The Narration of 'Uthman ibn Hunayf
One of the narrations Ahlus Sunnah, of old and or recent, use as support for tawassul with the person of the Nabi is the narration of ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf. Al-Albaani in his treatise on tawassul, promoted by the najdi-wahhabis, and used as a litmus test to see “who” is either a) a Mushrik or b) one committing Bida’ah kufriyyah, has supposedly “refuted” this narration. Many of the scholars of late have responded to the poor arguments and accusations of the pseudo-salafi firqah regarding this narration. Sidi Faqir has combined several statements of the scholars, including some research from Shaykh Nuh (qaddasa Allahu sirrh). To view his collection of arguments etc: click here. To view a refutation of Al-Albaani by Shaykh Ghumaari, translated by Ma’rifah, click here.
The following scan is taken from Imam An-Nawawi’s famous treatise “Al-Adhkaar“, that is soon to be translated by Shaykh Nuh (as I have read in several places), insha’allah. In this scan you will see Imam An-Nawawi quoting the hadith of Uthman ibn Hunayf as proof for “Salaatul-Haajah – or the Prayer of Need”. You will also notice that he believes this hadith is Sahih, as he quotes At-Tirmdhi’s grading, “The narration is Hasan Saheeh”, without disagreeing. It is his policy that when a hadith has weakness, and he quotes it in the adhkaar, that he mentions its weakness. In fact he does this in the hadith prior to this one in his adhkaar. The footnotes of this scan are by Shaykh Subay’ Hamza Haakimi that was published in 1991 by Mu’asassa ‘Ulum Al-Quran in Beirout, Lebanon.
Notice the words in the footnote: “Tirmithi (3573), Ibn Maajah (1385), and Al-Haakim reported it 1/313 and said, “This hadith is Sahih upon the condition of the Two Shaykhs and they did not report it. And Adh-Dhahabi agreed.”
as salaamu alaykum,
Jazakallah khayr.
I understand the ‘person’ of the awliya and the nabi salalahu alayhi wa salam as it is commented upon in reliance of the traveler but I dont understand why some people use arguments such as this sahih hadith to say its permissible to say from wherever you are ‘Ya Rasulullah salalahu alayhi wa salam madad’ etc. They use proofs such as that but in this proof it seems as (it is mentioned in reliance) that its using the person of the nabi salalahu alayhi wa salam (his noble qualities etc) as tawasul to allah.
This ofcourse is agreed upon as you pointed out from imam nawawi and as nuh keller pointed out in reliance. However, i dont understand how others support the Istighatha issue through this hadith. What is your thoughts ikhwan?
First of all, the hadith of Uthamn bin Hanifh which is found in at Tirmithi (quoted above) was not weakened by Salafis, including al Albani rahimahu Allah, who declared it sahih in his sahih sunan at Tirmithi:
( سنن الترمذي )
3578 حدثنا محمود بن غيلان حدثنا عثمان بن عمر حدثنا شعبة عن أبي جعفر عن عمارة بن خزيمة بن ثابت عن عثمان بن حنيف أن رجلا ضرير البصر أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال ادع الله أن يعافيني قال إن شئت دعوت وإن شئت صبرت فهو خير لك قال فادعه قال فأمره أن يتوضأ فيحسن وضوءه ويدعو بهذا الدعاء اللهم إني أسألك وأتوجه إليك بنبيك محمد نبي الرحمة إني توجهت بك إلى ربي في حاجتي هذه لتقضى لي اللهم فشفعه في قال أبو عيسى هذا حديث حسن صحيح غريب لا نعرفه إلا من هذا الوجه من حديث أبي جعفر وهو الخطمي وعثمان بن حنيف هو أخو سهل بن حنيف .
تحقيق الألباني :
صحيح ، ابن ماجة ( 1385 )
secondly, you said:
(( Al-Albaani in his treatise on tawassul, promoted by the najdi-wahhabis, and used as a litmus test to see “who” is either a) a Mushrik or b) one committing Bida’ah kufriyyah, has supposedly “refuted” this narration. ))
He did not refute the narration itself, he refuted what it was used as an evidence for.
and we believe the type of tawassul that is by the dhat (person) or jah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as bid’ah, not shirk or kufr.
and there were other scholars who considered it impermissable, and disliked it very much, including Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahu Allah.
so not all scholars in past and present agreed upon this.
There is difference in opinion regarding it.
Your claim about Abu Hanifah has been responded too by the hanafis.
