Lesson 10: Theoretical flexibility in Seerah

Question 1

What were some issues where the scholars of Hadeeth were strict, and what were some issues they were more lenient?

Answer 1

• When it came to Halal and Haram, ‘Aqeedah, they were very strict.
• When it came to other than that, they were lenient, regarding it.

Question 2

Who was ‘Abdurahman Ibn Mahdi al-Anbari (198 AH) and what was his statement on the theoretical flexibility of Hadeeth?

Answer 2

• Shaykh of Imam Ash Sha’fiee
• Advised Shafiee to write Ar-Risalah (first book written in Usul al Fiqh)
  
  • Shafiee had 2 books known as Ar Risalah, a old and a new. In our times, we onlly have the new and Ahmed Shakir has a Tahqiq, as well as Mustafa Makhdum, as well as Sa’d Ash Shitri online.

Shafiee studied with Ahlul Ra’ee and Ahlul Hadeeth, and with Malik he memorized the entire Muwatta and we have a riwayah from him on it.

He said:

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> **عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ، يَقُولُ: إِذَا رَوِينَا، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي الْحَلَالِ، وَالْحَرَامِ، وَالْأَحْكَامِ، شَدَّدْنَا فِي الْأَسَانِيدِ، وَانْتَقَدْنَا الرِّجَالَ، وَإِذَا رَوِينَا فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ وَالثَّوَابِ، وَالْعِقَابِ، وَالْمُبَاحَاتِ، وَالدَّعَوَاتِ تَسَاهَلْنَا فِي الْأَسَانِيدِ**
>
>
> *From Abdul-Rahman ibn Mahdi, he said: "When we narrate from the Prophet ﷺ regarding halal (permissible), haram (forbidden), and rulings, we are strict in the chains of narration and critique the narrators. But when we narrate regarding virtuous deeds, rewards, punishments, permissible actions, and supplications, we are lenient in the chains of narration.”*
>
> -Hakim, Bayhaqi, Khatib al Baghdadi, authentic
>

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If a Hadith is weak it’s either due to the chain, or a narrator.

Disconnection in the chain, criticism of the narrator.

Criticism of the narrators is one of 2

1. **ضَبْطُ الرَّاوِي-the accuracy and precision of the narrator**
2. **عَدَالَةُ الرَّاوِي- The integrity of the narrator**
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Question 3

Statement of Abu Zakariyya Yahya Bin Muhammed al anbariy an naysaburi on the theoretical flexibility of Hadeeth

Answer 3

• <aside>
  
  **أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ، أنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ نُعَيْمٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا زَكَرِيَّا الْعَنْبَرِيَّ، يَقُولُ: «الْخَبَرُ إِذَا وَرَدَ لَمْ يُحَرِّمْ حَلَالًا، وَلَمْ يُحِلَّ حَرَامًا، وَلَمْ يُوجِبْ حُكْمًا، وَكَانَ فِي تَرْغِيبٍ أَوْ تَرْهِيبٍ، أَوْ تَشْدِيدٍ أَوْ تَرْخِيصٍ، وَجَبَ الْإِغْمَاضُ عَنْهُ، وَالتَّسَاهُلُ فِي رُوَاتِهِ**
  
  *Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yaqub informed us, Muhammad ibn Nu'aym said: I heard Abu Zakariyya al-Amberi say: "When the report is transmitted, it does not make the permissible forbidden, nor does it make the forbidden permissible, nor does it necessitate a ruling. If it is in encouragement or discouragement, or in severity or leniency, it is obligatory to overlook it and be lenient with its narrators.”*
  
  **تَرْغِيبٍ -encouragement**
  
  **تَرْهِيبٍ-discourging/causing fear (in someone)**
  
  **تَرْغِيبٍ and تَرْهِيبٍ is basically fadail a’mal**
  
  </aside>

Question 4

Who was Abdurahman Ibn Yahya al Mua’limmi and where does he explain the statement of ‘Abdurahman Ibn Mahdi al-Anbari (198 AH) on the theoritcal flexibility on Hadeeth

Answer 4

Abdurahman Ibn Yahya al Mua’limmi was a scholar of hadith, arabic and plethora of sciences. He wrote a book explaining what ‘Ibadah is, has a refutation of Muhammed Zahid al Kawthari, and other deviants.

Shaykh Albani, Bakr Abu Zayd and other scholars call him the Dhahahbi of his time, as he knew the narrators well.

He refutes Muhammed Ibn Zahid al Kawthari, who insulted 300 Imams of the Salaf, Anas Ibn Malik, insults the lineage of Imam Ash-Shafi’ee (Shafi’ee was a Qurayshi he was indirectly insulting the messenger ﷺ) just for the sake of defending Imam Abu Hanifa.

That being said, he was a giant and a scholar of Hadith. He would flip the narrators that have the same name- one being praised and the other being criticized and used the praised one to elevate the rank of Abu Hanifa.

And Imam Mu’allimi exposed him on this.

So, in the Athar of Mua’limmi (published by Dar ‘alim al fawaid) 15th volume, page 172-173 (discusses the statement of ‘Abdurahman Ibn Mahdi.)

Question 5

Who was Imam Bayhaqi (458 AH)?

Answer 5

He was: A scholar of the Shafi’ee madhab, as well as a Muhaddith. It’s said that Shafi’ee has a favor over every single person who studies his madhab (or the Ummah) except for al bayhaqi, for he has a favor on Ash Shafi’ee.

This is because he served the madhab of Ash Shafiee to a level that was unheard of, and unseen.

He has a book as sunan al Kubra (book of Hadithul ahkam) and he does this solely for the madhab of Ash Shafi’ee, explaining it for the madhab, etc.