بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Intro: When does a weak hadīth become Hasan
Meaning of hasan li-ghayrihi: “…it is the hadīth that contains weakness that is not severe, such as its narrator being weak (but) not descending below the rank of one who is considered (for supporting evidence), or a mudallis [one who practices tadlīs] who did not explicitly state hearing, or its chain being interrupted (munqatiʿ). And all of this is conditional upon two matters: that the hadīth not be irregular (shādhdh), and that it be narrated from another route like it or stronger than it with its wording or meaning.” (Mu’jam Mustalahāt Hadithiyyah pg. 319)
Al-Nawawī said: “When a hadīth is narrated from weak routes, it doesn’t necessitate that hasan (good grade) results from their combination.
Rather, what was weak due to the poor memory of its truthful and trustworthy narrator – (this weakness) disappears by its coming from another route and becomes hasan.
And likewise if its weakness was due to being mursal [having a missing link in the chain], (this weakness) disappears by its coming from another route.
But as for weakness due to the transgression/sin/disobedience (fisq) of the narrator, the agreement of others does not affect it. And Allāh knows best.” (al-Taqrīb pg. 58)
Hāfidh Ibn Kathīr said: “…because [weakness] varies – from it is what does not disappear with supporting narrations, meaning: it does not matter whether it is a follower or followed – such as the narration of liars and the abandoned (matrūkīn) and their like [verifier commented saying: “meaning from the weak ones with severe weakness, such as one who is described with the statement “very weak (daʿīf jiddan)”].
And from (the weak hadīth) is weakness that disappears with supporting narration, as when its narrator has poor memory, or narrated the hadīth as mursal. For indeed the supporting narration benefits in that case, and it raises the hadīth from the depths of weakness to the pinnacle of hasan or Sahīh.”
Shaykh Ahmad Shākir commented on Ibn Kathīrs statement saying: “And by this becomes clear the error of many of the later scholars in their unrestricted statement that when a weak hadīth comes from multiple weak routes, it rises to the level of hasan or sahīh.
For if the weakness of the hadīth is due to the transgression/sin/disobedience (fisq) of the narrator or his (condition) being attributed with lying, then it comes from other routes of this type, (it) increases weakness upon weakness. Because the isolation of those attributed with lying or those criticised in their integrity, such that none other than them narrates it, removes confidence in their hadīth and supports the weakness of their narration. And this is clear.” (al-Bā’ith al-Hathīth pg. 66)
The weak narrations of calling the adhān/iqāmah for the newborn
Hadīth 1:
Abū Dawūd 5105:
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَاصِمُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عن عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بنِ أَبِي رَافِع ، عن أَبِيهِ قال : رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَذَّنَ فِي أُذُنِ الْحَسَنِ بنِ عَلِيٍّ ، حِينَ وَلَدَتْهُ فَاطِمَةُ ، بالصَّلَاةِ
Musaddad narrated to us, Yahyā narrated to us, from Sufyān, he said: ‘Āsim ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh narrated to me from ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Abī Rāfi’ that his father said: “I saw the Messenger of Allāh recite the Adhān in the ears of Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī, when Fātimah gave birth to him.”
Hāfidh Zubayr ‘Alī Za’ī said: “Its chain of transmission is weak. It was [also] recorded by al-Tirmidhī…under the chapter: The Adhān in the ear of the newborn, hadīth: 1514, from the narration of Yahyā al-Qattān with it. And he [i.e. Tirmidhī] said: “Hasan Sahīh”, [even though] ʿĀsim ibn ʿUbayd Allāh is weak. And for the hadīth there are supporting witnesses (shawāhid) that are extremely weak and not suitable to be used as supporting evidence.” (Takhrīj Abū Dawūd 5/414)
Imām al-Mubārakfūrī said: “Al-Mundhirī said in Talkhīs al-Sunan after transmitting al-Tirmidhī’s statement: “In its chain is ‘Āsim ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn ‘Āsim ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb. Imām Mālik criticised/found fault with him, Ibn Ma’īn said: ‘Weak, his hadīth is not used as evidence,’ and others spoke about him. Abū Hātim Muhammad ibn Hibbān al-Bustī criticised his narration of this hadīth and others.” End of al-Mundhirī’s statement.
