Tag: Q n A

Praise be to Allah.
This story has no
basis, and we could not find it after a lengthy search. 

And Allah knows
best.

Praise be to Allah.
Firstly: 

Every Muslim has to believe in all the hadeeths of the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) – if they are saheeh
(authentic) – and not reject any of them, because his hadeeths and his
Sunnah (teachings) are revelation (wahy) from Allah. Whoever rejects the
hadeeth of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
has rejected revelation from Allah. 

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“By the star when it goes down (or vanishes).

Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has
erred.

Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.

It is only a Revelation revealed.

He has been taught (this Quran) by one mighty in power
(Gabriel).

One free from any defect in body and mind then he (Gabriel in
his real shape as created by Allah) rose and became stable.” [53:1-6] 

Allah has commanded the people to obey His Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him). He has enjoined this in many verses of the
Quran, of which we will quote some. Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“Say (O Muhammad): “Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad).”
But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers.” [3:32] 

“He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed
Allah, but he who turns away, then we have not sent you (O Muhammad) as a
watcher over them.” [4:80] 

“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger
(Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you
differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger,
if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more
suitable for final determination.” [4:59] 

“And perform As‑Salah (Iqamat‑as-Salah), and give Zakah and
obey the Messenger (Muhammad) that you may receive mercy (from Allah).”
 [24:56] 

And there are many similar verses. 

The one who rejects the Sunnah is a kafir and an apostate. 

Al-Suyooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his essay
Miftah al-Jannah fi Ihtijaj bi’l-Sunnah: 

Note that whoever denies that the hadeeth of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), whether it describes his words
or deeds, so long as it meets the conditions outlined by the scholars, may
be quoted as evidence, is a kafir and has gone beyond the pale of Islam; he
will be gathered with the Jews and the Christians or whomever Allah wills
among the kafir sects [i.e., on the Day of Resurrection]. 

Those who want to restrict themselves to the Quran only are
called al-Quraniyyoon. This view of theirs is an old view which the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned against in more
than one hadeeth, as we shall see below. Among the soundest evidence that
this view is false is the fact that those who say this do not really follow
what they say. 

How do these people pray? How many times do they pray each
day and night? What are the conditions and details of zakah? What is the
nisab (threshold of wealth) for paying zakah? What is the amount that must
be paid? How do they do Hajj and ‘Umrah? How many times do they
circumambulate the Ka’bah? How many times do they go back and forth between
al-Safa and al-Marwah? 

There are many other issues for which the details are not
narrated in the Quran, rather they are mentioned in the Quran in general
terms, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
explained them in detail in his Sunnah. 

Would these people refrain from acting upon these rulings
because they are not narrated in the Quran? 

If their answer is yes, then they have passed judgement
against themselves that they are kafirs, because they have denied a basic
principle of Islam that no Muslim has any excuse for not knowing and on
which there is unanimous consensus among the Muslims.  

If they reply that they do not refrain from following these
rulings, then they have demonstrated that their view is false. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said – after quoting the verses
that enjoin following the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) –  

These texts enjoin following the Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) even if we do not find what he said
specifically referred to in the texts of the Quran. These verses also enjoin
following the Quran even if we do not find what is said in the Quran
specifically mentioned in the hadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him). 

So we must follow the Quran and we must follow the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Following the one implies
following the other, for the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) conveyed the Book, and the Book commands us to follow the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Book and the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) do not contradict one another at
all, just as the Book does not contradict itself. Allah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

“Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely, have
found therein many a contradiction.” [4:82] 

And there are many hadeeths from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) which state that it is obligatory to follow
the Quran and that it is obligatory to follow his Sunnah, for example, the
hadeeth in which he said: “I do not want to find any one of you reclining on
his pillow, and when he hears of something that I have commanded or
forbidden, he says, ‘Between us and you there stands this Quran, whatever we
find is permissible in it we will take as permissible, and whatever we find
is forbidden in it we will take as forbidden.’ For I have been given the
Book and something like it with it; it is like the Quran or more.” This
hadeeth is narrated in the books of Sunan and Musnad from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) with a number of isnads (chains of
narration) from Abu Tha’labah, Abu Rafi’, Abu Hurayrah and others. 

In Saheeh Muslim is it narrated from Jabir that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in his Farewell Sermon: “I
am leaving behind among you something which, if you adhere to it, you will
not go astray after that. It is the Book of Allah.” The version narrated by
al-Hakim says “The Book of Allah and my Sunnah.” (Classed as
saheeh/authentic by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jami’, 2937). 

In al-Saheeh it is narrated from ‘Abd-Allah ibn Abi Awfa that
it was said to him: Did the Messenger of Allah leave a will? He said, No. It
was said, How then is it prescribed for people to make wills when the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not make a will? He
said, He made a will in which he enjoined (adherence to) the Book of Allah. 

(Narrated by Muslim, 1634) 

The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah explains the Quran, as
it explains the number of prayers, how much should be recited in them, which
should be recited out loud and which quietly. It also explains the amounts
of zakah to be paid and the threshold at which zakah becomes due; the
rituals of Hajj and ‘Umrah; how many times one should circumambulate the
Ka’bah, go between al-Safa and al-Marwah and stone the Jamarat (pillars),
etc. 

When any Sunnah is proven to be saheeh, the Muslims are
agreed that it is obligatory to follow it. There may be something in the
Sunnah which a person thinks appears to go against the apparent meaning of
the Quran and add to it, such as the Sunnah which explains the threshold of
stealing at which the hadd (Islamic legal) punishment becomes due, and the
Sunnah which stipulates that the married adulterer is to be stoned. This
Sunnah must also be followed, according to the view of the
Sahabah/Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and those who followed
them in truth, and all the groups of Muslims. 

