The world before the Prophet Muhammad

When Almighty Allah sent His lastand greatest Prophet,
Muhammadsallallaaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, , humankind was immersed in a
state of degeneration. The messages of the past prophets had been
distorted and ignored, civilizationwas on the decline and humanity had
slumped into an age of darkness, with disbelief, oppression and
corruption prevalent everywhere. The condition of the world at that
time presented the gloomiest picture ever of human history.
At the time of the birth of Prophet Muhammad,, there existed two great
powers on earth: one in the East and another in the West. In the East
there was the Persian Empire, and in the West, theRoman Empire. As it
might be expected, these two powers were actively hostile and almost
permanently at war with one another. As a result, they were weak and
disunited, though appearing to be otherwise. Despite their disunity
and weakness, they made no serious effort to eradicate the causes of
their instability.
The Arabs were living under no better conditions. They were families
and tribes comprising different attitudes and feelings; but they were
all similar in one respect: they were slaves of habits and impulses.
They used to take pride in invasion and plunder. Moreover, they were
so low in their moral affairs that a number of them used to bury their
daughters alive.
Religiously speaking, the Arabs of that era were mostly idol
worshippers. Some of them used to make their own gods from sweets, and
subsequently, they would eat them when they got hungry. They had
replaced the monotheism of Ibraaheem)Abraham(with the worship of
idols, stars and demons, turning the Ka'bah, which was built for the
One and Only Creator,into a pantheon of idols. In addition, tribal
rivalries and blood feuds ran among them likethe burning desert sands
ofArabia.
The people of Makkah used to practice usury on a large scale with very
high interest rates -- sometimes a hundred percent. When the debtors
were not able to repay -- and that was most often the case -- they
were enslaved or obliged to force their wives and daughters to commit
certain sins, in order to be able tocollect enough money to repay the
debt.
Ignorance was not confined to the Arabs alone. On the fringes
ofArabiawhere the desert gives way to hospitable lands, met the
ever-changing borders of 'world arrogance', the two superpowersof the
age: the Persian and the Roman Empires.
The fire-worshipping Persians, with their strange concept of dualism
were further plagued by the still weirder Mazdakite doctrine )i.e. a
socio-religious movement that flared up in the Sasanian Kavad )488-531
CE( founded by Mazdak son of Bamdad(, that advocated communal
ownership and even ruled that women were the common property of all
men. LikeMani a few centuries earlier, who had claimed a new religion
by combining the teachings of Jesusand Zoroaster, Mazdakite's movement
was also a reaction tothe corruption of the traditional priestly
class. Both creeds died away after the execution of their proponents,
who more or less depended on royal patronage. Onthe other hand, the
Sasanian aristocracy aligned with the Zoroastrian clergy was steeped
inpleasures, burdening the oppressed masses with heavy taxes and
oppression.
At the other end was the Byzantine world, which though claiming to
profess a divinely revealed religion, had in fact polluted the
monotheist message of Prophet Jesuswith the sediments of ancient Greek
and Roman pagan thoughts, resulting in the birth ofChristianity. In
381 CE, the Greco-Roman Church council rejected the doctrine of Arius
of Alexandria, to which most of the eastern provinces of the empire
adhered, and in its place the council had coined the belief thatGod
and Jesusare of one substance and therefore co-existent. Arius and his
followers had held the belief in the uniqueness and majesty of God,
Who Alone, they said has existed since eternity, while Jesuswas
created in time.
There were colonies of Jews scattered across West Asia andNorth
Africato whom several Messengers had been sent by Almighty Allaah.
However, even these divine favors had failed to reform them. The laws
sent to Prophet Moseshad been distorted and tampered with.
Further to the east lay the once flourishing cultures
ofChinaandIndiawhich were groping in darkness. Confucianism had
confused the Chinese, robbing their minds of any positive thinking. On
the other hand, Hinduism had no universal pretensions whatsoever, and
waspeculiar to the geographical confines ofIndiaor more
properlyNorthern Indiaand its Aryan invaders. Conversion of foreigners
was difficult because one had to be born in a particularcaste and it
was the mystery of'Karma'that determined one's fate.
