The Prophetic Constitution of Madinah by Dr Muhammad Al-Massari

The one named Abdul Qadir Al-Muhammadi, who wrote on the Ahl ul-Hadith platform on the date 19/03/2007, stated the following when discussing the chains of transmission of the Sahifah of Al- Madinah: [As for Ibn Ishaq, then regarding him there is a lot that has been said, the sum of which is: That he is Saduq (truthful), Mudlis (i.e. conceal a narrator in the Isnad) in respect to the Hadith. He is the Imam of the Maghazi and Seera and is the final point of reference in respect to them]. Abbas Ad-Dawri said: Ahmad bin Hanbal was asked about Ibn Ishaq and so he said: “These Ahadeeth (i.e. concerning the Maghazi and Seera) are written (i.e. transmitted) from him. However, if he comes with the Halal and the Haram, we would want a people to be like this” He then clasped his hands together, placing his two thumbs over his fingers]. This was recorded like this in the archives of the Ahl ul-Hadith platform 2 - (51/390) of the Shamela e-library.

- The following came stated in “Al-Irshad Fee Ma’rifah ‘Ulamaa’ Al- Hadith”, by Al-Khalili (1/163 – Shamela e-library):

[Abu Bakr bin Ishaq bin Yasar, the Mawla of Qais bin Makhrama Az- Zuhri, is a distinguished scholar, from the people of Al-Madinah. Az- Zuhri said to him whilst in his session (class): “Whoever wishes to learn the Maghazi (i.e. Seera), then he should seek it from that young man”. Shu’bah said: “He is the Amir ul-Mu’minin (leader of the believers) in respect to the Hadith”. Ibn Ma’een said: “There is no issue or problem (Ba’s) with him. Al-Bukhari only did not record from him in his Sahih because of his narration of the long Hadith and those related to the Maghazi (battles). He did use his relations as evidence and he related a lot from him in respect to what was said related to the days of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his circumstances, in addition to history. He is an ‘Alim (scholar) possessing wide knowledge and is Thiqah (trustworthy-reliable)”. My grandfather related to me, from ‘Ali bin Muhammad bin Mahrawaih, from Ahmad bin Abu Khaithama, who said: “I asked Yahya bin Ma’een about Muhammad bin Ishaq?” He said: “‘Asim bin ‘Umar bin Qatadah said: “‘Ilm (knowledge) will remain among the people as long as Ibn Ishaq remains living””. Ibn Ma’een said: “Ibn Ishaq received from ‘Asim, and he use to say nothing except good in respect to him”. Ibn Abu Khaithama said: Ibrahim bin Al-Mundhir related from ‘Umar bin Uthman At-Taimi who said: “I heard that Ibn Shihab use to listen to Ibn Ishaq and obtain from him the Hadith of ‘Asim bin ‘Umar from Qatadah”. He said: Ibrahim bin Al-Mundhir related from Ibn ‘Uyaynah who said: “By Allah, I heard (learned or received) from Ibn Shihab and he saw Ibn Ishaq”. He said: “‘Ilm (knowledge) will remain in this city (Al-Madinah) as long as this one remains”. Ibn ‘Uyaynah asked me: “What do your companions say regarding Muhammad bin Ishaq?” I said: “They say: He is a liar”. I said: “Don’t do that (yourself) because I saw him behind the grave awaiting Yazid bin Khusaifa and so I said: What are you doing here? He said: I am waiting for Yazib bin Khusaifa, I learn from him Ahadeeth which have benefited me”. My grandfather related from ‘Ali bin Muhammad bin Mahrawaih, from Ibn Abu Khaithama, from Harun bin Ma’ruf who said: “I heard Abu Mu’awiyah Muhammad bin Khaz saying: Muhammad bin Ishaq was from among the people with the best memory. The situation was that if a man had five or more Ahadeeth Muhammad bin Ishaq would come and store them. The man would say: Memorise them on my behalf and so if I forget them you would have them preserved for me”. Ibn Idris Al-Hafizh said: “How could Muhammad bin Ishaq not be Thiqah (trustworthy – reliable) whilst he had taken from Abdur Rahman Al- Aa’raj and related from him. Then (in addition) he related from Abu Az-Zinad from Al-Aa’raj and from Abu Az-Zinad from his father, from Al-Aa’raj?” The scholars who related from Muhammad bin Ishaq included: Az- Zuhri, Salih bin Kaisan, ‘Uqail bin Khalid and Yunus bin Yazid. His contemporaries included: Shu’bah, Ath-Thawri, Hammad bin Salamah, Hammad bin Zaid, Sharik bin Abdullah and others besides them. An indication of his great amount of knowledge is that he related from a group who passed away a while after him, like Sufyan, Shu’bah and Sharik. He had a paternal uncle called Musa bin Yasar who related a transcript (Nuskha) from Abu Hurairah, which Muhammad bin Ishaq and Dawud bin Qais Al-Madani related from him.

