musnad al-Rabi' English translation. PDF referred to and linked with the below Hadiths is from the 2nd PDF uploaded, but the text quoted with the Hadiths is from the 1st PDF referred to at the beginning of this section on the Ibadi Hadiths.
Whoever refuses to pay the tithe deserves the death penalty?
344- Abū 'Ubayda narrated, from Jābir 'Ibn Zayd, from 'Ibn 'Abbās, that the Prophet, ﷺ, said: "Whoever refuses to pay the tithe deserves the death penalty”
Hadith 340, page 684, PDF page 479.
Allegation that The Prophet ﷺ divorced a woman for never falling ill?
539- 'Abū 'Ubayda narrated from Jābir that 'Ibn 'Abbās, said: The Prophet, ﷺ, married a woman called 'Amra. He divorced her immediately, even before consummating the marriage because her father had said she never fell ill. So the Prophet, ﷺ, said: "This woman has no good with Allah." Then he divorced her.
Hadith 533, page 379, PDF page 257
Access to paradise forbidden to the woman not jealous of her husband?
1, 752- Ar-Rabī' 'Ibn Ḥabīb said: Jābir 'Ibn Zayd, reports that the Prophet, ﷺ, said: "Access to paradise is forbidden to the man who affects a feminine behavior, to the cuckold, to the woman who affects a masculine behavior, and to the woman who is not jealous of her husband”.
Hadith 743, page 493, PDF page 337
Kill the snakes - war declared against snakes - one refusing to kill them for fear of revenge is unfaithful?
2, 753- The Prophet, ﷺ, said: “Kill the snakes, both large and small. We will no longer make peace with them since we declared war on them. Anyone who refuses to kill them for fear of revenge is unfaithful”.
Hadith 744, page 494, PDF page 338.
Non-existent surahs: The Psalms (of David), the Gospel and the Pentateuch - the best Surahs of The Quran according to Ibadi Hadith?
70, 821- Jābir also reported that ‛Uqba 'Ibn ‛Āmir Al-Juhanī said: The Prophet, ﷺ, presided over us once, at the sunrise prayer reciting the two preserving suras . Then he said: "O ‛Uqba, these two suras are the best among the suras of the Qur'an, the Psalms (of David), the Gospel and the Pentateuch". ‛Uqba added that some people claim that these two surahs are not part of the Quran. By this, they utter lies and become guilty of sins.
Hadith 810, page 521, PDF page 358.
More Hadiths for Part 3: Preview - Sahih Hadith and Non-Sahih Hadith having same or similar content
This totally destroys the standard celebrity scholar Sahih Hadith narrative. Here are 2 possible scenarios for each such case, both equally destroying the celebrity scholar narrative:
1. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ actually said or said something like what is mentioned in the Sahih Hadith and the Da'eef Hadith, and by labeling the reported saying as Da'eef, his ﷺ actual allegedly reported saying got labeled as Da'eef.
or
2. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not actually say or say something like what is mentioned in the Sahih Hadith and the Da'eef Hadith, and by labeling the reported saying as Sahih, something he ﷺ never said got labeled as Sahih.
Behold some examples below:
Additional references for the Hadith set already included in the PDF.
نهى رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صلَّى اللّٰهُ عليه وسلَّمَ عن التَّرَجُّلِ إِلَّا غِبًّا
Hadiths labeled as SahihHadiths labeled as Da'eef
Some additional examples, not yet included in the PDF, as no funding offer received yet to resume work on the DSHCCP PDF so far.
لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق
Hadiths labeled as Sahih or Hasan etc.Hadiths labeled as Non-sahih
Specific Hadiths : Labeled Sahih vs Labeled Da'eef
لا يُسأَلُ الرَّجُلُ فيما ضرَبَ امْرَأتَه
Hadiths labeled as Sahih or Hasan etc.Hadiths labeled as Non-sahih
Specific Hadiths : Labeled Sahih vs Labeled Da'eef
السلطانُ ظِلُّ اللّٰه في الأرض فمَن أكرَمَه أكرمَه اللّٰهُ ومَن أهانَه أهانه اللّٰهُ
Hadiths labeled as Sahih or Hasan etc.Hadiths labeled as Non-sahih
Specific Hadiths : Labeled Sahih vs Labeled Da'eef
Appendix 4 (Some notes and observations on the Science)
The following section has been copied from page 6,7 and 8 from Principles of Hadith Sciences Explanatory Notes on Ibn Hajar’s Nukhbat al-Fikar Based on Lectures of Sh. Yusuf ibn Sadiq al-Hanbali
Sound Reports (Ṣaḥīḥ)
- These are āḥād (mashhūr, ‘azīz, gharīb) reports that fulfill the following five criterias:
- All of the narrators in the chain are upright in their religion
- This means those who have the following traits:
- They avoid major sins
- They abstain from persisting in minor sins
- They do what the people accept and require in their custom
- They avoid what the people hate and despise in their custom
- This means those who have the following traits:
- All of the narrators are precise (ḍabṭ) in their memorization
- Meaning they do not make any effective changes to the hadith
- They transmit it precisely through either meaning or wording
- They can be considered precise due to their memorization or because they write it down. It is best to have both
- Meaning they do not make any effective changes to the hadith
- The chain of narrators is continuously connected without interruption
- It must be logically possible for the narrators in the chain to have met, for example, if a narrator was born years after the death of the one from whom he is transmitting the hadith, then this would not be accepted
- The report must be free of any hidden defects
- This is when a report appears to be fine and reliable to an untrained eye, however, it contains weaknesses. The weakness in the report can be seen through investigating it
- This is a separate subject studied by itself under sciences of hadith and requires its own specialization
- Ex: there is a report that has two chains with the exact same narrators, however, one is disconnected while the other is connected. A novice may look at this and just blindly accept the connected chain and ignore the disconnected one, however, after closer investigation it would have been clear that someone made a mistake in the connected chain. Therefore, the report does not have a connected chain
- It is not an anomalous (shādh) report
- According to Ibn Hajar, this is when a reliable narrator transmits a report which contradicts one transmitted by someone more trusted than him
- Ex: when an average acceptable narrator contradicts one of the giants in hadith scholarship
- Some scholars differ and define this as when a weak narrator transmits a report which contradicts one transmitted by a reliable one
- According to Ibn Hajar, this is when a reliable narrator transmits a report which contradicts one transmitted by someone more trusted than him
- All of the narrators in the chain are upright in their religion
- When a report meets all of the above five conditions, then it is considered ṣaḥīḥ by itself. The degree of ṣaḥīḥ in a report varies according to the variations in the above five conditions. The following order is generally accepted by the vast majority as the degree of ṣaḥīḥ from the most sound to the least:
- Those reports mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim both
- Those reports mentioned in Bukhari alone
- Those reports mentioned in Muslim alone
- Those reports that meet the criteria of Bukhari and Muslim both but are not mentioned by them in their books
- Those reports that meet the criteria of Bukhari alone but was not mentioned by him in his book
- Those reports that meet the criteria of Muslim alone but was not mentioned by him in his book
- Those reports authenticated but do not meet the requirements of Bukhari or Muslim
It must be logically possible for the narrators in the chain to have met, for example, if a narrator was born years after the death of the one from whom he is transmitting the hadith, then this would not be accepted
Wait a minute...! It comes down to logical possibility only for such a strong attribution, i.e. being in the same time era? What about proof of an actual physical meeting or meetings? What about proof that the alleged Hadith was transferred from 1 person to the other in this meeting?
Based on the above quoted text, how can any person ascertain and guarantee that the one he labeled as a trustworthy narrator fulfilled all the following:
That he avoided major sins, abstained from persisting in minor sins, did what the people accepted and required in their custom, avoided what the people hated and despised in their custom, was precise in his memorization, he did not make any effective changes to the hadith and transmitted it precisely through either meaning or wording. Moreover, he can be considered precise due to his memorization or because he wrote it down. It is best to have both.