Adapted from Majmoo’ al-Fatawa, 19/84-86 

That which was brought by the Messenger (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) is true just as the Quran is true.

 Secondly: 

You should not forsake your family; rather you should treat
them kindly and strive to call them to follow and accept the Sunnah. 

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Invite (mankind, O Muhammad) to the way of your Lord (i.e.
Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Quran) and fair
preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord
knows best who has gone astray from His path, and He is the Best Aware of
those who are guided.” [16:125] 

“And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his
parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and
hardship, and his weaning is in two years; give thanks to Me and to your
parents. Unto Me is the final destination.

But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in
worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them
not; but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him
who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your
return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.” [31:14-15] 

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.What is meant by “the two Shaykhs” is al-Imam al-Bukhari and al-Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on them). 
Al-Bukhari is Muhammad ibn Isma’eel al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH). He wrote a book, Saheeh al-Bukhari, in which he compiled a number of saheeh ahadeeth (authentic prophetic traditions) from our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). 
Muslim is Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Nisaboori (d. 261 AH). He is the author of Saheeh Muslim. These two books – Saheeh al-Bukaari and Saheeh Muslim – are the soundest books of ahadeeth from our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). 
If it is said of a hadeeth (prophetic narration) that it was “narrated by the two Shaykhs”, what is meant is that it was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Saheehs. The same applies if it says “agreed upon,” i.e., al-Bukhari and Muslim both agreed on its narration. 
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the introduction to Sharh Muslim (1/14): The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) are agreed that the soundest of books after the Holy Quran are al-Saheehayn, i.e., the two Saheehs of al-Bukhari and Muslim, and the ummah (global Muslim community) accepted that from them. The book of al-Bukhari is the sounder and more useful of the two. End quote. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.This report was mentioned by al-Qurtubi in al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Quran (1/92) and Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer (exegesis) (1/18), narrated from Wakee’ from al-A’mash from Abu Wail from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him); it is the words of Ibn Mas’ood, not of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). 
This isnad (chain of narration) is saheeh (authentic) from Wakee’ to Ibn Mas’ood. 
Although al-A’mash is mudallis, what he narrated from those with whom he spent a great deal of time and narrated a great deal from them, such as Ibraheem al-Nakha’i and Abu Wail, may be accepted. 
Al-Dhahabi said in his biography of al-A’mash in Mizan al-I’tidal (2/224): 
He is mudallis (i.e., gives false impressions concerning the narration of the hadith, using ambiguous words to give the impression that he heard it directly from his Shaykh when that is not the case), and sometimes he narrates in this manner from a weak narrator without realising it. When he says haddathana [he told us], there is no problem with that, but when he says ‘an [narrating from], there is the possibility of tadlees except in the case of narration from the shuyookh from whom he narrated a great deal, such as Ibraheem, Abu Wail [in the printed version it says “Ibn Abi Wail” but this is an error; the word “Ibn” is a mistake] and Abu Salih al-Samman. His narration from these shaykhs is to be understood as meaning that he heard directly from them and there is no interruption in the chain. End quote.
But there remains the issue of the narrators who come after Wakee’. Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Katheer do not mention the isnad in its entirety, and perhaps it is because of this that al-‘Allamah Ahmad Shakir omitted it from his abridgement of Ibn Katheer’s Tafseer which is entitled ‘Umdat al-Tafseer, in the introduction to which (1/11) he stated that he omitted every weak or problematic hadith. 
But al-Suyooti attributed it in al-Durr al-Manthoor (1/26) to Wakee’, and Imam Wakee’ ibn al-Jarrah wrote a well-known Tafseer.  
See: al-Majma’ al-Muassis by al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (p. 113) 
If this is proven, then the isnad is saheeh, and the report from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) is saheeh. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.This hadeeth was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2151.
It was classed as saheeh (authentic) by al-Hakim, 1/699, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It was classed as hasan (good) by al-Hafiz ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari, 11/184.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  
It is essential that it be established in the mind and heart of every Muslim that the Sunnah – which is the words, deeds and approval that are attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) – is one of the two parts of divine Revelation that were revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The other part of the Revelation (Wahy) is the Holy Quran.  
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.
4. It is only a Revelation revealed”
[al-Najm 53:3-4]
It was narrated from al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Yakrib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:  
“Verily I have been given the Quran and something similar to it along with it. But soon there will be a time when a man will be reclining on his couch with a full stomach, and he will say, ‘You should adhere to this Quran: what you find that it says is permissible, take it as permissible, and what you find it says is forbidden, take it as forbidden.’ But indeed, whatever the Messenger of Allah forbids is like what Allah forbids.” 
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2664). He said: It is hasan ghareeb with this isnaad. It was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2870). 
This is what was understood by the righteous salaf (may Allah be pleased with them): 
Hassaan ibn ‘Atiyah said in al-Kifaayah by al-Khateeb (12): 
Jibreel used to bring the sunnah down to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as he used to bring the Quran down to him. End quote. 
Narrated by al-Daarimi in his Sunan (588) and by al-Khateeb in al-Kifaayah (12). It was attributed by al-Haafiz in al-Fath (13/291) to al-Bayhaqi, and he said: With a saheeh isnaad. 
The importance of the Sunnah is first of all that it explains the Book of Allah and is a commentary on it, then it adds some rulings to those in the Book of Allah. 
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad ) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Quran)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought”
[al-Nahl 16:44]. 
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said in Jaami’ Bayaan al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi (2/190): 
The commentary of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on the Quran is of two types: 
1 – Explaining things that are mentioned in general terms in the Holy Quran, such as the five daily prayers, their times, prostration, bowing and all other rulings. 
2 – Adding rulings to the rulings of the Quran, such as the prohibition on being married to a woman and to her paternal or maternal aunt at the same time. End quote. 
Secondly: 
