Sunday, January 6, 2013

Abdullah bin Abi Dawood, Abu Bakr as-Sijistaani



Imaam Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood as-Sijistaani (rahimahullah)

In this short and succinct article, we will present beneficial information about the life and Jarh wa Ta’deel about Imaam Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood as-Sijistaani (rahimahullah):

His Name and Lineage: Haafidh Abu Bakr Abdullah bin Abi Dawood: Sulemaan bin al-Asha’th bin Ishaaq bin Bushayr bin Amr bin Imraan as-Sijistaani  Al-Azdi.

Birth: 230 H, at Sijistaan.

His Teachers (Shuyookh): Muhammad bin Aslam at-Tausi, Muhammad bin Bashaar: Bandaar, Muhammad bin al-Muthana, Muhammad bin Yahay az-Zahli, Ahmed bin al-Azhar al-Nisaburi. Ahmed bin Saalih al-Misri, Abu Taahir Amr bin al-Surah, Nasr bin Ali al-Jahdami, Rabee’ bin Sulemaan, Ya’qoob bin Sufyaan al-Faarsi, Ishaaq bin Mansoor Al-Kosaj, and Amr bin Ali al-Falaas etc. rahimahumullah.

Students: Abu Muhammad Abdur Rahmaan bin Abi Haatim ar-Raazi, Abu Hafs Ibn Shaaheen, Abul Hassan ad-Daraqutni, Abu Bakr Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Ishaaq bin as-Sunni, Abu Ahmed al-Haakim, Muhammad bin Abdur Rahmaan Al-Mukhlas, and Da’laj  bin Ahmed etc. rahimahumullah.

Criticizers and Criticism: There is a difference of opinion among the Muhadditheen regarding the tawtheeq and tad’eef of Abu Bakr. Firstly, the criticism and Jarh is as follows:

1.     Yahya bin Muhammad bin Saa’ad said: “For us, what his father said about him, is sufficient” [Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee: 4/1577]

We say that there was a severe animosity between Ibn Abi Dawood, and Ibn Saa’ad. In fact Ibn Abi Dawood said about Imaam Ibn Saa’ad that: “He used to lie upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)” [Taareekh Dimashq: 31/58, Chain Saheeh]

The Jarh of enemies and adversaries is especially rejected when there is a strong tawtheeq on the contrary. Therefore, the Jarh of both of them is rejected upon each other.

Secondly, Ibn Saa’ad did not tell what the father of Ibn Abi Dawood said about him?

2.     Imaam Abu Dawood As-Sijistaani said: “And It is from the trial that (my son) Abdullah wishes to become a Judge (Qaadhi).” [Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee: 4/1578]

This is no Jarh. Imaam Abu Dawood is only expressing his dislike from the position of Judge.


  • Imaam Ibn Adee narrated from Ali bin Abdullah ad-Daahri (?), he narrated from Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Eesa Kurkur or Kurkurah (?), he narrated from Ali bin al-Hussain bin Junaid, he said: I heard Abu Dawood As-Sijistaani saying that: “This, my son Abdullah, is a Kadhaab (Liar).” [Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee: 4/1577, Taareekh Dimashq: 31/95]


This narration is rejected due to two reasons:

o   The tawtheeq of Ali bin Abdullah Ad-Daahri is unknown.
o   The tawtheeq of Kurkurah is unknown.

Imaam Abdur Rahmaan bin Yahya Al-Mu’allamai (rahimahullah) said: “Besides this place, I did not find the mention of Daahri and Kurkurah anywhere…… and we do not consider this chain to be proven.” [Al-Tankeel:  1/298 T. 123]

Dhahabi has also pointed towards its weakness by saying “Inna as-Sahha (If it is authentic)” [See: Tadhkirat ul-Huffaadh: 2/772 T. 768]

Thus he said: “And it is possible that the chain of the saying of Abu Dawood might not be Saheeh” [Taareekh al-Islaam: 23/518]

So it is proven that spreading the propaganda that the father of Imaam Ibn Abi Dawood, Imaam Abu Dawood declared him a Liar, is False and rejected.


