Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/265)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the two Sahih collections, nor [is it] (1) in the Sunan collections; rather, it has been transmitted in some form (2). Even assuming that it is authentic and firmly established, it is well known that this hadith was not intended to mean that Abū Dharr was more truthful than all creation. That would entail his being more truthful than the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—all the other prophets, and Ali [ibn Abī Tālib] (3). This contradicts the consensus of [all] Muslims (4), Sunnis (5) and Shi'a alike. It is therefore known that this statement means that Abū Dharr was truthful and that no one surpassed him in taking care to speak the truth.

Yet being equal to another person in taking care to speak the truth does not entail being equal to that person in the abundance of one’s truthful statements and affirmation of the truth, or in the magnitude of the truth about which one spoke truthfully and which one affirmed.

The reason is that a man is described as “truthful in speech” when he takes care to speak the truth, even if he has little knowledge of what the prophets brought (6). The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—did not say:

“The dusty earth has borne no one greater in affirming the truth than Abū Dharr.”

Rather, he said:

“more truthful in speech,”

(1) “It” is an addition in A and B. (2) The hadith is narrated from Abd Allah ibn Amr—may Allah be pleased with them both—in Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 5/334 (Book of Virtues, chapter on the virtues of Abū Dharr). It begins: “The green sky has shaded no one, nor has the dusty earth borne anyone…” Al-Tirmidhī transmitted it through two chains of transmission. He said of the first, “This is a hasan (good) hadith,” and of the second—which transmits a longer version—“This is a hasan and gharīb (rare) hadith through this route.” The hadith is also found in Sunan Ibn Mājah, 1/55 (Introduction, chapter on the virtue of Abū Dharr), and in al-Musnad (al-Ma'ārif ed.), 10/36–38, 160; 12/32–33. Shaykh Ahmad Shākir—may Allah have mercy on him—graded its chains of transmission weak at all three locations. It also appears in al-Musnad (al-Halabī ed.), 5/197 (from Abū al-Dardā') and 6/442 (from Abū Dharr). Al-Albānī graded the hadith authentic in Sahīh al-Jāmi' al-Saghīr, 5/124, and graded its longer version hasan at the same location. (3) “Ibn Abī Tālib” is omitted from N and M. (4) “All” is an addition in A and B. (5) N reads: “among the Sunnis.” (6) A and B read: “what the prophets related.”

الصَّحِيحَيْنِ، وَلَا [هُوَ] (١) فِي السُّنَنِ، بَلْ هُوَ مَرْوِيٌّ فِي الْجُمْلَةِ (٢) . وَبِتَقْدِيرِ صِحَّتِهِ وَثُبُوتِهِ، فَمِنَ الْمَعْلُومِ أَنَّ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ لَمْ يَرِدْ بِهِ أَنَّ أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَصْدَقُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْخَلْقِ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا يَلْزَمُ مِنْهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَمِنْ سَائِرِ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَمِنْ عَلِيِّ [بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ] (٣) . وَهَذَا خِلَافُ إِجْمَاعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ [كُلِّهِمْ] (٤) مِنَ السُّنَّةِ (٥) وَالشِّيعَةِ، فَعُلِمَ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةَ مَعْنَاهَا أَنَّ أَبَا ذَرٍّ صَادِقٌ، لَيْسَ غَيْرُهُ أَكْثَرَ تَحَرِّيًا لِلصِّدْقِ مِنْهُ. وَلَا يَلْزَمُ إِذَا كَانَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ غَيْرِهِ فِي تَحَرِّي الصِّدْقِ، أَنْ يَكُونَ بِمَنْزِلَتِهِ فِي كَثْرَةِ الصِّدْقِ وَالتَّصْدِيقِ بِالْحَقِّ، وَفِي عِظَمِ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي صَدَقَ فِيهِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِ. وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ يُقَالُ: فُلَانٌ صَادِقُ اللَّهْجَةِ إِذَا تَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ قَلِيلَ الْعِلْمِ بِمَا جَاءَتْ بِهِ (٦) الْأَنْبِيَاءُ. وَالنَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَمْ يَقُلْ: مَا أَقَلَّتِ الْغَبْرَاءُ أَعْظَمَ تَصْدِيقًا مِنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ. بَلْ قَالَ: «أَصْدَقَ لَهْجَةً» ،

(١) هُوَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٢) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - فِي: سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٥/٣٣٤ (كِتَابُ الْمَنَاقِبِ، بَابُ مَنَاقِبِ أَبِي ذَرٍّ. .) وَأَوَّلُهُ: " مَا أَظَلَّتِ الْخَضْرَاءُ وَلَا أَقَلَّتِ الْغَبْرَاءُ. . الْحَدِيثَ، وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ بِإِسْنَادَيْنِ، وَقَالَ عَنِ الْأَوَّلِ: " هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ " وَعَنِ الثَّانِي: (وَهُوَ عَنْ رِوَايَةٍ مُطَوَّلَةٍ) : " هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ وَغَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ " وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي: سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١ (الْمُقَدِّمَةُ، بَابَ فَضْلِ أَبِي ذَرٍّ) ; الْمُسْنَدَ (ط. الْمَعَارِفِ) ١٠/٣٦ ٣٨، ١٦٠، ١٢/٣٢ ٣٣. وَضَعَّفَ الشَّيْخُ أَحْمَد شَاكِر - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - أَسَانِيدَ الْحَدِيثِ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَوَاضِعِ الثَّلَاثِ. وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْحَلَبِيِّ) ٥/١٩٧ (عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ) ، ٦/٤٤٢ (عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ) . وَصَحَّحَ الْأَلْبَانِيُّ الْحَدِيثَ فِي " صَحِيحِ الْجَامِعِ الصَّغِيرِ " ٥/١٢٤ وَحَسَّنَ الرِّوَايَةَ الْمُطَوَّلَةَ مِنْهُ فِي نَفْسِ الْمَوْضِعِ. (٣) بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) كُلِّهِمْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) ن: مِنَ السُّنِّيَّةِ. (٦) أ، ب: بِمَا حَدَّثَ بِهِ.