As the Sunnah is the second of the two parts of Revelation, it is inevitable that Allah will protect it, so as to preserve the religion from distortion and additions or subtractions. 
Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Ihkaam (1/95): 
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)”
[al-Hijr 15:9] 
“Say (O Muhammad ): “I warn you only by the Revelation (from Allah and not by the opinion of the religious scholars and others). But the deaf (who follow the religious scholars and others blindly) will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned [i.e. one should follow only the Quran and the Sunnah (legal ways, orders, acts of worship, and the statements of Prophet Muhammad , as the Companions of the Prophet did)]”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:45]
Allah tells us that the words of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are all Wahy (revelation), and Wahy is undoubtedly Dhikr, and Dhikr is preserved according to the text of the Quran. Thus it is correct to say that his words (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are all preserved by Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and He has promised that none of them will be lost to us, because that which Allah preserves can certainly not be lost at all; it has all been transmitted to us and Allah has established proof and left us with no excuse. End quote.  
Thirdly: 
Once it is established that the Sunnah is part of the divine revelation, it is essential to note that there is only one difference between it and the Quran, which is that the Qur’aan is the word of Allah, may He be exalted, which was revealed verbatim to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), whereas the Sunnah may not be the words of Allah, rather it is only His Revelation, so it need not necessarily come to us verbatim, but the meaning of it comes to us. 
Once we understand this difference, we see that the point in transmission of the Sunnah is to convey the meanings, not the exact same words that were uttered by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Islam tells us that Allah only preserves the words of the Quran in full, and He preserves the general meanings of the Sunnah, and that which explains the Book of Allah, not the exact words and phrases. 
However, the scholars of this ummah throughout the early centuries strove to preserve the sharee’ah and the Sunnah. They have transmitted to us the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as he said them, and they distinguished between the reports that were right and wrong, true and false. 
What the questioner sees of multiple reports of a single hadeeth does not mean that there is any shortcoming in the preservation and transmission of the Sunnah. Rather the reports vary for numerous reasons, and once they are understood the answer will become clear. 
Fourthly: 
Reasons for multiple reports: 
1-Multiple incidents
Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Ihkaam (1/134): 
The existence of different versions does not represent a fault in the hadeeth if the meaning is the same, because it is proven that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) uttered a hadeeth he would repeat it three times, so each person would narrate it according to what he heard. This difference in the reports does not mean that the hadeeth is weak, if the meaning is the same. End quote. 
2-Reporting the meaning
This is the most common reason for there being multiple versions of a single hadeeth. What matters in transmission of a hadeeth is that the meaning be conveyed. As for the wording, it is not the matter of worship as is the case with the Quran. 
For example, the hadeeth “Actions are but by intentions” is also narrated as “Action is by intention” and “Actions are but by intention” and “actions are by intention.” The reason for these multiple versions is that the meaning was narrated. The source of the hadeeth is one, namely Yahya ibn Sa’eed from Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem from ‘Alqamah from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). It may be noted that the meaning that is understood from these sentences is the same, so what does it matter if there are multiple reports? 
In order to be more certain that the narrator had transmitted the correct meaning of the hadeeth, the scholars would not accept a report of similar meaning unless it came from a scholar of the Arabic language, then they would compare his report with that of another trustworthy narrator; then they would be able to spot the mistake in narration if there was any mistake. There are many such examples but this is not the place to discuss them in detail. 
3 – Narrator’s shortening of the hadeeth 
i.e., the narrator memorized the hadeeth in its entirety, but he quoted only part of it in one place, and narrated it in full elsewhere. 
For example: Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the story of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forgetting two rak’ahs of Zuhr prayer. The entire story was narrated from Abu Hurayrah, and it is one story. This indicates that the difference in reports is due to some narrators shortening it. See Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 714, 715, 1229. 
4 – Mistakes 
One of the narrators may have made a mistake, so he narrated the hadeeth in a way that it was not narrated by others. It is possible to spot the mistake by comparing the reports with one another. This is what was done by the scholars in the books of Sunnah and takhreej. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Jawaab al-Saheeh (3/39): 
But Allah has preserved for this ummah that which He revealed. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)”
[al-Hijr 15:9]
So there is no error in the interpretation of the Quran or in the transmission of hadeeth or interpretation thereof. Allah guaranteed that there would always be in this ummah those who would explain it and highlight evidence against the errors of those who err and the lies of those who lie. This ummah will not agree on misguidance, and there will remain among them a group who will adhere to the truth until the Hour begins. For they are the last of the nations and there is no Prophet after their Prophet and no Book after their Book. When the nations before them changed, Allah sent a Prophet to show them the way with commands and prohibitions, but there will be no Prophet after Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Allah has guaranteed to preserve the revelation that He has sent down. End quote. 
The Sunnah, as we explained at the beginning, is revelation (wahy) from Allah, which explains to the people that which was revealed to them in the Book of Allah, may He be exalted, and it teaches them the rulings that they need to practise their religion. Even if the details or the basic principles are mentioned in the Book of Allah, we say: in this sense the Sunnah is one of the attributes of Prophethood and one of the missions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The people still regard the Sunnah in this manner, whether it is mentioned in books or in oral reports which may differ in some wording or in different contexts. None of that gives cause to doubt its status or worry that it has not been preserved properly or to dispute its validity as evidence or to say that the people have no need of it, despite the many difference among people about theoretical and practical issues.  
The great scholar Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghani ‘Abd al-Khaaliq (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
We do not find in the books of al-Ghazaali or al-Aamidi or al-Bazdawi, or any of the scholars of usool who follow their method of writing, any suggestion or hint of any dispute with regard to this matter. They are the ones who examined all the books and madhhabs of the earlier scholars and studied the disputes, even the odd views, and they took great care to refute them. 
