The Blazing Star in Defence of a Narration from Malik al-Dar

The following work by Dr. Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed is a defence of the authenticity of the following narration:

It is related from Malik al-Dar,`Umar’s treasurer, that the people suffered a drought during the time of `Umar (his khilafah), whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet and said: “O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Community, for verily they have but perished,” after which the Prophet appeared to him in a dream and told him: “Go to `Umar and give him my greeting, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: You must be clever, you must be clever!” The man went and told `Umar. The latter said: “O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power!”” (Musannaf ibn Abi Shayba, no. 32665 and other works)

It is entitled: “The Blazing star in defence of a narration from Malik al-Dar.”

It is in essence a complete rebuttal of some contemporary pseudo-Salafis who attempted to weaken this narration like: Nasir al-Albani (d. 1999), Zubair Ali Za’i (d. 2013) and their avid fellow sect members like the following who know each other – Abu Hibbaan Kamran Malik, Abu Khuzaimah Imran Masoom, Abu Alqama Ali Hassan Khan and the self styled Hanafi-Athari-Sufi, Abu Turab Ali Rida Qadri. It also addressed indirectly other diatribes made by other members of pseudo-Salafism on some forums and websites in recent times.

The response is in excess of 400 pages and it is replete with original references as well as responses to most of the major claims by the detractors of this narration, insha Allah. The following are the contents of this work:

CONTENTS

Prologue	6
Other Ulama of the past who mentioned the narration of Malik al-Dar in connection with Tawassul	33
Some beneficial points regarding the Shifa al-Siqam of Imam al-Subki	45
Quotes in Ta’dil (praise) of Malik al-Dar that the detractors rejected with no shred of evidence from any earlier source	62
Demonstrating the fact that al-Hafiz ibn Hajar declared some narrators to be thiqa or saduq when only Ibn Hibban made tawthiq on that specific narrator	88
Examples of some narrators that Imam al-Bukhari narrated ahadith from in his Sahih but he remained silent on their status in his al-Ta’rikh al-Kabir	95
Al-Albani and his authentication of some chains containing the technically majhul (unknown) narrators	105
The detractors contention regarding Imam Abu Ya’la al-Khalili and points about al-Dhahabi and the Malik al-Dar narration	114
A look at the meaning of al-Khalili’s words – “Muttafaq alaihi”: “Agreed upon”	123
Malik al-Dar and his narration being supported by the report of the Sahabi, Anas ibn Malik (ra)	132
Answering the claim that there is tadlees from al-A’mash from Abu Salih al-Samman in the sanad of Malik al-Dar’s narration	136
Abu Mu’awiya did not perform tadlees when reporting from al-A’mash	143
Confirmation that Abu Salih al-Samman heard from Malik al-Dar	150
Answers to their questions based on some references they gave	156
The detractors from Birmingham and their deception in verifying the position of Imam ibn Kathir on the narration of Malik al-Dar	165
The plagiarisation of references by the two detractors from Zubair Ali Za’i	171
Barelwis and Deobandis have not rejected the Malik al-Dar narration	183
Imam al-Bukhari’s mention of the sanad from Imam Ali ibn al-Madini back to Malik al-Dar via the route of al-A’mash	187
More plagiarisation and misunderstandings by the two detractors	194
Examples where al-Bayhaqi and al-Hakim narrated via the routes of al-A’mash from (an) Abu Salih without identifying any form of tadlees	203
Hafiz al-Dhahabi and the narration from Malik al-Dar	212
Proof that the mu’an’an narrations of al-A’mash are acceptable unless proven to involve tadlees	239
Sayf ibn Umar al-Tamimi and his mention of the Sahabi being Bilal ibn al-Harith al-Muzani (ra)	247
Answering their demand regarding Muhammad ibn Ahmed ibn Abdus al-Muzakki Abu Bakr al-Naysaburi	263
Answering al-Albani and his supporters claims regarding al-Hafiz ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH)	271
Imam Badrud-Din al-Ayni (d. 855 AH) and the issue of al-A’mash and tadlees	299
Imam ibn Abd al-Barr al-Maliki (d. 463 AH) and the issue of al-A’mash and tadlees	309
Al-Albani and his grading of another narration from Malik al-Dar to be Hasan (good)	327
The detractor and his warped claims regarding the work on Tawassul by Imam Muhammad Abid al-Sindi al-Hanafi (d. 1257 AH)	341
Answering their false claim regarding plagiarism	354
A list of names who accepted, remained silent or authenticated the narration of Malik al-Dar through the ages	362
Al-Hafiz Abdal Ghani al-Maqdisi and how he attained healing by touching the grave of Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal	372
Imam Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi and his advice on performing Tawassul	389
Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal and his use of the blessed Prophetic hair during his inquisition for tabarruk	394
Ibn Taymiyya and his predicting of future events	403
Epilogue	406
“The Salafi da’wah is now in disarray”: al-Albani	412
Al-Albani on ‘The Saplings’ in his sect	420
Ali Rida Qadri and his plagiarisation of quotes from other “Salafis”	424
2001: Chickens come home to roost in 2014 for [Abu Hibbaan] Kamran Malik (Alum Rock)	436

