Lord, I am asking you to forgive me for the sake of Muhammad. ALLAH said: O Adam, and how do you know about Muhammad whom I have not yet created? Adam replied, O my Lord, after You created me with your hand and breathed into me of Your Spirit, I raised my head and saw written on the heights of the Throne:
LA ILAHA ILLALLAH MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH
I understood that You would not place next to Your Name but the Most Beloved One of Your creation. ALLAH said: O Adam, I have forgiven you, and were it not for Muhammad I would not have created you."
It was transmitted through many chains and was cited by Bayhaqi (in Dala'il al-nubuwwa), Abu Nu`aym (in Dala'il al-nubuwwa), al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (2:615), al-Tabarani in his Saghir (2:82, 207) with another chain containing sub-narrators unknown to Haythami as he stated in Majma` al-zawa'id (8:253), and Ibn `Asakir on the authority of `Umar Ibn al-Khattab, and most of these narrations were copied in Qastallani's al-Mawahib al-laduniyya (and al-Zarqani's Commentary 2:62).
Although the hadith has been debated over by many ―Salafis‖ and has been dealt very seriously with but here is a very beneficial summary of what is with the sanad of the hadith and what the opinion of the scholars about it is.
1. This hadith is declared sound (sahih) by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (2:651), although he acknowledges Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd Ibn Aslam, one of its sub-narrators, as weak. However, when he mentions this hadith he says: "Its chain is sound, and it is the first hadith of Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd Ibn Aslam which I mention in this book"; Al-Hakim also declares sound another version through Ibn `Abbas regarding the asking of the jews from ALLAH by the means of the prophet alyhi salaam before his advent into this world by their knowledge of him through their books. This will be dealt with later.(although Dhahabhi differs with him in his ―talkhees al mustadrak‖.
2. The learned teacher of Imam Jalal-ud-din Suyuti and the reviver of the deen of his time, Shaykh-al-Islam Imam Hafiz Siraj ad- Din al-Bulqini declares this hadith sound in his Fatawa.
3. Al-Subki confirms al-Hakim's authentication (in Shifa' al-siqam fi ziyarat khayr al-anam p. 134-135) although Allama Ibn Taymiyya's rejection and criticism of this hadith was known to him and he rejects it, as well as saying that Allama Ibn Taymiyya's extreme weakening of Ibn Zayd is exaggerated. (although shaykh albani does mention this and he says that Imam taqi ad din subki followed Imam hakim blindly in saying that this hadith is sahih that is correct upto an extent)
4. The hadith is also included by Imam Qadi `Iyad al Maliki among the "sound and famous narrations" in al-Shifa, and he says that Abu Muhammad al-Makki and Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi mention it; Qadi `Iyad says: "It is said that this hadith explains the verse: 'And Adam received words from his Lord and He relented towards him' (2:37)"; he continues to cite another very similar version through al-Ajurri (d. 360), about whom al-Qari said: "al-Halabi said: This seems to be the Imam and guide Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn al-Husayn Ibn `Abd ALLAH al-Baghdadi, the compiler of the books al-Shari`a devoted to the Sunna, al-Arba`un, and others.'" This is confirmed by Allama Ibn Taymiyya in his Qa`Ida jaliha fi al-tawassul wal waseelah: "It is related by Shaykh Abu Bakr al-Ajurri, in his book al-Shari`a."
5. Al-hafiz Allama Ibn Jawzi also considers it sound (sahih) as he cites it in the first chapter of al-Wafa bi ahwal al-mustafa, in the introduction of which he says: "(In this book) I do not mix the sound hadith with the false," although he knew of `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd's weakness as a narrator; he also mentions the version of Maysarah al-Fajr whereby the Prophet says: "When satan deceived Adam and Eve, they repented and sought intercession to ALLAH with my name"[this hadith is described with a discussion in the coming pages]; Ibn al-Jawzi also says in the chapter concerning the Prophet's superiority over the other Prophets in the same book: "Part of the exposition of his
superiority to other Prophets is the fact that Adam asked his Lord through the sanctity (hurmat) of Muhammad that He relent towards him, as we have already mentioned."