The Hadith of Muhammad bin Ishaq, from Az-Zuhriy, from Muhammad bin Jubair bin Mut’im, from his father, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), stating: “May Allah cause a slave (of His) flourish (or shine)” contains ‘Ilal (defects) and Idtirab (inconsistency). Ya’la and Muhammad the sons of ‘Ubaid related it, in addition to Yahya bin Sa’id Al-Umawwiy, Muhammad bin Yazid Al-Wasitiy, Ahmad bin Khalid Al-Wahbiy, from Ibn Ishaq, from Az-Zuhriy himself. Abdullah bin Numair related it from Ibn Ishaq, from Abdus Salam bin Harb, from Az-Zuhriy and Yunus bin Bukair related it from Muhammad bin Ishaq, from ‘Amr bin Abu ‘Amr Al-Madaniy, from Muhammad bin Jubair bin Mut’im, from his father. It has become evident that Muhammad bin Ishaq did not hear it from Az-Zuhriy but rather undertook Tadlis (manipulation of the chain of transmissions) and Salih bin Kaisan related it from Az-Zuhriy. I heard my grandfather and Al-Qasim bin ‘Alqamah both saying: We heard Abdur Rahman bin Abu Hatim saying: I heard Muslim bin Al-Hajjaj An-Naisabouriy saying: Ishaq bin Rahawaih Al-Hanzhaliy informed us from his book saying: I heard Yahya bin Adam saying: I heard Abdullah bin Idris saying: I was with Malik bin Anas and a man said to him: “I was in Ar- Rayy (place) in the presence of Abu Ubaidullah the Wazir of Al-Mahdi and Muhammad bin Ishaq was also there”. Ibn Ishaq said: “Come, present to me the sciences (i.e. knowledge) of Malik as I will be the one to show its faults”. So, Malik said: “He is a Dajjal from the Dajjals (i.e. deceiver or imposter), saying (to you) present to him my knowledge”. Ibn Idris said: “And I had not heard the plural of Dajjal being used except from him”. My grandfather and Ibn ‘Alqamah said: Abdur Rahman bin Abu Hatim related from Abu Sa’id Al-Ashajj, from Ibn Idris who said: “I was with Malik bin Anas and a man said: Muhammad bin Ishaq said: “Show me the Maghazi (i.e. Seera of battles) for verily I am the one who can show its faults”. Malik then said: “He is a Dajjal from the Dajjals (deceivers or imposters) to say such a thing, we are the ones who banished him from Al-Madinah”. My grandfather related from ‘Ali bin Muhammad bin Mahrawaih, from Ibn Abu Khaithama, from Ibrahim bin Al-Mundhir, from Mus’ab bin Uthman, from ‘Amir bin Sa’d, who said: “When Hisham bin ‘Urwah mentioned Muhammad Ibn Ishaq he would say: “Who let him in to see my wife, when did he enter and when did he hear from her?” As if he was denying its occurrence”] [End of Quote].

I say: If the fair critic was to consider the speech of Imam Ibn Idris Al- Hafizh: “How could Muhammad bin Ishaq not be Thiqah (trustworthy – reliable) whilst he had taken from Abdur Rahman Al-Aa’raj and related from him. Then (in addition) he related from Abu Az-Zinad, from Al-Aa’raj and from Abu Az-Zinad, from his father, from Al- Aa’raj?” he would know that it repels from him even the accusation of Tadlis (manipulation or alteration of the chain of transmission).

- The following came stated in “Tahdhib Sunan Abu Dawud Wa Iedaah Muskilaatihi”, by Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyah (2/372, Shamela e-library): [Concerning the Hadith of Ibn Ishaq which contains within it .