The following text has been copied from PDF pages 16 and 17 of Chosen Thoughts on the Nomenclature of Hadith Specialists - Ibn Hajar
Forms of Conveyance
The forms of conveyance are:
- "Sami`tu" (I heard)
- and "haddathani" (he narrated to me)
- then "akhbarani" (he reported to me)
- and "qara'tu `alayhi" (I read to him)
- then "quri'a `alayhi wa-ana asma`u" (it was read to him while I heard)
- then "anba'ani" (he informed me)
- then "nawalani" (he put into my hands)
- then "shafahani" (he told me verbally)
- then "kataba ilayya" (he wrote to me)
- then "`an" (from) and the like
- The first two are for someone who heard the shaykh verbatim one-on-one. If pluralized then [he heard] with someone else. The first is the most explicit and is the highest-ranked in hadith dictation.
- The third and fourth are for someone who read [to the shaykh] while alone. If the plural is used it is like the fifth.
- Informing [the sixth] is synonymous with reporting [the third]. However, in the custom of the later generations it is for authorization (ijaza), like `an [from].
- The indecisive-transmission terminology [`an`ana i.e. "from so-and-so, from so-and-so"] of contemporaries is understood to be direct audition unless from a camouflaging reporter (mudallis). It is said that a condition is that the meeting of the said contemporaries be positively proven, even if only once; it is the preferred opinion (mukhtar).
- They used mushafaha for an oral authorization and mukataba for a written authorization [with the late scholars].
- For the authenticity of munawala, they stipulated that it be accompanied by permission to relate; it is the highest type of authorization (ijaza).
- They also stipulated permission for a report found (wijada i.e. "something found in a book"), likewise a book bequeathed (wasiyya bil-kitab), and in a shaykh's public announcement that he narrates something (i`lam), otherwise it is of no consequence; as is an authorization that is universal or to someone unknown [to us], or to someone nonexistent -- according to the soundest opinion concerning all of the above.
Quote ends above:
Wait a couple of minutes...!
It is mentioned: The indecisive-transmission terminology [`an`ana i.e. "from so-and-so, from so-and-so"] of contemporaries is understood to be direct audition unless from a camouflaging reporter (mudallis). It is said that a condition is that the meeting of the said contemporaries be positively proven, even if only once; it is the preferred opinion (mukhtar)
My question:
How is this understood to be direct audition as the default case without any proof? Where is the positive proof for meeting of the said contemporaries for each usage of 'an in the isnad?:
The following has been copied selectively from Intricacies in Hadith grading
... The system of grading Hadith is إجتهادى (Ijtihadi); open to difference of opinion ...
... The procedure of classifying the merit of the narrators and the authenticity of the Hadiths is one which is open to difference of opinion. No Hadith has ever been graded via wahy (revelation from Almighty ALLAH). The level of authenticity of Hadiths is judged by rules laid down by the scholars. There is no mention in the Quran or Hadith of any particular Hadith being classified as authentic or unauthentic. ...
... Therefore, if a Muhaddith (Hadith expert) classifies a particular Hadith as authentic, there may still be others who disagree with him and vice-versa. ...
... Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) said: “The scholars have differed when criticizing narrators just as they have differed in other aspects of knowledge.” (Al-‘ilalus-Saghir, Tirmidhi, vol. 5 pg. 709) ...
... Hafiz Ibnus Salah (rahimahullah) writes the following after defining the basic conditions for a Hadith to be classified as Sahih (authentic): “Sometimes the scholars differ on the authenticity of some Hadiths. This could be the result of their disagreement on whether the above conditions are met. It could even be the consequence of their disagreement on the relevance of some of these conditions.” (Muqaddimah Ibnus Salah, pg. 13) ...
... ‘Allamah Al-Mundhiri (rahimahullah) says: “The disagreement of the Muhaddithun (in their accreditation of the narrators) should be viewed like the disagreement of the Fuqaha (Jurists).” i.e., these are as legitimate as the conflicting views of the Jurists. (Jawabul Hafidh Al-Mundhiri -rahimahullah-, pg. 83) ...
... ‘Allamah Nawawi (rahimahullah) writes in the introduction to his commentary on Sahih Muslim (pg.16): “Sometimes a narrator may be reliable according to Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) and unreliable in the view of others.” ...
... Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) writes in his book: “Raf’ul Malam”: “The field of grading the narrators is vast, and the scholars may sometimes disagree on the credibility of the narrators just as the scholars of other branches of knowledge differ with each other.” (see: Qawa’id fi ‘Ulumil Hadith, pg.49) ...
... ‘Allamah Shamsudin Ibn ‘Abdil-Hadi (rahimahullah) says: “Sometimes a Muhaddith classifies a particular narrator as ‘Matruk’ (very weak) whereas others accept him (as reliable) and use his Hadith as proof.” (Sharhul-Qasidah pg. 41) ...
... ‘Allamah Dhahabi (rahimahullah) writes: “There are numerous Hadiths whose classification is debated; some scholars declare them as hasan (sound) and others deem them was weak.” (Al-Muqizah, pg.33) ...
... ‘Allamah Suyuti (rahimahullah) writes: “There are many narrations which were deemed as weak by some experts and hasan (sound) by others.” (Tadribur Rawi, vol.1 pg.217) ...
... Al-Muhaddith Zafar Ahmad At-Tahanawi (rahimahullah) writes after citing several quotations like the ones above: “There are innumerable quotations from the scholars that prove the above. Perhaps what I have cited is sufficient. Therefore a Hadith (or a narrator) being authentic or unauthentic according to one, doesn’t necessitate the same according to others.” (Qawa’id fi ‘Ulumil-Hadith, pg.55) ...
Quotations end above.
Now coming to the famous saying attributed to Ibn Sirin (d. 110/728 CE)
from Sahih Muslim Introduction
‘They would not ask about the chains of narration, and when the Fitnah occurred, they said: ‘Name for us your men’. So Ahl us-Sunnah would be regarded, and their Ḥadīth were then taken, and Ahl ul-Bi’dah would be regarded, and their Ḥadīth were not taken’.
There are 2 probable scenarios, caliphate of Ali, and reportedly the era of the 1st fitnah also falls under this era (656–661 CE) or 2nd fitnah (680–692 CE). A deeper study apparently favors the 2nd fitnah option. Moreover, if we go by the 1st option, it will mean, Ibn Sirin was alleging that the 4th Caliph according to the Sunnis i.e. Ali was Ahl ul-Bid'ah, which does not seem logical. Even calling it fitnah does not seem logical since this time is the era of the 4th rightly guided caliph Ali according to the Sunnis. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ reportedly died in 632 CE. The caliphate of Ali started about 24 years after his ﷺ death, while the 2nd fitnah started about 48 years after his ﷺ death. So apparently, isnads 1st started being demanded at least 48 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . It should have taken some years or even decades after which isnad became a necessary part for Hadiths. In fact so necessary, that even to label any statement as Hadith, if you don't have an isnad, you have to make one (perhaps by asking the one you took the Hadith from for the chain and then trusting that chain, or by mixing of some formal transmission and some form of estimation, or by estimation, or even outright fabrication), else be ready to have the statement you call Hadith be rejected. After these decades, how many people who had seen him ﷺ were still alive at that time? How can accuracy be guaranteed and chain be called flawless if it made its formal entry after decades! and in such a volatile environment with multiple sects and political turmoil and multiple non-Muslim hostile parties active! Most importantly, isn't your reasoning and intellect suspect if you practically prefer the Hadiths over The Quran, which has been perfectly preserved by ALLAH and this perfect preservation is perhaps the only reason, ALLAH is no longer sending any new prophets or messengers after Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, no matter how much confusion and misguidance and differences have spread in the world, because if The Quran is given the due authority and respect and preference it deserves, answers can be found for all outstanding issues inshaALLAH!. Concordance Labeling of Qur'anic Words and Aayaat is a solution.
Note: More work is required on Hadiths to re-evaluate the authenticity probabilities. The flaws in the current labeling of Hadiths are shown with evidences in this project DSHCCP. Ahad Hadiths at best yield probable knowledge only, with no exact wording guarantees. Further work must be done on their re-verification, focusing on the contents of each Hadith and then the chain of narrators of each Hadith and then on the assignment of authenticity probability percentages to them instead of using certain labels like Sahih or Da'eef etc.
