Da'eef (weak) hadeeths, Dought & clear, - * Isnaad of the hadeeth about the Angel of Death asking the Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) for permission to take his soul

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How sound is this hadeeth? “The angel Jibreel entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: ‘The Angel of Death is at the door, and he is asking permission to enter upon you. He has never asked permission from anyone before you.’ He said, ‘Let him in, O Jibreel.’ The Angel of Death entered and said: ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allaah. Allaah has sent me to give you the choice between staying in this world and meeting Allaah.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Rather the Higher Companion, rather the Higher Companion.’ So the Angel of Death stood at the head of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as he will stand at the head of each of us, and said: ‘O good soul, the soul of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah, come out to the good pleasure of Allaah and a Lord Who is pleased and is not angry.’”.
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Praise be to Allaah.
There are many ahaadeeth about the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Many such reports have been narrated, but the saheeh ones are mixed with the false ones, and many people are careless about quoting reports which have no basis or which have been narrated via unsound isnaads. The one who is seeking sound reports on this subject should refer to the saheeh ahaadeeth, which are sufficient and in which he will information about the incidents surrounding the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and in which there are important lessons to be learned.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inal-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah(5/256):
Al-Waaqidi and others narrated many reports concerning the death (of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) in which there are many strange things. We have refrained from mentioning many of them because of their weak isnaads and dubious content, especially those narrated by many storytellers, later writers and others. Many of them are undoubtedly fabricated. In the saheeh and hasan ahaadeeth which are narrated in the well known books there is sufficient information and we have no need of lies and reports whose isnaads are unknown. And Allaah knows best. End quote.
After researching the reports about the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), we could not find the hadeeth mentioned by the questioner in this version, but there are ahaadeeth about the Angel of Death asking the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for permission, in wording similar to that mentioned by the questioner. But these are weak (da’eef) ahaadeeth which the scholars judged to be false and fabricated. For example:
There is a hadeeth narrated by ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn from his father, telling a long story in which the Angel of Death asks for permission to enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and speaks with him.
This story was narrated by al-Tabaraani inal-Mu’jam al-Kabeer(3/129) and inKitaab al-Du’aa’(1/367).
Al-Haythami said inMajma’ al-Zawaa’id(9/35): Its isnaad includes ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Maymoon al-Qaddaah, whose reports are worthless.
He was also judged as such by al-Haafiz al-‘Iraaqi inTakhreej al-Ihya’(4/560); al-Haafiz ibn Hajar inAjwabah Ba’d Talaameedhatihi(1/87) and Ibn Katheer inal-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah(5/290). Al-Albaani said inal-Silsilah al-Da’eefah(5384): it is mawdoo’ (fabricated).
There is another hadeeth which was narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), in which it mentions the Angel of death seeking permission to enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during his final illness. This was narrated by al-Tabaraani inal-Mu’jam al-Kabeer(12/141).
Al-Haythami said inMajma’ al_Zawaa’id(9/36): its isnaad includes al-Mukhtaar ibn Naafi’, who is da’eef (weak).
Al-‘Iraaqi said inTakhreej al-Ihya’(4/560): It isnaad includes al-Mukhtaari ibn Naafi’, whose hadeeth is rejected.
With regard to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) being given the choice between death and staying in this world, and his saying, “Rather the Higher Companion,” this is proven inal-Saheehaynin the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), which is quoted in the answer to question no. 45841, q.v.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the story of the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): it is mentioned in some books of history that the Angel of Death came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the form of a Bedouin and asked for permission to enter upon him. How true is this?
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied:
This is not correct. The Angel of Death did not come to him or ask permission to enter upon him, rather the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delivered a speech at the end of his life in which he said: “Allaah has given a slave the choice between immortality in this world for as long as Allaah wills, or meeting his Lord, and he has chosen to meet his Lord.” This is what he said at the end of his life. Abu Bakr wept, and the people were surprised that Abu Bakr wept at these words. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the one who was given the choice, and Abu Bakr knew the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) better than any of the people. This is what has been narrated. As for the idea that the Angel of Death came to him and asked him for permission, this is not correct. End quote fromLiqa’ al-Baab il-Maftooh(2/340)
Anyone who wants to read more saheeh ahaadeeth about the story of the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) may refer to the bookal-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayahby Ibn Katheer (5/248), the chapter of the last days and death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); andSaheeh al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyahby Ibraheem al-‘Ali, chapter 6: The illness and death of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
And Allaah knows best.

PUBLISHERM.NajimudeeN. MD,IRI

Da'eef (weak) hadeeths, Dought & clear, - * The hadeeth of the mountain goats is a weakhadeeth

