Hadith · AlMaghrib Journals

The Excellence of the Quraysh

AlMaghrib — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT

And just before I begin, the Quraysh aren’t the Saudi ruling family. What? You think I’m joking? Not at all. There are loads of Muslims out there who absolutely believe that only the current Arabs in Saudi Arabia are the modern-day Quraysh, all of them without exception.

Actually, there are not many surviving Quraysh today, but there are still remnants and not just in Saudi Arabia, and not just identified by al-Qurashi but also by al-Sharīf or al-Ashrāf especially as descendants from the original Hashemites. There are good numbers of the Quraysh to be found nearby in Yemen and Egypt, but then some places as varied as Kenya to Indonesia, having settled after their travels throughout history. It is probably true though that most of the purest in blood line can be found in Makkah, ‘Arafah and Tā’if amongst other places in Saudi Arabia.

Goes slightly against what you might have had in your mind right?

So firstly, let’s remind ourselves that the Quraysh were the leading Arab tribe in Makkah at the time of Prophethood. The Prophet ﷺ came from Bani Hāshim, a sub-clan of Bani ‘Abd Manāf who were one of the key clans from the Quraysh. And the Prophet ﷺ established the excellence of the Quraysh in many different narrations, directly and indirectly.

The very first evidence of their excellence is that the Prophet ﷺ comes from their tribe and he shares their lineage. The Prophets only come from the greatest of tribes and families in honour, standing and respect. The Prophet ﷺ said as narrated in Sahīh Muslim:

إن الله اصطفى كنانة من ولد إسماعيل، واصطفى قريشاً من كنانة، واصطفى من قريش بني هاشم، واصطفاني من بني هاشم

Allah chose Kinānah from the progeny of Ismā‘īl, chose Quraysh from Kinānah, chose Bani Hāshim from Quraysh and chose me from Bani Hāshim.

Secondly, the Prophet ﷺ said in Imām al-Bukhāri’s al-Adab al-Mufrad in a hasan narration:

عَنْ رِفَاعَةَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لِعُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ : ” اجْمَعْ لِي قَوْمَكَ ” ، فَجَمَعَهُمْ ، فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوا بَابَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ : قَدْ جَمَعْتُ لَكَ قَوْمِي ، فَسَمِعَ ذَلِكَ الْأَنْصَارُ فَقَالُوا : قَدْ نَزَلَ فِي قُرَيْشٍ الْوَحْيُ ، فَجَاءَ الْمُسْتَمِعُ وَالنَّاظِرُ مَا يُقَالُ لَهُمْ ، فَخَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَامَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ فَقَالَ : ” هَلْ فِيكُمْ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ ؟ ” قَالُوا : نَعَمْ ، فِينَا حَلِيفُنَا وَابْنُ أُخْتِنَا وَمَوَالِينَا ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ” حَلِيفُنَا مِنَّا ، وَابْنُ أُخْتِنَا مِنَّا ، وَمَوَالِينَا مِنَّا ، وَأَنْتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ : إِنَّ أَوْلِيَائِي مِنْكُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ ، فَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ أُولَئِكَ فَذَاكَ ، وَإِلَّا فَانْظُرُوا ، لَا يَأْتِي النَّاسُ بِالْأَعْمَالِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ، وَتَأْتُونَ بِالْأَثْقَالِ ، فَيُعْرَضَ عَنْكُمْ ” ، ثُمَّ نَادَى فَقَالَ : ” يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ – وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ يَضَعَهُمَا عَلَى رُءُوسِ قُرَيْشٍ – أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ، إِنَّ قُرَيْشًا أَهْلُ أَمَانَةٍ ، مَنْ بَغَى بِهِمْ – قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ : أَظُنُّهُ قَالَ : الْعَوَاثِرَ – كَبَّهُ اللَّهُ لِمِنْخِرَيْهِ ” ، يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ

