Book: Dalail an-Nubuwwah by Bayhaqi

فصل في المراسيل

Chapter: Chapter on the Mursal Traditions

Volume: 1 (Page:39)

English:

On Maraseel (Discontinued Narration)

Every Hadith that one of the followers or their successors narrates from the Prophet, peace be upon him, without mentioning who carried it from him, is of two types:

The First Category: This is when the one who dispatches it is from the senior followers. If they mention from whom they heard it, they usually refer to a group of the just, whose narrations are trustworthy. When such a person sends a Hadith, the transmitted version is examined. If it coincides with a similar one dispatched by someone else, or a saying of a single Companion, or if it is accepted by the common people among the scholars, we then accept its narration in the rulings.

Note that the reports of those known to only accept from reliable sources are acceptable, so the Maraseel (disconnected narrations) of Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib, Muhammad bin Sirin, and Ibrahim al-Nakhai are considered authentic. On the other hand, the Maraseel of Ata’a and Al-Hassan are not used as evidence because they took from everyone. The same rule applies to the Maraseel of Abu Qilaba and Abu Al-Ala.

It is said that the tadlees (scholarly method of indirect citation) of Al-Amash is not accepted because when he stops (narrating), he alternatively allocates towards someone who isn't thorough. This means, he refers to someone untrustworthy. When asked ‘From whom is this?’, he replies: ‘From Musa bin Tarif, and ‘Abaya bin Rabi’, and Al-Hassan bin Dhaqwan.'

Conversely, the tadlees of Ibn 'Uyayna is accepted because when he stops, he alternatively allocates towards Ibn Jurayj, Ma’mar, and their likeness.

The Reality of the Maraseel in the Children of the Companions and Veteran Followers:

Some of the Companions' children were born during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Their fathers would bring them to the Prophet, peace be upon him, for Tahnik (a traditional Islamic practice of softening a date and rubbing a piece of it on the upper palate of a newborn), and naming, and supplications. However, the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed away when they were below the age of discernment, so they are included among the Companions. Nevertheless, their Hadiths about the Prophet, peace be upon him, are counted as Maraseel.

Arabic:

[فصل في المراسيل]كل حديث أرسله واحد من التابعين أو الأتباع، فرواه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ من حمله عنه، فهو على ضربين:(أحدهما) : أن يكون الذي أرسله من كبار التابعين الذين إذا ذكروا من سمعوا منه ذكروا قوما عدولا يوثق بخبرهم. فهذا إذا أرسل حديثا نظر في مرسله، فإن انضم إليه ما يؤكده من مرسل غيره، أو قول واحد من الصحابة، أو إليه ذهب عوامّ من أهل العلم- فإنّا نقبل مرسله في الأحكام [ (٩٠) ] .[ (٩٠) ] كل من عرف أنه لا يأخذ إلا عن ثقة فتدليسه ومرسله مقبول، فمراسيل سعيد بن المسيب، ومحمد ابن سيرين، وإبراهيم النخعي عندهم صحاح، ومراسيل عطاء والحسن لا يحتج بها لأنهما كانا يأخذان عن كل أحد، وكذلك مراسيل أبي قلابة، وأبي العالية.وقالوا: لا يقبل تدليس الأعمش، لأنه إذا وقف أحال على غير مليء، يعنون: على غير ثقة، إذا سألته عمن هذا؟ قال: عن موسى بن طريف، وعباية بن ربعي، والحسن بن ذكوان.وقالوا: ويقبل تدليس ابن عيينة، لأنه إذا وقف أحال على ابن جريح، ومعمر، ونظائرهما.وحقيقة المرسل في أولاد الصحابة، والمخضرمين:* فقد ولد لبعض الصحابة أطفال في عهد رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم، فكان آباؤهم يأتون بهم إلى النبي صلّى الله عليه وسلّم، ليحنّكهم، ويسميهم، ويدعو لهم، ومات رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم وهم دون سن التمييز، فذكروا في الصحابة، بيد أن أحاديثهم عن النبي صلّى الله عليه وسلّم من قبيل المرسل.

