The Messenger of Allah—may blessings and peace be upon him—therefore urged him to identify himself with the Anṣār, even though that bond existed only by manumission. Declaring this connection was more pleasing to the Prophet than his openly claiming Persian descent—though the latter was a valid lineage and by no means forbidden.
It appears—and Allah knows best—that one wisdom behind this is that a person instinctively defends the group with which he affiliates. If that affiliation is for the sake of Allah, it will be to the person’s own benefit.
These ḥadiths thus show that attributing any matter to the Age of Ignorance (Jāhiliyyah) marks it for censure and prohibition. Consequently, all practices of Jāhiliyyah must be abandoned outright, and that is precisely the objective of this book.
In the same vein, Saʿīd ibn Abī Saʿīd reported—from his father—from Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Indeed, Allah has removed …”
(1) Manuscript A reads: “hadduhu wa-anna Rasul Allah,” which is clearly a copyist’s conflation.
(2) Manuscripts C and T give the verb as “tunsab.”
(3) The word “fa-idha” is omitted in the printed edition.
(4) The printed text reads: “min kulli umur al-jahiliyyah” (from every practice of the Jahiliyyah).
(5) The word “al-kitab” is absent from manuscripts C, D, and T.
(6) Manuscript B has: “ʿan Saʿid” (on the authority of Saʿid).
(7) This refers to Saʿid ibn Abi Saʿid Kaysan al-Maqburi of Medina, a precise and trustworthy hadith master. The leading critics declared him reliable but noted that he became confused four years before his death. He died in 117 AH, though another report places his death in 123 AH. See Taqrib al-Tahdhib 2:38–40, no. 61.
(8) Abu Saʿid—the transmitter cited here—is Kaysan ibn Saʿid al-Maqburi, the client of Umm Sharik; some identify him as “the companion of al-Abbas.” He is reliable and solid, belonging to the second generation; he died in 100 AH. See Taqrib al-Tahdhib 2:137, no. 81.