In short, wars, bloodshed, slavery, oppression of women and the
deprived held sway everywhere, might ruled over right. The world was
in dire distress but no one seemed capable of delivering it from
darkness. No religion, ideology, creed or cult during those times,
could offer any hope to the agonies and frustrations of humankind.
None of the religions in currency had any universal outlook or
evenpretensions and were limited to insurmountable geographical and
psychological barriers, preaching discrimination and the narrow-minded
superiority of a particular race.
Thus, it was in such a chaotic state of depression that AlmightyAllaah
sent His last great Prophet,with the universal Message ofIslam to save
humankind from disbelief, oppression, corruption, ignorance and moral
decadence that was dragging humanity towards self-annihilation.

Arabia before the Prophet Muhammad –II

Social Life of the Arabs:
Before the advent of Prophet Muhammad, Arabian society was divided
into several social strata, which produced both advantages and
disadvantages in the resultant social structure. Women among the
nobility were accorded an advanced degree of esteem. They enjoyed
considerable free will in almost all spheres of life and their
decision would usually be enforced. They were so highly cherished and
fiercely protected, that very often bloodshed resulted in defense of
real or imaginary slurs to their honor. In fact, women were believed
to be the most decisive factors that ledto bloody fights or friendly
peace among tribes. These privileges notwithstanding, the family
system in Arabia was wholly patriarchal. The marriage contract rested
completely in the hands of the woman's legal guardian whose words with
regard to her marital status could never be questioned.
On the other hand, there were other sectors where prostitution and
indecency were rampant andin full operation. Abu Daawoodon the
authority of 'Aa'ishahreported four kinds of marriage in pre-Islamic
Arabia: The first was similar to present-day Islamic marriage
procedures, in which case a man gives his daughter in marriage to
another man after a dowry has been agreed on. In the second type, the
husband would send his wife – after the menstruation period –to
cohabit with another man in order to conceive. After conception her
husband would, ifhe desired, have sexual intercourse with her. A third
kindwas that a group of less than ten men would have sexual
intercourse with a woman. If she conceived and gave birth to a child,
she would send for these men, and nobody could abstain. They would
come together to herhouse. She would then say: 'You know what you have
done. I havegiven birth to a child and it is your child' )pointing to
one of them(. The man meant would have to accept. The fourth kind was
that many men would have intercourse with a certain woman )a
prostitute(. She would not prevent anybody. Such women used to put a
certain flagat their gates to invite in anyone who liked. If this
woman got pregnant and gave birth to a child, she would collect those
men, and a soothsayer would tellwhose child it was. The appointed
father would take the child and declare him/her his own. When the
Prophetdeclared Islam in Arabia, he cancelled all these forms of
sexual contact except that of present Islamic marriage.
Pre-Islamic Arabs had no limited number of wives. They could marry two
sisters at the same time, or even the wives of their fathers if
divorced or widowed, and divorce was to a very great extent in the
power of the husband.
With respect to the pre-Islamic parent-child relationship, we see that
life in Arabia was paradoxical and presented a gloomy picture of
contrasts. Whilst some Arabs held children dear to their hearts and
cherished them greatly, others buried their female children alive
because an illusory fear of poverty and shame weighed heavily on them.
Another aspect of the Arabs' life, which deserves mention, is the
bedouin's deep-seated emotionalattachment to his clan. Family or
perhaps tribal-pride, was one of the strongest passions within him.
The unity of blood relations as the principle that bound the Arabs
into social unity was formed and supported by tribal-pride. Their
undisputed motto was "Support your brother whether he is an oppressor
or oppressed." They disregarded theIslamic amendment, which statesthat
supporting an oppressive brother implies deterring him from
transgression.
Hunger for leadership and a keen sense of inter-tribal competition
often resulted in bitter tribal warfare, despite their having
descended from one common ancestor. In this regard, the continued
bloody conflicts of many Arab tribes like 'Aws and Khazraj, 'Abs and
Dhubyaan, Bakr and Taghlib etc. are striking examples.
