Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah - Nasir al-Din al-Albani - (7/1609)

Silsilat al-Ahadith al-SahihahNasir al-Din al-Albani

a man sent by the king of Ghassan, bearing news of the Messenger of Allah. When Heraclius questioned him, he said, “Go and see whether he is circumcised or not.” They examined him and informed Heraclius that he was circumcised. He then asked him about the Arabs, and he replied, “They practise circumcision.” Heraclius said, “The rule of this nation has now appeared.”

Heraclius then wrote to a friend of his in Rome, who was his equal in learning. Heraclius proceeded to Homs, and did not leave Homs until a letter came to him from his friend, confirming Heraclius’s view concerning the emergence of the Prophet and that he was indeed a prophet. Heraclius then summoned the leading Romans to a palace of his in Homs, and ordered its doors to be shut. He then appeared before them and said, “O Romans! Would you like success and right guidance, and for your kingdom to endure? Then pledge allegiance to this Prophet.” They fled in panic towards the doors like wild asses, only to find them shut. When Heraclius saw their aversion and despaired of their embracing the faith, he said, “Bring them back to me.” Then he said, “I made my statement just now only to test the firmness of your adherence to your religion, and I have seen it.” They then prostrated to him and were pleased with him. That was the final episode in Heraclius’s affair.

I say: The same hadith has also been related through another route:

It was narrated by al-Bukhari (2936 and 2940), Abu Dawud (5136), al-Nasa’i in al-Kubra (5858 and 8845), Ahmad (1/162–263 and 263), al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala’il (4/377–380), and Ibn ‘Asakir in his History (23/422), through al-Zuhri, from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Abd Allah, that ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas informed him:

that the Messenger of Allah … He then mentioned the hadith, without mentioning Abu Sufyan as having informed Ibn ‘Abbas.

This is counted among the mursal reports of the Companions, and these are accepted by the overwhelming majority of the people of the Sunnah and hadith—praise be to Allah Most High.

Benefit: Abu Sufyan’s statement in the hadith, “The affair of Ibn Abi Kabshah has become formidable,” means—as Ibn al-Athir said in al-Nihayah (4/144):

برجل أرسل به ملك غسان يخبر عن خبر رسول الله ﷺ فلما استخبره هرقل؛ قال: اذهبوا فانظروا أمختتن هو أم لا؟ فنظروا إليه، فحدثوه أنه مختتن، وسأله عن العرب؟ فقال: هم يختتنون، فقال هرقل: هذا ملك هذه الأمة قد ظهر، ثم كتب هرقل إلى صاحب له برومية، وكان نظيره في العلم، وسار هرقل إلى حمص، فلم يَرِمْ حمص حتى أتاه كتاب من صاحبه يوافق رأي هرقل على خروج النبي ﷺ وأنه نبي، فأذن هرقل لعظماء الروم في دَسْكَرة له بحمص، ثم أمر بأبوابها فغلقت، ثم اطَّلع فقال؛ يا معشر الروم! هل لكم في الفلاح والرشد، وأن يثبت ملككم، فتبايعوا هذا النبي؟ فحاصوا حيصة حُمُرِ الوحش إلى الأبواب؛ فوجدوها قد غلقت، فلما رأى هرقل نفرتهم، وأيس من الإيمان قال: ردوهم علي، وقال: إني قلت مقالتي آنفا ً؛ أختبر بها شدتكم على دينكم، فقد رأيت، فسجدوا له ورضوا عنه، فكان ذلك آخر شأن هرقل. قلت: وقد ورد الحديث نفسه على وجه آخر: فرواه البخاري (٢٩٣٦ و ٢٩٤٠) ، وأبو داود (٥١٣٦) ، والنسائي في " الكبرى " (٥٨٥٨ و ٨٨٤٥) ، وأحمد (١/١٦٢ - ٢٦٣ و ٢٦٣) ، والبيهقي في "الدلائل " (٤/٣٧٧ - ٣٨٠) ، وابن عساكر في "تاريخه " (٢٣/٤٢٢) من طريق الزهري عن عبيد الله بن عبد الله أن عبد الله بن عباس أخبره: أن رسول الله ﷺ ... فذكر الحديث دون ذكر أبي سفيان مخبراً ابن عباس. وهذا معدود من مراسيل الصحابة؛ وهي مقبولة عند جماهير أهل السنة والحديث - بحمد الله تعالى -. (فائدة) : قول أبي سفيان- في الحديث -: (لقد أمِرَ أمرُ ابن أبي كبشة) ؛ معناه - كما قال ابن الأثير في "النهاية" (٤/١٤٤) -: