Lesson 11: Practical Flexibility in Seerah

Question 1

Examples of the practical flexibility in Seerah

Answer 1

• Al Hafidh Abu ‘Umar Ibn Abdul Barr in At Tamheed (Muwatta 2002)

When it came to the story of Safwan ibn Umayyah and his wife where she was the only who while her husband was a disbeliever and residing in the land of disbelief, her emigration separated her from her husband

Ibn abdil Barr said that he does not know it to be authentically connected from any correct chain, but it is well-known hadith among the people of Seerah. And that the popularity of it would be stronger than its chain.

• Imām Abu Zakariyya an Nawawwi

he says that he narrates from the book of Az Zubayr Ibn Bakkar (this was also done by Bayhaqi) that the son of the messenger ﷺ Ibrāhim died on tuesday, the tenth of rabi’ al-Awwali the tenth year AH

He said that he narrated in the book of Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar and the Sunan of Al-Bayhaqi and others that he passed away on Tuesday, the tenth of Rabi’ al-Awwal in the tenth year. Even if it is weak, it is permissible to adhere to it in such matters because no ruling is derived from it.

• Ibn Taymiyyah

Shaykh al Islām Ibn Taymiyyah in his work الصارم المسلول على شاتم الرسول discusses the Islamic ruling for the one who insults the messenger ﷺ. So he has to use examples in the Seerah to show how the messenger ﷺ dealt with such people, such as the assassination of Abu ‘Afak al yahudi. This story has no authentic chain for it, but shaykh al Islām authenticated it based upon the principle we mentioned: the ruling of an issue is from the Quran and Sunnah, but something additional would be the scholars of seerah.

He also did the same with The Hadith of Anas ibn Zulaymin

He said:

<aside>

> **الحديث السابع: حديث أنس بن زُنَيْم الدِّيلي. وهو مشهور عند أهل السير، ذكره ابن إسحاق والواقدي وغيرهم.**
>
>
> **حتى قال**
>
> **وهذا مما تواتر به النقلُ ولم يختلف فيه أهل العلم**
>
> The seventh hadith: The hadith of Anas bin Zunim al-Dili. It is well-known among the scholars of sirah (biography of the Prophet), mentioned by Ibn Ishaq, Al-Waqidi, and others.
>
> **Until he said:**
>
> - *This is something that has been consistently reported and has not been disputed by the scholars.
</aside>

he also does this (using the scholars of Seerah) wirth nawfal Ibn Muā’wiyah.

• the story of Ibn sarh

the following Hadith (different example)

<aside>

> **الحديث التاسع: حديثُ القَينتينِ اللتين كانتا تُغنِّيان بهجاءِ النبي ﷺ ومولاةِ بني هاشم، وذلك مشهورٌ مستفيضٌ عند أهل السير**
>
>
> The ninth hadith: The hadith of the two singing slave girls who used to mock the Prophet ﷺ and the Mawla of Banu Hashim. This is well-known and widely transmitted among the scholars of sirah (biography of the Prophet).
>
> -https://app.turath.io/book/96964?page=2419
>
- the Imām does this throughout the book as well as his other works
</aside>

• Al Hafidh Abul Fath al ya’moori (أبو الفتح محمد بن محمد بن محمد بن سيد الناس اليعمري)
• he has a book that we’ve mentioned before

عيون الأثر في فنون المغازي والشمائل والسير

In that book, he says after discussing an issue, he mentions how a certain Hadith was not authentic, and says that many scholars have gone to in permissibility in the matters of heart softening and what is not judged from the reports of battles, and similar matters, and that it is accepted from those who would not be accepted in matters of halal and haram due to the lack of rulings being related to it