16
(1 I know of no one who has said or transmitted this; however, it has been narrated in 1) (1) the hadith of Abd Allah ibn Khalīfah (2), with the wording: “Not even four fingers’ breadth of the Throne extends beyond Him.” It is narrated in both the negative and affirmative forms. More than one hadith scholar, including al-Ismāʿīlī and Ibn al-Jawzī, criticized the hadith. [Some, however, cited corroborating reports for it and deemed it strong (3).
There is no objection to the negative wording, for such an expression is used (4) to convey universal negation, as in the Prophet’s saying—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—: “There is not a space of four fingers in heaven but that an angel] (5) is standing, sitting, bowing, or prostrating.” (6) That is, there is no unoccupied space in it.
(1) The wording of passage (1–1) is confused in (N) and (M).
(2) Biographical works on hadith transmitters mention two men by this name. The first is Abd Allāh ibn Khalīfah al-Tāī al-Kūfī al-Hamdānī. See his biography in Ibn Sad, *al-Tabaqāt*, 6/121; *al-Jarh wa-l-Tadīl*, vol. [0–9], section [0–9], p. [0–9]5; *Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb*, p. [0–9]12; and al-Khazrajī, *al-Khulāsa*, p. [0–9]66. The second is Abd Allāh ibn Khalīfah—or, conversely, Khalīfah ibn Abd Allāh. See his biography in *Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb*, p. 412, and *al-Khulāsa*, p. 166. I could not determine which of the two is intended.
(3) I could not locate this hadith.
(4) (Ayn) reads: “is intended.”
(5) The text in brackets is absent only from (N).
(6) In *al-Durr al-Manthūr* (5/292–296), while commenting on the words of the Exalted, “There is none among us but has a known station. We are indeed those who stand in rows, and we are indeed those who glorify” (Sūrat al-Sāffāt 37:164–166), al-Suyūtī cites several hadiths with similar wording, transmitted by al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, Ibn Mardawayh, Ibn Abī Hātim, and others from a number of Companions. They all state that heaven is filled with angels glorifying Allah and prostrating before Him. The text cited by Ibn Taymiyya combines these reports.
The hadith containing the phrase “a space of four fingers’ breadth” is narrated from Abū Dharr—may Allah be pleased with him. Its wording, as given by al-Tirmidhī, is: “Abū Dharr reported that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: ‘I see what you do not see and hear what you do not hear. Heaven has creaked, and it has every right to creak: there is no space of four fingers’ breadth in it without an angel placing his forehead before Allah in prostration…’”
Al-Suyūtī stated that al-Tirmidhī narrated the hadith and graded it *hasan*; Ibn Mājah and Ibn Mardawayh also narrated it. It appears in *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 3/380–381 (*Book of Asceticism*, chapter “What Has Been Related concerning the Prophet’s Statement—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—‘If You Knew What I Know…’”). Al-Tirmidhī stated: “Reports on this subject have also been narrated from Āisha, Abū Hurayra, Ibn Abbās, and Anas. This is a *hasan gharīb* hadith.” See also *al-Musnad* (al-Halabī ed.), 5/173; and *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 2/1402 (*Book of Asceticism*, chapter “Grief and Weeping”).
(١ فَهَذَا لَا أَعْرِفُ قَائِلًا لَهُ وَلَا نَاقِلًا، وَلَكِنْ رُوِيَ فِي ١)
(١)
حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَلِيفَةَ
(٢)
أَنَّهُ: مَا يَفْضُلُ مِنَ الْعَرْشِ أَرْبَعُ أَصَابِعَ، يُرْوَى بِالنَّفْيِ وَيُرْوَى بِالْإِثْبَاتِ، وَالْحَدِيثُ قَدْ طَعَنَ فِيهِ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْمُحَدِّثِينَ كَالْإِسْمَاعِيلِيِّ وَابْنِ الْجَوْزِيِّ، [وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ ذَكَرَ لَهُ شَوَاهِدَ وَقَوَّاهُ
(٣)
.