Volume: 1 (Page:40)

English:

Regarding the Late Successors and Their Reliability in Transmission

The final category involves those who were sent by the late successors, known for receiving reports from everyone. Scholars of Hadith have indicated weakness in their narrations, hence this type of transmission is not accepted when rulings are involved. However, it is acceptable in matters not connected with rulings, such as supplications, virtues of good deeds, tales of military expeditions, and similar topics.

About the Veterans: Those who Witnessed both Ignorance Era and Islam

The term 'veterans' refers to those who lived in the era of ignorance and also in the era of Islam, yet they did not witness the Prophet Mohammad, Peace Be Upon Him, whether they converted to Islam during his lifetime or during the era of Abu Bakr and Umar. Despite living in close proximity to the generation of the Companions, they are mentioned in texts mainly because of their closeness to them, not because they were part of them.

Their narrations from the Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, are considered 'Mursal' (narrations from a Successor without mentioning the Companion from whom he heard it) by consensus of the scholars. This type of Mursal Hadith occurs when a respected Successor quotes the Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, directly, as did Ubaidullah ibn Adiyy ibn Al-Khiyar, Abu Umamah ibn Sahl ibn Huneif, Abdullah ibn Amir ibn Rabiah, and others similar to them. This also includes those lower in ranks such as: Sa'id ibn Al-Musayyib, Salim ibn Abdullah, Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and the like. They hold the same status in this context.

This is the concept of 'Mursal' according to the scholars.

Eminent Scholars' Explanation of Mursal

Esteemed scholars of Hadith have elucidated this matter. Al-Hakim wrote about it in "Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith", page 25, as well as Al-Iraqi in his explanation of Hadith sciences, 'Ikhtisar Ulum al-Hadith' by Ibn Kathir, pages 37-40, 'Fath al-Mughith', and 'Tadrib al-Rawi'. Further elaborate explanation can be found in 'Irshad al-Fuhul' by Ibn al-Salah', and Al-Ghazali's work "Al-Mustasfa", among others.

Arabic:

(والآخر) : أن يكون الذي أرسله من متأخري التابعين الذين يعرفون بالأخذ عن كل أحد، وظهر لأهل العلم بالحديث ضعف مخارج ما أرسلوه- فهذا النوع من المراسيل لا يقبل في الأحكام، ويقبل فما لا يتعلق به حكم من الدّعوات وفضائل الأعمال والمغازي، وما أشبهها.[ () ] * والمخضرمون: أدركوا الجاهلية والإسلام، ولم تثبت لهم رُؤْيَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلّم، سواء أسلموا في حياته، أم فِي عَهْدِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وعمر..، وهؤلاء ذكروا في الكتب لمقاربتهم لطبقة الصحابة، لا لأنهم منهم ... أما أحاديثهم عن النبي صلّى الله عليه وسلّم، فهي مرسلة باتفاق أهل العلم.فأوقعوا الحديث المرسل على التابعي الكبير عن الرسول صلّى الله عليه وسلّم مثل أن يقول عبيد الله بن عدي بن الخيار، أو أبو أمامة بن سهل بن حنيف، أو عبد الله بن عامر بن ربيعة، ومن كان مثلهم: قال رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم.وكذلك من دون هؤلاء مثل: سعيد بن المسيب، وسالم بن عبد الله، والقاسم بن محمد، ومثلهم.فهذا هو المرسل عند أهل العلم.وقد شرحه علماء الحديث، فكتب عنه الحاكم في معرفة علوم الحديث ص (٢٥) ، وشرح علوم الحديث للعراقي، واختصار علوم الحديث لابن كثير ص (٣٧- ٤٠) ، وفتح المغيث، وتدريب الراوي، وإرشاد الفحول، وابن الصلاح، والغزالي في المستصفى، وغيرهم.

Vols: Intro, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Chapters