  • Imaam Ibn Adee has narrated from Moosa bin Al-Qaasim bin Moosa bin al-Hassan bin Moosa Al-Ashayb (Thiqah), he narrated from Abu Bakr, he said: I heard Ibraaheem al-Asbahaani saying that: “Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood is a Liar.” [Al-Kaamil: 4/1577, Taareekh Dimashq: 31/59, and it contains Ibn Bakr]


The narrator of this narration, Abu Bakr or Ibn Bakr is unknown. Therefore this Jarh is also not proven. The saying of Imaam Ibn Adee, based on these two unproven criticisms that: “And his father and Ibraaheem Asbahani have criticized him” [Al-Kaamil: 4/1578] also holds no status, because narrating an unproven saying as a Jazam is wrong.

Allaamah Mu’allami has also shown his doubt regarding this Jarh. [See: Al-Tankeel: 1/300]

3.     Imaam Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdul Azeez al-Baghwi (Thiqah), wrote in an answer to a letter of Ibn Abi Dawood that: “By Allah, you are short of knowledge according to me” [Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee: 4/1578]


  • Ali bin Abdullah Ad-Daahri said that I asked Ibn Abi Dawood about the hadeeth of at-Tair (Bird) in ray, so he said: “If the hadeeth of bird is Saheeh then the Prophethood of the Prophet (peace be upon him) becomes baatil (invalid)….” [Al-Kaamil: 4/1578]


The narrator of this saying, Ad-Daahri is Majhool, therefore this saying is invalid and Mardood.

Hadeeth at-Tair is when the meat of a bird was brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him), so he said: O Allah, send a man to me who is the most beloved to you among the creation, who will eat this meat with me. Then Ali (radiallah anhu) came and he ate the meat from it.
[Sunan Tirmidhi: 3721, and said: “Ghareeb”, Taareekh Dimashq by Ibn Asaakir: 45/192 from the rout of Daraqutni, chain Hasan]

In some Nuskha of Musnad Abu Ya’la, it has a Hasan Shaahid too. [See: Bidayah wal Nihayah:  7/363]

In some chains of this narration, it says that Anas (radiallah anhu) said to Ali (radiallah anhu) that The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is busy. [Al-Mustadrak: 3/130-131, H. 4650, and Haakim said: This Hadeeth is Saheeh on the conditions of Shaikhayn!]

Its narrator Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Iyyaadh bin Abi Taybah is Majhool, and only the tasheeh of Haakim is not enough here.


  • Muhammad bin Dahhaak bin Amr bin Abi Aasim Al-Nabeel narrated from Muhammad bin Yahya bin Mandah, he narrated from Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood: Zuhri narrated from Urwah that: “The Nails of Ali (radiallah anhu) scratched, because he used to visit the Prophet’s wives very often.” [Al-Kaamil: 4/1574]


In this narration, the narrator Muhammad bin Dahhaak is mentioned in Taareekh Baghdaad [5/376 T. 2901], but his tawtheeq is unknown.

Even if this narration was proven that it is not a Jarh on Ibn Abi Dawood, rather it is weak and rejected because the chain between Ibn Abi Dawood and Zuhri is unknown.


  • Qaadhi Ahmed bin Umar bin Ali said: I heard Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Ayyub al-Qattaan saying that, I was with Muhammad bin Jareer at-Tabari when a man said to him: “Ibn Abi Dawood is reading the virtues of Ali bin Abi Taalib (radiallah anhu) to the people, so Ibn Jareer said: ‘The Takbeer of a Watchman’.” [Taareekh Baghdaad: 9/467 T. 5095]


The first narrator of this narration, Ahmed bin Umar bin Ali is mentioned in Taareekh Baghdaad [4/259 T. 2061], but his tawtheeq is unknown. Furthermore, see: Taareekh al-Islaam by Adh-Dhahabi [29/250].