Abu Hanifah went to the grave of the Nabi (‘alayhis salaam) and said:
يا أكرم الثقلين يا كنز الورى *** جد لي بجودك وأرضني برضاك
أنا طامع في الجود منك ولم يكن *** لأبي حنيفة في الأنام سواك
“O, most honorable of the Two Weighty Ones (humankind and jinn)!
O, treasure of mankind, shower your generosity upon me and please me with your pleasure.
I am aspiring for your generosity, and there is no one for Abu Hanifa in the world but you.”
As for your claim there is disagreement, then you are incorrect.
Imaam As-Subki says,
وقال السبكي : يحسن التوسل بالنبي إلى ربه ولم ينكره أحد من السلف ولا الخلف إلا ابن تيمية فابتدع ما لم يقله عالم قبله
Basically, no one from the salaf or khalaf rejected tawassul with the Nabi save for Ibn Taymiyyah and he innovated what no other ‘Aalim had done before him.
It is interesting to mention that the Imam of the Ahnaaf, Ibn Aabideen quotes this statement in his durr al muhtaar refuting the taymiyyites.
Even if we say he deemed it makrooh, he did not deem it Haraam/bida’ah, like the pseudo-salafis of our times.
So where is your ikhtilaaf prior to Ibn Taymiyyah? You have none!
To read a nice response to the claim that Abu Hanifa and his madh-hab considered it makrooh:
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=104&CATE=24
I have already seen the refutation before but until now no one has shown me the authenticity of that incident, so you can’t use it as evidence that Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahu Allah accepted such a tawassul until u prove its authenticity.
So where is your ikhtilaaf prior to Ibn Taymiyyah that it is a bida’ah and haraam?
Assalamu’alaikum,
Perhaps these references may help to further substantiate the authenticity of the narration in question :
1. Al-Tabarani, in his “al-Mu’jam al saghir,” vol.1 pg.184
2. Al-Tabarani, in his “al-Mu’jamul Kabeer” vol.9 pg.17
3. Al-Bayhaqi, in “al-Dal’il Al-Nubuwwah” vol. 6 pg. 167 – 168
4. Al-Mundhiri, in “al-Targhib wa al-tarhib
vol. 2 pg. 606
5. Al-Haythami, in “Majma’ Al-Zawahid” vol. 2
pg. 179
6. Al-Kawthari, in “Maqalat Al-Kawthari” pg.391 (affirmed the chains provided by Al-Bayhaqi)
7. Al-Ghumari, in “al-Radd Muhkamul Mateen” pg. 141-157
8. Mahmood Sa’eed Mamdooh, in “Raf’ul Minarah” pg. 125-131
Jazakumullah khair. Wassalam.
Assalamu’alaikum,
I thought I’d share a narration in relation to the topic of tawassul mentioned in Fathul Bari vol.2 pg. 495 :
وروى ابن أبي شيبة بإسناد صحيح من رواية أبي صالح السمان عن مالك الداري – وكان خازن عمر – قال ” أصاب الناس قحط في زمن عمر فجاء رجل إلى قبر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: يا رسول الله استسق لأمتك فإنهم قد هلكوا، فأتى الرجل في المنام فقيل له: ائت عمر ” الحديث.
وقد روى سيف في الفتوح أن الذي رأى المنام المذكور هو بلال بن الحارث المزني أحد الصحابة، وظهر بهذا كله مناسبة الترجمة لأصل هذه القصة أيضا والله الموفق.
“From the Sahabi Malik al-Dar:
The people suffered a drought in `Umar’s khilafa, whereupon a man[Bilal ibn al- Harith - according to ibn Hajar] came to the grave of the Prophet (alayhi salaat wa salaam) and said: “Messenger of Allah! Ask for rain for your Community, for verily they have but perished.” After this the Prophet(alayhi salaat wa salaam) appeared to him in a dream and told him: “Go to `Umar and give him my greeting, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: Be clever!” The man went and told `Umar. The latter wept and said: “My Lord! I spare no effort except in what escapes my power.”
For more scholars who have quoted the same hadith go to :
http://hadithproofsfortawassul.blogspot.com/2005/11/narration-of-malik-al-dar.html
And what is interesting is that this hadith has also been mentioned by Ibn Taimiyya who himself declared it sahih in “Iqtida’al-sirat al-mustaqīm mukhalifat ashab al jahim” pg. 373
Something interesting I came across:
Ibn Taymiyyah has related a story in the perspective of this tradition that Ibn Abī Dunyā has narrated a tradition in his book Mujābī ad-du‘ā’ that a person came over to see ‘Abd-ul-Malik bin Sa‘īd bin Abjar. ‘Abd-ul-Malik pressed his belly and told him that he was suffering from an incurable disease. The man asked him: ‘what is it?’ ‘Abd-ul-Malik replied that it was a kind of ulcer that grows inside the belly and ultimately kills the man. It is said that the patient turned round and then he said:
Allāh! Allāh! Allāh is my Lord. I regard no one as His rival or partner. O Allāh! I beseech You and submit myself to You through the mediation of Your Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), the merciful Prophet. O Muhammad! Through your means I submit myself to your and my Lord that He should take mercy on me in my state of illness.
