As for his precedence in narrating reports: All what the leader of Hanbalis
have narrated from him in his Musnad is eighty traditions, from which twenty are
repeated, leaving only sixty traditions1 and this is in the circumstances that
Ahmad has recorded around 750000 traditions in his Musnad and had himself
memorized a million traditions.2
Ibne Kathir, after making excessive efforts, has collected seventy-two
traditions narrated from Abu Bakr and has named the collection as “Musnad
Siddiq”.3
Suyuti, after a lot of contemplation and going up and down and in spite of
his knowledge about traditions, he has added to the traditions collected by Ibne
Kathir and made them reach the figure of 104 and all of them are mentioned in
Tarikhul Khulafa.4
It is narrated that he has 142 traditions, from which only six traditions are
narrated by Bukhari and Muslim and Bukhari alone has mentioned another
eleven traditions and Muslim has alone narrated one more tradition.5
The researcher can have doubts in a number of these traditions from the
aspect of chains of narrators and text, because some of them: are not traditions,
on the contrary they are his own statements; among them being that he said to
Imam Hasan (a.s.):
“May my father be sacrificed on one, who resembles the Prophet and does
not resemble Ali”
And he said: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) counseled about hostilities”
And he said: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) gifted a she-camel to Abu Jahl.”
And some others, which are either fabricated or opposed to Quran, Sunnah,
logic and reason or nature falsifies them; like his statements that the Prophet said:
- “If I had not been sent among you (for prophethood), indeed, Umar would
have been sent.”
- “The sun has not shined on a person better than Umar.”
- “Indeed, the dead are punished due to the lamentation of the survivors.”
- “Indeed, the heat of Hell on my Ummah is like the heat of the bath.”
First tradition
It is narrated through a number of channels, none of them being valid.6
Second tradition
In his Mustadrak,7 Hakim has narrated through his chains of authorities from
Abdullah bin Dawood Wasti Tammar, from Abdur Rahman, cousin of
Muhammad bin Munkadar from Muhammad bin Munkadar from Jabir: One day,
Umar said to Abu Bakr Siddiq: O best of people after Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.a.). Thus, Abu Bakr said: If you say this, I also heard from Messenger of
Allah (s.a.w.a.) that: Sun has not risen upon a person better than Umar.
In Talkhis Mustadrak, after this tradition, Dhahabi writes:
I say: They have regarded Abdullah as weak, and there is debate regarding
Abdur Rahman (whether he is trustworthy or not) and this tradition seems to be
fabricated.
Third tradition
It is clear that it is fabricated and unacceptable; and like the report narrated
from Umar before this:8 The dead are punished due to lamentations of survivors,
which Ayesha did not accept, this tradition from him and this statement is
opposed to Holy Quran, which says:
وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌۭ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ
“And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another.”9
And verses of this kind as we discussed before in detail regarding this
tradition.10
Also, it is opposed to justice, because punishing someone due to the sin of
another, although if we accept that weeping on dead is a sin – it refutes Divine
justice and is very far from reason and every rational person would condemn this
statement.
“Almighty Allah is much higher than what they say about Him.”