Sihha al-Riwayah

Soundness of Narration and Truthfulness of the Narrator

Translation: Hazrat Samurah bin Jundab and Mughira bin Shu'bah narrate that they said, "Whoever narrates a hadith while understanding and knowing that it is false, then he himself is one of the liars." (Hazrat Muslim has stated this hadith in his book "Muslim").

قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی : اِنْ جَاءَ کُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَاٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوْا -

(Al-Hujurat - Verse 6)

Translation: Allah Most High says: "If a wicked person (Fasiq), an evildoer brings you any news, then investigate it."

عَنْ اَبِیْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "کَفٰی بِالْمَرْءِ کَذِبًا اَنْ يُّحَدِّثَ بِکُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ -

(Narrated by Muslim - Mishkat)

Translation: Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Messenger of God ﷺ said, "It is enough for a man to be a liar that he just goes on saying whatever he hears."

O people! Knowing the condition of narrators, meaning Asma-ur-Rijal. The checking of prophetic ahadith is done based on this principle. But also remember that the truthfulness of a narrator is one Dirayat. The man is truthful but devoid of sound intellect. Overlooking historical circumstances and contradicting other rational conclusions from the noble Quran or famous ahadith affects the narration.

عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ قَالَ جَاءَ بَشِيْرُ الْعَدَوِیُّ اِلَی ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَجَعَلَ يُحَدِّثُ وَيَقُوْلُ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَجَعَلَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لَّا يَاْذَنُ لِحَدِيْثِهٖ وَلَا يَنْظُرُ اِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهٗ بَشِيْرٌ مَالِیْ اَرَاکَ لَا تَسْمَعُ لِحَدِيْثِیْ اُحَدِّثُکَ عَنْ رَّسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَا تَسْمَعُ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ اِنَّا کُنَّا مَرَّةً اِذَا سَمِعْنَا رَجُلًا يَّقُوْلُ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ابْتَدَرَتْهُ اَبْصَارُنَا وَاَصْغَيْنَا اِلَيْهِ بِاَسْمَاعِنَا فَلَمَّا رَکِبَ النَّاسُ الصَّعْبَةَ وَالذَّلُوْلَ لَمْ نَاْخُذْهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ اِلَّا مَا نَعْرِفُ -

(Excerpted by Muslim - Taysir p.268)

Vocabulary: جَعَلَ: Made, did. فَجَعَلَ يُحَدِّثُ: So he began narrating hadith. اَرَاکَ: I see you. لَا تَسْمَعُ: You do not listen. يَنْظُرُ: He looks, he sees. ابْتَدَرَ: To hurry, to rush. الصَّعْبَةَ: Difficulty, hard ground.

Translation: Hazrat Mujahid narrates that Bashir al-Adawi came to Ibn Abbas (RA) and started narrating ahadith, saying

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ (meaning the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said) and Ibn Abbas (RA) that they do not listen to his hadith nor do they look towards him, so Bashir asked him (Ibn Abbas (RA)), what is the matter that I am seeing you are not listening to my hadith, I am narrating the Ahadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to you and you are not listening? So Ibn Abbas (RA) said! There was a time upon us that when someone was heard saying "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said", our sights (eyes) would run towards them and we would listen to their words attentively. Then when people started riding on both hard and soft (i.e. becoming careless), now we do not take any hadith from people except those whom we know.

أَلَا إِنَّ رَحَى الْإِسْلَامِ دَائِرَةٌ قِيْلَ فَكَيْفَ نَصْنَعُ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ ! قَالَ "اعْرِضُوْا حَدِيْثِيْ عَلَى الْكِتَابِ فَمَا وَافَقَهُ فَهُوَ مِنِّيْ وَأَنَا قُلْتُهُ"۔ (طب و سمويه عن ثوبان كنز ج 1)

Translation: He said, beware! Indeed the millstone of Islam is turning, meaning changes keep happening in it, so it was submitted, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ then what should we do? So He said: Compare my hadith with the Qur'an, whatever hadith is in accordance with the Qur'an, that is my hadith and I have said it. (This hadith is narrated from Hazrat Samwiyah (RA) from Thawban (RA) in the first volume of Kanz and is also recorded in Tabarani)

"سَأَلْتِ الْيَهُوْدُ عَنْ مُوْسٰى فَأَكْثَرُوْا فِيْهِ وَزَادُوْا وَنَقَصُوْا حَتّٰى كَفَرُوْا وَإِنَّهُ سَتَفْشُوْ عَنِّيْ أَحَادِيْثُ فَمَا أَتَاكُمْ مِنْ حَدِيْثِيْ فَاقْرَؤُا كِتَابَ اللّٰهِ وَاعْتَبِرُوْا فَمَا وَافَقَ كِتَابَ اللّٰهِ فَأَنَا قُلْتُهُ وَمَا لَمْ يُوَافِقْ كِتَابَ اللّٰهِ فَلَمْ أَقُلْهُ"۔ (طب عن ابن عمر)

Translation: The Jews asked questions to Musa (AS), then they asked excessively, then they added some and subtracted some in it until they reached disbelief. And undoubtedly Ahadith will become prevalent and apparent from me too, then whichever hadith of mine comes to you, read the Qur'an. Take a lesson from it, understand it. Then whatever is in accordance with the Book of Allah (Qur'an), I have said it, and whatever is not in accordance with the Qur'an, I have not said it. (This hadith is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (RA) in Tabarani Mu'jam al-Kabir)

عَنْ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الْعُذْرِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَحْمِلُ هٰذَا الْعِلْمَ مِنْ كُلِّ خَلَفٍ عُدُوْلُهُ يَنْفُوْنَ عَنْهُ تَحْرِيْفَ الْغَالِيْنَ وَانْتِحَالَ الْمُبْطِلِيْنَ وَتَأْوِيْلَ الْجَاهِلِيْنَ"۔ (رواه البيهقي في كتاب المدخل مرسلا - مشكوة)