Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/199)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and many (1) of the fish greeted him, but neither the jarrī nor the marmāhī fish (2) spoke. When asked about this, he replied, ‘Allah caused those fish He had purified to speak, and silenced those He had made impure and cast away.’” (3)

The response has several aspects:

First: [A demand] should be made by asking (4): Where is the chain of transmission for this account that (5) establishes its authenticity and reliability? Anyone can relate unsupported stories without a chain of transmission, but doing so proves nothing.

Second: The Prophet’s mule—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was not in his possession.

Third: None of the authors of authoritative works transmitted this account. Had such a story been authentic, there would have been ample interest and incentive to transmit it. Yet the person relating it has provided no chain of transmission. How, then, can it be accepted merely on the strength of a story without any chain of transmission?

Fourth: All fish are lawful to eat, as authentically reported from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who said concerning the sea:

“Its water is purifying, and its dead creatures are lawful.” (6)

(1) k: wa-sallama ‘alayhi kathīratun (“and many [fish] greeted him”). (2) k: al-jirrī wa-al-zammār wa-al-māramāhī (“the jirrī, zammār, and māramāhī fish”). The jirrī and māramāhī were discussed previously, 1/26 (t [0 - 9]). As for the zammār, I have not identified it, but I found the following in Tāj al-‘Arūs: “Zimmīr, vocalized like sikkīt: a kind of fish with spines protruding from the middle of its back. It makes a noise when a fisherman catches and holds it. It is most often caught in mud and among tree roots in fresh water.” (3) k: “Then ‘Alī—peace be upon him—said: Allah caused the fish that were pure to speak to me, and silenced those He had forbidden, made impure, and cast away.” (4) n, m: ahaduhā an yuqāla (“One of them is to ask”). (5) n, m: allatī (“that,” feminine). (6) This hadith appeared previously, 3/426.

فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ كَثِيرٌ (١) مِنَ الْحِيتَانِ، وَلَمْ يَنْطِقِ الْجَرِّيُّ وَلَا الْمَرْمَاهِيُّ (٢) ، فَسُئِلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: أَنْطَقَ اللَّهُ مَا طَهَّرَهُ مِنَ السَّمَكِ، وَأَسْكَتَ مَا أَنْجَسَهُ وَأَبْعَدَهُ " (٣) . وَالْجَوَابُ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ: أَحَدُهَا: [الْمُطَالَبَةُ] بِأَنْ يُقَالَ (٤) : أَيْنَ إِسْنَادُ هَذِهِ الْحِكَايَةِ الَّذِي (٥) يَدُلُّ عَلَى صِحَّتِهَا وَثُبُوتِهَا؟ وَإِلَّا فَمُجَرَّدُ الْحِكَايَاتِ الْمُرْسَلَةِ بِلَا إِسْنَادٍ يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ كُلُّ أَحَدٍ، لَكِنْ لَا يُفِيدُ شَيْئًا. الثَّانِي: أَنَّ بَغْلَةَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَمْ تَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ. الثَّالِثُ: أَنَّ هَذَا لَمْ يَنْقُلْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُتُبِ الْمُعْتَمَدِ عَلَيْهِمْ. وَمِثْلُ هَذِهِ الْقِصَّةِ لَوْ كَانَتْ صَحِيحَةً لَكَانَتْ مِمَّا تَتَوَفَّرُ الْهِمَمُ وَالدَّوَاعِي عَلَى نَقْلِهَا. وَهَذَا النَّاقِلُ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ لَهَا إِسْنَادًا، فَكَيْفَ يُقْبَلُ ذَلِكَ بِمُجَرَّدِ حِكَايَةٍ لَا إِسْنَادَ لَهَا؟ ! الرَّابِعُ: أَنَّ السَّمَكَ كُلَّهُ مُبَاحٌ، كَمَا ثَبَتَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ: " هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ، الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ " (٦) .

(١) ك: وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ كَثِيرَةٌ. (٢) ك: الْجِرِّيُّ وَالزَّمَّارُ وَالْمَارَمَاهِيُّ. وَسَبَقَ الْكَلَامُ عَلَى الْجِرِّيِّ وَالْمَارَمَاهِيِّ ١/٢٦ (ت [٠ - ٩] ) . وَأَمَّا الزَّمَّارُ فَلَمْ أَعْرِفْ مَا هُوَ، وَلَكِنِّي وَجَدْتُ فِي " تَاجِ الْعَرُوسِ ": الزِّمِّيرُ كَسِكِّيتٍ: نَوْعٌ مِنَ السَّمَكِ لَهُ شَوْكٌ نَاتِئٌ وَسَطَ ظَهْرِهِ، وَلَهُ صَخَبٌ وَقْتَ صَيْدِ الصَّيَّادِ إِيَّاهُ وَقَبْضِهِ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَكْثَرُ مَا يُصْطَادُ فِي الْأَوْحَالِ وَأُصُولِ الْأَشْجَارِ فِي الْمِيَاهِ الْعَذْبَةِ ". (٣) ك: فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ -: أَنْطَقَ اللَّهُ لِي مَا طَهُرَ مِنَ السُّمُوكِ، وَأَصْمَتَ مَا حَرَّمَهُ وَأَنْجَسَهُ وَأَبْعَدَهُ. (٤) ن، م: أَحَدُهَا أَنْ يُقَالَ. (٥) ن، م: الَّتِي. (٦) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ٣/٤٢٦.