Rifā‘ah b. Rāfi‘ (r) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said to ‘Umar (r), “Gather your people for me.” He gathered them, and once they were at the door of the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Umar entered and said, “I’ve gathered for you my people.” The Ansār heard this and said, “Revelation has been sent down regarding the Quraysh.” People came to hear and see what would be said, so the Prophet ﷺ came out and stood amongst them and said, “Are there any amongst you who are not from your own selves?” They replied, “Yes, there are those who we are in alliance with, our nephews and our mawlās.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Our allies are from us, our nephews are from us, our mawlās are from us. O you who are listening: my friends are those amongst you who maintain taqwā. If you are from them then good, but if not, then be careful lest people come on the Day of Standing with good deeds whereas you come with burdens, and you are cast aside.” Then he called out and said, “O People – and he lifted his hands and placed them on the heads of the Quraysh – O People! The Quraysh are the most trustworthy people. Whoever wishes for them – and Zuhayr said, “I think he said “problems” – Allah will throw him on his face.” He said that three times.

This narration in which the Prophet ﷺ was addressing the Muslims in Madinah indicates the excellence of the Quraysh. The Prophet ﷺ raising his hands for them and then putting his hands on the heads of the Quraysh strengthens the main message of this hadīth which is how close they are to the Prophet ﷺ.

The statement that they are the people of amānah has been explained in Faydh’l-Qadīr in various ways; they are the foremost in the choice for leadership, and that is due to their trustworthiness, reliability, honesty and all other such qualities that a successful leader needs. They also said that the Quraysh’s supporting of the Prophet ﷺ, their love for him, their respect for him and their closeness to him in kin ﷺ is an amānah that the people have to take on with respect to how they treat and deal with the Quraysh. All of this is possible in interpretation. Remember, with the importance of amānah being so emphasised in Islām, and such a difficult characteristic to achieve in our lives and also being the first quality that the Nation will lose as the Prophet ﷺ told us, then to be the “people of amānah” is a true praise.

Also, the phrase “‘Awāthir” or “problems” from the above narration, deserves further study. It comes from a root word عثر which means “to fall over, to stumble, to trip up.” The more advanced forms of the word such as عاثور mean a trap that is set up for animals like a snare for a lion or a pit that is dug for an animal to fall into. Likewise عِثار means that thing which someone stumbles over or causes one to fall and the plural of that is عواثير which is like the narrated word above with an extra ي but it also correct without the ي as in the version narrated here. That’s why we believe only humiliation will result for those who want the Quraysh to “trip up” or are trying to “plot their downfall”. Also, the word means “places of danger” and “death”, making it even more serious. Also, it means “to cause someone difficulty, hardship and distress.” That’s why I have translated the word as “problems” although clearly the word has a much higher connotation – “problems” combines all the evil intentions of those who wish harm, distress and a bad name for the Quraysh whilst at the same time trying to plot their downfall, diminish their status and cause them to literally fall from grace.

The last portion of the above narration has been narrated by Imam Ahmed as “throw him in the fire on his face” but here it means to basically humiliate and shame anyone who would oppose the Quraysh; the face and especially the nose has always been mentioned in Arabic and the word مِنْخِرَيْهِ literally means “his nostrils”. The understood meaning of this final statement though is that any one who becomes an enemy to the Quraysh will be destroyed and why not, when Allah himself has purified their hearts, despite their late entry into Islam yet with their excellence established. As Ibn Hajr said, “No-one opposes them except that they are defeated in this world and punished in the Hereafter.”

The Prophet ﷺ also said about the Quraysh in the Musannaf and Kanz al-‘Ummāl:

خيار قريش خيار الناس , وشرار قريش شرار الناس , والذي نفس محمد بيده , لولا أن تبطر قريش لأخبرتها بما لخيارها عند الله أو ما لها عند الله

The best of Quraysh are the very best of mankind and the worst of the Quraysh are the very worst of mankind. By the One in Whose Hand lies the soul of Muhammad, if it was not for the fact that the Quraysh become proud, I would have informed them of their position of excellence with Allah.

