Series of Answers by the Eminent Scholar Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashta, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to questions from followers on his Facebook page "Fiqhi"
Answer to a Question
Hadiths of the Khilafah on the Methodology of Prophethood
To: Mamoon Soofi
Question:
Asalaamu Alaiykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu Dear Shaykh Ata ibn Khalil Abu Rashta.
I pray that all is well with you, your family and the Shabaab in the blessed Land of Palestine.
I pray that Allah (swt) honors us in reestablishing the Khilafah on the Methodology of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw).
My name is Mamoon Soofi and I am from the Shabaab of Canada.
I wanted to ask regarding the authenticity of the Hadith in MUSNAD AHMED (no. 18596) about "the Khilafah on the method of the Prophethood"
All of my discussions thus far have resulted in just mentioning this Hadith and nothing further. Until recently, I was requested to look into the authenticity of the Hadith itself. It is important to note here that Arabic is not my first language so I am limited to what I can find and research.
As such I have come across a document that claims the following:
This hadith we use in particular from the MUSNAD AHMED (no. 18596) is one of the many versions where it says “Then there will be the Caliphate upon the way of the Prophethood…”. This final part is narrated by only one person (Ibrāhīm al-Wāsiṭī) whose narrations are matrūk (”abandoned”) meaning they are so unreliable as to be unworthy of being cited.
Here is the pdf document in Arabic that explains this:
I would greatly appreciate it if you could clarify the matter for me so that I may be able to make sense of this cross-roads I am at.
Barak'Allahu Feekum ya Shaykh Ata!
May Allah (swt) continue to help us strive down the path of the Sirat-al-Mustaqeem
Ameen Ameen Ameen!!
Mamoon Soofi
Answer:
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
- You mentioned in your question:
(This hadith we use in particular from the MUSNAD AHMED (no. 18596) is one of the many versions where it says “Then there will be the Caliphate upon the way of the Prophethood…”)
However, in Musnad Ahmad, under this number (18596), there is no Hadith at all regarding the Khilafah on the methodology of Prophethood! Rather, this Hadith relates to other matters entirely unrelated to the Khilafah on the methodology of Prophethood, and the Hadith is titled under the chapter of "Hadith of Abdullah bin Abi Awfa (ra)."
- As for the Hadiths of the Khilafah on the methodology of Prophethood, they have been reported in many sources:
a- In Musnad Ahmad: 17680 – (Sulaiman bin Dawud al-Tayalisi narrated to us, Dawud bin Ibrahim al-Wasiti narrated to me, Habib bin Salim narrated to me from al-Nu'man bin Bashir who said: We were sitting in the Masjid with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Bashir was a man who withheld his speech. Then Abu Tha'labah al-Khushani came and said: "O Bashir bin Sa'd, do you remember the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding the leaders?" Hudhayfah said: "I remember his sermon." So Abu Tha'labah sat down and Hudhayfah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
تَكُونُ النُّبُوَّةُ فِيكُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكاً عَاضّاً فَيَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكاً جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ
"Prophethood will remain among you for as long as Allah wills it to remain, then He will lift it when He wills to lift it. Then there will be a Khilafah on the methodology of Prophethood, and it will remain for as long as Allah wills it to remain, then He will lift it when He wills to lift it. Then there will be a biting kingship, and it will remain for as long as Allah wills it to remain, then He will lift it when He wills to lift it. Then there will be an oppressive kingship, and it will remain for as long as Allah wills it to remain, then He will lift it when He wills to lift it. Then there will be a Khilafah on the methodology of Prophethood." Then he remained silent.)