The second narrator is Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Ayyub, about whom Imaam Ashari said: “His Samaa from Abu Ja’far At-Tabari was Saheeh, but he was a Raafidi of a filthy Madhab.”

Qaadhi Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Umar ad-Dawoodi said: He is Saheeh ul-Sama, Thiqah. After him they attributed him to tafdeel Ali and refused from him Raafdiyat. [Taareekh Baghdaad: 5/465 T. 3007]

Dhahabi said: “He is Raafidi Wrongdoer” [Mizaan ul-I’tidaal: 3/606, Al-Mughni fi Ad-Du’afa: 2/332 T. 5720]

So we come to know that this saying is not proven due to Ahmed bin Umar bin Ali being Majhool ul-Haal, Secondly, “Takbeer of a Watchman” is not a Jarh. See: Al-Tankeel: (1/299)


  • Ibn Adee said: In the beginning he was attributed to some belief of Naasbiyat, and Ibn Faraat got him out from Baghdaad to Waasit, And Ali bin Eesa called him back, where he described the virtues of Ali (radiallah anhu) and became a Hanbali. [Al-Kaamil: 4/1578]


We say, that there is nothing known about the one who attributed this to him, therefore this is a Jarh of a Majhool, and is Mardood.

Note: What is meant by being a Hanbali here, is to be upon his Aqeedah, not his Muqallid. And it is coming ahead that Imaam Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood was from the Madhab of Ahl al-Hadeeth.

Mawthaqeen and Tawtheeq:

Now, we will present the proven tawtheeq regarding him with reference:

1.     Haafidh Ibn Adee said: “And he is Maqbool according to the People of Hadeeth.” [Al-Kaamil: 4/1578]

2.     Haafidh Ibn Hibbaan has narrated many of the narrations of Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan from Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood, which is proof that he was Thiqah and Sudooq according to him. [Se: Al-Ihsaan: 280, 981]

3.     Regarding one hadeeth narrated by Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood, Imaam Daraqutni said: “Its Isnaad is Saheeh and Proven” [Sunan Daraqutni: 1/345-346, H. 1294]

And in another narration (in which Ibn Abi Dawood was also present), he said: “All its narrators are Thiqah” [Sunan Daraqutni: 2/24-25 H. 1634]

This Proves that Ibn Abi Dawood was Thiqah and Saheeh ul-Hadeeth according to Imaam Daraqutni.

Note: Abu Abdur Rahmaan as-Sulamai (Soofi) has narrated from Imam Daraqutni that he (Ibn Abi Dawood) is Thiqah, but makes a lot of mistakes in commenting on a hadeeth. [Sawalaat as-Sulami: 242]

This Jarh is Mardood, because Sulami himself is Da’eef and Majrooh narrator.

4.     Imaam Abu Awaanah Ya’qoob bin Ishaaq al-Asfaraaini has took narrations from Ibn Abi Dawood in Saheeh Abi Awaanah. [Al-Mustakhraj Vol 4 Pg 207 H. 6553]

It proves that he was Thiqah according to Abu Awaanah.

5.     Regarding one hadeeth of Ibn Abi Dawood, Imaam Haakim Nishaburi said: “It is Saheeh according to the conditions of Muslim.” [Al-Mustadrak: 2/49 H. 2306]

6.     Abu N’aym Al-Asbahaani has took narrations from him in Al-Mustkhraj Ala Saheeh Muslim. [1/245 H. 452]

And said: “He held a great influence in the fields of Knowledge, Memorization, wisdom, and Understanding; which is why a group of people are jealous from him.” [Akhbaar Asbhaan: 2/211, Tarjumah: Muhammad bin Abdullah bin al-Hassan bin Hafs al-Hamdaani]

7.     Haafidh Dhahabi said: “He is Al-Haafidh Al-Thiqah, the author of several books.” [Mizaan ul-I’tidaal: 2/433

Dhahabi said: “He is thiqah and his father has called him a Liar.” [Al-Mughni fi Du’afa: 1/542 T. 3207]

His father declaring him Liar is not proven at all, and in the above saying the Tawtheeq of Dhahabi is Proven.