In the Musnad of Imām Ahmad, the Prophet ﷺ said in the authentic narration:

إن للقرشي مثل قوة رجلين من غير قريش

Certainly, a man from the Quraysh has the strength of two men from other than the Quraysh

Imām al-Zuhri was asked about the meaning of this statement and he replied, “in their superior opinions.”

There are many other narrations in the praise of the Quraysh but this is sufficient for now.

The issue though that some people find difficult is whether Islam promotes favouritism here with respect to the Quraysh? What happened to any idea of equality and everyone being judged the same and on the merit of their own actions? Is the love of the Prophet ﷺ for his tribe and family biased?

In brief, the first response to this is mentioned in the same hadīth above narrated in al-Adab al-Mufrad where the Prophet ﷺ censures the Quraysh and warns them to not fall short in good deeds. He also clarifies that when it actually comes down to it, then it’s only the people of taqwa who are his true friends and supporters. The word “walīyy” in the first narration above has all these connotations – he ﷺ doesn’t make his friends those who are just related to him as al-Qastalāni said in explanation of this statement; it’s as if he ﷺ is saying, “I don’t befriend simply those who are related to me. I love only Allah because that is His obligatory right from His servants, and I love the righteous believers for His Sake alone, and I love those who are loved because of their righteousness and their imān, whether he is a relative or not – I look after and fulfil the rights of my relatives in order to maintain the ties of kinship.”

This is of course supported by the narration in the Sahīh of Imām al-Bukhāri:

آل أبي طالب ليسوا إلي بأولياء , إنما وليي الله وصالح المؤمنين

The family of Abu Tālib are not necessarily my friends; my friend is only Allah and the Righteous Believers.

No-one should have any doubt that the Quraysh or those who call themselves Hāshimis or Syeds or the Hābā’ib or whoever wants to be from the Prophet’s ﷺ lineage will have no advantage over anyone else unless they are people of taqwa first and foremost and then that they come with good deeds. In another authentic hadīth narrated in al-Adab al-Mufrad, the Prophet ﷺ said:

O Bani Ka‘b b. Lu‘ay! Save yourselves from the Fire! O Bani ‘Abd Manāf! Save yourselves from the Fire! O Bani Hāshim! Save yourselves from the Fire! O Bani ‘Abd al-Muttalib! Save yourselves from the Fire! O Fātimah daughter of Muhammad! Save yourself from the Fire! I cannot do anything for you with respect to Allah’s decision other than that you have ties of kinship which I shall maintain.

Thus this is a point which needs no further explanation and the narrations on this point are too numerous to mention.

Secondly, we need to make an important clarification: there is no such thing as “equality” in Islam. Many Muslims have some mistaken idea, probably due to the influences of our modern-day culture, that everyone is in someway equal with respect to everything and anything.

This is not correct. Allah chooses some people to better than others, blesses some with understanding that He doesn’t give to others, gives some people strength that He doesn’t give to others, makes some from the Prophetic family and not others, makes some Companions and not others, and indeed blesses some with Prophethood and not others. This is all under His Divine Will and Wisdom of which we know little about, yet there is no doubt about Allah’s justice in all that He chooses. Whether we are the chosen ones or not with respect to any particular advantage, absolutely everyone has to opportunity to make it to the top. You don’t have to be from Quraysh to get al-Firdaws. Dying as a martyr in battle is probably easier, but who’s up for it?

Also, men and women have different qualities and they will likewise use those different qualities to accumulate good deeds in different ways, one sex having an advantage one day whereas the other sex will have the advantage the other day. And the examples for this in creation are many.

Also, people with advantages are held more accountable as well so it isn’t all necessarily plain sailing. If you are meant to be blessed like being from the Quraysh, you will be more under the microscope and you can expect your punishment to be equal to the amount of your advantage if you are to slip up. Ask any of the real people of Ahl’l-Bayt or the Imāms and the scholars and see what they tell you about the pressures of expectation.