Then he quoted from the author and commentator of al-Musallam: The Quran, Sunnah, scholarly consensus and analogy are he valid foundations of Islam, as is discussed in the field of ‘ilm al-kalaam. But the scholars of usool focused on the validity of scholarly consensus and analogy, because there were too many foolish people who tried to undermine their validity, such as the khawaarij and Raafidis (may Allah humiliate t hem). As for the validity of the Quran and Sunnah, the ummah is unanimously agreed on that, which is why there was no need to discuss their validity. End quote. 
See: Hujjiyyat al-Sunnah (248-249). 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.What is required of the Muslim is to venerate the religion of Allah (may He be exalted) and its symbols.
Allah (may He be exalted) says (interpretation of the meaning):
“That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts”
[al-Hajj 22:32].
Part of that is venerating and respecting the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his Sunnah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever believes in the oneness of Allah’s divinity and the message of His slave and Messenger, then does not follow this belief with what it requires of respect and honour, which is something that resides in the heart and is reflected in one’s behaviour and attitude – rather after he claims to believe, he shows disrespect, disregard and scorn in word and deed – then his having this belief is the same as his not having it. That will lead to the corruption and invalidation of that belief, and it will lead to the loss of what it could contain of benefits and a positive impact on his character and behaviour, because belief purifies and rectifies the heart, so when it does not purify and rectify the heart, that is only because it has not taken root in the heart.
End quote from as-Saarim al-Maslool (3/700).
What appears to be the case is that explaining hadiths to the children, then printing them and asking the children to memorize them and colour them in, is not contrary to respecting the Prophet’s Sunnah. The aim is to have the children memorize this hadith and to make that easy for them with some permissible, fun activity that they like, namely colouring and drawing, and similar educational methods that help to achieve the noble aim that is prescribed.
Based on that, there does not seem to us to be anything wrong with the method mentioned in the question.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.The science of hadith is basically and in principle founded on rational guidelines, with a methodology based on an accumulation of experience attained by the hadith scholars on the basis of many years’ experience of narrating reports and checking their authenticity and soundness. They attained the basis of this knowledge through lengthy involvement in checking reports, seeking them out, conveying them, examining them and determining whether there were any faults in them, thus gradually developing the general guidelines and framework of the science of hadith. Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi said: Distinguishing the soundness of hadith is a kind of knowledge that Allah, may He be exalted, creates in people’s hearts after they have spent a great deal of time in this field and have attained lengthy involvement therein.
Al-Jaami‘ (2/255).
But at the same time, these general guidelines – in their general philosophy, but not in their minor details – are derived from some shar‘i principles that are mentioned in the texts of the Quran and Sunnah. There are general shar‘i texts that outline to the scholars of hadith the basic principles of the science of history and reports. As for the details, they were left to be developed through the accumulation of practice and experience, as referred to above.
Some of these general shar‘i principles are as follows:
1. The stern prohibition on lying about hadiths (narration from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Lying about me is not like lying about anyone else. Whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1295) and Muslim (4 – in the Introduction to his Saheeh).
2. Not accepting the report of an evildoer. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! If a Fasiq (liar — evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done” [al-Hujuraat 49:6].
3. Stipulation that the narrator should be of good character, by analogy with the requirement for a witness to be of good character. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And take as witness two just persons from among you (Muslims). And establish the testimony for Allah” [at-Talaaq 65:2].
4. Constant verification and checking. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those one will be questioned (by Allah)” [al-Isra’ 17:36].
5. Warning against odd and weird reports. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “At the end of time there will be liars and charlatans who will bring ahaadeeth that neither you nor your forefathers ever heard. Beware of them and stay away from them, and do not let them mislead you or confuse you.” Narrated by Muslim in the Introduction to his Saheeh (7).
6. Refraining from knowingly narrating a report that is a lie, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever narrates a hadith from me knowing that it is false is one of the liars.” Narrated by Muslim in the Introduction to his Saheeh.
7. Precise memorisation is the basis of trustworthiness. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah bless a man who hears a hadith from us and memorizes it so that he can convey it to others, for perhaps he is conveying it to one who will understand it better than him, and perhaps the one who conveys knowledge does not understand it himself.” Narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (3660).
8. Warning against putting oneself under suspicion by narrating a lot of weird reports and not being selective in what one narrates. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It is sufficient lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears.” Narrated by Muslim in the Introduction to his Saheeh.
9. Seeking evidence and proof. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), ‘Produce your proof if you are truthful’” [al-Baqarah 2:111].
10.Seeking certain knowledge, far removed from speculation and illusion. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “But they have no knowledge thereof. They follow but conjecture, and verily, conjecture is no substitute for the truth” [an-Najm 53:28].
Some of these texts were quoted as evidence by Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) in the Introduction to his Saheeh (p. 7), where he said:
You should know, may Allah guide you, that it is obligatory for everyone who can distinguish between sound and unsound reports, and between trustworthy and dubious narrators, not to narrate any report unless he is sure of the soundness and honesty of their narrators, and to avoid those which are narrated by dubious narrators and those who stubbornly follow bid ah (innovation).
The evidence for what we are saying and that it should not be any other way is the words of Allah, may He be blessed and exalted:
“O you who believe! If a Faasiq (liar — evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done”
[al-Hujuraat 49:6]
“such as you agree for witnesses”
[al-Baqarah 2:282]
“And take as witness two just persons from among you (Muslims)”
[al-Talaaq 65:2].
The verses that we have quoted prove that the report of a faasiq (liar or evil person) is to be rejected and not accepted, and that the testimony of one who is not just is to be rejected.
Even though a report is not the same as testimony in some ways, they are fundamentally the same because the report of a faasiq is not acceptable according to the scholars, just as his testimony is rejected by all of them. The Sunnah indicates that munkar reports are to be rejected just as the Quran indicates that the report of a faasiq is to be rejected. End quote.
Dr. Humaam Sa‘eed says:
Thus it becomes clear to us that the methodology of the hadith scholars is a Quranic methodology that is derived from the Quran and Sunnah, and that it is a critical methodology that deals with historical reports; in other words, it does not accept a reported text without examining it critically, and it is not sufficient for this text to be narrated from a scholar or a person of respectable standing in order for it to be accepted. Rather it is essential that the attribution of the report to the one who said it should be proven, and it should be examined thoroughly and carefully to make sure that it is in harmony with the proven principles and general guidelines.
This critical methodology that deals with historical reports was absent in the case of the Torah and Gospel, and it was absent in the case of all historical narratives before Islam. Then Islam came to give the world this sound methodology that is based on research, thorough examination and sound thinking. Charles Guinevere contrasted this methodology of critically examining historical events with the Christian methodology that is based on faith, which accepted reports from earlier generations without any discussion or critical examination.
Many researchers overlooked this methodological connection between the Holy Quran and the sciences of hadith, to the extent that many people thought that the methodology of the hadith scholars was the result of a kind of unsurpassed brilliance, and that it developed because of need alone. But the truth that cannot be doubted is that the methodology of the hadith scholars is a Quranic methodology, and it is one of the manifestations of the miraculous nature of this religion. Just as Allah protected His holy Book from any changes or alterations, He also preserved the Sunnah as a whole and protected it from vanishing and being forgotten. End quote from al-Fikr al-Manhaji ‘inda al-Muhadditheen (p. 24).
All of the above – as will be clear to the reader – represents general methodological principles that were established by the Holy Quran and instilled by our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the souls of his Companions, so as to set out for them a general framework for the theory of the knowledge that they were seeking to acquire, on which they would found knowledge that was based on reason and on religious texts. So these principles led to a very precise and thorough examination (of the reports) and a critical sense that was well balanced and guided. The reason for that was fear of going against these principles and divine commands. Were it not for that, the Muslims would have indulged in illusions and speculation, and we would have seen myths, fables and contradictions that would have been the common language in the knowledge produced by the Muslims. But the religious deterrent contained in the ten guidelines mentioned above played a major role in the methodology of checking and examining that the hadith scholars developed.
As for precise details about hadith science, which is “learning the rules and regulations on the basis of which scholars study the isnaad (chain of narrators) and matn (text of a hadith), and determine whether it is to be accepted or rejected” – such as their discussion about whether a narrator had a precise memory or not, whether the report is written in a precise manner, the methodology of dealing with reports narrated by those who engaged in tadlees [tadlees is when a narrator narrates a hadith that he did not hear directly from his shaykh, without mentioning the name of the third party from whom he heard it], giving precedence to a report that is narrated by one who is more authentic over one who is trustworthy, knowing how to classify the narrators from a particular shaykh, comparing between different reports and collecting hadith with similar texts but different isnaads, exercising deliberation when examining narrators, seeking corroborative reports, regarding a report as strong if there are many versions of it and many isnaads, and other guidelines and regulations that help scholars to determine whether a report is to be accepted or rejected – all of that, as you can see, is the product of detailed rational thinking that translates these general principles into practical methodological rules and regulations by means of which the hadith scholars came to a conclusion in judging whether a hadith was saheeh (sound) or da‘eef (weak).
Al-‘Allaamah al-Mu‘allimi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
But have they paid attention to reason when accepting a hadith and regarding it as sound?
I say: Yes, they did pay attention to that at four points: when they heard the hadith, when they narrated it, when they passed judgement on the narrators, and when they passed judgement on the hadiths.
When the well-versed scholars in this field heard a report that could not be sound, or was very unlikely to be sound, they did not write it down or memorise it, and if they did memorise it, they did not narrate it to others.
If there is any interest that could be served by mentioning it, they would mention it and follow that by criticism of the report and of the narrator who was at fault. Imam ash-Shaafa‘i said in ar-Risaalah (p. 399): What could be indicative of whether a narrator is telling the truth or lying is when a narrator narrates a report that cannot be true, or that is contrary to another report that is more authentic, or has more evidence to prove it sound.
Al-Khateeb said in al-Kifaayah fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaayah (p. 429): Chapter on the obligation to eliminate odd reports and those that cannot possibly be sound.
There are among narrators a group who are very lenient with regard to what they hear and narrate, but the imams (leading scholars) are lying in wait for the narrators, so you hardly find any hadith that is clearly false, but you will find in its isnaad one or two narrators, or a group of narrators, whom the imams criticised. The imams very often criticise a narrator and regard him as flawed for narrating one munkar (odd) hadith, let alone two or more.
They describe the report that cannot possibly be sound, or is unlikely to be sound, as munkar (odd) or baatil (false). We find this a great deal in the biographies of weak narrators, or in books that speak of flawed and fabricated reports.
The scholars who examined the hadiths would not regard a narrator as credible until they examine his hadiths and check them one by one.
With regard to examining the soundness of hadiths, the scholars are very careful and cautious. Yes indeed, not everyone from whom it was narrated that he regarded a hadith as sound and credible was necessarily a man of deep knowledge, but the one who has knowledge and experience can distinguish between one thing and another.
The leading scholars who examined the hadiths realised that among them are some hadiths that may be difficult for some scholars of kalaam and their ilk to accept, but they found them to be in accordance with reason that is credible according to the religious texts, and that they fulfilled all the other conditions of soundness. Moreover, they found in the Quran many verses that are in harmony with it or that speak of the same idea. This is also difficult for the scholars of kalaam to accept, but the hadith scholars know that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) believed in and followed the Quran, so it is very possible that he would say things that carry similar meanings to what is in the Quran.
End quote from al-Anwaar al-Kaashifah (p. 6-7).
Dr. Khaldoon al-Ahdab said:
The development of usool al-hadith was on a rational basis. Were that not the case, it could never have had this huge impact in shaping the Muslim mind.
This rational development of usool al-hadith began from the methodological and rational principle that is stated in the Holy Quran and Sunnah with regard to examining the narrator and what he narrated, on which the science of usool al-hadith is based.
The development of this branch of knowledge may be represented in the fact that the hadith scholars paid attention to reason when examining a hadith to see how sound it is, in four stages, as the great scholar and critic ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Mu‘allimi al-Yamaani said.