8.     Khateeb Baghdaadi said about Ibn Abi Dawood that: “He was the Man of Understanding, A Scholar (and) a Haafidh” [Taareekh Baghdaad: 9/464]

9.     Haafidh Abul Fadal Saalih bin Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Saalih al-Hamdaani said: “He is the Imaam of Iraaq, He learned knowledge from different places, The Sultaan had a Minbar set for him due to his Virtues and Popularity, then he narrated ahadeeth to him….. During his lifetime, there were many Shuyookh in Iraaq which used to narrate better Asaaneed than him, but the position that he held in being an expert and Thiqah, was not held by any other Shaikh.” [Taareekh Baghdaad: 9/465-466, Chain Saheeh]

10.           Imaam Hassan bin Muhammad al-Khallaal said: “Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood was a bigger Haafidh than his Father (Imaam Abu Dawood).” [Tareekh Baghdaad: 9/466, Chain Saheeh]

11.           Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Ubaydullah bin Muhammad bin al-Fath As-Seerfi said: “More than three hundred thousand people performed his Janazah Prayer. His Janazah was performed in four different places…. He was an Ascetic, a Scholar and a religious person. May Allah be pleased with him and grant him Jannah with to His Mercy.” [Taareekh Baghdaad: 9/468]

12.           Imaam Ibn Shaaheen has mentioned Ibn Abi Dawood in Kitaab ath-Thiqaat. [Pg 239 T 1468]

13.           Allaamah Ibn al-Jawzi said: “He is a Major Imaam, Maqbool, author, but….” [Kitaab ad-Du’afaa wal Matrokeen: 2/126 T. 2040]

After “but”, Ibn al-Jawzi has narrated the criticisms of Imaam Abu Dawood and Ibraaheem al-Asbahaani, which are not proven, therefore the reference after the 'but' is wrong.

14.           Imaam Abul Khair Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Jazri  said: “He is Thiqa Kabeer Ma’moon.” [Ghayat an-Nihayah fi Tabaqaat al-Qira’ah: 1/420 T. 1779]

15.           Ibn Asaakir said, regarding one of the ahadeeth of Ibn Abi Dawood, that: “It is Hassan Saheeh” [Mu’jam Shuyookh Ibn Asaakir 2/768 H. 960]

16.           Haafidh Abu Ya’la Al-Khaleeli said: “He is al-Haafidh Al-Imaam of Baghdaad in his time, The agreed upon Scholar, Imaam - the son of an Imaam….” [Al-Irshaad fi Ma’rifat Ulama al-Hadeeth: 2/610 T. 331]

17.           Haafidh Ibn Naasir ud-Deen ad-Dimashqi said about Ibn Abi Dawood, that: “He was an Imaam Allaamah Noble, Haafidh, Mutqin, decent.” [Al-Tibyaan li badi’at ul-Bayaan: 2/906 T. 735]

18.           The Historian Ibn Khalqaan said: “He was from the Major Huffaadh of Baghdaad, An Agreed upon Aalim, Imaam son of an Imaam.” [Wafiyaat al-A’yaan: 2/405 T. 272]

19.           Ibn al-‘Ammaad al-Hanbali said: “He was from the Major Huffaadh of Baghdaad, An Agreed upon Aalim, Imaam - the son of an Imaam.” [Shazraat az-Zahab: Vol 2 Pg 168]

20.           Abul Shaikh Al-Asbahaani said: “He was from the Major Scholars…..” [Tabaqaat ul-Muhadditheen from Asbahaan: 3/303, T. 370]

