Muhammad and Abu Na’im al-Ma’ani – Faṭr – Abu al-Tufayl...

Muhammad and Abu Na’im al-Ma’ani – Faṭr – Abu al-Tufayl: ‘Ali, may Allah the Most High be pleased with him, gathered people at Rahbah (an area in Kufah), and said to them, “I implore with Allah to testify every single Muslim who heard what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said while standing on the Day of Ghadir Khumm. So, thirty people stood up - Abu Na’im said: lots of people stood up – and testified that while holding his (i.e.

‘Ali’s) hand, he (the Prophet) said to the people, “Do you know that I am more entitled to the believers than themselves?” They replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He (the Prophet) said, “Whosoever I am his mawla , this too is his mawla .

O Allah, be the friend of whosoever is his friend, and be the enemy of whosoever is his enemy.”[^3] Shaykh al-Arnauṭ states: إسناده صحيح Its chain is sahih ^4 All those thirty – or actually, lots of - people who stood up to testify were Sahabah, and they were among the people of Kufah! The challenge of Amir al-Muminin ‘Ali was directed towards them too, along with the other residents of the city. This reality cuts off the first leg of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah’s apparently fallacious submission.

At this point, it becomes imperative to ask. Did the Sahabah ever consult Amir al-Muminin to gain knowledge in their religion? Our dear Shaykh claims that they never did. But, is that the case? ‘Allamah al-Albani (d.

1420 H) replies: أخرجه ابن أبى شيبة فى " المصنف " (11/44/2) من طريق سعيد بن المسيب: " أن رجلا من أهل الشام يقال له (ابن حبرى) وجد مع امرأته رجلا فقتلها , أو قتلهما , فرفع إلى معاوية فأشكل عليه القضاء فى ذلك , فكتب إلى أبى موسى أن سل عليا عن ذلك , فسأل أبو موسى عليا Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded it in al-Musnaf (2/44/11) from the route of Sa’id b. Jubayr: A Syrian man called Ibn Habri caught a man with his wife, and therefore killed him or killed both of them. So, his case was brought to Mu’awiyah.

However, he had problem on how to do justice in that. As such, he wrote to Abu Musa to ask ‘Ali concerning that. Therefore, Abu Musa asked ‘Ali .[^5] The ‘Allamah comments: قلت: ورجاله ثقات , لكن سعيد بن المسيب مختلف فى سماعه من على. I say: Its narrators are trustworthy . However, there is disagreement over whether Sa’id b. Musayyab heard from ‘Ali or not.

^6 Of course, the correct opinion is that he heard from ‘Ali, as declared by al-Hafiz: سعيد بن المسيب بن حزن بن أبي وهب بن عمرو بن عائذ بن عمران ابن مخزوم القرشي المخزومي. روى عن أبي بكر مرسلا وعن عمر وعثمان وعلي وسعد بن أبي وقاص…. Sa’id b.