But of which there is no doubt is that everyone has an equal chance to become the very, very best. When the Prophet ﷺ emphasised that neither Arab had superiority over a non-Arab, or a white man over a black man etc, then this is to close the door to discrimination by the creation themselves and to allow everyone the same opportunity to gain taqwa.

As for how those who have extra blessings on their side because of their lineage, their tribe, or other such good fortune etc, will actually use that advantage, we see various understandings from the scholars: if we take the above narrations for the Quraysh then it is understood that they will find achieving taqwa more easy, they will suffer less temptations, they will find more support from their community etc. This doesn’t mean though that if another normal person gains the same level of taqwa, that they will be rewarded differently in the After-life. Rather, the very basics of Islam affirm that everyone will be rewarded according to their efforts and their results, and Allah knows best.

Don’t Worry, Allah Is With Us

AlMaghrib — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

The Prophet ﷺ was forced out of Makkah despite it being the most beloved of lands to him. Likewise, the most beloved of people to him – Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq – was also forced to leave, may Allah be pleased with him.

The Prophet’s tribe – the Quraysh – showed probably the greatest enmity to him possible despite the much love he showed to them. They gathered their likes together one night to kill him, in a manner that would allow his blood to be shared between the various tribes.

Once they realised that the Prophet ﷺ had fled, they dispatched all forms of search teams and hunting units around Makkah to try and find him, promising huge bounties to the one who brought him back dead or alive.

The Mushrikīn reached the opening of the cave that the Prophet ﷺ and his companion were hiding in. Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq said, “I looked at the feet of the Mushrikīn whilst we were in that cave, and they were literally on top of us. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, if any one of them just looks down they will see us!” The Prophet ﷺ said, “What do you think O Abu Bakr of two people, whose third is Allah?” (Agreed upon)

The Prophet and his companion left everything behind: their wives, their children, their wealth, their friends, their land, everything. But Allah was with them, as He always is with all the righteous believers.

Whoever loses something but instead gains the companionship or ma‘īyyah of Allah (Allah is “with him”), then he has gained absolutely everything. And whoever gains the Dunya with all its comforts but loses the companionship of Allah and the believers, then he has lost absolutely everything.

I think this concept occurs four times in the Qur’ān, i.e. that Allah is with the patient. Patience is usually associated with losing something valuable, such as wealth or family or a child etc, and so Allah reminds them that to be patient and to gain the ma‘īyyah of Allah will leave them with something better that they will eventually see.

Something similar happened to Mūsa (‘alayhis-salām) when he fled with his people from Fir‘awn and his army. They ended up being trapped between Fir‘awn and the sea and his people cried out “We shall definitely be caught!” (26:61) to which Mūsa replied “No, my Lord is with me: He will guide me.” (26:62) and the rest of course is history.

Look at what Mūsa (‘alayhis-salām) said, my Lord is “with me”, and look at what the Prophet ﷺ said, our Lord is “with us” i.e. with him and his companion Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, just so that you can realise what kind of status Abu Bakr achieved for Allah to be with him and for him to accompany the Prophet ﷺ alone in his most important and dangerous journey ever.

It is from the signs of goodness that a person finds himself in the companionship of the believers, because Allah is with the believers as He has said Himself in His Book. Whoever remains with the righteous will find himself sharing in their blessings.

“Companionship” is not a meeting, or a meal together or being friendly towards other people. Companionship is a long-term, close and cherished relationship.

And so if such companionship of the people of patience and the Ākihrah is a blessing, then it is also from the signs of misery that a person finds himself in such close and cherished companionship of the people of disbelief, hypocrisy and sin or thoes who curse the best of people after the Prophets, especially Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq which the Qur’ān has explicitly stated that Allah is with him. Let this be a reflection for those who would choose to make enmity with Abu Bakr because they have also declared enmity for the One who is with Abu Bakr as well.

Let this verse…

إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا

“When he (Muhammad) said to his companion,

‘Do not worry, Allah is with us.’”