21.           Imaam Bayhaqi said about Ibn Abi Dawood that: “He was from the Huffaadh and Ulama of his time.” [Dalaail al-Nabuwa: 6/40 H. 2284]

22.           Abul Qaasim Ismaa’eel bin Muhammad bin al-Fadal (rahimahullah) said about a hadeeth narrated by Ibn Abi Dawood that: “This Hadeeth is Saheeh” [Al-Ahadeeth al-Mukhtarah: 7/76 H. 2486]

23.           Zayaa Maqdisi has took narration from Ibn Abi Dawood in al-Mukhtarah. [See: the previous saying: 22]

24.           Qaadhi Abul Hussain Muhammad bin Abi Ya’la al-Hanbali said: “He was the man of understanding, a Scholar, (and) a Haafidh” [Tabaqaat al-Hanabilah: 2/51 T. 595]

25.           Muhammad bin Ali bin Ahmed Al-Dawoodi  said: “And he became an expert, and becme the Leader of the people of his era.” [Tabaqaat al-Mufassireen: Pg 166 T. 222]

Among the sayings above, some are just the words of praise, not the actual tawtheeq, but the common sayings and references are those of tawtheeqaat, therefore it gets proven that Imaam Abu Bakr Abdullah bin Abi Dawood Sulemaan bin Asha’th as-Sijistaani is Thiqah, Sudooq, Saheeh ul-Hadeeth and Hasan ul-Hadeeth narrator according to the Jumhoor Muhadditheen. Walhamdulillah.

After the tawtheeq of Jumhoor, the Jarh of some scholars such as: Ibn Saa’ad upon him, is Mardood.

Benefit: An excellent defense of Imaam Ibn Abi Dawood has been done by the Dhahabi of his Time, Imaam Abdur Rahmaan bin Yahya al-Mu’allami (rahimahullah), in his famous book: Al-Tankeel.

Books: Imaam Ibn Abi Dawood has authored a lot of books. The names of some of them are as follows:

   1.     Kitaab al-Masaahif
   2.     Kitaab al-Ba’th
   3.     Musnad Aisha
   4.     Kitaab al-Masaabih fil Hadeeth
   5.     Kitaab Fadhaail al-Quraan
   6.     Kitaab al-Naasikh wal Mansookh
   7.     Kitaab at-Tafseer, etc

His Memory: Allah had granted him an extra ordinary power of Memorization

1.     Ahmed bin Ibraaheem bin Shaazaan (Thiqah) narrated that Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood went to Sijistaan during the lieftime of Amr bin al-Layth, so the people of hadeeth gathered around him, and asked him to narrate ahadeeth. Ibn Abi Dawood refused to do so saying that I do not have the book with me. They said (in amazement): Ibn Abi Dawood (a great Haafidh) and asking for Book?

Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood said: Thus they compelled me, so I narrated to them thrity thousand ahadeeth (30,000) from my memory. When I came to Baghdaad, the Baghdaadi people said: Ibn Abi Dawood went to Sijistaan and fooled the people, so they sent a fast caravan to Sijistaan with 60 deenaar, in order to write the Nuskha (of ahadeeth narrated by Ibn Abi Dawood), thus it was brought to Baghdaad, and it was presented to the Huffaadh of Hadeeth, and they accused me of being mistaken in six ahadeeth. The three narrations among them were the same as I heard them from my Shuyookh, and in three remaining narrations, I was actually mistaken. [Taareekh Baghdaad: 9/466 Chain Saheeh, Taareekh Dimashq 29/83]

Subhanallah, he narrated thirty thousand ahadeeth from memory, and got mistaken in only three of them. This is the proof of an extra ordinary memoy!

It is know even to common people that, even a proper and strong Haafidh of the Quraan gets mistaken in the Qiraat sometimes. Therefore, getting mistaken in only one narration out of thousand narrations is a proof that Ibn Abi Dawood was a huge Haafidh of Hadeeth. Rahimahullah.