End quote from Athar ‘Ilm Usool al-Hadith fi Tashkeel al-‘Aql al-Muslim, (p. 19).
Dr. ‘Abdullah Dayfullah ar-Ruhayli said:
 The academic guidelines on verifying reports, according to us Muslims – as in the case of the methodology of the hadith scholars – is not based on belief in the unseen, such that this mystical approach could be one of the guidelines for ascertaining whether a report is sound or not; rather they are rational guidelines that take into account reason, proven historical facts, comparison of reports, or other guidelines that the hadith scholars developed regarding the evidence or proof of the soundness of a report.
These guidelines, as we have described them, are rational and based on common sense, such that all people – or almost all people – will be able to understand and accept them, regardless of their religion or affiliation. A report with an interrupted chain of narrators, for example, is something that all people of sound mind would doubt and would not accept it because of that. That is because there is no continuous chain of narrators going all the way back to the source of the report, and if that is not available, then how can it be imagined that the report is sound?
Human minds can differentiate between a report being certain on the one hand, and it being likely or a mere possibility on the other hand. Therefore there is no room for the question which says, on what academic methodology is the approach of the hadith scholars in verifying a report based? Is it a scientifically-based methodology, or is it a mystical, faith-based methodology? That is because belief in the unseen plays no role in examining and verifying the report, then accepting it or rejecting it. However, this aspect of the hadith scholars’ methodology has to do with verifying reports and is not based on personal opinion or belief in the unseen.
End quote from Hiwaar hawla Manhaj al-Muhadditheen fi Naqd ar-Riwaayaat Sanadan wa Matnan (p. 12-13).
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: 
The Prophet’s Sunnah is the second source of Islamic sharee‘ah. The revelation came down to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with the Sunnah as it came down to him with the Qur’an. The proof of that is the words of Allah, may He be exalted (interpretation of the meaning):
“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.
It is but a revelation revealed”
[an-Najm 53:3-4]. 
Allah, may He be exalted, has enjoined upon the believers complete submission to the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his hadith and rulings, to the extent that He, may He be glorified, swore by His divine self that whoever hears the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then rejects them and does not accept them, has nothing to do with faith at all. He, may He be glorified and exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):
“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission”
[an-Nisa’ 4:65]. 
Hence there was consensus among the scholars that whoever denies that the Sunnah constitutes shar‘i evidence in general terms, or rejects a hadith of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him – knowing that it is the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – is a disbeliever, who has not attained even the lowest level of Islam and submission to Allah and His Messenger. 
Imam Is-haaq ibn Raahawayh (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever hears a report from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he accepts as being sound, then rejects it, not by way of dissimulation (when he has no choice because of a threat), is a disbeliever. End quote 
As-Suyooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
You should understand, may Allah have mercy on you, that whoever denies that the hadith of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) constitutes shar‘i evidence – whether he denies a report that speaks of something that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said or did, if that hadith fulfils the conditions stipulated in usool al-hadith – has committed an act of disbelief that puts him beyond the bounds of Islam, and he will be gathered (on the Day of Resurrection) with the Jews and Christians, or with whomever Allah wills of the disbelieving groups. End quote. 
Miftaah al-Jannah fi’l-Ihtijaaj bi’s-Sunnah (p 14) 
Al-‘Allaamah Ibn al-Wazeer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Rejecting the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when one is aware that it is his hadith constitutes blatant disbelief. End quote. 
Al-‘Awaasim wa’l-Qawaasim (2/274) 
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah: 
The one who denies that we should follow the Sunnah is a disbeliever, because he is expressing disbelief in Allah and His Messenger, and rejecting the consensus of the Muslims. End quote. 
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (vol. 2, 3/194) 
See also the answers to questions no. 604, 13206 and 77243 
Secondly: 
As for the one who rejects a hadith and does not accept it, denying that it is the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he is not like those who come under the first category. We understand that many followers of the new “enlightenment” trend – who have taken it upon themselves to judge the Prophet’s Sunnah on the basis of their views and affiliation – in fact, have not come up with anything new. Rather they are a continuation of the innovators who came before them, whose specious arguments the scholars quoted and took it upon themselves to refute them. 
To these people and others like them we say: 
Academic methodology dictates that we should examine several important matters before rejecting a hadith or denying that it is the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). These conditions are as follows: 
The first condition: 
We should see whether there is a complete contradiction between what is mentioned in the hadith and what is mentioned in a Qur’anic text that is clear and unambiguous in meaning and not abrogated. We should emphasise here the condition of complete contradiction – and not just an apparent contradiction that may come to the mind of one who hastens to jump to conclusions when examining hadith. Perhaps those who are involved in denying the hadiths will agree with us on this condition, because most of the apparent contradictions that occur to many people are not contradictions in reality; rather they are mere speculation in the mind of the objector and it is possible, with deliberation and by examining the shades of meaning of different words, to answer the one who thinks that there is a contradiction, and demonstrate how the hadith is in harmony with the fundamentals and sublime aims of sharee‘ah. Whoever studies the book of al-‘Allaamah Ibn Qutaybah ad-Deenoori entitled Mukhtalif al-Hadith will realise how reckless many of them were in their denial of hadiths on the basis of the claim that they are not in accordance with the Qur’an, or that they contradict sound reasoning, but when Ibn Qutaybah mentions the correct explanation of these hadiths given by the scholars, it becomes clear that there is a sound interpretation for them that is in harmony with Islamic teachings, and that the notion that these hadiths contradict the Quran is based on corrupt understanding. 
We ask these people and their ilk, who have the audacity to reject the Sunnah and cast aspersions on the hadiths of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) without any academic methodology or acceptable critical guidelines, and without properly understanding the fundamentals of hadith science that they are talking about, the following: 
Do you think that it is possible for a hadith to completely contradict the Holy Qur’an to the extent that the examiner may think that this hadith is not the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), at the time when we see all the scholars of Islam, from the time of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) up until the present day, in agreement on accepting this hadith and commenting on it, interpreting it, quoting it as evidence and acting upon it? 