It is said that ‘Abd-ul-Malik pressed his belly again and said: ‘you are cured, you are no longer suffering from any disease.’ Ibn Taymiyyah after recording the whole incident in his book, comments:
I say that this and other forms of supplication have been taken over from our predecessors.
(Qā‘idah jalīlah fit-tawassul wal-wasīlah, p.91).
The noteworthy point is that Ibn Taymiyyah has also endorsed it that (1) it is an act of our predecessors, and (2) it is quite valid to recover from disease through this act.
Bro, could you post the arabic of the du’aa? Fantastic post, jazaakum Allahu Khairan!
Here’s the arabic:
حدثنا أبو هشام محمد بن يزيد بن محمد بن كثير ابن رفاعة قال: جاء رجل إلى عبد الملك بن أبجر، فجس بطنه فقال: بل داء لا يبرأ قال: ما هو ؟ قال: الدبيلة، قال: فتحول الرجل فقال: الله الله الله ربي لا أشرك به شيئاً، اللهم أني أتوجه إليك بنبيك محمد نبي الرحمة، يا محمد إني أتوجه بك إلى ربك وربي يرحمني بما بي، قال فجس بطنه فقال: قد برئت مما بك من علة.
وقد كان ابن أبجر حافظاً ثقةً، وكان مع ذلك طبيباً ماهراً يداوي الناس مجاناً، وهو من رجال مسلم وأبي داود والترمذي والنسائي.
Note: This man was a thiqah hafidh of hadith, and Imams Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i narrated from him.
And here’s what Ibn Taymiyya said:
وقد ذكر بعض هذه الحكايات من جمع الأدعية وروي في ذلك أثر عن بعض السلف مثل ما رواه [ ص: 264 ] ابن أبي الدنيا في كتاب ( مجابي الدعاء قال : حدثنا أبو هاشم سمعت كثير بن محمد بن كثير بن رفاعة يقول : جاء رجل إلى عبد الملك بن سعيد بن أبجر فجس بطنه فقال : بك داء لا يبرأ . قال : ما هو ؟ قال : الدبيلة . قال فتحول الرجل فقال : الله الله الله ربي لا أشرك به شيئا اللهم إني أتوجه إليك بنبيك محمد نبي الرحمة صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليما يا محمد إني أتوجه بك إلى ربك وربي يرحمني مما بي . قال فجس بطنه فقال : قد برئت ما بك علة .
قلت : فهذا الدعاء ونحوه قد روي أنه دعا به السلف ونقل عن أحمد بن حنبل في منسك المروذي التوسل بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في الدعاء ونهى عنه آخرون.
Also, ‘certain’ people say that Muhammad bin Yazid bin Muhammad bin Kathir was majhul.
That is rubbish.
Imam Dhahabi has mentioned him in his Siyar.
Ibn Abjar is Abdul-Maalik ibn Sa’id ibn Hayyan Ibn Abjar. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said of him, “Thiqah!” Sufyan reported to him that his eyes had never seen one like Ibn Abjar! He also said, “He is from the Abraar (righteous)!” Al-’Ijli said of him, “He was an impeccably trustworthy and established narrator of hadith. A companion of the Sunnah. He was a doctor for the people and he never accepted payment for it.”
Ya’qub ibn Sufyan said, “He is from the best of the Kufans and of their most trustworthy narrators.”
[See Tahthib At-Tahthib]
According to Ibn Hajr he had insight into medicine. This being the case, this story is not at all “shocking”, as the Muslim physician prefers spiritual healing over conventional means.
It took me a while to find: Muhammad ibn Yazeed ibn Muhammad ibn Kathir ibn Rifa’ah, Abu Hishaam.
أبو هشام محمد بن يزيد بن محمد بن كثير ابن رفاعة
I found him within Meezan Al-’Itidaal of Adh-Dhahabi. It seems, and Allah Knows Best, that there is some criticism upon his hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhis Salaam).