2.     Imaam Abu Ali al-Hussain bin Ali al-Haafidh al-Nisaburi has narrated that Ibn Abi Dawood had narrated these narration in Asbahaan (Sijistaan), among which he was only mistaken in two of them. [Taareekh Baghdaad: 29/82, Chain Saheeh]

We come to know that what is meant by Sijistaan, is Asbahaan, and this is authentic. Wallahu a’lam

The word Asbahaan is also present in the narration of Abu Dhar Abd bin Ahmed al-Harwi from Ibn Shaazaan. [Taareekh Dimashq: 29/82, Chain Saheeh]

It is possible that Abul Qaasim al-Azhari (Shaikh al-Khateeb) might have been mistaken by the word Sijistaan. Wallahu a’lam.

3.     Imaam Abu Hafs Ibn Shaaheen said: “Ibn Abi Dawood narrated 2 million (2000000) ahadeeth to us from his memory. I never saw a book in his hand. He used to narrate ahadeeth from his memory.” [Taareekh Dimashq: 29/83, Chain Saheeh]

4.     Ibn Shaaheen said: “When Ibn Abi Dawood got blind (at the end of his age), he used to sit on the minbar, and his son Ma’mar used to sit one step below him holding a book in his hand. He would point out and say: so-and-so hadeeth, and Ibn Abi Dawood would read that whole hadeeth (with sanad and Matan) to him. One day he read the (long) hadeeth of Qunoot (or Futoon) from his memory, so Abu Tamaam stood up and said: ‘By Allaah, I have not seen anyone like you, except if it were Ibraaheem al-Harbi.’” [Taareekh Dimashq: 29/83, Chain Saheeh]

Pearls of Wisdom: The following are some pearls of Wisdom from Imaam Ibn Abi Dawood:

1.     Imaam Ibn Shaaheen said: Our teacher (Imaam) Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood as-Sijistaani (rahimahullah) said:

مسَّـكْ بحَـبْلِ اللهِ واتَّبِع الهُـدَى ولا تَـكُ بِدْعِيَّـاً لَعلَّـكَ تُفْلِــحُ(1)
وَدِنْ بِكِتَابِ اللهِ والسُّـنـَنِ التِـي أَتَتْ عَن رَسُولِ اللهِ تَنْجُ وَتَرْبَح(2)
وَقُـلْ غَيْـرُ مَخْلِوقٍ كَلامُ مَليكِنا بِـذَلكَ دَانَ الأتْقِياءُ وأَفْصحُــوا(3)
وَقُـلْ إنَّ خَيْرَ النَّاسِ بَعْـدَ مُحَمَّـدٍ وَزِيـراهُ قُدْمًا , ثُمَّ عُثْمَانُ أرْجَـحُ(15)
وَرابِعُهُـم خَـيْرُ البريَّـةِ بَعْـدَهُـم عَلِـيٌّ حَليفُ الخَـيرِ , بالخَيرِ مُنْجِحُ (16)
وإنَّهمُ و الرَّهْطُ لا رَيْــبَ فِيْهِــمُ عَلَى نُجُبِ الفِرْدَوْسِ في الخُلْدِ تَسْرَحُ (17)
و من بعد هم فالشافعي وأحمد إمام الهدي من يتبع الحق يفصح (24)
وَقُلْ خَـيْرَ قولٍ في الصَّحَابةِ كُلِّهِـمْ ولا تَــكُ طَعَّاناً تَعِيْـبُ وَتَجْـرَحُ (26)
وَدَعْ عنكَ آراءَ الرِّجالِ وَقـولَهُـم فَقْولُ رَسُولِ اللهِ أَزكى وَأَشْــرَحُ (38)
وَلا تَكُ مِـن قـوْمٍ تَلَهَّـوْ بِدِينِهِـم فَتَطْعـنَ في أَهَلِ الحَدَيثِ وتَقْـدَحُ (39)
إذا مَا اعتقـدْتَ الدَّهْرَ يا صَاحِ هذِه فَأَنْـتَ عَلـى خَيْـرٍ تَبِيتُ وتُصْبِحُ (40)