I say (i.e. Al-Mubārakfūrī): Al-‘Ijlī said: “There is no problem with him.” Ibn ‘Adī said: “Despite his weakness, his hadīth is written down.” Ibn Khuzaymah said: “I do not use him as evidence due to his poor memory.” Thus in Mīzān al-I’tidāl.” (al-Tuhfah 9/276)
Shaykh Al-Arnāūt said: “Its chain is weak due to the weakness of ‘Asim ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh.” (Takhrīj Musnad Imām Ahmad 39/297)
In the version collected by al-Tabarānī 926:
– حدثنا محمد بن عبد الله الحضرمي، ثنا عون بن سلام، ح وحدثنا الحسين بن إسحاق التستري، ثنا يحيى الحماني، قالا ثنا حماد بن شعيب، عن عاصم بن عبيد الله، عن علي بن الحسين، عن أبي رافع :أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أذن في أذن الحسن والحسين رضي الله عنهما حين ولدا، وأمر به
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hadramī narrated to us, ‘Awn ibn Salām narrated to us, – and al-Husayn ibn Ishāq at-Tustarī narrated to us, Yahyā al-Hamānī narrated to us. They both said: Hammād ibn Shu’ayb narrated to us, from ‘Āsim ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh, from ‘Alī ibn al-Husayn, from Abū Rāfi’: “That the Prophet (ﷺ) called the adhān in the ears of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, may Allāh be pleased with them both, when they were born, and commanded (with) it.”
Shaykh al-Arnāūt said: “This is a very weak chain, containing – besides ‘Asim ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh – Hammād ibn Shu’ayb, whom there is agreement on him being weak.” (Takhrīj Musnad Imām Ahmad 39/297)
Imām al-Haythamī said: “…in it is Hammād ibn Shu’ayb, who is very weak.” (Majma al-Zawāid 8/643)
Imām Al-Albānī declared the hadīth weak and said: “…so I graded the hadīth of Abū Rāfiʿ (initially) as hasan (good) [due to supporting narrations] as in “al-Irwāʾ” (1173/400/4).
And now that al-Bayhaqī’s book “al-Shuʿab” has been published – and praise be to Allāh – and I have examined its chain in it, and the severity of its weakness became clear to me, I have retracted from the mentioned grading as hasan, and the hadīth of Abū Rāfiʿ has returned to the weakness that its chain necessitates [i.e. weak and not suitable for elevation to authenticity].” (Slightly paraphrased, al-Da’īfah 6121)
Hadīth 2/3:
Shu’ab al-Īmān of al-Bayhaqī, 8619:
أخبرنا أبو محمد بن فراس بمكة أنا أبو حفص الجمحي نا علي بن عبد العزيز نا عمرو بن عون أنا يحيى بن العلاء الرازي عن مروان بن سالم عن طلحة (بن) عبد الله العقيلي عن (الحسين) بن علي قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من ولد له مولود فأذن في أذنه اليمنى وأقام في أذنه اليسرى رفعت عنه أم الصبيات
Abū Muhammad ibn Firās informed us in Makkah [that] Abū Hafs al-Jumahī informed us [that] ‘Alī ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz narrated to us [that] ‘Amr ibn ‘Awn informed us [that] Yahyā ibn al-‘Alā’ ar-Rāzī [narrated] from Marwān ibn Sālim from Talhah (ibn) ‘Abd Allāh al-‘Uqaylī from (al-Husayn) ibn ‘Alī, who said: The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said: “Whoever has a child born to him and calls the adhān in his right ear and establishes the iqāmah in his left ear, Umm as-Sabiyyāt will be lifted from him.“
Musnad Abū Ya’lā 6780:
حدثنا جبارة، حدثنا يحيى بن العلاء، عن مروان بن سالم، عن طلحة بن عبيد الله، عن حسين، قال: قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم :من ولد له فأذن في أذنه اليمنى وأقام في أذنه اليسرى، لم تضره أم الصبيان
Jabbārah narrated to us, Yahyā ibn al-ʿAlāʾ narrated to us, from Marwān ibn Sālim, from Talhah ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, from Husayn (ibn ʿAlī), (who) said: The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said: “Whoever has (a child) born to him and calls the adhān in his right ear and establishes the iqāmah in his left ear, umm al-sibyān will not harm him.“
Imām Al-Albānī declared the isnād as Mawdū’ (fabricated) saying: “Yahyā ibn al-ʿAlāʾ and Marwān ibn Sālim fabricate hadīth.” (al-Da’īfah 321)
Al-Sinārī said: “I say: This is an extremely invalid/false (bātil jiddan) chain (isnād), as if it were fabricated (mawdūʿ)…
1 – Jabbārah ibn al-Mughallas: (He is) closer to being abandoned (al-tark) than to anything else, and it has been transmitted from Ibn Maʿīn that he declared him a liar…
2 – And his teacher: Yahyā ibn al-ʿAlāʾ: His hadīth died the day that Imam Ahmad said about him: “A liar who fabricates hadīth”…
3 – And Marwān ibn Sālim: He is al-Shāmī about whom al-Sājī and Abū ʿUrūbah al-Harrānī said: “He fabricates hadīth.” The first added: “A liar.” And the critics abandoned him (completely). How similar he is to (Yahyā ibn al-ʿAlāʾ)!