(9:40)

…be a reminder to us all to never lose trust in Allah jalla wa ‘alā, to be patient in the trials that He gives us, to realise that if we make Allah’s pleasure our main objective then we will get far much more than anything we may lose along the journey, and that in order to achieve this objective, we must try and keep company with the righteous believers who will always and continuously remind us of exactly all the above every time.

And Allah knows best.

Allah Gives More Than That

AlMaghrib — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“No Muslim will make a du‘ā – as long as he avoids something sinful therein or trying to break family ties – except that Allah gives him one of three things:

a) He brings about quickly what he made du‘ā for

b) He stores it for him in the Hereafter

c) He averts from him a similar harm.”

The Companions said, “Well, we’ll make plenty more then!”

The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Allah gives more than that.””

A few notes on this fabulous hadith:

– it was narrated by Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) and collected by Imam Ahmad and also by Imam Abu Ya‘lā with a good chain. We consider it to be authentic with its supporting narrations, such as the version of ‘Ubadah b. al-Samit as collected by Imam al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim, and the version of Abu Hurayrah as collected by Imam Ahmad, etc. Here is the original text of the version of Abu Sa‘eed:

ما من مسلم يدعو بدعوة ليس فيها إثم ولا قطيعة رحم إلا أعطاه الله بها إحدى ثلاث

إما أن يعجل له دعوته، وإما أن يدخرها له في الآخرة، وإما أن يصرف عنه من السوء مثلها

قالوا: إذن نكثر

قال: الله أكثر

– the most important lesson from this narration is that whatever happens when you make du‘ā, you will be responded to, and that response will be one of these three amazing blessings, each one brilliant in its own way but little understood by the one supplicating. Once the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, heard this and realised that all and every single one of their du‘ā is being answered in this positive fashion, they didn’t hesitate and stated to the Prophet ﷺ that would then increase even more in the amount of du‘ā they made, to which the Prophet ﷺ said that Allah jalla wa ‘ala would have even more than what that kept asking for, and then more than that too. Allahu Akbar.

– committing sin within the du‘ā could be many things, such as asking for something haram, or being impatient with Allah, or feeling like Allah owes you something when you call upon Him, or speaking arrogantly and loudly etc.

– breaking ties means that you perhaps out of extreme anger, call for harm to a family member even if they have wronged you, or you ask to be removed from the family or that they be removed from you. This again emphasises the importance of studying the fiqh of the family, because it is a massive aspect in our Deen. In simple summarised terms, one must be as patient as possible with all problems in the family set-up. Be anyone and anything but don’t be the one who breaks the family up, cuts the ties, and refuses to meet and speak. Its consequences are devastating. If the other party want to initiate boycotting and ignorant behaviour, let them. But you should keep on trying to fix and connect and normalise as much as humanly possible. And when you can’t any more, and you have reached your absolute limit then know that Allah doesn’t burden a soul more than it can bear. Then stay silent, and don’t make a du‘ā for family ties to be split, but instead ask Allah for strong shoulders and patience to deal with the problem, and that you be protected from their harm. Such a request is very, very different from wishing that you never see your mother again or your sister again etc.

– your du‘ā “being stored” for you in the Hereafter means that a person is actually given something far, far better than what they actually asked for. It means that Allah jalla wa ‘ala makes you patient through your trial that you are asking for help with, and as a result of that in the Hereafter, when Allah shows you your du‘ā that you wanted, and also what you got instead of it by Him not giving it to you at that time, you will realise just how fortunate you was to not get what you asked for! When you are given Jannah for all the tribulations you were patient with, you will realise how well Allah has treated you. So yes that does mean we should be patient through all our difficulties, but you must still ask Allah for help and patience too. Never get out of the habit of making du‘ā, because it works for you even when it “doesn’t” “work” for you.