(1)                        Hold firmly, the rope of Allah, and follow the hidayah and do not become a bid’ati, so you could achieve Falaah (Success)
(2)                        Make the book of Allah and the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (pbuh), your deen, you will get salvation and be in a good profit.
(3)                        And say: The Kalaam of our Lord (Allah) is Ghair Makhlooq (non-created), this is the Aqeedah of righteous people, and they have explained it very explicitly.
(15)                   And say: The best of men after Muhammad (peace be upon him) are his two wazeers (Abu Bakr and Umar radiallah anhum), then is Uthmaan and this is authentic.
(16)                   And in the fourth place is Khair al-Baraiyyah (the best of all the Jama’ah), Ali (radiallah anhu). The friend of Khair, ends up with Khair.
(17)                   And this is the Jama’ah, regarding whom there is no doubt that they will always ride on the beautiful rides of Jannah.
(24)                   And after them, Shaafi’ee and Ahmed are the Imaams of Hidayah, the one who follows the truth speaks eloquently (explicitly).
(26)                   Say only good things about all the Sahabah, don’t point out their defects or malign them (Otherwise) you will become the criticiser (of Sahaabah) (Meaning: You will become Marjooh)
(38)                   Leave the Sayings and the opinions of people (If they go against Kitaab-o-Sunnat), thus the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is the best and the brightest.
(39)                   Don’t be among those who play with their religion, thus you will become the one who criticises & maligns Ahl ul-Hadeeth (meaning: You will become Majrooh yourself)
(40)                   Oh My Friend, If you always hold this aqeedah, then your day and night will be in Khair.
[Sharh Madhaahib Ahl us-Sunnah by Ibn Shaaheen: Pg 321-323]

After this poem, ImaamAbu Bakr bin Abi Dawood said: “This is my saying, My Father’s saying (Imam Abu Dawood), and the saying of Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal (rahimahullah). This is the Aqeedah that has reached to us, from the Scholars we have seen and the scholars that we have not seen. The one who attributes anything other than this to me, has lied.” [Sharh Madhaahib Ahl us-Sunnah: Pg 323]

Benefit: From this Qaseedah, it gets proven that Imaam Ibn Abi Dawood was not a Muqallid, but was from Ahl ul-Hadeeth. Therefore saying that he is a Hanbali, does not mean that he is a Muqallid, rather he is upon the Aqeedah of Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal (rahimahullah)

2.     It is not proven from Imaam Ibn Abi Dawood that at any point of his life he became a Naasibi, and Qaseedah Haaiyah is a clear proof of the invalidation of this accusation.

3.     Imaam Abul Qaasim Abdullah bin al-Hassan bin Sulemaan al-Maqri Ibn al-Khannaas (Thiqah) (rahimahullah) said: I heard Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood saying that: “I saw Abu Hurayrah (radiallah anhu) in Sijistaan in my dream, and I was writing a book while compiling his ahadeeth. He had a dark beard, mid-height and wheat clolored skin. He was wearing heavy clothes. I said to him: ‘O Abu Hurayrah, I love you’, so he said: ‘I was the first man of hadeeth (Ahl al-Hadeeth) on earth (who gathered an army of students).’” [Taareekh Baghdaad: 9/467, Chain Saheeh]

His Children: He had three sons: Abu Dawood Muhammad, Abu Umar Ubaydullah, Abu Ahmed Abdul A’laa, and Five daughters including Faatimah.

Death: Imaam Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawood (rahimahullah) died in 17 Dhul Hijja 316 H. And more than three hundred thousand people performed his Janazah Prayer. May Allah have mercy upon him.


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