I will quote the extract here:
محمد بن يزيد [ م ، ت ، ق ] ، أبو هشام الرفاعي الكوفى . أحد العلماء . أخذ عن أبى بكر بن عياش ، وابن فضيل ، والطبقة . وعنه مسلم ، والترمذي ، وابن ماجة ، والمحاملى ، وآخرون . قال أحمد العجلى : لا بأس به . وقال آخر : صدوق . وقال البخاري : رأيتهم مجمعين على ضعفه . وروى ابن عقدة ، عن مطين ، عن ابن نمير ، قال : كان أبو هشام يسرق الحديث . وروى أبو حاتم ، عن ابن نمير ، قال : أضعفنا طلبا وأكثرنا غرائب . وقال عبدان الاهوازي : كنا مع أبى بكر بن شيبة في جنازة ابن البراد ، فأقبل أبو هشام الرفاعي مخضوب اللحية ، فقلت لابي بكر : ما تقول في أبى هشام ؟ فقال : ألا ترون ! ما أحسن خضابه ! وقال ابن عدى : أنكر على أبى هشام أحاديث عن أبى بكر ، وابن إدريس ، وغيرهما – يطول ذكرها ( 1 ) . أنبأني أحمد بن سلامة ، عن مسعود الجمال ، أخبرنا أبو على المقرئ ، حدثنا أبو نعيم ، حدثنا أبو عمرو بن حمدان ، حدثنا الحسن بن سفيان ، حدثنا محمد بن يزيد الرفاعي ، حدثنا إسحاق بن سليمان ، حدثنا أبو جعفر الرازي ، عن عاصم بن بهدلة ،
عن أبى صالح ، عن أبى هريرة ، قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لما ألقى إبراهيم في النار قال : اللهم إنك واحد في السماء وأنا في الارض واحد ، عبدك . غريب جدا . قال البرقانى : أبو هشام ثقة ، أمرنى الدارقطني أن أخرج حديثه في الصحيح .
The Sum of My Research regarding him:
Imam Adh-Dhahabi calls him “One of the ‘Ulama’ (scholars)! He took from Abi Bakr ibn ‘Ayyash, Ibn Fdayl, and a group of scholars. Imam Muslim, Tirmthi, Ibn Mājah, Al-Mahaamali and others took from him.”
Imam Al-Mizzī says, “He was the Judge of Baghdad.”
Those declaring him trustworthy: Imam Al-Burqani (thiqah), Al-‘Ijlī (there is nothing wrong with him). Imām Muslim narrates from him in his Sahīh. Ibn Ma’īn said, “I don’t see anything wrong with him.” [Tahthib At-Tahthib] Talhah ibn Muhammad ibn Ja’afar mentioned that “he was a man of the Qur’an, knowledge, fiqh, and hadīth…” [ibid] Maslamah said, “There is no problem with him”. [ibid]
His character was praised by Ibn Abi Shaybah: “He is a man with good character, a reciter of the Qur’an” [Tahthīb Al-Kamāl]
Adh-Dhahabi said, “Another group called him Sadūq (honest).”
Weakened him: Bukhari says, “I saw them gathering upon his weakness.” Ibn Numayr said that he ‘stole the narrations.’ Ibn ‘Adi Ankara his narrations from Abi Bakr, Ibn Idrīs, and other than the two. An-Nasā’ī declared him weak. Abu Hātim said that he was weak [tahthib Al-Kamāl] Al-Hākim Abu Ahmad said, “Not with strength (laysa bil qwwi).” [Tahtib at tahthib]
Ibn Hibbān mentions him in his thiqāt and says, “He made mistakes, and he contradicted other reporters.”
So there is definitely disagreement regarding him. However, the criticism is with regards to hadith from the Nabi (‘alayhis salaam). It is not with regards incidents that he mentioned. In fact, based upon what we have seen, his testimony in the court of law would be acceptable, considering he is righteous man, and according to great ‘Ulamaa’ is perfectly ok in memorization. He was not even criticized for poor memory. He was criticized for “stealing the hadith” which is known well to the students of the science.
So anyone who rejects this narration due to these criticisms is not being just and not properly applying principles in my view.
Correct – since the di’f (weakness) applies to his narration of *hadith*, we do not apply that to what he states from his own personal experience and his own era.
He was, after all, the judge of Baghdad and a knowledge and fiqh, and so there’s no problem with him relating direct accounts.
Sidi Taha, this as an excellent find. A find so fine that it shall be a thorn in the sides of the enemies of tawassul for a long while to come insha’allah. We will be adding this quote to our upcoming research project, “The Ultimate Defense of Tawassul” insha’allah. If you have anything else, do not refrain from sharing. Even if you doubt the information, we can still research the material.
Jazaakum Allahu Khairan for such a beneficial read!