Lesson 12: Restrictions on the Flexibility of Accepting Narrations in Seerah

Question 1

What is Haatib layl?

Answer 1

• The scholars say

> لَا يَسْلَمُ أَيُّ عِلْمٍ مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ ٱلْعُلُومِ مِنَ ٱلدُّخَلَاءِ
No field of knowledge is free/immune from intruders/imposters

When the scholars of hadeeth criticize someone, to emphasize they say they are Hatib layl. And this means the narrator does not know what is right from what is wrong. This comes from the saying of calling someone to bring you sticks in the night for fire, and he brings you dung, bones etc, because he isn’t aware of it, and when he realizes he goes back.

• Enemies of Islam come, and try to corrupt the narrations, such as the “satanic verses”
• As such the door for Seerah isn’t unrestrictedly opened, as such you might find weird narrations.

Question 2

When we Talk About Flexibility in the Seerah, What do We Mean By It?

Answer 2

• Restricted to Seerah, heart softening etc
• If its going to be used as evidence, it can’t be used on its own, but can be something additional to solidify evidence, the cherry on the cake.
  
  • Not from the perspective of proving something just with it, just to add on.

Question 3

Statements of the Scholars on the Restriction on the Flexibility of the Scholars of Seerah (either memorize the quotes or the issue they are discussing)

Answer 3

Imām adh-Dhahabi

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Imām adh dhahbi in Siyar a’lam an nubala and his Tareekh al Islam:

> **وَكَذَا فِي «السِّيْرَةِ» عَجَائِبُ ذَكَرَهَا ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بِلا إِسْنَادٍ تَلَقَّفَهَا، وَفِيهَا خَيْرٌ كَثِيرٌ لِمَنْ لَهُ نَقْدٌ وَمَعْرِفَةٌ**
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> *And similarly, in the "Sirah" (biography of the Prophet), Ibn Ishaq mentioned marvels without any chain of narration, which he received. There is much good in it for those who have critical insight {can critique it} and knowledge {can distinguish falsehood, and truth}.*
>

The people of knowledge say, when it comes to the flexibility of the reports of the Seerah of the messenger ﷺ is that it is not built upon ‘Aqeedah, a Hukm Shariee.

A hukm Shar’ee is divided into 2 (in terms of how it can come about)

- **حُكْمُ الشَّرْعِيِّ عَلَى جِهَةِ اِسْتِقْلاَل- independent ruling has been made for this particular issue.** This is **Not** done for Seerah, so a religion ruling to come about independently without a main source of evidence

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- **حُكْمُ الشَّرْعِيِّ عَلَى جِهَةِ التَّبَعِ-** Hukm Shari’ee that follows the ruling of something else.
- **Some of the stories from the Seerah do** have an Shar’ee ruling that come from them, but they will come dependent on primary evidence {something else}, as a backup, a reinforcer, never independent

An example of what taba’ is if someone buys a house, he gets the garden as well, not just the house, it follows along. If one buys a pregnant camel, he gets the animal that's born as well, or if one slaughters a camel and it’s pregnant, it becomes the slaughter of the child that's in the animal's womb as well.

https://www.amauacademy.com/programs/monthly-q-and-a-session-recordings?cid=3465075&permalink=nov-2023-live-qa-with-ustadh-abdulrahman-hassan (time stamp 26:30)

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<aside>

> **قَالَ ابْنُ مَعِينٍ: «مَا لَهُ عِنْدِي ذَنْبٌ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ حَشَا فِي السِّيرَةِ مِنَ الأَشْيَاءِ المُنْكَرَةِ المُنْقَطِعَةِ، وَالأَشْعَارِ المَكْذُوبَةِ».**
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> ***Ibn Ma’een said: He (meaning Ibn Ishāq) has no fault with me except what he included in the Seerah things that are munkar, disconnected, and made-up poetry.***
>
> -**ميزان الاعتدال في نقد الرجال**
>

> **قَالَ الإِمَامُ الذَّهَبِيُّ فِي مِيزَانُ الِاعْتِدَالِ فِي نَقْدِ الرِّجَالِ: «وَهُوَ صَالِحُ الحَدِيثِ، مَا لَهُ عِنْدِي ذَنْبٌ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ حَشَا فِي السِّيرَةِ مِنَ الأَشْيَاءِ المُنْكَرَةِ المُنْقَطِعَةِ وَالأَشْعَارِ المَكْذُوبَةِ»، وَقَالَ: "فالذي يظهر لي أن ابن إسحاق حسن الحديث، صالح الحال صدوق، وما انفرد به ففيه نكارة، فإن في حفظه شيئا، وقد احتج به الأئمة، والله أعلم.**
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> ***Imam Adh-Dhahabi said in "Meezan Ul-I'tidal Fi Naqd Ar-Rijal," (note that both Adh dhahabi and Ibn ma’een said this): "His Hadith is acceptable, and he has no fault with me except for what he has included in the Seerah from strange/evil things (munkar), {as well as things} that are disconnected (in chain), and fabricated poetry." He also said: "What appears to me is that Ibn Ishaq's Hadith is Hassan, he is in a good state and is truthful. However, what he narrates alone contains anomalies, as his memory has some issues. Despite this, the scholars have used his narrations. Allah knows best.”***
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Despite saying this, imam adh-Dhahabi is one who we mentioned to show the flexibility in the Seerah as well.