6. Suyuti cites it in his Qur'anic commentary al-Durr al-manthur (2:37) and in al-Khasa'is al-kubra (1:12) and in al-Riyad al-aniqa fi sharh asma' khayr al-khaliqa (p. 49), where he says that Bayhaqi considers it sound; this is due to the fact that Bayhaqi said in the introduction to the Dala'il that he only included sound narrations in his book, although he also knew and explicitly mentions `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd's weakness after the hadith;[note that both Suyuti and Bayhaiqi are Shafi`i fuqahaa and Ulema. This also gives us an insight into the Shafi`i position of this. Also Imam Ibn Hajar al Haytami ash Shafi`i clarified a point about ―bi Haqqi‖ in his ―Jawaaharal Munazzam”]
7. Ibn Kathir mentions it after Bayhaqi in al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya (1:75, 1:180) (where he mentions its weakness due to Abdur Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam but states that ―we still should keep these of
ALLAHS words in mind (regarding this hadith)) :
. He even mentions this story in his ―qasas us anbiya” in the stroy of Adam.
8. Nur ud Din Ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami in Majma` al-zawa'id (8:253 #28870), al-Bayhaqi himself, and Imam Ali al-Qari in Sharh al- shifa' show that its chains have weakness in them. However, the weakness of Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd was known by Ibn al-Jawzi, Subki, Bayhaqi, Hakim, and Abu Nu`aym, yet all these scholars retained this hadith for consideration in their books (I say because this is a narration that they considered to be under the category of minaqib virtues that people today are completely neglecting)
9. Three scholars reject it, such as Allama Ibn Taymiyya (Qa`ida jalila fi al-tawassul wal waseelah p.
89, 168-170) and his two students Ibn `Abd al-Hadi (al-Sarim al-munki fir add alal subki p. 61-63) and al-Dhahabi (Mizan al-i`tidal fi naqd ir rijal 2:504 and Talkhis al-mustadrak), while `Asqalani reports Ibn Hibban's saying that `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd was a forger(Lisan al-mizan 3:360, 3:442).
Here are the complete original wordings of Imam Ibn Hibban regarding him in al majruhin:
نٌتنث ةنس تام ةنٌدملا لهأو نوٌقارعلا هنع ىور هٌبأ نع يورٌ ةنٌدملا لهأ نم رمع نب ىلوم ملسأ نب دٌز نب نمحرلا دبع
And surely through these words we do come to know that he wasn‘t reliable enough and they are right to call this hadith daeef because of this but to say that it was maudu as some people say today is
wrong and to claim that it cant be used as a minaqib virtue hadith because it is too weak for that too is not compeletly correct at all.
10. At the same time, Allama Ibn Taymiyya elsewhere quotes it and the version through Maysara (I have provided the version of Maysara below) and says:
ةحٌحصلا ثٌداحلأل رٌسفتلاك امهو ، هلبق يذلا دٌإٌ ثٌدحلا اذهف
"These two are like the elucidation (tafsir) of the authentic ahadith (concerning the same topic)"
(Fatawa 2:150). The late Meccan hadith scholar Ibn `Alawi al-Maliki said: "This indicates that Ibn Taymiyya found the hadith sound enough to be considered a witness for other narrations (salih li al-istishhad wa al-i`tibar), because the forged (al-mawdu`) and the false (al-batil) are not taken as witness by the people of hadith"; al-Maliki also quotes (without reference) Dhahabi's unrestrained endorsement of the ahadith in Bayhaqi's Dala'il al-nubuwwa with his words: "You must take what is in it (the Dala'il), for it consists entirely of guidance and light." (Mafahim yajibu an tusahhah p. 47).
