Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/444)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The response is as follows:

First, it must be said: We demand proof that this hadith is authentic, for [a hadith may not be cited as evidence] (1) until its authenticity has been established. We say this for the purposes of debate; otherwise, we know with certainty that it is a lie.

Second, it must be said: By the consensus of hadith experts, this hadith is an outright fabrication. It is not found in any of the hadith collections consulted by scholars to ascertain hadith, nor does it have any known chain of transmission (2). The person citing it as evidence has not provided any chain for it.

It is further evidence of his ignorance that he should relate such a report from Abd Allāh ibn Umar. Abd Allāh ibn Umar was among those furthest removed from disparaging the Companions and among the most prolific narrators of their virtues. His praise of Muāwiya is well known and reliably established from him. He said:

“I have seen no one after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—with greater qualities of leadership than Muāwiya.”

He was asked:

“Not even Abu Bakr and Umar?”

He replied:

“Abu Bakr and Umar were better than he, but I have seen no one after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—with greater qualities of leadership than Muāwiya” (3).

(1) The text within square brackets is absent only from N. (2) I have not found this hadith either in collections of authentic hadith or in collections of fabricated hadith. (3) Ibn Kathīr stated in *al-Bidāya wa-l-Nihāya*, 8/153: “Hushaym ibn al-Awwām reported from Jabala ibn Suhaym, from Ibn Amr, who said: ‘I have seen no one with greater qualities of leadership than Muāwiya.’ He said: ‘I asked, “Not even Umar?”’ He replied: ‘Umar was better than he, but Muāwiya had greater qualities of leadership than he.’ Abu Sufyān al-Hīrī also narrated it from al-Awwām ibn Hawshab with the same chain. His version states: ‘I have seen no one after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—with greater qualities of leadership than Muāwiya.’ He was asked: ‘Not even Abu Bakr?’ He replied: ‘Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthmān were better than he, but he had greater qualities of leadership.’ The same has been transmitted through several chains from Ibn Umar.” See also the commentary of my teacher, Professor Muhibb al-Dīn al-Khatīb—may Allah have mercy on him—on *al-Awāsim min al-Qawāsim*, p. 204, al-Salafiyya ed., 1371 AH.

فَالْجَوَابُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: أَوَّلًا: نَحْنُ نُطَالِبُ بِصِحَّةِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ ; [فَإِنَّ الِاحْتِجَاجَ بِالْحَدِيثِ] (١) لَا يَجُوزُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهِ. وَنَحْنُ نَقُولُ هَذَا فِي مَقَامِ الْمُنَاظَرَةِ، وَإِلَّا فَنَحْنُ نَعْلَمُ قَطْعًا أَنَّهُ كَذِبٌ. وَيُقَالُ ثَانِيًا: هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ الْمَوْضُوعِ بِاتِّفَاقِ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ بِالْحَدِيثِ، وَلَا يُوجَدُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ دَوَاوِينِ الْحَدِيثِ الَّتِي يُرْجَعُ إِلَيْهَا فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْحَدِيثِ، وَلَا لَهُ إِسْنَادٌ مَعْرُوفٌ (٢) . وَهَذَا الْمُحْتَجُّ بِهِ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ لَهُ إِسْنَادًا. ثُمَّ مِنْ جَهْلِهِ أَنْ يَرْوِيَ مِثْلَ هَذَا عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ كَانَ مِنْ أَبْعَدِ النَّاسِ عَنْ ثَلْبِ الصَّحَابَةِ، وَأَرْوَى النَّاسِ لِمَنَاقِبِهِمْ، وَقَوْلُهُ فِي مَدْحِ مُعَاوِيَةَ مَعْرُوفٌ ثَابِتٌ عَنْهُ، حَيْثُ يَقُولُ: مَا رَأَيْتُ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَسْوَدَ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ. قِيلَ لَهُ: وَلَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ؟ فَقَالَ: كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَسْوَدَ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ (٣) .

(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (٢) لَمْ أَجِدْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ لَا فِي كُتُبِ الْأَحَادِيثِ الصَّحِيحَةِ وَلَا فِي كُتُبِ الْأَحَادِيثِ الْمَوْضُوعَةِ. (٣) قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ فِي " الْبِدَايَةِ وَالنِّهَايَةِ " ٨/١٥٣: " وَقَالَ هُشَيْمُ بْنُ الْعَوَّامِ عَنْ جَبَلَةَ بْنِ سُحَيْمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا أَسْوَدَ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ. قَالَ: قُلْتُ: وَلَا عُمَرُ؟ قَالَ: كَانَ عُمَرُ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ، وَكَانَ مُعَاوِيَةُ أَسْوَدَ مِنْهُ. وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ الْحِيرِيُّ عَنِ الْعَوَّامِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ بِهِ. وَقَالَ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَسْوَدَ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ: قِيلَ: وَلَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ؟ قَالَ: كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ، وَهُوَ أَسْوَدُ. وَرُوِيَ مِنْ طُرُقٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ مِثْلُهُ ". وَانْظُرْ تَعْلِيقَ أُسْتَاذِي الْأُسْتَاذِ مُحِبِّ الدِّينِ الْخَطِيبِ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - عَلَى الْعَوَاصِمِ مِنَ الْقَوَاصِمِ، ص ٢٠٤ ط. السَّلَفِيَّةِ، ١٣٧١.