– the “averting of a similar harm from you” is different from the second response above in that you actually receive this in your lifetime. So you might for example ask for one thing, and not realise how harmful it would be, and by not giving it to you, a harm is taken away from you. Something which looks great now, could be tragic later. We all know that from personal experience with Qadr. How many times have we really wanted something and then years later we are so happy that we didn’t get it? And likewise how many times does a disaster occur and we feel like our life is not worth living, and then soon later you realise it was an incredible blessing that brought so many good effects and results. Or what if you ask for something, and instead Allah decides to save you from kufr? You’d never begrudge that! There are many more examples of this, but the key is that in principle these all happen in your life time, unlike the second category which is for the Akhirah.

– “Allahu akthar” which I have translated as “Allah gives more than that” has different meanings but basically whatever we ask Allah for, however many times, however the number of people, however the length of time itself, Allah has more than that, and gives more than that.

Remember the hadith qudsi as collected by Imam Muslim, where Allah jalla wa ‘ala tells us:

“O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you, to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put into it.”

Whatever we can even imagine to ask for, Allah gives greater than that.

You might ask Allah for something what you consider to be unimaginable, but Allah gives better and even more fantastical than that.

You might ask Allah every second of your waking day, and Allah gives every second of your sleeping night too.

In summary, du‘ā is our quintessential act of worship and we must never tire, let up or ever stop doing it whether you understand the response or not, understand the system or not, or see the results or not, because as long as you keep working at it, it’s working for you.

And Allah knows best.

The Most Authentic Versions Of The Major Hadith Collections

AlMaghrib — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

People are always asking the question what are the best versions available of the well known Hadīth texts or the Ummuhāt’l-Kutub in Hadīth such as the “Six Major Books” otherwise known as the Kutub’l-Sittah (and not the “Sahīh Sittah” as they are erroneously called by some).

For any Hadīth student, it is useful to know this information as well as knowing the difference between what “the best version” actually means – for beginners, the “best” version means the latest print, or the latest “tahqīq” or the “one with full tashkīl” (!) or the version printed by a certain partisan publisher etc.

As for the scholars, the “best” version usually refers to that text which has had the highest level of work done on it, checking of manuscripts, verification of chains, authenticating of the actual texts, numbering and order etc. This is what is referred to as tahqīq. As for what some people refer to when a Hadīth scholar goes over the existing narrations in a text and then rules on their authenticity or weakness himself, then at best this is called takhrīj if the scholar has utterly exhausted all possibilities for that narration existing in all its forms and then ruling upon the apparent and hidden faults of those combined chains. If it is just a simple “sahīh” or “dha‘īf” ruling that is offered then this is normally someone’s little project because it is not from the classical types of work done to a text; yet still, this has proved useful in modern times for those who want a simple and quick ruling on various traditions, despite the obvious detail and quality lacking for those who are dependent on this method.

Significantly, now that so many students of knowledge search for texts and specific statements on Google or on specialist websites or in Islamic software programs and apps such as the very popular Maktabat’l-Shamela program, we have seen a gradual decline in the use of actual physical books, and with that, we have lost in our minds somewhat the importance of checking whether that digital scanned text is faithful to the actual original. Very rarely do I see students check for the quality of the text they are using or copying pasting – as long as it says Sahīh al-Bukhāri then that should be enough, right?

Those who were around before the days of such electronic programs only know too well just how wrong that is. The difference between buying a cheap Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah print versus an expensive Mu’assasat’l-Risalah version of a standard particular book, is the difference between regret and happy confidence. The difference between choosing a publisher which is focusing on business, versus one which is focusing more on the promotion of a certain work and less about the profit, can be huge. Quality, quality, quality. Every time you purchase a text which has been given its full right, and the quality shines through, you will never regret it. Regardless of how much it cost you. And with so many students not caring for “versions” whatsoever and rather whatever is just easiest to copy and paste into your notes, the this knowledge of knowing “which print and publisher did the best job on a text” versus the other twenty publishers that tried to do the same thing, truly needs reviving every once in a while. Of course, there will always be a difference of opinion amongst readers what the “best” version really is being the subjective decision that is, and there are also constantly new versions being released of the classic texts which might be improving the game every day. The list below though represents what the senior scholars have been relying upon over the last few decades and have tested and proved to be the best in their field in our time. Old is gold as they say, and this list is also one which the contemporary scholar and eminent Muhaddith Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Yusuf Al-Judai ratified and agreed to.