Inter-tribal relationships were fragile and weak due to
continualinter-tribal wars of attrition. The deep devotion of the
tribes to certain religious superstitions and venerable customs often
curbed their impetuous tendencyto quench their thirst for blood. In
other cases, the respect for alliance, loyalty and dependency
sometimes brought about a spirit of companionship, and aborted
groundless bases of dispute. A time-honored custom of suspending
hostilities during the sacred months )Muharram, Rajab, Thul-Qi'dah,
and Thul-Hijjah( functioned favorably and provided an opportunity for
them to earn their living and coexist in peace.
We may sum up the social situation in Arabia by saying that the Arabs
of the pre-Islamic period were groping about in darkness and
ignorance, entangled in a mesh of superstitions paralyzing their mind
and causing them to lead an animal-like life. The common woman was a
marketable commodity and regarded as a piece of inanimate property.
Inter-tribal relationships were fragile. Greed for wealth and
involvement in futile wars were the main objectives that governed
their self-centered policies.
The Economic Situation:
The economic situation ran in line with the social atmosphere, and the
Arabian way of life illustrated this phenomenon quite clearly. Trade
was the most common means of livelihood. Trade journeys could not be
undertaken unless caravan routeswere deemed safe and there was
inter-tribal peace – two imperative necessities unfortunately lacking
in Arabia, except during the prohibited months within which the Arabs
held their assemblies at the annual markets of 'Ukaath, Thil-Majaz,
Mijannah and others.
Industry was alien to the Arabian psychology. Most of the available
industries of knitting and tanneryin Arabia were done by people coming
from Yemen, Heerah and the borders of Syria.
Ethics:
1. Hospitality: The Arabs used to compete with one another in
hospitality and take utmost pridein it. Almost half of their
collection of ancient poetry was dedicated to the merits and nobility
attached to entertaining one's guest. They would sacrifice their
private sustenance for a cold or hungry guest. They wouldnot hesitate
to incur heavy blood-money and relevant burdens just to stop
blood-shed, and consequently merit praise and eulogy.
In the context of hospitality, there springs to mind their common
habits of drinking and serving wine, which was regarded as a channel
branching out of generosity and showing hospitality. Gambling was also
another practice closely associated with generosity, since the
proceeds would always go to charity. Even the Noble Quran makes note
of the benefits that are derived from drinking wine and gambling, but
also says)what means(: "And the sin of them is greater than their
benefit." ]Quran 2:219[
2. Keeping a covenant: For the Arab, to make a promise was like
incurring a debt. He would go through great pains and hardshipto
uphold the deep-rooted tradition of keeping a covenant. The literature
of that period is filled with stories highlighting this merit.
3. Sense of honor and repudiationof injustice: This attribute stemmed
mainly from exaggerated courage, a keen sense of self-esteem and
impetuosity. The Arabs was always quick to rise in revolt and
retaliation against the least allusion to humiliation or slackness. An
Arab would never hesitate to sacrifice himself to maintain his
ever-alert sense of self-respect.
4. Forbearance, perseverance and mildness: In general, the pre-Islamic
Arabs lacked these qualities. They may have regarded these traits with
great admiration, but their impetuosityand war-like spirit led to
their own lives being sadly wanting in them.
5. Pure and simple bedouin life: The bedouin Arab lifestyle, still
untarnished with the accessories of deceptive urban appearances, was a
driving reason to their nature of truthfulness, honesty and detachment
from intrigue and treachery.
Such priceless ethics coupled with the favorable geographical position
of Arabia were in fact the factors that lay behind the Arabs being
chosen to undertake the burden of communicating the Message )of Islam(
and leading humankind down a new course of life.
The most priceless ethics, besidesbeing true to their covenants, were
no doubt their sense of self-esteem and strong determination -- two
human traits indispensable in combatingevil and eliminating moral
corruption on the one hand, and establishing a righteous and just
society on the other.

Dought and clear - Ruling on saying Bala (yes indeed) when the verse “Is not Allaah the Best of judges?” [al-Teen 95:8] is recited.

What is the ruling on saying Bala (yes indeed)when the imam says "Is
not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8]? Or is that bid'ah (an
innovation)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with the person who is praying behind the imam
saying that, or sayingSubhaanaka fa bala(Glory be to You, yesindeed)
and so on, whenthe imam recites (interpretation of the meaning):"Is
not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?"