(The hadith of al Maysara al Fajar is): A proof for this stance is what is reported authentically from the Nabi (SallALLAHu ‗Alayhi wa Sallam) via the companion Maysarah:
يبل ْاشؾث ٓث ٓغذٌا ٛثأ عفبذٌا طشخأ ذل
I said: ―O Messenger of ALLAH , when were you [first] a Prophet?‖ He replied: ―When ALLAH created the earth ‗Then turned to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens‘(2:29), and created the Throne, He wrote on the leg of the Throne: ―Muhammad the Messenger of ALLAH is the Seal of Prophets‖ (Muhammadun Rasulullahi Khatamu al-Anbiya‘). Then ALLAH created Jannah in which He made Adam and Hawwa‘ dwell, and He wrote my name on the gates, its tree-leaves, its domes and tents, at a time when Adam was still between the spirit and the body. When ALLAH ta‘ala instilled life into him he looked at the Throne and saw my name, whereupon ALLAH informed him that ‗He [Muhammad (SallALLAHu 'Alayhi wa Sallam)] is the Sayyid (master) of all your descendants.‘ When Satan deceived them both, they repented and sought intercession (shafa‘a) to ALLAH with my name.―
It has been reported by Ibn Al-Jawzi in his Al-Wafa bi Fadha‘IL Al Mustafa from the chain of Ibn Bushran. Ibn Al Jawzi mentions,
―Part of the demonstration of his superiority to other Prophets is the fact that Adam (SallALLAHu
‗Alayhi wa Sallam) asked his Lord through the sanctity (hurma) of Muhammad (SallALLAHu
‗Alayhi wa Sallam) that He relent towards him.‖
This hadith has been declared Sahih by the Shuyukh of hadith. Dr. Gibril Haddad states the following regarding this hadith,: ―Shaykh `Abd ALLAH al-Ghumari cited it in Murshid al-Ha‟ir li Bayan Wad` Hadith Jabir and said, ―its chain is good and strong‖ while in al-Radd al-Muhkam al-Matin (p.
138-139) he adds: ―It is the strongest Companion-corroboration (shâhid) I saw for the hadith of `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd‖ as quoted also by Shaykh Mahmud Mamduh in Raf` al-Minara (p. 248).‖
Elsewhere Maulana Muhammad Ibn Moulana Haroon Abasoomar states:
―The chain of narrators for this Hadith is totally different from the previous one. And in fact, Hafidh Ibn Hajar [rahimahullah] has stated concerning a completely different narration which has the very same chain of narrators, that this chain of narrators is strong. (Al-Raddul Muhkamul Mateen
pgs.138-139; al-Ahaadeethul Muntaqaa pg.14, both of Shaykh Abdullah Siddique al-Ghumari)‖. [end quote from G. Haddad]
The student of Imam al-Suyuti: Imam Muhammad Ibn Yusuf al-Salihi of Damascus, who died in the year 942 AH, has mentioned in his multi-volume Sirah work known as: Subul al-Hadi wal Rashhad, this very narration from Maysara (radhiyALLAHu ‗Anhu) as follows (vol. 1/p. 86, Darul Kutub Ilmiyya edn, Beirut) from Imam Ibn al Jawzi:
كٍخ بٌّ : يبل ؟ ب١جٔ ذٕو ٝزِ ، الله يٛعس ب٠ ذٍل : يبل ٕٗػ ٌٝبؼر الله ٟظس حشغ١ِ ٓػ ، هب سأب لا دُج دنسب ٌزىجلا نبا يورو ALLAHu ‗Anhu)…‖ Then he mentions the hadith we mentioned above.
Apart from this as we have even said above that Ibn Jawzi in the starting and introduction of this book of his namely ―al wafa‖ has stated that he has not mixed sound narrations with weak ones in this particular book of his so we can allude to the fact that he too considered this hadith to be sahih and strong.
Apart from this a review of this specific chain shows that all of the men are thiqat (trustworthy). The chain as mentioned before is:
Abu Ja‘far Muhammad Ibn ‗Amru, Ahmad Ibn Is-haq Ibn Salih, Muhammad Ibn Salih, Muhammad Ibn Sinan Al-‗Awaqi, Ibrahim Ibn Tahman from Budayl Ibn Maysarah from Abdullah Ibn Shaqiq from Maysarah.
1) Abu Ja‘far Muhammad Ibn ‗Amru is Ibn Bakhtari Ar-Razzaz. In his tarjamah in Tarikh Al Baghdad (by Hafidh Khateeb Baghdadi) it states, تبث ةقث, Thiqah (highly trustworthy) and established.