Doesn’t rational thinking – on which they claim to base their argument – dictate that they should respect the consensus of specialists on the matter that is at the heart of their specialty? 
Can anyone have the audacity to say that physicists, chemists, mathematicians, educationalists or economists, for example, have made a mistake if they agree on a matter – especially when the one who is objecting to them is not one of the specialists in that field; rather all that can be said is that he has read some articles about it or a few books along the lines of Science For Dummies or The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Science [i.e., books that offer a basic introduction to a field]? 
The second condition: 
There should be a weakness in one of the links of the isnaad that could have led to the mistake mentioned in the text. 
Similarly, we think that this condition is in harmony with sound methodology and is a valid condition. No one should disagree on this point who understands anything about the principles of academic criticism. Denying that a text is the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) should mean that there is a weak link in the chain of narration that led us to mistakenly believe that this hadith is the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), when in fact it is not. 
Imam ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) – who is prominent in terms of knowledge and faith, and was the first one to write on the topic of usool al-fiqh – said: 
If a hadith is narrated by trustworthy narrators from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then that is sufficient to regard it as a sound hadith. 
Ikhtilaaf al-Hadith, in al-Umm (10/107). 
And he said: 
There is no other way to determine whether a hadith is sound or otherwise except by knowing how honest and trustworthy the narrators are, with the exception of very few hadiths. 
Ar-Risaalah (para. 1099) 
And he also said: 
Muslims of good character are those who are good and sound in and of themselves… As for what they say and do, it is to be regarded as sound and acceptable, unless we find something in their actions that indicate otherwise. So we should be cautious with them in cases where their actions differ from what is expected of them. 
Ar-Risaalah (para. 1029-1030); see also al-Umm (8/518-51 9) 
After narrating some of the academic principles concerning this matter, which is something that he discussed a great deal in his various books, Imam ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) says that what he stated – some of which we have quoted here – is not the view of only a few scholars, or his own personal view; rather these are the principles on which there was consensus among the scholars who came before him. He says: 
At the beginning of this book of mine, I quoted, in support of what I discuss of principles and guidelines, from a number of earlier scholars who had knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah, different scholarly opinions, analogy and rational thinking, and none of them differed with another. They said: This is the view of the scholars among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, the Taabi‘een, and the generation who followed them, and it is our view. Whoever diverges from this path is, in our view, diverging from the path of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the path of the scholars who came after them, until the present day, and he is one of the people of ignorance. And all of them said: we cannot see anything but the consensus of the scholars in all regions, unanimously agreeing to regard as ignorant the one who departs from this path. And they – or most of them – went even further and expressed more stringent views with regard to the one who departs from this path, but there is no need to quote them here. 
Ikhtilaaf al-Hadith, al-Umm (10/21). See also: ar-Risaalah (para. 1236-1249). 
The first thing that the one who rejected a hadith that is attributed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) must do is research and find out the identity of the narrator who was mistaken in his transmission of this hadith. If the one who denies the hadith cannot find an acceptable reason in the isnaad for rejecting the hadith, then this indicates that he is mistaken in his methodology. It also indicates that it is essential to have another look and try to understand the hadith and the Qur’an and the aims and goals of sharee‘ah. 
So how about if the hadith was narrated with the soundest isnaads on the face of the earth? How about if the hadith was narrated via many chains of transmission – as is the case with most of the hadiths that are rejected by the proponents of “enlightenment” – and from a number of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them)?  
The third condition: 
One should express his reservations about a hadith as a personal view based on his own reasoning, which may be right or wrong, and he should avoid stating his view as certainty, as if it is the correct view. He should also avoid making accusations against others who differ with him or casting aspersions on the intelligence of Muslim scholars. This applies in cases where there is a valid reason to hold such a view, and provided that one is qualified to speak about such matters and is proficient in the skills needed to understand and research them. A hadith may appear to be da‘eef (weak) to one scholar for a particular reason, but he should not speak in accusatory tones of those who accepted the hadith. 
Whoever does not comply with these three conditions and persists in denying and rejecting the hadiths is exposing himself to grave danger, because it is not permissible for a Muslim to reach a conclusion that is not based on proper methodology and without following any guidelines, and criticise other scholars (who disagree with him), otherwise he may fall into sin and error. 
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Whoever rejects the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is on the brink of doom. End quote. 
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Barbahaari said: 
If you hear a man casting aspersions upon a hadith or denying a hadith, or giving precedence to something else over a hadith, then suspect his commitment to Islam, for he is undoubtedly following whims and desires and innovation. 
If you hear a man, when you quote a hadith, showing no interest in it on the basis that he only wants to hear quotations from the Qur’an, you should not doubt that he is a man who is following the path of the heretics, so get up and leave him, and bid him farewell. End quote.
Sharh as-Sunnah (113-119)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whatever the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) narrates from his Lord, it is obligatory to believe in it, whether we understand its meaning or not, because he is the most truthful one [namely the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)]. Whatever it says in the Qur’an and Sunnah, every believer must believe in it, even if he does not understand its meaning. End quote.
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (3/41)
See also the answers to questions no. 245, 9067 and 20153
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
This hadith was narrated by at-Tabaraani
in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (17/117) via ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Shurayk who
said: My father told me, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Eesa, from Zayd ibn ‘Ali, from
‘Utbah ibn Ghazwaan, from the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) who said: “If one of you loses something, or one of you wants
help, and he is in a land in which there are no people, then let him say, ‘O
slaves of Allah, help me; O slaves of Allah, help me,’ for Allah has slaves
whom we do not see.” 

