Azami 8539

Imam Ahmad narrated it (16757), and Tabarani in Al-Kabir (2/142-143), and Ibn Khuzayma declared it sahih (3057), and Hakim (1/464), all of them through the route of Muhammad bin Ishaq, who said, Abdullah bin Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm Ansari narrated to me, from Uthman bin Abu Sulayman bin Jubayr bin Mutim, from his uncle, Nafi bin Jubayr bin Mutim, from his father Jubayr, and he related it.Its chain of transmission is hasan because of Muhammad bin Ishaq. Hakim said, "Sahih according to the criterion of Muslim."The hadith appears in the printed copy of Ibn Ishaq's Sirah through the narration of Ahmad bin Abdul-Jabbar Attaridi, from Yunus bin Bukayr, from Muhammad bin Ishaq, with an addition, "and he was upon the religion of his people." This addition is objectionable and was not mentioned by any of Ibn Ishaq's associates except Yunus bin Bukayr. Even regarding him there is disagreement, for no one mentioned it except Ahmad bin Abdul-Jabbar, while Abu Kurayb, narrating from Yunus bin Bukayr, did not mention it. So we should not busy ourselves interpreting it, rather it must be rejected.Ahmad bin Abdul-Jabbar Attaridi is daif, but his hearing of the Sirah is sahih, so perhaps this is one of the things he erred in, since a trustworthy narrator, namely Abu Kurayb, contradicted him.Hanbal bin Ishaq said, "I said to Abu Abdullah, 'What about someone who claims that the Prophet ﷺ was upon the religion of his people before he was sent as a prophet?' He said, 'This is a bad statement. The one who holds this view should be warned against his speech, and should not be sat with.' I said to him, 'Our neighbor, the critic Abu Abbas, says this.' He said, 'May Allah destroy him. What would be left of the matter if he claims that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was upon the religion of his people, when they used to worship idols.'" End of quote. See Al-Sunnah by Khallal (213).