SHAYKH YAHYA BIN NINOWY SAYS THAT THE HADITH-E-NOOR OF HAZRAT JAABIR IS “FORGED”

QUESTION:

What do the Ulama-Ikraam and Mutiyaan-e-Deen have to say with regards to the following questions that there is a Shaykh who says that the Hadith Shareef about Hazrat Jaabir t is forged.

1. Is the Hadith Shareef of Hazrat Jaabir t a forged Hadith?
2. If it is not a forged Hadith, quote the actual Hadith with references.
3. What type of Hadith is this Hadith?
4. If it is a sound Hadith and accepted by the Muhaditheen and Fuqaha, what is the ruling of one who says that it is forged? Is he gumrah, a faasiq, or not of the Ahle Sunnah, etc.?
5. Can such a Shaykh be trusted as a reliable Ahle Sunnah Scholar? Can one read Salaah behind him? Should one follow him? Should one listen to him?All praise is due to Allah I, the Noor of the heavens and the earth and peace and blessings upon Rasoolullah r, whose noor was created by Allah I from His Noor before creating anything.The Holy Qur’an says:[Qur’an, 5:15]In Tafseer Jalalain:
6. There has verily come to you from Allah a light, namely, the Prophet r,
7. The majority of the Mufassireen have explained the noor as the Prophet r.
8. “Now hath come unto you light from Allah and plain Scripture”
9. It is one of the beliefs of the Ahl us-Sunnah that the Prophet r is noor. Almighty Allah I created the noor of His beloved from His Noor before creating anything and later created everything in the universe by His beloved’s noor.

and a Book, a Qur’an, lucid, plain and manifest.

(Quran)

Tafseer Baghvi states:

Now hath come unto you light from Allah (means: Muhammad r) Tafseer Qurtubi:

Now hath come unto you light from Allah (it is said: Muhammad r)

The Hadith of Hazrat Jabir t is one of the most famous Hadith which describes that the first creation of Almighty Allah I is the noor of the Prophet r which was created from the Almighty’s Noor.

This Hadith is narrated by Imam Abdul Razzaq t in his Musannaf and esteemed scholars have taken it as a reference and narrated it in their books on his authority.

Hafiz ul-Hadith, Imam Abdul Razzaq t is a student of Imam Malik t and teacher of Imam Ahmad bin Hambal t. He is the grand teacher of Imam Bukhari t and Imam Muslim t.

The Hadith with narrators is as below:

Abdul Razzaq narrates from Mu’ammar, he narrates from Ibnul

Munkadar, he narrates from Jabir, he says: I asked the  Messenger of Allah r about the first thing created by Allah. So he r said : O Jabir! It was the noor of your Prophet r which Allah created (first)(till the end of

Hadith). (Kitab ul-Iman, Musannaf Abdul Razzaq, Isa Abdullah, Dubai)

The first printed copy of the Musannaf did not have this Hadith, so the ignorant started rejecting this Hadith even though the publisher made it clear that the book is incomplete.  Alhumdulillah, the complete manuscript of Musannaf was found in Afghanistan and later published with the research of Dr. Isa bin Abdullah of Dubai.

Even if the manuscript which contains the Hadith of Hazrat Jabir t was not available, it was utter ignorance to discard and reject it, as numerous esteemed Scholars have written this Hadith with reference to the  Musannaf in their works.

The acceptance of the Hadith, in spite of being a solitary report (khabr-ewahid) by esteemed scholars, is the evidence that this Hadith is proved and correct.

Imam Tirmizi t narrates the Hadith of prostration of gratitude (Sajda-eShuk’r) which has only one chain of narration but the scholars nevertheless follow and accept it.

Narrated Abu Bakrah: “The Prophet r was met by some affair that made him happy, so he prostrated to Allah.”[Abu ‘Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Gharib, we do not know of it except from this route, as a narration of Bakkar bin ‘Abdul-‘Aziz. This is acted upon according to most of the people of knowledge, they held the view that one could

perform the prostration of gratitude.( Jami’ at-Tirmidhi,Chapter: What

Has Been Related About The Prostration Of Gratitude – Sajdah Ash-Shukr)

Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani t states that though there are solitary reports (khabre wahid) in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim but they are still  accepted because of the acceptance by ‘Ulema. He states in Nuzhatun Nazar:

And this acceptance [of Scholars] alone is stronger in conveying the surety than numerous transmissions less than mass-transmission (mutawatir). (Nuzhatun Nazar, pg. 60)

Imam Ahmad Raza Muhaddith Barelvi t writes:

Acceptance by ‘Ulema is such a great thing that after it there is no need to see and check the sanad (chain of narrators), even if the sanad is weak it doesn’t harm (the authenticity of) it. 