[al-Qiyaamah 75:40]or"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen
95:8].
This is the view of the Maalikis. It says inMawaahib al-Jaleel(2/253):
If there is a mention of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) in the imam's recitation, there is nothing wrong with the
person who is praying behind him sending blessings on him, or if there
is any mention of Paradise or Hell, there is nothing wrong with asking
Allaah for Paradise or seeking refuge with Himfrom Hell, and that may
happen time after time. The same applies to a person saying, when
theimam says"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the
dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40]: Yes, He is Able to do all things, and so
on.
This is also the view of the Hanbalis. It says inSharh
al-Muntaha(1/206): The worshipper may saySubhaanaka fa bala(Glory be
to You, yesindeed) and so on, when(the imam) recites (interpretation
of the meaning):"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to
the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], whether it is an obligatory or naafil
prayer, because of the report. With regard to the verse"Is not Allaah
the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], the report is subject to further
discussion. End quote.
See:al-Furoo'(1/481) andal-Insaaf(2/107).
The report referred to was narrated by Abu Dawood (884) from Moosa ibn
Abi 'Aa'ishah who said: A man was praying on his roof, and when he
recited the verse"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life
to the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], he would saySubhaanaka fa
bala(Glory be to You, yes indeed). They asked him about that and he
said: I heard it from the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him).
Its isnaad is da'eef, because there is an interruption between Moosa
and the Sahaabi, and there is at least one other man omitted, as was
stated by al-Hafiz inal-Nukat al-Ziraaf(11/210) andNataa'ij
al-Afkaar(2/48).
Even if the report were saheeh, it does not meanthat this is to be
done in an obligatory prayer, rather what seems to be the case is that
the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do that
in obligatory prayers, because if he did that it would have been
narrated, as it was narrated that he did it innight prayers (qiyaam
al-layl). In the hadeeth of Hudhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
it says: I prayed with the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) one night, and he started to recite al-Baqarah and I
thought: he will bow when he reaches one hundred, but he carried on.
Then I thought that he would finish it in the two rak'ahs, but he
carried on. Then I thought he would bow after finishing it, but he
started to recite al-Nisa' and recited it all, then hestarted to
recite Aal 'Imraan and recited it all,reciting with a slow and
measured pace. When he reached a verse that spoke of glorifying
Allaah, he glorified Allaah; when he reacheda verse that spoke of
asking of Him, he asked of Him; when he reacheda verse that spoke of
seeking refuge with Him, he sought refuge with Him... Narrated by Muslim
(772).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
But with regard to naafilprayer, especially in night prayers (qiyaam
al-layl), it is Sunnah to seek refuge with Allaah when reciting a
verse that speaks of seeking refuge, and to ask (for mercy) when
reciting a verse that speaks of mercy, following the example of the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
andbecause that helps one to focus more and ponder more deeply. When
praying qiyaam al-layl it is Sunnah to recite at length, and to recite
a great deal and bow and prostrate and so on. But in an obligatory
prayer, it is not Sunnah to do this although it is permissible. If
someone were to say: What is your evidence for this distinction, and
you were to say that what is proven concerning naafil prayers also
applies to obligatory prayers,
Our answer is: the evidence for this is that the Messenger(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) offered three prayers every night and
day in which he recited out loud, and he recited verses which spoke of
warnings, and verses which spoke of mercy, and the Sahaabah who
transmitted from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) how the prayer is to be performed did not narrate that he used to
do that in the obligatoryprayers. If it was Sunnahhe would have done
it, and if he had done it, it would have been transmitted. As it was
not transmitted, we know that he did not do it. As he did not do it,
weknow that it is not Sunnah. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with
them) were keen tofollow everything that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, to such an extent that they
couldtell when he was reciting in the prayers inwhich Qur'aan is
recited silently from the movement of his beard. When he fell silent
between the opening takbeer and recitation, Abu Hurayrah asked him
what he said, and if he had fallen silent when reciting a verse that
spoke of warning to seek refuge with Allaah, or in a verse that spoke
of mercy to ask of Allaah,they would undoubtedlyhave transmitted it.