There are three problems with this hadeeth
which mean that it must be da‘eef. They are: 

1.‘Abd ar-Rahmaan
ibn Shurayk ibn ‘Abdullah an-Nakha‘i al-Kufi

Abu Haatim said: He is weak in narration
of hadeeth.

End quote from al-Jarh wa at-Ta‘deel
(5/244) 

Ibn Hibbaan mentioned him in
ath-Thiqaat (8/375) and said: He sometimes makes mistakes. 

Al-Haafiz said in at-Taqreeb (p.
342): He is sadooq (honest) but makes mistakes. 

See also: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb
(6/176). 

2.Shurayk ibn
‘Abdullah an-Nakha‘i

The scholars highlighted his poor memory
and lack of precision. Al-Haafiz said concerning him: He is sadooq (honest)
but makes many mistakes; his memory changed after he was appointed as a
judge in Kufah.

End quote from Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb
(p. 266) 

3.Zayd ibn ‘Ali ibn
al-Husayn did not meet ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwaan or hear from him. Between the
death of ‘Utbah and the birth of Zayd there were approximately sixty years.

See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (2/249,
4/64) 

Hence al-Haythami said concerning the
hadeeth: It was narrated by at-Tabaraani and its men were regarded as
trustworthy even though some of them were somewhat da‘eef (weak). But Zayd
ibn ‘Ali did not meet ‘Utbah.

End quote from Majma‘ az-Zawaa’id
(10/93) 

There is corroborating evidence for this
hadeeth in the marfoo‘ hadeeth of Ibn Mas‘ood: “If the mount of one of you
disappears in the wilderness, let him call out: ‘O slaves of Allah, bring it
back to me,’ for Allah has (angels) present on earth who will bring it back
to you.” 

This was narrated by at-Tabaraani in
al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (10/217); Abu Ya‘la in his Musnad (9/177). It
is also da‘eef; it was classed as such by al-Haythami in Majma‘
az-Zawaa’id (10/132), al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in Sharh al-Adhkaar
(5/150); al-Haafiz as-Sakhkhaawi in al-Ibtihaaj bi Adhkaar al-Musaafir
wa’l-Haaj (p. 39). 

Shaykh al-Albaani discussed this hadeeth
in detail in as-Silsilah ad-Da‘eefah, where he (may Allah have mercy
on him) said: 

In addition to the fact that this hadeeth
is da‘eef (weak), there is nothing in the text to suggest that it is
permissible to seek the help of the dead, such as the awliya’ (“saints”;
close friends of Allah) and the righteous, because it clearly indicates that
what is meant by the slaves of Allah here is some creation other than human
beings. 

This is based on the fact that in the
first hadeeth he says: “for Allah has (angels) present on earth who will
bring it back to you,” and in this hadeeth he says: “Allah has slaves whom
we do not see.” 

This description can only apply to the
angels or the jinn, because they are the ones who we do not usually see. …
So it is not permissible to include with them Muslims among the jinn or
humans whom they call “men of the unseen,” such as the awliya’ and the
righteous, whether they are alive or dead. Seeking help from them and
seeking their aid is blatant shirk, because they cannot hear the
supplication, and even if they could hear it, they would not be able to
respond and fulfil the request. 

This is clearly stated in many verses,
including the passage in which Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“And those, whom you invoke or call
upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date
stone).

If you invoke (or call upon) them, they
hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant
it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown
your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad SAW) like Him Who
is the All-Knower (of each and everything)”

[Faatir 35:13-14]. 

End quote from Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth
ad-Da‘eefah wa’l-Mawdoo‘ah (656). 

And Allah knows best.