b- And in Dala'il al-Nubuwwah by al-Bayhaqi 2843 – (Abu Bakr Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Furak narrated to us, Abdullah bin Ja'far al-Asbahani informed us, Yunus bin Habib narrated to us, Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi narrated to us, Dawud al-Wasiti narrated to us, and he said: He was trustworthy, he said: I heard Habib bin Salim, he said: I heard al-Nu'man bin Bashir bin Sa'd, in a Hadith he mentioned, he said: Abu Tha'labah came and said: O Bashir bin Sa'd, do you remember the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding the leaders? Hudhayfah was sitting with Bashir, so Hudhayfah said: I remember his sermon. Abu Tha'labah sat down and Hudhayfah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إِنَّكُمْ فِي النُّبُوَّةِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ تَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ جَبْرِيَّةً تَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا، إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ
"You will remain in Prophethood for as long as Allah wills it to be, then He will lift it when He wills. Then there will be a Khilafah on the methodology of Prophethood, it will remain for as long as Allah wills it to be, then He will lift it when He wills. Then there will be an oppressive rule, it will remain for as long as Allah wills it to be, then He will lift it when He wills to lift it. Then there will be a Khilafah on the methodology of Prophethood.")
c- And in Musnad al-Tayalisi 433 – (Abu Dawud narrated to us, he said: Dawud al-Wasiti narrated to us, and he was trustworthy, he said: I heard Habib bin Salim, he said: I heard al-Nu'man bin Bashir bin Sa'd, he said: We were sitting in the Masjid with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ...) and he mentioned the Hadith with the same meaning.
d- And in Ithaf al-Khayara al-Mahara – authored by Shihab al-Din Ahmad bin Abi Bakr bin Isma'il al-Busiri (d. 840 AH):
[4164/1] (Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi said: Dawud al-Wasiti narrated to us - and he was trustworthy - I heard Habib bin Salim, I heard al-Nu'man bin Bashir bin Sa'd who said: "We were sitting in the Masjid (the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ)...) and he mentioned the Hadith with the same meaning.
It is clear from these Hadiths that Dawud bin Ibrahim al-Wasiti is trustworthy (thiqah); he was mentioned by Ahmad in his Musnad, al-Bayhaqi in Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, al-Tayalisi in his Musnad, and al-Busiri in Ithaf al-Khayara al-Mahara. This is sufficient for the authenticity of the Hadith... Likewise, Ibn Hibban has declared him trustworthy, mentioning him among the reliable narrators in his book (al-Thiqat) by Imam al-Hafiz Abu Hatim Muhammad bin Hibban bin Ahmad al-Tamimi al-Basti (d. 354 AH - 965 CE).
However, Salah al-Din al-Idlibi on his website via the link you sent, investigates Dawud bin Ibrahim and asks whether he is al-Wasiti or al-Uqayli. Then he speaks about Dawud bin Ibrahim al-Uqayli, citing reports that he is matruk (abandoned), and says: "Dawud bin Ibrahim, the judge of Qazvin, is al-Uqayli," and adds: "Al-Azdi said he is an unknown liar"... He further adds: "It may be said that Dawud bin Ibrahim al-Wasiti was declared trustworthy by the narrator from him, Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi, the author of the Musnad; so is his declaration of trustworthiness accepted for those he narrates from!"—as if al-Idlibi does not accept his declaration of trustworthiness! In fact, he does not even accept Ibn Hibban’s declaration of him as trustworthy!
He adds: "If Dawud bin Ibrahim al-Wasiti mentioned in the chain is the one accused of lying, then the chain is ruined. If it is someone else, then there is nothing wrong with the chain. If doubt occurs, then the least obligation is to suspend judgment"!
And why should doubt occur? It was reported from him in Bayhaqi's Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, Tayalisi's Musnad, and Busiri's Ithaf al-Khayara al-Mahara; it was stated in their chains of transmission that he is trustworthy and they extracted the Hadith. Likewise, Ahmad extracted it in his Musnad, and Ibn Hibban mentioned him in al-Thiqat... So how can doubt occur?!
In conclusion, the Hadith of the Khilafah on the methodology of Prophethood has been reported by the major scholars of Hadith and its chain of transmission is authentic (sahih)...
Your Brother, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashta
15 Muharram al-Haram 1443 AH Corresponding to 23/08/2021 CE
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