Usage of Fabricated Ahadeeth/Athar for Exhortations

[Q]: “Isn’t a mawdhoo’ (fabricated) narration under the category of dha’eef (weak), thus shouldn’t the same leniency be applied?  And aren’t the scholars more lenient in dealing with reports that are not marfoo’, ie. not narrations of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam)?

 

[A]: Yes, mawdhoo’ (fabrication) is a category of dha’eef, however the mawdhoo’ and dha’eef jiddan (severely weak) narration are not intended when some of the ‘ulamaa’ speak about the permissibility of using weak reports for exhortations.  It is haraam to mention the mawdhoo’ narration except to warn against it and inform the people that it is mawdhoo’, as the scholars of hadeeth have mentioned [Tadreeb ar-Raawee, 1/323; al-Baa’ith al-Hatheeth, 1/238].  As for using mawdhoo’ narrations for targheeb and tarheeb (exhortations), then this is not permissible by way ijmaa’ (consensus) of the Muslims.  [Tadreeb ar-Raawee, 1/325]

 

And as for the scholars being more lenient in accepting reports from other than the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), like stories of the Companions and early imaams, then, yes, they are more lenient, however this is not without limits.  They would not use reports from narrators known to be liars!  As mentioned, “And as for what has become known as fabricated falsehood,” meaning from the ahaadeeth and reports from the Salaf, “Then it is not permissible to glance at it, for verily the lie does not have any benefit.”

 

This needs more elaboration.  The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said, as found in the two Saheehs:

“Verily the lie forged against me is not like a lie forged against someone else.  Whoever lies on me intentionally, then let him take his place in the Fire.”

From the hadeeth are the following benefits:

[1] Affirmation of a difference between lying on him and lying on someone else.
[2] Affirmation that lying on him carries a severe threat of Hellfire.
[3] Affirmation that lying on someone else is still considered “lying”.

Al-Haafith ibn Hajr said, “And it is not implied that affirming the mentioned threat for lying on him (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) makes lying on other than him permissible.  Rather, other evidence is used to prove the prohibition of lying on other than him.” [Fat-hul-Baaree, 3/200]

The prohibition of lying is clear from the texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah.  Allaah has commanded us to be with those who are truthful, and His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) has informed us that one of the attributes of the hypocrite is lying.  Thus it is haraam and a major sin, since it is described as a sign of a hypocrite.

Here are some further indications of the correctness of what has been mentioned from the words of Ibn Taymiyyah himself:

1 – Shaykh al-Islaam said, “…The one who finds fault with some of the people of Hadeeth and the people of the Jamaa’ah, that they speak with excessive, loaded words, they are either finding fault with them based on insufficient knowledge or insufficient understanding.  As for the first one (insufficiant knowledge), then it is that they use as proofs dha’eef or mawdhoo’ narrations, or aathaar (reports from other than the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), that are not fit to be used as proofs. As for the second one (insufficient understanding), then it is that they do not understand the authentic narrations…” [al-Fataawee, 4/23]

Two important benefits that we get from this quote are:

[1] Shaykh al-Islaam makes a difference between dha’eef and mawdhoo’.
[2] Shaykh al-Islaam affirms that there are aathaar that can not be used as proofs.

2 – Shaykh al-Islaam said, “…No doubt that this is found with some of them, they use as proofs fabricated narrations in subsidiary and foundational matters, as well as invented aathaar (reports from other than the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), and stories that are not authentic…” [al-Fataawee, 18/52] [1] Shaykh al-Islaam makes a difference between fabricated ahaadeeth and fabricated reports and stories from other than the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallalm).
[2] Shaykh al-Islaam finds fault with both, later referring to them as “evil.”

 

3 – Shaykh al-Islaam said, “As for ‘Az-Zuhd’ of Imaam Ahmad and its likes, then there are no fabricated narrations (of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) or stories (of other than him) in it, like what is in these (books of Aboo Nu’aym, Ibn al-Jawzee, and others), for verily he (Imaam Ahmad) did not mention in his books (anything) from anyone who was known to fabricate.  Rather, in them there are some that are dha’eef due to the poor memory of their narrators, just as these (fabricated reports) are not in the Musnad.  And similarly there are no mawdhoo’ reports that were intentionally fabricated amongst the marfoo’ narrations (of the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) in them (Imaam Ahmad’s books).  However, in them are things known to be mistakes, errors made by their narrators.  The likes of these are found in most of the books of Islaam, as no book is without errors except the Qur’aan.” [al-Fataawee, 18/72]

 

[1] Shaykh al-Islaam affirmed a difference between fabricated narrations ascribed to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), and those ascribed to others.
[2] Shaykh al-Islaam clarifies that Imaam Ahmad did not use reports from anyone known to be a fabricator in any of his books, rather the weak narrations he included were only dha’eef and not mawdhoo’.

 

4 – Shaykh al-Islaam said, “…And some of it is sheer falsehood (baatil qat’an), like what is mentioned in ‘Haqaa’iq at-Tafseer’, a large amount (of reports) from Ja’far as-Saadiq and others that are from among the fabricated reports (al-aathaar al-mawdhoo’ah)…” [al-Fa
taawee, 11/42]

 

[1] Shaykh al-Islaam affirms the description ‘mawdhoo’ for narrations of other than the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam).
[2] Shaykh al-Islaam refers to fabrications that were attributed to Ja’far as-Saadiq, warning against them.
[3] Shaykh al-Islaam calls these fabrications ‘sheer falsehood’.[2]

 

5 – Shaykh al-Islaam said, “…And a party of those who claim (to be upon) the Sunnah and the Hadeeth use as proofs mawdhoo’ ahaadeeth (of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) and invented stories (of those other than him), knowing that they are lies…” [al-Fataawee, 11/339]

 

6 – Shaykh al-Islaam warns against a fabricated story about the severed head of al-Husayn being brought to Yazeed, and other related stories, referring to the one who narrates them as having “no intellect by which to make any distinction between things he says,” and “no understanding of what is being narrated.” [al-Fataawee, 27/479-483]

 

And Allaah knows best.

Originally from: http://salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=9&Topic=3901&sortby=desc