4 – And Talhah ibn ʿUbayd Allāh al-ʿUqaylī: (He is) an absent shaykh – unknown who he even is?!…” (Abridged and slightly paraphrased, Takhrīj Musnad Abū Ya’lā 9/173-174)
Shaykh Al-Arnāūt said in Takhrīj Musnad Imām Ahmad, saying: “In its chain are Yahyā ibn al-‘Alā’ and Marwān ibn Sālim, both of whom are attributed with fabrication. Abū Ya’lā’s shaykh contains Jabbārah ibn Mughallas, who is weak.
Regarding Umm al-Sibyān, al-Manāwī said in “al-Fayd” 6/238: “A wind that affects them, sometimes causing them to faint from it, as it is said. More appropriate than this is al-Hāfidh Ibn Hajr’s statement: ‘Umm as-Sibyān is a follower from among the jinn.'” (39/298)
Hadīth 4.
Shu’ab al-Īmān of al-Bayhaqī 8620:
وأخبرنا علي بن أحمد بن عبدان أنا أحمد بن عبيد الصفار نا محمد بن يونس نا الحسن بن عمر (بن سيف) (٥) السدوسي نا القاسم بن مطيب عن منصور بن صفيه عن أبي معبد عن ابن عباس: أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أذن في أذن الحسن بن علي يوم ولد فأذن في أذنه اليمنى وأقام في أذنه اليسرى
‘Alī ibn Aḥmad ibn ‘Abdān informed us [that] Ahmad ibn ‘Ubayd as-Saffār informed us [that] Muhammad ibn Yūnus narrated to us [that] al-Hasan ibn ‘Amr (ibn Sayf) as-Sadūsī narrated to us [that] al-Qāsim ibn Mutīb [narrated] from Mansūr ibn Safiyyah from Abī Ma’bad from Ibn ‘Abbās: “the Prophet (ﷺ) called the adhān in al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī’s ear the day he was born, calling the adhān in his right ear and establishing the iqāmah in his left ear.“
Al-Bayhaqī said: “In these two chains (i.e. hadīth 8619, 8620) there is weakness.”
Imām Al-Albānī declared the hadīth Mawdū (fabricated) saying: “And in this statement (of al-Bayhaqī) (there is) great leniency, which I would not have wished to issue from him, due to the severe weakness of the two chains. For indeed the hadīth referred to contains two men who fabricate hadīth.
And some of the later scholars have been deceived by such leniency, so they strengthened with it the hadīth of Abū Rāfiʿ whose chain is weak – as I clarified there – and had they known the severity of its weakness, they would not have strengthened it… because the severely weak (hadīth) is not suitable (to be used) in supporting evidence (shawāhid) by consensus of the scholars (of Hadīth)…
…for indeed al-Hasan ibn ʿAmr (originally: ʿUmar) al-Sadūsī is abandoned (matrūk) – as in al-Taqrīb – and Ibn al-Madīnī and al-Bukhārī called him a liar.
And Muhammad ibn Yūnus – who is: al-Kadīmī – is a liar and fabricator…” (al-Da’īfah 6121)
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