[3/132]
2) Ahmad Ibn Is-haq Ibn Salih. He is Abu Bakr Al Wazan. In Tarikh Al Baghdad in his tarjamah it states, قٚذص, Honest/Truthful. [4/28]. Daraqutni says that there is no problem with him (la ba`asa bihi, as stated by Shaykh Haddad in his notes on this hadith)
3) Muhammad Ibn Salih could be one of two people. The first is Muhammad Ibn Salih, Abu Bakr Al Anmati known as Kilajah. Ibn Hajr states about him in his Taqrib, ―Thiqah, Hafith (highly trustworthy and a master of hadith).‖ It also could be Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Wasiti Ka‘b Ath-Thira‘a. In his tarjamah in Tarikh Al Baghdad (5/360) it states, ―Thiqah‖. Thus, the plausibility of this Muhammad Ibn Salih being either of the two men is of no harm considering the fact that they are both thiqah (trustworthy) in hadith
4) Muhammad Ibn Sinan Al ‗Uqi. Ibn Hajr states about him in his Taqrib ―تبث ةقث‖ (thiqah – highly trustworthy and established). Bukhari reports from him directly, 29 hadith (he is the shaykh of Imam Bukhari). Ibn Ma‘in, Ad-Daraqutni, Muslimah and others declared him Thiqah
5) Ibrahim Ibn Tahman Al-Khurasani. Ibn Hajr mentions in his Tahthib At-Tahthib that Imams Ahmad, Abu Hatim, Abu Dawud, Ad-Darimi, and others deem him Thiqah. Ibn Al Mubarak says,
―Sahih in Hadith‖. [Entry 231 of Vol. 1 Page 85 published by Dar Al Ihya]. He is a narrator in the tow sahihs of Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim.
The rest of the reporters are known as thiqah to anyone having the slightest familiarity with the sciences of hadith. It is therefore established from the proofs and research above that the chain of the hadith is authentic, as shown above. It is correct that this hadith is either hasan or sahih and that is
because all the narrators are thiqah except Ahmed bin Ishaq who is ―saduq‖ and that would make the hadith hasan and ALLAH knows better and the muhadditheen have even deemed this hadith to be sahih and jayyid and ALLAH knows better but this hadith is qawi for sure.
We find yet another witnessing narration to the narration of Umar of Adams Tawassul through the prophet although the condition of the above narration has been established without doubt above:
نب نٌسح نب ًلع نب دمحم نع هرٌسفت ًف رذنملا نبا هجرخأ
―Ibn Mundhir has narrated it in his tafseer from Muhammad bin Ali bin Husayn bin Ali (and this man is Abu Jafar Muhammad al Baqir, the father of Imam Jafar as Sadiq) that he said ―When the great sin came forward from Adam and when he felt a lot of shame for it, Gabriel came to him and said………….then Adam said ―What should I say (there)?. He said :say: there is no GOD except ALLAH the one and only without a partner, to whom the dominion belongs and for whom the praises are who gives life and death and who is himself everliving and eternal from whom good comes and who has power over everything‖ then ask for repentance for what you did then say ―glory be to you O My Lord I ask you by the ―jaah‖ of Muhammad your slave ….forgive me for my wrongdoing‖ then he said ―Hence Adam did so‖ and ALLAH then said ― O Adam how did you come to know about this?‖ Adam said ―O my lord, ...you gave me eyes and a brain and I saw on the stools of your arsh that it was written ―In the name of ALLAH, the most beneficient, the most merciful, there is no GOD but ALLAH the Only One, without partners, Muhammad is ALLAH‘s messenger……. And I knew that you wouldn‘t place your name besides anyone except that he would be very close to you……..ALLAH said ―you spoke the truth, and I have forgiven you‖. (Such is also in durr al manthur of Imam Suyuti vol.1 p. 146)
Imam Muhammad Al Baqir is the one who is described as ―al Baqir‖ only because he had reached a very high level of knowledge and is the father of Jafar as Sadiq and also the grandson of the prophets‘
grandson Imam Husayn and he is one of thiqaat from the tabiun.