وَلَفْظُ النَّفْيِ لَا يَرِدُ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ، فَإِنَّ مِثْلَ هَذَا اللَّفْظِ يَرِدُ
(٤)
لِعُمُومِ النَّفْيِ كَقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -:
" «مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ مَوْضِعُ أَرْبَعِ أَصَابِعَ إِلَّا وَمَلَكٌ]
(٥)
قَائِمٌ أَوْ قَاعِدٌ أَوْ رَاكِعٌ أَوْ سَاجِدٌ»
(٦)
"
، أَيْ مَا فِيهَا مَوْضِعٌ.
(١) (١ - ١) : هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتُ مُضْطَرِبَةٌ فِي (ن) ، (م) .
(٢) ذَكَرَتْ كُتُبُ الرِّجَالِ رَجُلَيْنِ بِهَذَا الِاسْمِ: الْأَوَّلُ: عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ خَلِيفَةَ الطَّائِيُّ الْكُوفِيُّ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ (انْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ فِي: طَبَقَاتِ ابْنِ سَعْدٍ ٦/١٢١ ; الْجَرْحِ وَالتَّعْدِيلِ ج [٠ - ٩] ، ق [٠ - ٩] ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٥ ; تَقْرِيبِ التَّهْذِيبِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ١٢ ; الْخُلَاصَةَ لِلْخَزْرَجِيِّ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٦٦) ; وَالثَّانِي: عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ خَلِيفَةَ أَوْ عَكْسُهُ (انْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ فِي: تَقْرِيبِ التَّهْذِيبِ، ص ٤١٢ ; الْخُلَاصَةِ ص ١٦٦) . وَلَمْ أَعْرِفْ أَيُّهَمَا الْمَقْصُودُ.
(٣) لَمْ أَعْرِفْ مَكَانَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ.
(٤) ع: يُرَادُ.
(٥) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ.
(٦) أَوْرَدَ السُّيُوطِيُّ فِي " الدُّرِّ الْمَنْثُورِ " (٥/٢٩٢ - ٢٩٦) فِي تَفْسِيرِ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: وَمَا مِنَّا إِلَّا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصَّافُّونَ وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْمُسَبِّحُونَ (سُورَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ: ١٦٤ - ١٦٦) أَحَادِيثَ مُتَعَدِّدَةً مُتَقَارِبَةَ الْأَلْفَاظِ أَخْرَجَهَا التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَابْنُ مَرْدَوَيْهِ وَابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ وَغَيْرُهُمْ عَنْ عَدَدٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَكُلَّهَا تَذْكُرُ امْتِلَاءَ السَّمَاءِ بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ السَّاجِدِينَ. . وَالنَّصُّ الَّذِي أَوْرَدَهُ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَّةَ فِيهِ جَمْعٌ بَيْنَ هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَاتِ. وَالْحَدِيثُ الَّذِي جَاءَتْ فِيهِ عِبَارَةُ " مَوْضِعُ أَرْبَعِ أَصَابِعَ " هُوَ الْمَرْوِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَنَصُّهُ - وَاللَّفْظُ لِلتِّرْمِذِيِّ - " وَعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لَا تَرَوْنَ وَأَسْمَعُ مَا لَا تَسْمَعُونَ. أَطَّتِ السَّمَاءُ وَحُقَّ لَهَا أَنْ تَئِطَّ، مَا فِيهَا مَوْضِعُ أَرْبَعِ أَصَابِعَ إِلَّا وَمَلَكٌ وَاضِعٌ جَبْهَتَهُ لِلَّهِ سَاجِدًا. . . الْحَدِيثَ ". قَالَ السُّيُوطِيُّ إِنَّ التِّرْمِذِيَّ أَخْرَجَهُ وَحَسَّنَهُ كَمَا أَخْرَجَهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَابْنُ مَرْدَوَيْهِ. وَهُوَ فِي سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٣/٣٨٠ - ٣٨١ (كِتَابُ الزُّهْدِ، بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ. . إِلَخْ) . وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: " وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَنَسٍ. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ. . " ; الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْحَلَبِيِّ) ٥/١٧٣ ; سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ٢/١٤٠٢ (كِتَابُ الزُّهْدِ، بَابُ الْحُزْنِ وَالْبُكَاءِ) .