If someone were to say: If that is the case, then why do you not say
that it is not allowed in an obligatory prayer, as some scholars did,
because the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Pray as you have seen me praying" (al-Bukhaari (602))?
The answer is: The fact that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) did not do a thing does not mean that it is forbidden,
because he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave us a basic
principle: "This prayer is not the right place for any of the people's
speech, rather it is tasbeeh, takbeer and recitation of Qur'aan."
Narrated by Muslim (537). Du'aa' is not "people's speech" so it does
not invalidate prayer. So the basic principle is that it is
permissible, but we do not recommend a person to do that in an
obligatory prayer, for the reasons given above.
So the reciter may say it when he recites (interpretation of the
meaning):"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the
dead?" [al-Qiyaamah 75:40], because there is a hadeeth about it and
Imam Ahmad stated that and said: If the reciter recites ...during prayer
or otherwise, he may say:Subhaanakafa bala(Glory to You, yes indeed),
in both obligatory and naafil prayers.
And if he recites"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8],
he may saySubhaanaka fa bala(Glory to You, yes indeed).
End quote fromal-Sharh al-Mumti'(1/604-605).
The Shaykh (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: We have heard
some people who were praying in congregation,when the imam recites"Is
not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], they say:Bala(yes
indeed). Is that acceptable?
He replied: This is acceptable, because when Allaah says,"Is not
Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen 95:8], you may say; Bala (Yes
indeed). And whenever similar verses are recited, we may say Bala(Yes
indeed).
"Is not Allaah Sufficient for His slave?" [al-Zumar 39:36]- you may
say Yes indeed.
"Is not Allaah All-Mighty, Possessor of Retribution?" [al-Zumar
39:37]- you may say Yes indeed.
"Is not He (Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?"
[al-Qiyaamah 75:40]- you may say Yes indeed.
But if saying this will distract the worshipper from listening to the
imam, then he should not do it. But if it comes at the end of a verse
where the imam will pause, then it will not distract him, so when he
says:"Is not Allaah the Best of judges?" [al-Teen95:8], he may say Yes
indeed. End quote fromLiqa' al-Baab il-Maftooh(11/81).
Note: The hadeeth referred to in the words quoted from Ibn Muflih
"subject to further discussion" was narratedby Abu Dawood (887) and
al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever among you recites
(interpretation of the meaning):'By the fig, and the olive' [al-Teen
95:1]and comes to the end of it,'Is not Allaah the Best of judges?'
[al-Teen 95:8], let him sayBala wa ana 'ala dhaalika min
al-shaahideen(yes indeed, and I am one of the witnesses to that). And
if he recites (interpretation of the meaning):'I swear by the Day of
Resurrection' [al-Qiyaamah 75:1]and comes to the end of it,"Is not He
(Allaah Who does that) Able to give life to the dead?" [al-Qiyaamah
75:40], let him say Bala (yes indeed). And if he recites'By the winds
(or angels or the Messengers of Allaah) sent forth one after another'
[al-Mursalaat 77:1]and he reaches (the verse) (interpretation of the
meaning):'Then in what statement after this (the Qur'aan) will they
believe?' [al-Mursalaat 77:50], let him say:Aamanna Billaah(we believe
in Allaah)." The isnaad of this hadeeth includes a majhool (unknown)
narrator, as was stated by al-Tirmidhi after quotingit. It was classed
as da'eef by a number of imams, such as al-Nawawi inal-Majmoo'(3/563)
and others. Al-Albaani quoted it inDa'eef Abi Dawood.

Dought and clear - The du’aa’ which saved the Sahaabi from the thief, in which are the words “Yaa Wadood,yaa Dhaa’l-‘arsh il’majeed (O Most Loving,O Owner of the majestic Throne)”.

I would like to find out the status of these ahaadeeth, because I
received this message via e-mail and I do not know how sound it is:
Read it three times and Allaah will answer, in sha Allaah.
"O Most Loving, O Most Loving, O Owner of the majestic Throne, O
Initiator, O Returner, O You Who do whatever You will, I ask You by
theLight of Your Countenance which fills the pillars of Your Throne,
and I ask You by Your Power by which You control all of Your creation,
and I ask You by Your mercy which encompasses all things, there is no
god but You, O Helper help me" – three times.