Thus, in the light of our current modern use of electronic texts which I might call the “ethical imperative”, and of course the constant attack from both East and West against what really constitutes our tradition and what doesn’t and thus what we might call the “academic imperative”, as well as what should be our relentless pursuit of perfection and excellence in our sciences as per the concepts of ihsan and itqan which we might call our “spiritual imperative”, here is a list of the best and most authentic versions and tahqīqāt of the major texts.

I guess it is irony mixed with sadness itself that we start with the first and greatest of all these texts, the Sahīh of Imām al-Bukhāri, and we realise that the best, single, complete and most authentic version of the text is the Ottoman inspired Sultāniyyah version. If Sultān ‘Abd’l-Hamīd has nothing else in his scale of good deeds, perhaps this might be enough? How we wish that the Ottoman empire might rise again to former glories…

After the Sultāniyyah version of the Sahīh, the next best to use is the version authenticated by Mustapha Dīb al-Bughā.

For the Sahīh of Imām Muslim, we rely on the version of Muhammad Fu’ād ‘Abd’l-Bāqi.

For the Muwatta of Imām Mālik, we rely on the version of Muhammad Fu’ād ‘Abd’l-Bāqi as well as the equally good version by Bashhār ‘Awwad al-Ma‘rūf.

For the Musannaf of ‘Abd’l-Razzāq, it is the classic Indian version by Habīb’l-Rahmān al-A‘zami which is relied upon.

For the Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah, the current version by Muhammad al-‘Awwāmah has established itself as the best and most accurate available.

For the Musnad of Imām Ahmad, we rely on the new version by Shu‘ayb al-Arna‘ūt and his team for it is the most authenticated and exact.

For the Sunan of Imām Abu Dāwūd, we rely on the version of ‘Izzat ‘Ubayd Al-Da‘ās and also that by Bashhār ‘Awwad al-Ma‘rūf.

For the Sunan of Imām al-Tirmidhi, we rely on the version by Bashhār ‘Awwad al-Ma‘rūf again.

For the Sunan of Imām al-Nasā’i, we rely on the version of ‘Abd’l-Fattāh Abu Ghuddah.

As for the Sunan of Imām Ibn Mājah then both the versions by Muhammad Fu’ād ‘Abd’l-Bāqi and Bashhār ‘Awwad al-Ma‘rūf are relied upon.

May Allah have mercy upon all the original authors, those scholars after them that kept the link going, and those today whose concern for the sacred tradition has ensured that this religion remains complete and invincible until the Final Day, amīn.

“There Wasn’t Even A Single Merciful Man Amongst You!?”

AlMaghrib — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Reflect upon the following story and the lessons we can take from it:

On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās (radhyAllāhu ‘anhumā) that the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) dispatched a military unit. Upon gathering the booty they found a man who said, “I’m not from them! I fell in love with a woman and followed her here – allow me to at least look at her then you can do with me as you wish!”

The woman, tall and ebony-skinned, came forward and he said to her,

“Submit to me O Hubaysh,
before life comes to an end.

Have you not seen how I found you and followed you
To Halyah, through tight mountainous ravines?

Is it not the right of the lover to yearn
After suffering the entire night in pursuit and heat of the noon?”

She said, “Yes! May I be sacrificed for you!”

Then they took the man and killed him. The woman fell on his body, gasped once or twice, then died.

When the unit returned to the Messenger of Allah (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and informed him of what had happened, he said, “There wasn’t even a single merciful man amongst you?!”

This narration, collected by Imām al-Nasā’i (al-Kubra, 8663) as well as al-Tabarāni, has a hasan chain, which al-Haythami also stated. Ibn Hajr declared the chain authentic in al-Fath, although there is a dispute about its strength amongst the Muhaddithīn.

