Azami 3638

Reported by Tirmidhi (993) and Ibn Majah (1463), both from Muhammad bin Abdul-Malik bin Abu Shawarib, who said, "Abdul-Aziz bin Mukhtar related to us, from Suhayl bin Abu Salih, from his father, from Abu Hurairah," and he related the hadith, the wording being that of Ibn Majah. The wording of Tirmidhi is, "Whoever washes him must perform ghusl, and whoever carries him must perform wudu."Abu Dawud (3162) also reported it through another route, from Sufyan, from Suhayl, with his chain, except that Abu Salih inserted between himself and Abu Hurairah "Ishaq, the freed slave of Zaida," just as he also reported it through another route from Abu Hurairah. The wording of the hadith is, "Whoever washes the deceased should perform ghusl, and whoever carries him should perform wudu." Its chain is hasan because of Suhayl bin Abu Salih, for he is "truthful." Tirmidhi also graded it hasan and said, "It has also been reported from Abu Hurairah as a stopped narration."I say, the people of knowledge differed considerably regarding the chain of this hadith, as Munziri stated. Imam Ahmad and Ali bin Madini said, "Nothing sound has been established in this matter." Muhammad bin Yahya said, "I do not know of any established hadith regarding 'whoever washes a deceased person should perform ghusl,' though if it were established, we would be bound to act upon it." Shafii said in al-Buwaiti, "If the hadith is proven sound, I would hold its obligation." This concludes Munziri's discussion.The summary of the matter regarding Abu Hurairah's hadith is that it does not fall below the level of hasan. Hafiz said in Talkhis (1/137), commenting on Rafii's statement, "The scholars of hadith have not graded anything in this matter as sound and elevated," I say, Tirmidhi graded it hasan, and Ibn Hibban graded it sahih, and it has another route.Abdullah bin Salih said, "Yahya bin Ayub related to us, from Aqeel, from Zuhri, from Saeed bin Musayab, from Abu Hurairah," raising it to the Prophet, "Whoever washes a deceased person should perform ghusl." Daraqutni mentioned it and said, "There is something questionable in it." I say, its narrators are considered reliable.Ibn Daqiq Eid said in al-Imam, "The gist of what is used to criticize it comes down to two aspects, one concerning the narrators, and no chain of it is free from someone who has been criticized." He then mentioned something to the effect that the best of them is the narration of Suhayl, from his father, from Abu Hurairah, but it is flawed, even though Ibn Hibban and Ibn Hazm graded it sahih, for Sufyan reported it from Suhayl, from his father, from Ishaq the freed slave of Zaida, from Abu Hurairah.I say, Ishaq the freed slave of Zaida is a narrator from whom Muslim reported, so the hadith ought to be graded sahih. He said, "As for the narration of Muhammad bin Amr, from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurairah, its chain is hasan, except that the reliable memorizers among Muhammad bin Amr's companions reported it from him as a stopped narration. In sum, given the abundance of its routes, the worst that can be said of it is that it is hasan. So Nawawi's objection to Tirmidhi's grading it hasan is itself open to objection."Dhahabi said in Mukhtasar Bayhaqi, "The routes of this hadith are stronger than several hadiths that jurists have relied upon as proof, without them being faulted for being stopped narrations, rather they gave precedence to the narration that raises it to the Prophet. And Allah knows best." This concludes Hafiz's discussion.I say, see Dhahabi's discussion in al-Muhazzab fi Ikhtisar Sunan Bayhaqi (1/301). Shawkani also quoted, in Nayl (1/356), some passages of Hafiz's and affirmed them.Hafiz bin Qayyim said, "These routes indicate that the hadith is preserved," in Tahzib Sunan.However, Abu Dawud said following his reporting of the hadith, "This is abrogated. I heard Ahmad bin Hanbal, when asked about ghusl for one who washes the deceased, say, 'Wudu suffices him.'" Ibn Shahin said similarly in al-Nasikh wal-Mansukh (38, 39), and said, "Its abrogating text is the hadith of Ibn Abbas that will come."See the jurisprudence of this matter in Minna Kubra (3/24–25). On this subject there are also narrations from Ayesha, Ali, Abu Saeed Khudri, Huzaifa bin Yaman, and Mughira bin Shuba, and in all of them there is some discussion, and even if it is established by the combination of supporting evidence, it is nevertheless abrogated, as will follow. See the source references for these hadiths in Badr Munir (2/524).