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person of knowledge (1) that none of the scholars known for adherence to the Sunnah says anything resembling such nonsense, which would not deceive even a child. It is also well known that the astonishing tales related about the shaykhs of the Rāfidah are more numerous and more outrageous than this, even though they are true and did in fact occur.
As for this tale, a group of trustworthy people from Baghdad (2) informed me that it is a sheer fabrication against them, concocted either (3) by this author or by the person who related it to him in order to vilify them. The latter is more likely, for the people of Baghdad possess such knowledge, discernment, and intelligence that something like this could not, in view of those qualities, (4) be passed off on them.
Further proof that this was falsely attributed to them is that no one has ever transmitted the hadith he cited with either a sound chain of transmission or a weak one (5). Nor has anyone [among the hadith scholars] (6) narrated that Allah Most High descends on Friday night, [or that He descends on Friday night] (7) to the earth (8), or that He descends in the form of
(1) (B) and (A) read: “for a person of knowledge.”
(2) (Ayn) reads: “Then trustworthy people from Baghdad informed me.”
(3) The word “either” is absent from (B) and (A).
(4) The words “with it” are added in (N) and (M).
(5) The words “or a weak one” are absent from (A) and (B).
(6) The phrase “among the hadith scholars” is absent from (N) and (M).
(7) The text within square brackets is absent from (N).
(8) Al-Suyūtī, in *al-La'ālī al-Masnū'a*, 1/26–27; al-Shawkānī, in *al-Fawā'id al-Majmū'a*, pp. 446–447; and Ibn 'Irāq al-Kinānī, in *Tanzīh al-Sharī'a*, 1/138, mention a hadith containing the words: “Indeed, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, descends every Friday night to the realm of this world amid six hundred thousand angels and sits upon a chair of light…” Al-Shawkānī said: “Al-Jawzaqānī narrated it from Ibn 'Abbās as a report attributed to the Prophet and said: ‘It is a fabricated and false lie, forged upon the authority of the shaykhs. It was fabricated by Abū al-Sa'ādāt Ahmad ibn Mansūr ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Qāsim, who is a liar, as Ibn al-Jawzī stated.’ It is stated in *al-Mīzān*: ‘Its chain of transmission is obscure, and its text is invented.’”
Al-Suyūtī also narrated another hadith in *Dhayl al-La'ālī al-Masnū'a*, p. 2 (lithographic ed., India, 1303 AH), from Qatāda and attributed to the Prophet: “On Friday, Allah Most High descends between the call to prayer and the commencement of prayer, wearing a cloak upon which is written: ‘Indeed, I am Allah; there is no deity but Me.’ He stands in the prayer-direction of every believer, facing him until he completes his prayer. No servant asks Allah for anything at that hour without Him granting it. When the imam concludes his prayer with the salutation, He ascends to heaven.” Al-Suyūtī said: “Ibn 'Asākir included it in his *Tārīkh* and said: ‘Al-Khatīb recorded this from al-Ahwāzī in astonishment at its objectionable nature. It is false.’”
ذِي عِلْمٍ
(١)
أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ بِالسُّنَّةِ مَنْ يَقُولُ مِثْلَ هَذَا الْهَذَيَانِ، الَّذِي لَا يَنْطَلِي عَلَى صَبِيٍّ مِنَ الصِّبْيَانِ. وَمِنَ الْمَعْلُومِ أَنَّ الْعَجَائِبَ الْمَحْكِيَّةَ عَنْ شُيُوخِ الرَّافِضَةِ أَكْثَرُ وَأَعْظَمُ مِنْ هَذَا، مَعَ أَنَّهَا صَحِيحَةٌ وَاقِعَةٌ.
