Ahmad 5881

This is a report (athar), not a raised (marfu) or stopped (mawquf) hadith. Sawar bin Abdullah bin Sawar bin Abdullah bin Qudama Anbari, the judge son of a judge, is trustworthy. Nasai and others confirmed his reliability, and Imam Ahmad said, "Nothing has reached me about him except good." He was among Ahmad's peers who died after him. Sawar died in the year 245.Muaz bin Muaz Anbari, his reliability was already established at 2135, and it is further supported here by the fact that Bukhari gave his biography in al-Kabir 4/1/365-366, and that he was among Ahmad's teachers, though here Ahmad narrated from him through the intermediary of the judge Sawar.Ghaylan the Qadari, the one who was crucified, is Ghaylan bin Abu Ghaylan, who used to deny predestination. Bukhari gave his biography in al-Kabir 4/1/102-104, and al-Saghir 121-122, and al-Duafa 28-29, and Ibn Abu Hatim in al-Jarh wal-Tadil 3/1/54, and Ibn Hajar in Lisan Mizan 4:424, and some of his stories will be mentioned shortly.This report was also narrated by Ahmad in the book al-Sunnah, p. 128, from Sawar, with this chain. Bukhari narrated it in al-Kabir and al-Duafa from Muhammad bin Bashshar from Muaz bin Muaz. In al-Duafa, "Muhammad bin Bashir" appears instead of "Muhammad bin Bashshar," which is an error by the copyist or the printer. Ibn Abu Hatim likewise mentioned it from Muhammad bin Bashshar from Muaz.Tabari narrated in al-Tarikh 8:125, with his chain, from Hammad al-Abah, who said, Hisham [meaning Hisham bin Abdul-Malik, the commander of the faithful] said to Ghaylan, "Woe to you, Ghaylan! People have said much about you, and they have disputed with us over your case. If it is true, we will follow you, and if it is false, you will renounce it." He said, "Yes." So Hisham summoned Maymun bin Mihran to debate with him. Maymun said to him, "Ask, for you will be at your strongest when you ask." Ghaylan said, "Does Allah wish to be disobeyed?" Maymun said to him, "Is He disobeyed against His will?" Ghaylan fell silent. Hisham said, "Answer him." But he did not answer. So Hisham said to him, "May Allah not release me from my oath if I release you," and he ordered that his hands and feet be cut off.In Lisan Mizan it is stated that it was Uzai who debated with him and issued the ruling for his execution. It seems most likely that both of them were present, or indeed that other leading scholars were present as well. It is quite likely that it was Uzai who issued the ruling for his execution, for Uzai was the imam of the people of Syria, their scholar and their jurist. Among the references available to me, I have not found a specification of the date on which Ghaylan was crucified. Hisham bin Abdul-Malik became caliph in Shaban of the year 105 and died in Rabi al-Akhir of the year 125.In the book al-Sunnah by Ahmad, 106-107, it is reported that it was said to Umar bin Abdul-Aziz, "Ghaylan says such and such about predestination." He said, so he sent for him and said, "Tell me about knowledge." Ghaylan said, "Glory be to Allah! Allah has known every soul, what it will do and where it will end up." Umar bin Abdul-Aziz said, "By the One in whose hand my soul lies, had you said other than this, I would have struck off your neck. Go now and strive with all your effort."It also contains, at 127-128, a lengthy exchange between Umar and Ghaylan, in which Umar said to him, "Woe to you, Ghaylan! If you affirm knowledge, you will be defeated in argument, and if you deny it, you will fall into disbelief. For you to affirm it and be defeated in argument is better for you than to deny it and fall into disbelief." Ghaylan then pledged to Umar that he would never again speak of any of this. When he left, Umar said, "O Allah, if he was lying in what he said, then let him taste the heat of the sword." Ghaylan returned to what he had said after Umar's death, during the time of Yazid bin Abdul-Malik, and then during the time of Hisham, who debated with him and then ordered that his hands and feet be cut off, his neck struck, and his body crucified.