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How sound is the hadeeth of the mountain goats? How should we understand it in the light of modern science?.
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Praise be to Allaah.
The text of the hadeeth of the mountain goats is as follows:
It was narrated that al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
I was in al-Batha’ with a group of people, among whom was the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). A cloud passed over him, and he looked at it and said, “What do you call this?” They said,Sahaab(a cloud). He said, “Andmuzn(rain cloud).” They said, Andmuzn. He said, “And ‘anaan(clouds).” Abu Bakr said: they said, “And ‘anaan.” He said: “How much (distance) do you think there is between you and the heaven?” They said, We do not know. He said, “Between you and it is seventy-one or seventy-two or seventy-three years, and there is a similar distance between it and the heaven above it [and so on]” – until he has counted seven heavens. “Then above the seventh heaven there is a river, between whose top and bottom is a distance like that between one heaven and another. Then above that there are eight (angels in the form of) mountain goats. The distance between their hooves and their knees is like the distance between one heaven and the next. Then on their backs is the Throne, and the distance between the top and the bottom of the Throne is like the distance between one heaven and another. Then Allaah is above that, may He be blessed and exalted.
Ibn al-Atheer said inal-Nihaayah(3/355):
Mountain goats means angels in the form of mountain goats.
This hadeeth is well known in the books of the scholars, and is narrated in most of the books ofMusnad. It was narrated by Ahmad inal-Musnad(1/206), Abu Dawood inal-Sunan(4723), al-Tirmidhi inal-Sunan(3320), Ibn Maajah (193), al-Daarimi inal-Radd ‘ala al-Jahamiyyah(50), al-Bazaar in hisMusnad(4/134), Muhammad ibn ‘Uthmaan ibn Abi Shaybah inal-‘Arsh(1/66), Ibn Khuzaymah inKitaab al-Tawheed(1/234) al-Haakim inal-Mustadrak(2/410) and other books of Sunnah.
The reports of these imams come through five isnaads, all of which meet in Simaak ibn Harb from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah from al-Ahnaf ibn Qays from al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allaah be pleased with him).
As for Simaak ibn Harb, he met a number of the Sahaabah. Muslim narrated from him, as did al-Bukhaari in mu’allaq reports. He was regarded as thiqah (trustworthy) by a number of scholars, such as Imam Ahmad, Abu Haatim, al-Bazaar and others. But some of the scholars criticized for some strange matters in his hadeeth. Hence he was classed as da’eef (weak) by Shu’bah and Ibn al-Mubaarak, and Ibn Abi Khaythamah said: I heard Ibn Ma’een being asked: What is his fault? He said: He narrated ahaadeeth which no one else narrated, but he is thiqah. Ibn ‘Ammaar said: They say that he used to make mistakes, and they differed concerning his hadeeth. Al-Thawri regarded him as somewhat da’eef but no one rejected him. Al-Nasaa’i said: Sometimes he repeats everything he hears, therefore when he narrates a hadeeth which no one else narrated, that cannot be regarded as sound. Ibn Hibbaan said inal-Thiqaat: he makes many mistakes.
See his biography inTahdheeb al-Tahdheeb(4/204)
As for ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah: we do not know anything about his biography except that he narrated from al-Ahnaf ibn Qays, and no one is known to have narrated from him except Simaak ibn Harb. None of the scholars stated whether he was thiqah or da’eef except Ibn Hibbaan who mentioned him inal-Thiqaat. Ibn Hajar said inTahdheeb al-Tahdheeb(5/301): al-Bukhaari said: It is not known whether he heard from al-Ahnaf. He was mentioned by Ibn Hibbaan inal-Thiqaat, and al-Tirmidhi classed his hadeeth as hasan. I (Ibn Hajar) say: Abu Na’eem said inMa’rifat al-Sahaabah: He lived during the Jaahiliyyah and he was the guide of al-A’sha, but it is not proven that he accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or saw him. Muslim said inal-Wuhdaan: Simaak alone narrated from him. Ibraaheem al-Harbi said: I do not know him. End quote.
Because Simaak’s report is not to be accepted when he is the only one narrating it, and because we find that there are some doubts about ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah, the scholars differed as to whether the hadeeth should be classed as saheeh or da’eef.
Al-Tirmidhi said concerning the hadeeth: it is hasan ghareeb. It was classed as saheeh by Ibn Khuzaymah in his report in his bookal-Tawheedwhere he stipulated some conditions for its soundness. Al-Haakim said inal-Mustadrak: it is saheeh according to the conditions of Muslim although they (al-Bukhaari and Muslim) did not narrate it.
Among the later scholars, Ibn Taymiyah inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(3/192) and Ibn al-Qayyim inMukhtasar al-Sawaa’iq(433) said its isnaad is jayyid.
With regard to the scholars who classed it as da’eef:
This is what is understood from the words of al-Bazaar in hisMusnad(4/115), where he says: We do not know of these words being narrated except with this isnaad from al-‘Abbaas from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We do not know of anyone who narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah except Simaak ibn Harb. End quote.
Ibn ‘Adiyy said inal-Kaamil(9/27): it is not known.
Al-Mazzi indicated that it is da’eef inTahdheeb al-Kamaal(10/391).
Al-Dhahabi said inal-‘Uluw(1/60): It was narrated only by Simaak from ‘Abd-Allaah, and ‘Abd-Allaah is somewhat unknown. End quote. But al-Dhahabi classed the hadeeth as hasan inal-‘Arsh(24).
Another of the later scholars who classed it as da’eef was al-Albaani inal-Silsilah al-Da’eefah(1247).
What seems most likely – and Allaah knows best – is that the hadeeth is da’eef. As Simaak ibn Harb was the only one who narrated this hadeeth which has to do with matters of the unseen, this means that it is not acceptable. The fact that little is known about ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah further damages the soundness of the hadeeth. Then there is the interruption (in the isnaad) between him and al-Ahnaf ibn Qays.
If anyone wants to quote this hadeeth as evidence that Allaah is above His creation and that He is above the mighty Throne, the Qur’aan and saheeh Sunnah are full of such evidence and there is no need to quote this hadeeth as evidence. There are a thousand pieces of evidence which Imam al-Dhahabi compiled in his bookal-‘Uluw, for those who want to know more.
We have already quoted some of the evidence on our site.
And Allaah knows best.

PUBLISHERM.NajimudeeN. MD,IRI