وَأَمَّا هَذِهِ الْحِكَايَةُ فَحَدَّثَنِي طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ ثِقَاتِ أَهْلِ بَغْدَادَ
(٢)
أَنَّهَا كَذِبٌ مَحْضٌ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَضَعَهَا إِمَّا
(٣)
هَذَا الْمُصَنِّفُ، أَوْ مَنْ حَكَاهَا لَهُ لِلشَّنَاعَةِ، وَهَذَا هُوَ الْأَقْرَبُ، فَإِنَّ أَهْلَ بَغْدَادَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَالتَّمْيِيزِ وَالذِّهْنِ مَا لَا يُرَوَّجُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَعَهُ
(٤)
مِثْلُ هَذَا.
وَمِمَّا يُبَيِّنُ كَذِبَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنَّ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ لَمْ يَرَوِهِ أَحَدٌ لَا بِإِسْنَادٍ صَحِيحٍ وَلَا ضَعِيفٍ
(٥)
، وَلَا رَوَى أَحَدٌ
[مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ]
(٦)
أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَنْزِلُ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ،
[وَلَا أَنَّهُ يَنْزِلُ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ]
(٧)
إِلَى الْأَرْضِ
(٨)
، وَلَا أَنَّهُ يَنْزِلُ فِي شَكْلِ
(١) ب، أ: لِذِي عِلْمٍ.
(٢) ع: فَحَدَّثَنِي ثِقَاتٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَغْدَادَ.
(٣) إِمَّا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) .
(٤) مَعَهُ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) ، (م) .
(٥) وَلَا ضَعِيفٍ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .
(٦) مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .
(٧) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) .
(٨) ذَكَرَ السُّيُوطِيُّ فِي " اللَّآلِئِ الْمَصْنُوعَةِ " ١/٢٦ - ٢٧ وَالشَّوْكَانِيُّ فِي " الْفَوَائِدِ الْمَجْمُوعَةِ "، ص ٤٤٦ - ٤٤٧ وَابْنُ عِرَاقٍ الْكِنَانِيُّ فِي " تَنْزِيهِ الشَّرِيعَةِ " ١/١٣٨ حَدِيثًا جَاءَ فِيهِ: " إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَنْزِلُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ إِلَى دَارِ الدُّنْيَا فِي سِتِّمِائَةِ أَلْفِ مَلَكٍ فَيَجْلِسُ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ مِنْ نُورٍ. . . إِلَخْ ". قَالَ الشَّوْكَانِيُّ: " رَوَاهُ الْجُوزَقَانِيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ مَرْفُوعَانِ وَقَالَ: كَذِبٌ مَوْضُوعٌ بَاطِلٌ مُرَكَّبٌ عَلَى الشُّيُوخِ، وَضَعَهُ أَبُو السَّعَادَاتِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ وَهُوَ كَذَّابٌ كَمَا قَالَ ابْنُ الْجَوْزِيِّ، وَقَالَ فِي " الْمِيزَانِ ": إِسْنَادٌ مُظْلِمٌ وَمَتْنٌ مُخْتَلَقٌ ". وَرَوَى السُّيُوطِيُّ فِي " ذَيْلِ اللَّآلِئِ الْمَصْنُوعَةِ " ص ٢ (ط. حَجَرٍ، الْهِنْدَ، ١٣٠٣) حَدِيثًا آخَرَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ مَرْفُوعًا: " إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةَ يَنْزِلُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بَيْنَ الْأَذَانِ وَالْإِقَامَةِ عَلَيْهِ رِدَاءٌ مَكْتُوبٌ إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا، يَقِفُ فِي قِبْلَةِ كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ مُقْبِلًا عَلَيْهِ إِلَى أَنْ يَفْرُغَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ، لَا يَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ عَبْدٌ تِلْكَ السَّاعَةَ شَيْئًا إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ، فَإِذَا سَلَّمَ الْإِمَامُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ صَعِدَ السَّمَاءَ ". قَالَ السُّيُوطِيُّ: " أَخْرَجَهُ ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ فِي " تَارِيخِهِ " وَقَالَ: كَتَبَ الْخَطِيبُ هَذَا عَنِ الْأَهْوَازِيِّ مُتَعَجِّبًا مِنْ نَكَارَتِهِ وَهُوَ بَاطِلٌ ".