These narration witnesses make the hadith of Umar very strong and especially the hadith of Maysarah al Fajr from the prophet alyhi salaam is the strongest of them all and can be easily used as a proof and the other ahadith that are daeef in isnaad become ―hasan ligayrihi‖. Even if anyone doesn‘t approve that they become hasan li gayrihi still the hadith of maysarah can be used individually and the hadith of Muhammad al Baqir as from the ahle bayt can be taken as a hujjah and proof also.
11. It is furthermore evident that Allama Ibn Taymiyya considers the meaning of the creation of everything for the sake of the Prophet as true and correct, as he declares in his Majmu`at al-fatawa in the volume on tasawwuf (11:95-97): of them in the sight of ALLAH. This is why some have said that "ALLAH created the Universe due to him," or that "Were it not for him, He would have neither created a Throne, nor a Footstool, nor a heaven, earth, sun or moon." However, this is not a hadith on the authority of the Prophet... but it may be explained from a correct aspect...
Since the best of the righteous of the children of Adam is Muhammad, creating him was a desirable end of deep-seated purposeful wisdom, more than for anyone else, and hence the completion of creation and the fulfilment of perfection was attained with Muhammad, may ALLAH Exalted bless him and grant him peace... The Chief of the Children of Adam is Muhammad, may ALLAH Exalted bless him and grant him peace, Adam and his children being under his banner. He, may ALLAH Exalted bless him and grant him peace, said: "Truly, I was written as the Seal of the Prophets with ALLAH, when Adam was going to-and-fro in his clay," i.e. that my Prophethood was decreed and manifested when Adam was created but before the breathing of the Spirit into him, just as ALLAH decrees the livelihood, lifespan, deeds and misery or happiness of the slave when He creates the embryo but before the breathing of the Spirit into it.
Since man is the seal and last of all creation, and its microcosm, and since the best of mankind is thus the best of all creation absolutely, then Muhammad, being the Pupil of the Eye, the Axis of the Mill, and the Distributor to the Collective, is as it were the Ultimate Purpose from amongst all the purposes of creation. Thus it cannot be denied to say that
"Due to him all of this was created", or that "Were it not for him, all this would not have been created," so if statements like this are thus explained according to what the Book and the Sunna indicate, it is acceptable.
12. Its latter part is mentioned as a separate hadith in the wording: "Were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created the spheres (al-aflak)”.al-`Ajluni said in Kashf al-khafa' (#2123): "al-Saghani
(d.650) said it is forged. I say: but its meaning is correct." Similarly `Ali Qari said in Asrar al-marfu`a (#754-755): "al-Saghani (in al-Ahadith al-mawdu`a p. 7) said: "It is forged," however, its meaning is sound (mi`nahu sahih), as Daylami has narrated on the authority of Ibn `Abbas that the Prophet said: "Gabriel came to me and said: O Muhammad! Were it not for you, Paradise would not have been created, and were it not for you, the Fire would not have been created." And Ibn `Asakir's narration has: And were it not for you, the world would not have been created." Furthermore our meek research says that Imam Ibn Yazid al Khallal in his ―sunna‖ (1:283) has related with his sanad from Abul Abbas Harun Ibn Abbas Hashmi (radiAllahu anh) that he said: Whoever denies the
(d.650) said it is forged. I say: but its meaning is correct." Similarly `Ali Qari said in Asrar al-marfu`a (#754-755): "al-Saghani (in al-Ahadith al-mawdu`a p. 7) said: "It is forged," however, its meaning is sound (mi`nahu sahih), as Daylami has narrated on the authority of Ibn `Abbas that the Prophet said: "Gabriel came to me and said: O Muhammad! Were it not for you, Paradise would not have been created, and were it not for you, the Fire would not have been created." And Ibn `Asakir's narration has: And were it not for you, the world would not have been created." Furthermore our meek research says that Imam Ibn Yazid al Khallal in his ―sunna‖ (1:283) has related with his sanad from Abul Abbas Harun Ibn Abbas Hashmi (radiAllahu anh) that he said: Whoever denies the