“And indeed His throne is above His heavens like a dome” and the finding defects for it by Al-Mundhiriy. He then said: The people of attestation or assertion said: “There is nothing in respect to this which permits for you to reject the Hadith. As for your accusation against Ibn Ishaq in relation to it, then the answer to that is: Ibn Ishaq represents a focal point that Allah has made in terms of knowledge (‘Ilm) and trustworthiness (Amanah)”. Ali bin Al-Madiniy said: “His Hadith, in my view, are Sahih (authentic)”. Shu’bah said: “Ibn Ishaq is the Amir ul-Mu’minin (Leader of the believers) in respect to the Hadith”. He also said: “He is Saduq (truthful)”. Ibn ul-Madiniy also said: “I have not found except two rejected Hadith from him” and this represents the highest level of praise and commendation, in the case where he did not find except two rejectable (Munkar) Hadith, in spite of the great number of Hadith that he related. ‘Ali (bin Al-Madiniy) also said: “I heard Abu ‘Uyaynah saying: “I have not heard anyone speaking (critically) about Ibn Ishaq except regarding his opinion in relation to Al-Qadar, and there is no doubt that the people of his time period are more knowledgeable about him than those who spoke about him after them”. Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Al-Hakam said: “I heard Ash-Shafi’iy saying: Az-Zuhriy said: “Knowledge will remain in this area (Al-Harrah) as long as that visionary young man remains in it (meaning Ibn Ishaq)”. Ya’qub bin Shaibah said: I asked Yahya bin Ma’een: “How is (the Ibn Ishaq?” I asked Yahya bin Ma’een: “How is the status of Ibn Ishaq?” He replied: “He was not like that (i.e. to be questioned). I asked: “Do you hold anything in yourself (negative) in respect to his Hadith?” He answered: “No, he was truthful”. Yazid bin Harun said: I heard Shu’bah saying: “If I possessed authority, I would have appointed Ibn Ishaq over the scholars of Hadith”. Ibn ‘Adiy said: “I have examined the Ahadeeth of the great scholar Ibn Ishaq and I did not find in his Hadith that which presents an opportunity for us to ascertain that he is weak (Da’if). He may have erred or been mistaken, just as others make errors. And it was not known among the trustworthy transmitters that his narration was a lie”. Ya’qub bin Shaibah said: I asked Ibn ul-Madiniy about Ibn Ishaq? And he said: “His Hadith are Sahih (authentic) in my view”. I asked: “What about what Malik said about him?” He replied: “Malik did not sit with him and did not know him or every matter that was spoken in Al- Madinah!”. I said: “Hisham bin ‘Urwah has also spoken about him?” He replied: “That which Hisham said is not an authoritative source. It could be that he (i.e. Ibn Ishaq) met the woman whilst he was a boy and heard from her. Truthfulness is evident in his Hadith: He relates on an occasion: Saying Abu Az-Zinad told me, and sometimes he says: Abu Az-Zinad mentioned and he says: Al-Hasan bin Dinar related to me from Ayub from ‘Amr bin Shu’aib (in relation to Salaf and Ba’i (i.e. issues related to trade)). And he related more than all the people from ‘Amr bin Shu’aib].

We say: If the fair critic was to consider the speech of the Imam of the Imam’s of finding defects, ‘Ali bin Al-Madiniy, who is also from the major Imams of the Hadith and of Al-Jarh and At-Ta’deel (i.e. science of the examination of the conditions of the narrators), concerning Ibn Ishaq, in general, and in respect to “Salaf and Bai’”, in particular, he would know that it repels from him even the accusation of At-Tadlis (manipulation or alteration of the chain of transmission). That is because even this doubt or suspicion, has no basis for it. Rather, what occurred only reflects the omission of chains of transmission or shortening them due to the necessity of preserving the flow of the events and historical stories. This is a well-known methodology. It is necessary and there is nothing wrong with it. Necessity dictates that methodology in respect to the books of Seera and history.

- The following came mentioned in the work “Nasb Ar-Rayah Takhrij Ahadeeth Al-Hidayah” by Al-‘Alamah Jamal ud-Din Az-Zai’aliy, with the assistance of Ayman Salih Sha’ban (1/252): [Abdullah bin Al- Mubarak said: “Muhammad bin Ishaq is Thiqah, Thiqah, Thiqah (i.e. trustworthy – reliable)”].

- The following came stated in “Tuhfah Al-Ahwadhi” by Al-Mubakfuri (1/89):

[Ibn ul-Humam said in his “Fat’h ul-Qadir”: (It (i.e. the authentication of Ibn Ishaq) is the clear truth. What has been transmitted from Malik is not established and even if it was authentic, the people of knowledge did not accept it. How could that be the case when Shu’bah said regarding him, that he was the “Ameer ul-Mu’minin (Leader of the believers) in respect to the Hadith” and those like Ath-Thawri, Ibn Idris, Hammad bin Zaid, Yazid bin Zurai’, Ibn ‘Alaih, Abdul Warith and Ibn ul-Mubarak related from him. Ahmad, Ibn Ma’een and the people (i.e. scholars) of the Hadith permitted him, to the point that he said that Malik went back on what he had said about Ibn Ishaq, that he sought to rectify the situation with him and sent him a gift]. [End of extract from ‘At-Tuhfah’].

- The following was also stated in “Tuhfah Al-Ahwadhi” by Al- Mubakfuri (4/273): [Ibn ul-Humam stated in his “Fat’h ul-Qadir”: “As for Ibn Ishaq, then he is Thiqah, Thiqah (trustworthy - reliable), there is no doubt in our view in respect to that and similarly no doubt among the examiners of the Muhaddithin (scholars of Hadith)”]. [End of extract from ‘At-Tuhfah’].