The conclusions drawn from the above work include the following significant points:

To conclude this rejoinder to the detractors from Birmingham, it is worth summarising for the benefit of the readers, who from the past and present scholars, and writers of various schools of jurisprudence authenticated the narration of Malik al-Dar, as well as those who mentioned it without rejecting its authenticity in any way. In listing the names, we are not advocating anyone who may be branded as being a controversial writer, but merely mentioning their verdict on this specific narration at hand.

In this riposte, the following issues and points have been detailed:

i) Abu Khuzaima and Abu Hibban have not shown originality in many of their claims, but have merely plagiarised whole source references, and several quotes from two short articles mentioned earlier by their late authority – Zubair Ali Za’i (d. 2013)

ii) Their contention that al-Imam al-A’mash al-Kufi committed Tadlees when reporting from Abu Salih al-Samman was shown to be unproven, and quotes from the likes of Ahmed ibn Hanbal, al-Fasawi, al-Humaydi and al-Dhahabi were brought forth to disprove their counter arguments

iii) Malik al-Dar is not unknown (majhul), but should be considered as a type of reliable narrator based on the expressions quoted from al-Bukhari, Ibn Sa’d, Ibn Hibban and al-Khalili. While he is known as a Tabi’i, some like al-Dhahabi and ibn Fahd considered him to be a Sahabi.

iv) The report from Malik al-Dar is supported from the identical report emanating from the known Sahabi, Anas ibn Malik (ra)

v) No one from the reputable Hadith scholars or jurisprudents of the past was named by the detractors to have weakened the narration from Malik al-Dar. They took their cue from the late Nasir al-Albani (d. 1999) and those who are from the same mentality in creed or jurisprudential approaches in this age after him, like Zubair Ali Za’i et al.

vi) Nasir al-Albani was refuted by one from his own sect; namely, the late Nasib al-Rifa’i on this very narration at hand. Al-Albani was also refuted on this narration by other contemporaries like –

(a) Dr. Umar Mas’ud al-Tijani in his Kashf al-Ithar fi tad’if Khabr Malik al-Dar

(b) Shaykh Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Tahir ibn Yahya Ba’Alawi al-Hussaini, who wrote the work known as Hidayatul Mutakhabbitin in reply to al-Albani’s claims on Tawassul,

(d) Shaykh Ali ibn Na’if al-Shahud al-Khulasa fi ahkam al-Istigatha wal-Tawassul (pp. 137-156)

vii) Despite al-Albani weakening this specific narration from Malik al-Dar mentioned above, it is surprising to note that al-Albani has also declared another narration via the route of Malik al-Dar to be Hasan (good) in his editing of Imam al-Mundhiri’s (d. 656 AH) al-Targhib wal Tarhib.

viii) Of the major schlolars of the past before the first Islamic millennium who authenticated the narration from Malik al-Dar (be its sanad or its matn), the following names have been mentioned earlier:

1) Al-Hafiz ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH)

2) Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH)

3) Imam Al-Samhudi (d. 911 AH)

4) Imam Al-Qastallani (d. 923 AH)

5) Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974 AH)

ix) Amongst those that knew of this narration explicitly and mentioned it in either full, abridged format, or by agreeing or mentioning it to being authentic (see the relevant section for full references) included the following Imams and lesser known writers of the past and present:

1) Imam Muhammad Ibn Allan al-Siddiqi (d. 1057 AH)

2) Shaykh Dawud ibn Sulayman al-Baghdadi al-Khalidi (d. 1299 AH)

3) Shaykh Ibrahim ibn Uthman al Samnudi al-Mansuri

4) Shaykh Jamil Effendi al-Zahawi (1355 AH)

5) Qadi Yusuf al-Nabhani (d. 1350 AH)

6) Shaykh Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari (d. 1371 AH)

7) Shaykh Abdullah al-Ghumari (d. 1993 CE)

8) Sayyid Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki al-Makki (d. 2004 CE)

9) Dr. Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh

10)Shaykh Wahbi ibn Sulayman Ghawiji (d. 2013 CE)

11)Shaykh Muhammad Awwama

12)Shaykh Abdullah al-Harari (d. 2008)

13)Shaykh Sarfraz Khan Safdar (d. 2009 CE)

14)Shaykh Yunus al-Jawnpuri

15)Shaykh Yusuf Khattar Muhammad

16)Dr Umar Abdullah Kamil

17)Shaykh Farid al-Baji al-Maliki

18)Shaykh Adil Murshid

19)Shaykh Nabil al-Ghamri

20)Shaykh Abdal Hadi Kharsa al-Dimashqi

21)Dr. Samir an-Nass al-Dimashqi

22)Shaykh Hussain Muhammad Ali Shukri

23)Shaykh Abduh Muhammad Jaan al-Na’imi

24)Dr. Isa al-Himyari

25)Shaykh Ali ibn Na’if al-Shahud

x) Those who transmitted or recorded the narration without explicitly weakening it or rejecting it in someway include the following names:

1) Imam Ali Ibn al-Madini (d. 234 AH)

2) Imam Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Shayba (d. 235 AH)

3) Imam Muhammad ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH)

4) Imam Ibn Abi Khaythama (d. 279 AH)

5) Imam Abu Ya’la al-Khalili (d. 446 AH)

6) Imam Abu Umar Ibn Abd al-Barr (d. 463 AH)

7) Imam al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH)

8) Imam Abul Qasim Ibn Asakir (d. 571 AH)

9) Imam Shamsud-Din al-Dhahabi (d. 748 AH)

10) Imam Taqiud Din al-Subki (d. 756 AH)

11) Imam Taqiud Din al-Hisni (d. 829 AH)

12) Imam al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH)

13) Imam Ali al-Muttaqi al-Hindi (d. 975AH)

14) Imam Muhammad ibn Abdal Baqi al-Zarqani al-Maliki (d. 1122 AH)

15) Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (d. 1176 AH/1763 CE)

16) Imam Muhammad Abid al-Sindi (d. 1257 AH)

17) Shaykh Abdal Ghani al-Dehlawi (d. 1296 AH)

18) Shaykh Mustafa ibn Ahmad al-Shatti al-Hanbali (1857-1929 CE)

19) Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandehlawi al-Madani (d. 1982 CE)

20) Shaykh Muhammad Abdal Hakim Sharaf

21) Dr. Umar Mas’ud al-Tijani

22) Shaykh Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Tahir ibn Yahya

23) Shaykh Sa’eed Fawda

In concluding this epistle in reply to the detractors and their like-minded writers from the same sect, the names and testification of literally dozens of scholars and writers of various schools of jurisprudence is a testimony that the narration from Malik al-Dar is free of weakness in its chain of transmission, and its wording is thus authentic (Sahih) to the vast majority. Additionally, it is strengthened by the corroboratory report mentioned in this work from the Sahabi, Anas ibn Malik (ra).

The following appendices have been attached to show the reality of these detractors as opined from the advice of their late Muhaddith, Nasir al-Albani (d. 1999 CE). The last piece was compiled by another person from their sect who exposed the reality of one of these detractors known as Abu Hibban Kamran Malik for his reprehensible behaviour that lead him to a period behind bars.

Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad

Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed

Darul-Tahqiq

London, UK

Friday 27^th Ramadan 1435 AH/July 25^th 2014

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