Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Weakness of the Hadeeth: The Lesser Jihaad


بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد


Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth al-Dha`eefah of Shaikh al-Albaanee:

2460 - “We are returning from a minor Jihaad (and heading) to a major Jihaad.” [It was asked: What is major Jihaad? He replied: “Jihaad against the heart (i.e. base self).”]

Shaikh Al-Albaanee said: “It is a rejected narration.”

Al-Haafidh al-`Iraaqee in “Takhreej al-Ihyaa’” (2/6) said: “It was reported by al-Baihaqee in “al-Zuhd” from the Hadeeth of Jaber, and he (al-Baihaqee) said: In its chain there is a weakness.”

Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr (al-Asqalaanee) in “Takhreej al-Kashshaaf” (4/114 – No. 33), after mentioning the saying of al-Baihaqee, said: “It is from the narration of `Eesaa bin Ibraaheem on the authority of Yahyaa bin Yu’laa on the authority of Laith bin Abu Saleem, and all the three are weak. And al-Nasaa’I reported it in “al-Kunaa” from the sayings of Ibraaheem bin Abu `Ublah, one of the Taabi`een from the people of Shaam.”

I (al-Albaanee) say: “`Eesaa bin Ibraaheem is al-Burkee, and al-Haafidh (Ibn Hajr) said in “al-Taqreeb”:  “He is truthful but made mistakes.”

And al-Shaikh Zakariyah al-Ansaaree, in his commentary on “Tafseer al-Baidhaawe” (1/110), mentioned the statement of Shaikh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah, that he said: “It (this narration) has no basis”, and he (Zakariyah) also agreed.

And he (Zakariyah) said in another place (1/202): “It was reported by al-Baihaqee and he said the chain is weak, and others than him said: It has no basis.”

As for the saying of al-Khafaajee in “Haashiyah `alaa al-Baidhaawee” (6/316): “And in its chain there is a weakness which can be overlooked (i.e. the narration can be accepted)” – is not appropriate. Because outwardly it (the Hadeeth) seems “Hasan” (good), but how can that be when there are three weak narrators it its chain and everyone who spoke about this has agreed about its weakness?!

***

After a few years, I (al-Albaanee) came across a Hadeeth in “al-Zuhd” of al-Baihaqee (1/42) with the wordings: “You have advanced towards a better cause. You have marched from minor Jihaad towards the major Jihaad.” [It was asked: What is the major Jihaad?] He said: “A servant striving against his desires.”

This was also reported by Abu Bakr al-Shaafi`ee in “al-Fawaaid al-Muntaqah” (1/83/13) from the way of `Eesaa bin Ibraaheem al-Burkee who said: that Yahyaa bin Yu`laa said: Laith narrated on the authority of `Ataa’ on the authority of Jaabir that he said: A group of people approached the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, so he صلى الله عليه وسلم said: [same as above]

I (al-Albaanee) say: This chain is weak. Laith and he is Ibn Abu Saleem, and he is weak. As for Yahya bin Yu`laa, and he is al-Aslamee, and he is also weak. And the remaining people in the chain are reliable.

And this Hadeeth is also reported by al-Khateeb in his “Tareekh” (13/523-524) from the way of l-Hasan bin Haashim from Yahyaa bin Abu al-`Alaa’ that Laith narrated…

And al-Hasan bin Haashim, I did not find his biography (i.e. he is unknown).

***

As for the Hadeeth, Shaikh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah in “Majmoo` al-Fataawa” (11/197) said about it: “It has no basis and no one from the people of knowledge say that it was the saying or the action of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم (i.e. no one authenticated this narration). And the Jihaad against the kuffaar is one of the greatest of deeds; rather it is one of the best thing a person can do...”, (he then mentioned some of the Aayaat and Ahaadeeth in his support that it (Jihaad against the kuffaar) is the best of deeds+).

By this it is as if he (ibn Taymiyyah) is condemning the use of the words “lesser Jihaad” in reference to Jihaad against the kuffaar.

[al-Silsilah al-Saheehah of al-Albaanee (2460)]


+ One of the Aayah Ibn Taymiyyah quoted is:

{Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame), and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allaah with their wealth and their lives. Allaah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives to those who sit (at home). To each, Allaah has promised good (Paradise), but Allaah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, to those who sit (at home) by a huge reward.} [Surah al-Nisaa’ (4): 95]

Moreover, Jihaad against the kuffaar automatically includes striving against the kuffaar as well as striving against the desires. In it, the self is utilized, the time is utilized, and the wealth is utilized. But as for Jihaad against the desires, then in it normally only the self is utilized.


Others who have graded the Hadeeth as weak are:

Al-Baihaqee: it is weak.

Al-`Iraaqee in “Takhreej al-Hilyaa’”: It is weak.

Ibn Hajr al-`Asqalaanee: it has three weak narrators in its chain.

Ibn Taymiyyah: It has no basis.

Al-Suyootee: I do not know if it has ever been attributed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Al-Zailee in (Takreej al-Kashshaaf (2/395): It is a very strange narration.

Mulla `Alee Qaaree al-Hanafee in “al-Asraar al-Marfoo`”: It has no basis, or its origin is that it is fabricated.

Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen in “Sharh al-Mumta`”: It is a weak Hadeeth and not authentic.

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