Azami 419

Abu Naeem narrated it in Hilya (6/124), and Bayhaqi in Asma wa Sifat (907), both from the hadith of Naeem bin Hammad, who said, Uthman bin Kathir bin Dinar narrated to us, from Muhammad bin Muhajir, from Urwa bin Ruwaym, from Abdul-Rahman bin Ghanm, from Ubada bin Samit, who mentioned it.Its chain of transmission is hasan, on account of the discussion surrounding Naeem bin Hammad, since there is disagreement about him. Ibn Adi traced, in Kamil (7/2482–2485), what has been criticized in Naeem bin Hammad, but he did not mention this hadith among them, and he said, "Most of what has been criticized about him is what I have mentioned, and I hope that the rest of his hadith is sound." The remaining narrators in the chain are between trustworthy and reliable. Sheikh Islam Ibn Taymiya also graded it hasan in Aqidah Wasitiyyah.As for Haythami's statement in Majma (1/6), "Tabarani narrated it in Awsat and Kabir, and said, 'Uthman bin Kathir alone transmitted it,'" and Haythami said, "I have not seen anyone describe him as trustworthy or criticize him."I say, Uthman bin Kathir, that is, Ibn Dinar, may perhaps be Uthman bin Saeed bin Dinar Qurashi Himsi, who is trustworthy and one of the narrators found in the Sunan works. However, Mizzi, and Hafiz after him, did not mention him among the teachers of Naeem bin Hammad, but they did mention, among the teachers of Uthman bin Saeed bin Dinar, Muhammad bin Muhajir Ansari. So if this is indeed Uthman bin Saeed bin Dinar, then he is trustworthy, otherwise I do not know of any narrator named Uthman bin Kathir bin Dinar, and for this reason some scholars have declared him daif. Allah Most High knows best.As for the hadith, I have graded it hasan, because Naeem bin Hammad brought nothing in it that could be criticized, and Ibn Adi did not mention it, as noted above. Moreover, it is supported by what has come in the Book and the Sunnah.As for the "being with" in His saying, "and He is with you wherever you are" [Hadid 57:4], it means that He encompasses you in knowledge, power, management, and authority, while being above His Throne, above His creation.Madan the worshipper said, I asked Sufyan Thawri about His saying, "and He is with you", and he said, "His knowledge."Dahhak said, regarding His saying, "There is no secret conversation..." [Mujadilah 58:7], "He, Allah , is above the Throne, and His knowledge is with them." See Asma wa Sifat (2/341–342).Sheikh Islam Ibn Taymiya, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "The word 'with,' in the language, when used without restriction, apparently means nothing but absolute accompaniment, without necessarily implying physical contact or being alongside on the right or left. When it is qualified by a particular meaning, it indicates accompaniment in that meaning. For example, it is said, 'We continued traveling, with the moon accompanying us,' or 'with the star accompanying us.' And it is said, 'This item is with me,' meaning it is joined together with you, even though it may be above your head. So Allah is with His creation in reality, and He is above His Throne in reality.Then this 'being with' differs in its rulings according to context. So when He said, "He knows what enters the earth and what comes out of it" up to His saying, "and He is with you wherever you are" [Hadid 57:4], the apparent meaning of the address indicates that the ruling and implication of this 'being with' is that He is watching over you, witnessing over you, overseeing you, and knowing all about you. This is the meaning of the saying of the early generations, that He is with them through His knowledge, and this is the apparent meaning of the address and its true reality.Likewise in His saying, "There is no secret conversation among three but that He is the fourth of them" up to His saying, "He is with them wherever they are" [Mujadilah 58:7].And when the Prophet ﷺ said to his companion in the cave, "Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us" [Tawbah 9:40], this too was true according to its apparent meaning, and the circumstances indicated that the ruling of this 'being with' here is the 'being with' of awareness, support, and assistance.Likewise His saying, "Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who do good" [Nahl 16:128], and likewise His saying to Musa and Harun, "He said, 'Do not fear, indeed I am with you both, I hear and I see'" [Taha 20:46].Here, the 'being with' is according to its apparent meaning, and its ruling in these instances is support and assistance." End of quote. See Majmu Fatawa (5/103–104).