(Fatawa Ridawiyah, Vol. 30, pg. 657-663)

It is clear from the  above references that even if a Hadith is solitary or the chain of narration is weak but the  scholars have accepted it and act on it, it becomes valid and proved.

Now let us see the Scholars who have narrated the Hadith of Hazrat Jabir t in their books:

1. Imam Nizamuddin Hasan Nishapuri t in his tafseer, under the ayahLike he (Prophet r) said: First thing which Almighty created is my noor
2. (Tafseer Garaib ul-Qur’an, Vol. 3, pg. 196, Darul Kutub Ilmiyah,Lebanon)
3. (and I am first of those who surrender (unto Him)[Qur’an, 6: 163]
4. Imam Qistalani t in his most celebrated Seerah book “al-Mawahibul ladunya” narrates the Hadith of Hazrat Jabir t from the authority of Imam Abdul Razzaq t.(al-Mawahibul Ladunya, Awwalul Makhluqat, Vol. 1, pg. 71, Maktabah Islami, Beirut )
5. Imam Muhammed Zarquani t in his famous “Sharah Allamah Zarquani alal Mawahibil ladunyah” maintains and explains the Hadith of Hazrat Jabir t (Sharah Allama Zarquani, Vol. 1, pg. 89, al-Maqsadul Awwal,Darul Kutub ‘Ilmiyah,Lebanon)
6. Imam Yusuf Nabhani t in his magnificent work “Hujjatullahi alal Aalameen fi Mo’ajazati Sayyadil Mursaleen” narrates the complete text of the Hadith of Hazrat Jabir t from the authority of Imam Abdul Razzaq t. (Hujjatullahi alal Aalameen fi Mo’ajazati Sayyadil Mursaleen, Vol. 1, pg. 68, Markaz Ahle Sunnah Barkate Raza, Porbander, India)
7. Muhaqqiq alal Itlaaq, Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehalvi t in “Madarijun Nabuwwat” says : It has come in Saheeh Hadith that “the first thing which was created by Allah was my noor.” (Madarijun Nabuwwat, Babul Awwal, Vol. 2, pg. 1, Adabi Duniya, Delhi) Imam Ahmad Raza Muhaddith Barelvi t writes:Ladunya’, Imam Ibn Hajar Makki in ‘Afzalul Qura’, Allama Faasi in Diyar Bakri in ‘Khamseen’ and Sheikh Muhaqqiq Dehalvi in ‘Madarij’, etc. cite this Hadith and have trust on it. It has the great status of (Fatawa Ridawiyah, Vol. 30, pg. 657 -663)
8. We have explained and proven the validity and authenticity of the Hadith of Hazrat Jabir t. Imam Ahmad Raza t has termed it fair, valid, acceptable and accredited. So deeming it forged is an allegation on the esteemed Scholars, who have narrated this Hadith in their books, and rejecting them.
9. acceptance by the Ummah so without doubt this Hadith is fair, valid, acceptable and accredited.
10. ‘Mutaalaul Musraat’, Allama Zarquani in ‘Sharah Muwahib’, Allama
11. Imam Bayhaqi has also narrated similar to this Hadith in ‘Dalail un Nabuwat’, esteemed Scholars like Imam Qistalani in ‘Muwahib

Surely darkness has taken over such a person’s beliefs and faith. Such a person is ignorant and gumrah. If his beliefs contradict the established beliefs of Ahlus Sunnah then he is not from Ahlus Sunnah and is not fit to be a Sheikh and prayers behind such a person will not be valid.

Wallahu Ta’ala Aalamu Wa Rasoolahu A’alam

Servant of Ulema

Faqeer Qadiri Muhammed Kashif ul-Ansari al-Ridawi Dar ul-Ifta Ihya Academy | Jamiah Hasnain Bangalore.

Below is the proof of the authority of the sound chain of the Hadeeth of Noor:

Hadeeth of Noor

Alahazrat Quoted the Hadeeth of Noor from Sayyinduna Jaabir – RadiyAllahu Anhu – as follows:

ALA HAZRAT’S SAYING ON HADITH JABIR AS RECORDED IN AL MALFUZAT

Allamah Abdul Hakeem Sharaf Qadri’s – Rahimahullah – Brilliant Research Work on Hadeeth-e-Noor:

NOOR-e-MUHAMMAD – Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam – the Hadith of Jabir by Allamah Abdul Hakim Sharf Qadri

All the Mufassireen are unanimous that the word “NOOR” in the Quranic verse refers to the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him.  Click the link below to view the proof:

Tafseer of The Verse of “NOOR”

The scholar G.F. Haddaad’s research on the Hadeeth of Noor:

G F HADDAD’S RESEARCH ON HADITH JABIR