Praise be to Allaah.
The du'aa' mentioned was narrated in a hadeeth which tells a story
that is well known and widely circulated in chat rooms and forums, and
perhaps it is appropriate to quote it so that we may explain about it.
It was narrated that Anasibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: There was one of the companions of the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), one of the Ansaar, who was known by
the kunyah of Abu Mu'allaq. He was a merchant who did trade with his
own wealth andon behalf of others, and he used to travel all over, and
he was a piousascetic. He went out on one occasion and was met by an
armed thief who said to him: Give me what you have, for I will kill
you. He said: You do not need my blood, all you want is the wealth. He
said: As for the wealth, it is mine; all I want is your blood. He
said: If you insist, then let me pray four rak'ahs. He said: Pray as
much as you want. So he did wudoo', then he prayed four rak'ahs, and
amongthe words that he said indu'aa' in the last prostration were: "O
Most Loving, O Most Loving, O Owner of the majestic Throne, O
Initiator, O Returner, O You Who do whatever You will, I ask You by
theLight of Your Countenance which fills the pillars of Your Throne,
and I ask You by Your Power by which You control all of Your creation,
and I ask You by Your mercy which encompasses all things, there is no
god but You, O Helper help me" – three times.
He said this du'aa' three times, then he saw a horseman who was
holding a spear betweenthe ears of his horse, and when the thief saw
him, he turned to him and stabbed him and killed him, then he turned
to him and said: Get up. He said: Who are you, may my father and
mother be sacrificed for you? Allaah has helped me by you today. He
said: I am an angel from the fourth heaven. Whenyou said your du'aa'
the first time, I heard the gates of heaven tremble,then when you said
yourdu'aa' the second time I heard a noise from the people of heaven,
then when you said your du'aa' the third time it was said to me: The
du'aa' of one who is in distress, and I asked Allaah to let me kill
him.
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: So you should know
thatwhoever does wudoo' and prays four rak'ahs and recites this
du'aa', will receive an answer, whether he is in distress or not.
Narrated by Ibn Abi'l-Dunya inMajaabi al-Da'wah(64)
andal-Hawaatif(24). It was also narrated via this isnaad by
al-Laalkaa'i inSharh Usool al-I'tiqaad(5/166), in a chapter
entitledSiyaaq ma ruwiya min karaamaat AbiMu'allaq(Reports of the
miracles of Abu Mu'allaq). And it was narrated by Abu Moosa al-Madeeni
– as stated byal-Haafiz Ibn Hajar inal-Isaabah(7/379) in his biography
of Abu Mu'allaq al-Ansaari, and he quoted it in full in his
bookal-Wazaa'if. It was narrated from him by hisstudent Ibn al-Atheer
inAsad al-Ghaabah(6/295).All of them narrated it via al-Kalbi from
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him).
But the report of al-Kalbiwas unclear and the reports from him varied.
On one occasion he narrated it from al-Hasan from Anas – as in the
report of Ibn Abi'l-Dunya.
On another occasion he narrated it from al-Hasan from Ubayy ibn Ka'b –
as mentioned by Ibn Hajar inal-Isaabah, concerning the isnaad ofAbu
Moosa al-Madeeni.
On another occasion he narrated it from Abu Saalih from Anas – as in
the report of Ibn al-Atheer from Abu Moosa al-Madeeni.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This isnaad is problematic, and the problem stems either from the
unknown al-Kalbi or from someone further back inthe isnaad than him.
Al-Hasan – i.e., al-Basri – was mudallis and he used the word 'an
[meaning "from"], so theisnaad is weak.
It is strange that Abu Mu'allaq is mentioned asbeing one of the
Sahaabah, but they did not mention anything toprove that he was such,
apart from this fabricated text with this weak isnaad. Hence – and
Allaah knows best – it was not narrated by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr
inal-Isti'aab. Al-Dhahabi said inal-Tajreed(2/204): He has an amazing
hadeeth, but itsisnaad includes al-Kalbi, who is not thiqah
(trustworthy). It is narrated in Mujaaboo al-Da'wah, and you can see
when you read it that he said concerning al-Kalbi: He is not thiqah
(trustworthy). This indicates that no attention was paid to what he
said in the isnaad, "he is not the author of the Tafseer", because
al-Kalbi who is the author of the Tafseeris known not to be
trustworthy. It says inal-Mughni: They rejectedhim, and he was
regarded as a liar by Sulaymaan al-Taymi, Zaa'idah, and Ibn Ma'een. He
was also rejected by Ibn Qattaan and 'Abd al-Rahmaan.
