Azami 346

Tirmidhi (3368) narrated it, Ibn Khuzayma graded it sahih and narrated it in Kitab Tawhid (107), and Ibn Hibban narrated it from him in his Sahih (6167), and Hakim graded it sahih (1/64) according to the criterion of Muslim, all of them through routes from Safwan bin Isa, from Harith bin Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Zubab, from Saeed bin Abu Saeed Maqburi, from Abu Hurairah, in a long hadith recorded in the chapters on divine decree and predestination. Tirmidhi said, "Hasan gharib." Hakim said, "This is a sahih hadith according to the criterion of Muslim, for he relied on Harith bin Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Zubab as evidence, and others besides Safwan have narrated it from him, but I recorded it from the hadith of Safwan because I found a higher chain through him."I say, its chain is hasan due to some discussion regarding Harith bin Abdul-Rahman, though he is otherwise reliable in his hadith, and the objectionable element only arises in the narration of Darawardi from him, as Abu Hatim said.As for what has been narrated from Jabir bin Abdullah as a saying of the Prophet, "The Black Stone is the right hand of Allah on earth, by which He shakes hands with His servants," this is extremely daif. Ibn Adi narrated it in Kamil (1/336), and Khatib in Tarikh Baghdad (6/328), and Ibn Jawzi narrated it from him in Ilal Mutanahiya (2/84-85), all of them through the route of Ishaq bin Bishr Kahili, from Abu Mashar Madaini, from Muhammad bin Munkadir, from Jabir, who mentioned it.Ishaq bin Bishr, who is Ibn Muqatil, was declared a liar by Abu Hatim and Abu Zura. Aqeeli said, "His hadith is objectionable." Daraqutni said, "He is discarded (matruk)." Ibn Adi quoted a number of scholars who declared Ishaq bin Bishr a liar, and at the end of his biographical entry he said, "Ishaq bin Bishr Kahili has narrated other hadiths besides this one, and he is counted among those who fabricate hadith."Munawi quoted in Fayd Qadir (3/409) from Ibn Arabi that he said, "This is a false hadith and should not be given any attention." Ibn Jawzi said, "This hadith is not sound. Ishaq bin Bishr was declared a liar by Abu Bakr bin Abu Shayba and others, and Daraqutni said, 'He is counted among those who fabricate hadith,' and he said, 'Abu Mashar is daif.'"It has a corroborating narration, but one should not take comfort in it, for the route leading to it contains someone just as weak, if not weaker. For this reason, Sheikh Islam bin Taymiya said in his Fatawa (6/397), "It has been narrated from the Prophet ﷺ with a chain that is not established."So if it is established that this is a hadith not sound from the Prophet, there is no need to delve into its meaning. However, Sheikh Islam bin Taymiya, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "What is well known is only from Ibn Abbas, who said, 'The Black Stone is a right hand on earth, so whoever shakes hands with it and kisses it is as if he shook the hand of Allah and kissed His right hand.'Whoever reflects carefully on this reported wording will find that there is no difficulty in it, except for one who has not reflected on it properly. For he said, 'the right hand of Allah on earth,' thus qualifying it by saying 'on earth,' and did not leave it unrestricted so as to simply say 'the right hand of Allah.' The ruling of a qualified expression differs from the ruling of an unrestricted one.Then he said, 'so whoever shakes hands with it and kisses it is as if he shook the hand of Allah and kissed His right hand.' It is known that the thing being likened is not the same as that to which it is likened, and this is explicit that the one shaking hands with the stone has not actually shaken hands with the right hand of Allah at all, but rather he is likened to one who shakes hands with Allah.So the beginning and end of the hadith make clear that the stone is not among the attributes of Allah, as is known to every sensible person. Rather, it clarifies that just as Allah has made for people a house which they circle around, He has likewise made for them something they touch, so that this may serve as the equivalent of kissing the hand of the great, for that is a means of drawing the one who kisses closer and honoring him, as is customary. Allah and His Messenger do not speak in a way that leads people astray, rather they must clarify to people what they should avoid. He has thus clarified in the hadith what negates any likeness." End of quote.I say, despite the fame of this report from Ibn Abbas, its route to him contains Ibrahim bin Yazid Khuzi, who is discarded (matruk), as Imam Ahmad, Nasai, and others have said. Ibn Qutayba narrated it through his route in Ghareeb Hadith.For more, see Daifa by Sheikh Albani, may Allah have mercy on him (1/257).