Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah - Nasir al-Din al-Albani - (1/750)

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission; all of its narrators are trustworthy. Uthman is Uthman ibn Sa‘id ibn Kathir al-Himsi.

This hadith is one of the signs of his prophethood, peace and blessings be upon him. Our predecessors conquered the lands of Persia and Rome, and we inherited them from them. Yet many of us became insolent and turned away from the Sharia and its proper manners, among which is beginning one’s food with, “In the Name of Allah.” They have forgotten this, to the point that one can scarcely find among them anyone who says it.

394 — “O Uthman, I was not commanded to practice monasticism. Have you turned away from my sunnah?!” He said, “No, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Part of my sunnah is that I pray and sleep, fast and eat, marry and divorce. Whoever turns away from my sunnah is not of me. O Uthman, your family have a right over you, and you yourself have a right over you.”

It was recorded by al-Darimi (2/132): Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Hizami narrated to us; Yunus ibn Bukayr narrated to us; Ibn Ishaq narrated to me; al-Zuhri narrated to me, from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, from Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, who said:

“When it came to the matter of Uthman ibn Maz‘un, who had abstained from women, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, summoned him and said …” Then he mentioned it. Sa‘d said: “By Allah, the Muslim men had agreed that, if the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had approved Uthman in his present state, we would have castrated ourselves and devoted ourselves wholly to ascetic worship.”

I say: This is a sound chain of transmission. All of its narrators are trustworthy and were among al-Bukhari’s narrators, apart from Ibn Ishaq. He was trustworthy and practised concealment in transmission, but he explicitly stated that it was narrated to him, thus removing the concern of his concealment.

It also has another chain from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, with similar wording, and it is supported by corroborating evidence, as I explained in Irwa’ al-Ghalil (2075).

قلت: وهذا إسناد صحيح رجاله كلهم ثقات وعثمان هو ابن سعيد بن كثير الحمصي. والحديث علم من أعلام نبوته ﷺ فقد فتح سلفنا أرض فارس والروم وورثنا ذلك منهم، وطغى الكثيرون منا فأعرضوا عن الشريعة وآدابها التي منها ابتداء الطعام بـ " بسم الله " فنسوا هذا حتى لا تكاد تجد فيهم ذاكرا! ٣٩٤ - " يا عثمان إني لم أومر بالرهبانية أرغبت عن سنتي؟! قال: لا يا رسول الله قال: إن من سنتي أن أصلي وأنام وأصوم وأطعم وأنكح وأطلق، فمن رغب عن سنتي فليس مني، يا عثمان إن لأهلك عليك حقا ولنفسك عليك حقا ". أخرجه الدارمي (٢ / ١٣٢) : حدثنا محمد بن يزيد الحزامي حدثنا يونس بن بكير: حدثني ابن إسحاق: حدثني الزهري عن سعيد بن المسيب عن سعد ابن أبي وقاص قال: " لما كان من أمر عثمان بن مظعون الذي كان من ترك النساء، بعث إليه رسول الله ﷺ، فقال ... (فذكره) . قال سعد: فو الله لقد كان أجمع رجال من المسلمين على أن رسول الله ﷺ إن هو أقر عثمان على ما هو عليه أن نختصي، فنتبتل ". قلت: وهذا إسناد جيد رجاله كلهم ثقات رجال البخاري غير ابن إسحاق، وهو ثقة مدلس، ولكنه صرح بالتحديث، فزالت شبهة تدليسه. وله فيه إسناد آخر عن عائشة ﵂ نحوه، وتوبع عليه كما بينته في " إرواء الغليل " (٢٠٧٥) .