It is also strange that thisstory was quoted by Ibn al-Qayyim at the
beginning of his bookal-Jawaab al-Kaafi li mansa'ala 'an al-Dawa'
al-Shaafifrom this reportof Ibn Abi'l-Dunya, attributing it to
al-Hasanwithout commenting on its isnaad!
Al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah(5737)
I say:
Al-Kalbi has a corroborating report from Maalik ibn Dinar. Al-Qushayri
narrated a similar story inal-Risaalah al-Qushayriyyah(2/85, 86,
chapter on Du'aa') and said:
Abu'l-Husayn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bashraan in Baghdad told us: Abu
'Amr 'Uthmaan ibn Ahmad, who was known as Ibn al-Sammaak, told us:
Muhammad ibn 'Abd Rabbihi al-Hadrami told us: Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik
told us: Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj told us: Maalik ibn Dinar said: al-Hasan
told us, from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) … and
he quoted the hadeeth.
But this corroborating report is not valid, because there are two
problems with this isnaad:
-1-
Muhammad ibn 'Abd Rabbihi al-Hadrami – I could find no biography for him.
-2-
Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik, who narrated it from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj: I
do not know him either. There were three men with this name whose
biographies I found:
(i)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malikal-Khuzaa'i, their freed slave from Mosul,
who narrated from Ghassaan ibn al-Rabee' and Muhammad ibn Sulayman
Laween and a number of others. Al-Tabaraani narrated from him.
(ii)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik Abu Yazeed al-Kufi who settled in Basra.
He narrated from 'Awn ibn Moosa and 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan
ibn Ibraaheem al-Ansaari. Abu Haatim wrote from him in Basra and Abu
Zur'ah narrated from him. He was asked abouthim and said he was a
Shaykh.
Al-Jarh wa'l-Ta'deelby Ibn Abi Haatim (2/362).
(iii)Bishr ibn 'Abd al-Malik al-'Utbi, who narrated from Yahya ibn
Sa'eed al-Ansaari. Abu Sa'eed al-Ashajj narratedfrom him.
Al-Thiqaatby Ibn Hibbaan (6/97).
As you can see, it seems that none of them are the one mentioned in the hadeeth.
But al-Haafiz Ibn Makoola mentioned inal-Ikmaal(5/101) a report
narrated from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj under the name of Bishraan ibn 'Abd
al-Malik, and he said:
As for Bishraan, he is Bishraan ibn 'Abd al-Malik, and I think he was
Mawsili (from Mosul). He narrated hadeeth from Moosa ibn al-Hajjaaj
ibn 'Imraan al-Samarqandi in Baysaan from Maalik ibn Dinar.
End quote.
Perhaps this is the one who is referred to, and his name was shortened
in the book of al-Qushayri to Bishr.
As for Ibn al-Sammaak, he is thiqah (trustworthy). His biography is
inSiyarA'laam al-Nubala'by al-Dhahabi (17/312).
The same is true of Maalik ibn Dinar (d. 127 AH). His biography is
inTahdheeb al-Tahdheeb(10/15).
To sum up:
The story and the du'aa' are not saheeh (sound) in any way whatsoever,
although there is nothing wrong with the phrases used in the du'aa';
rather the words are sound and good, as testified by the texts of the
Qur'aan and Sunnah.But that does not mean that the one who says this
du'aa' will necessarily be saved, or that we should believe that
Allaah will help the one who says it. Such matters depend on the
soundness of the isnaad going back to the Prophet(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). As the isnaadin this case is not saheeh, we
should not believe that. But if anyone wants to memorize these words
and recite them in du'aa', without regarding them as something that is
prescribed in Islam, there is nothing wrong with that in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.