‘The companions of the right…’ (al-Wāqiʿah 56:8)

‘and the foremost are the foremost’ (al-Wāqiʿah 56:10).

I am among the foremost, and I am the best of the foremost. God then divided those thirds into clans and placed me in the finest clan, as expressed in His saying:

‘We have made you peoples and tribes so that you may come to know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most God-fearing; God is All-Knowing, All-Aware’ (al-Ḥujurāt 49:13).

I am the most God-fearing of the children of Adam and the most honored before God—without claiming pride. He next divided the clans into households and placed me in the best household. Concerning this He says:

‘Indeed, God desires only to remove impurity from you, O People of the House, and to purify you completely’ (al-Aḥzāb 33:33).

Thus I and the members of my household are purified from sin.

This ḥadīth is unusual and contains elements that are objectionable.(1)

Al-Ḥākim and al-Bayhaqī(2) also narrated—through Muḥammad ibn Dhakwān (the maternal uncle of Ḥammād ibn Zayd)—from ʿAmr ibn Dīnār, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said:

We were sitting in the courtyard of the Prophet ﷺ when a woman passed by. Some of us remarked, “This is the daughter of the Messenger of God ﷺ.” Abū Sufyān said, “Muhammad among the Banū Hāshim is like a sprig of basil amid foul stench.” The woman went and informed the Prophet ﷺ. God’s Messenger then came out, anger clearly visible on his face, and said:

“What is the matter with statements that reach me from certain people? God created seven heavens and chose the highest of them, placing in it whomever He willed of His creatures. Then He created beings and chose from them the children of Adam; from the children of Adam He chose the Arabs; from the Arabs He chose Muḍar; from Muḍar He chose Quraysh; from Quraysh He chose the Banū Hāshim; and from the Banū Hāshim He chose me. I am therefore the choicest of the chosen. Whoever loves the Arabs does so out of love for me, and whoever hates the Arabs hates them out of hatred for me.”

This report too is strange.

It is authentically established in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim(3) that the Messenger of God ﷺ said, “I am the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection, and this is no boast.”

Al-Ḥākim and al-Bayhaqī(4) likewise narrated—through Mūsā ibn ʿUbaydah, who reported that ʿAmr ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Nawfal related, from al-Zuhrī, from Abū Usāmah and Abū Salamah,(5) from ʿĀʾishah (may God be pleased with her), who said:

The Messenger of God ﷺ declared: “Jibrīl said to me, ‘I have traversed the earth, its East and its West, and I found no man better than Muhammad. I likewise traversed the earth, its East and its West, and found no lineage better than the Banū Hāshim.’”

Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī(6) remarked: Although among the transmitters of these reports are some whose narrations are not relied upon,(7)