A powerful and sad hadith, it contains many benefits for the interested reader. Before that, some explanation to the hadith itself:

– A sarīyyah is a military unit that would be sent out by the leader either to spread the message of Islam or for more acute actual battle scenarios, all depending on instructions and the situation at hand. This particular unit as described by the hadith had come across a rebellious group of Arabs who refused to accept the rule of law which was in operation in the land and instead attacked the unit and hence some were taken as prisoners and a death sentence was passed on all of them, except that the man in this narration wasn’t part of the original group of rebels – explaining as he does that he was only in the area of the battle because he had ended up there by chance, having fallen in love with a woman and followed her there – but yet was killed – mistakenly – along with the other criminals despite his protests.

– Such units were sent out often and unfortunately, mistakes would occur, the most famous of them with a similar rebuke from the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is related in the Sahīh of Imam al-Bukhari when Khālid b. al-Walid killed a prisoner which led the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to invoke, “O Allah! I am innocent of what Khalid has done!”

– The place in which the above narration occurred was called al-Halyah (also said to be al-Halbah in some narrations). Halyah was though to be from the plains of Yemen yet it is more likely to be within Arabia itself, near a place called Tihāma. This is supported by other ahādith which mention this incident with slight differences (see no.10356 of al-Majma‘ al-Zawā’id, also no. 8787 of Sunan al-Kubrā of al-Nasā’i).

– The name of this lady was Hubayshah but he referred to her with a term of endearment by shortening her name to “Hubaysh”, something done similarly by the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) when he would affectionately call Ā‘ishah simply “Ā‘ish” as narrated by Imam al-Bukhāri in his Sahīh.

– The man was infatuated with this woman, forgetting even death for a moment just to look at her one more time and even asked her to allow him this with his statement ‘submit yourself’ i.e. don’t begrudge me this last moment. Other scholars mentioned that it might mean ‘accept Islam’ or even ‘give me peace’ but the first position seems to fit the context and Allah knows best.

– The woman’s response ‘fadaytuka’ is a well known expression of love and sacrifice amongst the Arabs, being an extreme sign of love and commitment. Indeed, the companions would often come and express their loyalty to the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) with the same term. The context of the story and the clear love on display necessitates the translation as it has been given.

The beauty of this narration is that it shows some of the excellence of the Arabs in their poetry, their concern for love and romance, and emphasises the overriding principle of ease and gentleness in Islam as illustrated by the Prophet, despite Islam’s strict disciplinary and penal code in times of necessity.

So, from the many lessons, points of law and indeed benefits of this narration as mentioned by the scholars:

1. The intrinsic gentle nature of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

2. Pardoning precedes punishment.

3. The power of love and its consequences, to the extent that it can make a man forget death.

4. Love (and its consequent sadness) can kill as illustrated by how Hubaysh died of grief.

5. A lesson to be learnt for those attempting to give fatwa to kill someone – it is the most difficult and unenviable of responsibilities.

6. The virtue of mercy to the creation, even if they differ with you.

7. The concern of the leader for giving all people the possibility of hearing about Islam, and hence his emphasis on da’wah.

8. That the leaders should always be fully appraised by those under his command so that he can either confirm their actions or correct them.

9. Both men and women of that time were equal in their knowledge of Arabic language and culture. Shouldn’t we give our women greater opportunity today to do the same?

10. It is permissible to look at a non-Mahram woman if there is a need; how else were the Sahābah able to describe her skin so accurately?

11. The intrinsic disadvantages of keeping continual company of such criminals or evil people. The man wasn’t even from this group yet he was taken because he was with them.

12. The severity of the Sahābah, radhyAllāhu ‘anhum, on kufr and criminals.

13. There is no need for expiation/blood money if the Mujāhidīn make an honest mistake after their best efforts of ijtihād. Did they make their best effort? There is discussion on this point.

14. Punishment is not immediate; a delay for requests or other reasons is allowed.

15. The Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would often reprimand his Companions, and as here, with severity.

16. The Sahābah are not ma‘sūm (protected from making mistakes and sinning).

And Allah ‘azza wa jall knows best.