The statements of the scholars here isn’t contradictory; in this case he’s talking about it from the perspective of Ibn Ishaq mentioning things that are related to ‘aqeedah, or a Hukm shari’ee comes independently in an issue in the Seerah of Ibn Ishaq.

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<aside>

> **قَالَ الحَافِظُ الذَّهَبِيُّ فِي «الْعُلُوِّ لِلْعَلِيِّ الْغَفَّارِ فِي إِيضَاحِ صَحِيحِ الْأَخْبَارِ وَسَقِيمِهَا» ١ / ٣٨: وَابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ حُجَّةٌ فِي المَغَازِي إِذَا أَسْنَدَ، وَلَهُ مَنَاكِيرُ وَعَجَائِبُ**
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> Al-Hafiz Al-Dhahabi in "Al-Uluw Lil'Ali Al-Ghaffar Fi Iydaah Sahih Al-Akhbar Wa-Saqeemihha" 1/38: Ibn Ishaq is a reliable authority in the narrations of battles (Maghazi) if he provides his chain of transmission (Isnad), but he has some oddities (munkar narrations) and peculiarities
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</aside>

‘Abdurahman Ibn Yahya al Mu’allimi

<aside>

In the fifteenth volume, page 257 of “آثار عبد الرحمن بن يحيى المعلمي اليماني” says:

> **أنَّ حَاجَةَ التَّارِيخِ إِلَى مَعْرِفَةِ أَحْوَالِ نَاقِلِي الوَقَائِعِ التَّارِيخِيَّةِ أَشَدُّ مِنْ حَاجَةِ الحَدِيثِ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّ الكَذِبَ وَالتَّسَاهُلَ فِي التَّارِيخِ أَكْثَرُ، بَلْ إِنَّ مَعْرِفَةَ أَحْوَالِ الرِّجَالِ هِيَ مِنْ أَهَمِّ أَنْوَاعِ التَّارِيخِ، وَالعُلُومُ الدِّينِيَّةُ وَالتَّارِيخِيَّةُ أَوْلَى العُلُومِ بِالحِفْظِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا ضَاعَ مِنْهَا شَيْءٌ لَمْ يُمْكِنْ تَدَارُكُهُ بَعْدَ خَتْمِ النُّبُوَّةِ**
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> ***The need {for to people} to know the conditions of the narrators of historical events (know the authenticity of the historical events)is greater than the need for Hadith to do so, because falsehood and leniency are more prevalent in history. In fact, knowing the conditions of men (narrators) is one of the most important types of historical knowledge. Religious and historical sciences are the most deserving of preservation because if any part of them is lost, it cannot be recovered after the end of Prophethood.***
>

The same as imam adh dhahabi, we also quoted imam al mu’allimi when discussing المَرُونَة- flexibility in transmitting the Seerah.

There is also التَّسَاهُلْ-leniency as he mentions in transmitting events of history (Seerah also falls under this) when it comes to issues of beliefs, and even religious rulings that are only found in the books of Seerah.

when we mentioned leniency/flexibility in accepting the events of the Seerah, we mentioned a condition for it is that it can be fabricated, such as the statement of Imām al Bayhaqi where he mentions the narrations are 2 types:

- that all scholars agree it’s fabricated- no one accepts it (and this is what Mu’allimi says

> **فَإِنَّ الكَذِبَ وَالتَّسَاهُلَ فِي التَّارِيخِ أَكْثَرُ**
>
</aside>

Other scholars such as baqilani, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Qayyim, ibn Jawzi, numerous other scholars mention this alongside al mu’allimi regarding how the flexibility can’t be based upon something ‘aqeedah, or a religious ruling is built upon on its own, and this was the methodology of the great scholars of Islām.

Question 4

What is the way hukm Shar’ee is divided (in terms of how it can come about)

Answer 4

A hukm Shar’ee is divided into 2 (in terms of how it can come about)

• حُكْمُ الشَّرْعِيِّ عَلَى جِهَةِ اِسْتِقْلاَل- independent ruling has been made for this particular issue. This is Not done for Seerah, so a religion ruling to come about independently without a main source of evidence

• حُكْمُ الشَّرْعِيِّ عَلَى جِهَةِ التَّبَعِ- Hukm Shari’ee that follows the ruling of something else.
  
  • Some of the stories from the Seerah do have an Shar’ee ruling that come from them, but they will come dependent on primary evidence {something else}, as a backup, a reinforcer, never independentAn example of what taba’ is if someone buys a house, he gets the garden as well, not just the house, it follows along. If one buys a pregnant camel, he gets the animal that’s born as well, or if one slaughters a camel and it’s pregnant, it becomes the slaughter of the child that’s in the animal’s womb as well.