Muhammad bin Umar al-Waaqidi

Name:

محمد بن عمر بن واقد الواقدى الأسلمى ، أبو عبد الله المدنى القاضى ، مولى عبد الله بن بريدة الأسلمى

Muhammad bin Umar bin Waaqid al-Waaqidi al-Aslami, Abu Abdullah al-Madani al-Qaadhi, the client of Abdullah bin Buraydah al-Aslami

Birth: 130 H

Tabaqah: 9 – From the Minor Ittibaa ut-Taabi’een

Death: 207 H in Baghdaad

Narrated by: Ibn Maajah

Teachers: Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Abdul Malik bin Jurayj, Maalik bin Anas, Muhammad bin Ajlaan, Ma’mar bin Raashid, Naafi’ bin Abdur Rahmaan bin Abi Nu’aym al-Qaari and others.

Students: Sulemaan bin Dawood al-Shaadhkooni, Muhammad bin Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee, Muhammad bin Sa’d, and others.

Status: Severely Weak – Matrook

Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:

Those who criticized him:

1-    Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee said: “The books of al-Waaqidi are (filled with) Lies”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel: 8/21, Chain Saheeh]

2-    Imaam Yahya ibn Ma’een said about him: “He is Da’eef”

[Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee: 6/241, Chain Saheeh]

He also said: “He is not Thiqah”

[Same, Chain Saheeh]

3-    Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal said: “He is a Kadh-dhaab (Liar)”

[Ad-Du’afa al-Kabeer by al-Ukaylee: 4/108, Chain Saheeh]

4-    Imaam Ishaaq bin Rahwayh said: “According to me, he was among those who used to fabricate ahadeeth”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel by Ibn Abi Haatim: 8/21, Chain Saheeh]

5-    Imaam Abu Zur’ah ar-Raazi said: “He is Da’eef”. (Imaam Ibn Abi Haatim asked) “Is his hadeeth written (in Mutaabi’aat and Shawaahid)?” He replied: “I do not like his hadeeth except if it were in I’tibaar (Mutaabi’aat and Shawaahid); people have abandoned his hadeeth”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel by Ibn Abi Haatim: 8/21]

6-    Imaam Abu Haatim ar-Raazi said: “He is Matrook ul-Hadeeth”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel by Ibn Abi Haatim: 8/21]

7-    Imaam Hushaym bin Bushayr said: “If he was a Liar then there is no one in the world like him, and if he was Truthful then there is no one in the world like him”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel: 8/21, Chain Hasan –Sayeed bin Dawood is Thiqah according to the Jumhoor, and whoever weakened him has erred]

8-    Imaam Bukhaari said: “He is Matrook in Hadeeth; Ahmed, Ibn Numayr, Ibn al-Mubaarak, and Ismaa’eel bin Zakariyyah have abandoned him”

[Ad-Du’afa al-Kabeer lil Ukaylee: 4/107, Chain Saheeh]

9-    Imaam Muslim said: “He is Matrook in Hadeeth”

[Al-Kuna wal Asmaa by Imaam Muslim: 1952]

10-          Imaam Nasaa’ee said: “He is Matrook in Hadeeth”

[Ad-Du’afa by an-Nasaa’ee: 557]

11-          Imaam Ibraaheem bin Ya’qoob al-Juzjaani said: “Al-Waaqidi was not satisfactory”

[Ahwaal ur-Rijaal lil Juzjaani: 228]

12-          Imaam Bandaar bin Bashshaar said: “I have not seen a bigger Liar narrator than Al-Waaqidi”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 3/14, Chain Saheeh]

13-          Imaam Ibn Adee said: “The texts of Al-Waaqidi’s reports are unpreserved, and he is clearly a weak narrator”

[Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee: 7/484]

14-          Imaam Ibn Hibbaan said: “He was among those who had memorized the days and biographies of people, he used to narrate altered narrations from the Thiqah people, and Mu’addal narrations from the established people, until sometimes it comes in the heart that he does this deliberately, that is why Ahmed bin Hanbal has declared him a Liar”

[Al-Majroheen: 3/60]

15-          Imaam ad-Daaraqutni said: “He is Da’eef”

[Sunan ad-Daaraqutni: 2/164]

16-          Haafidh Bayhaqi said: “Evidence is not taken from him”

[Al-Sunan al-Kubra lil Bayhaqi: 1/38]

17-          Imaam Abu Ahmed al-Haakim said: “He is Dhaahib ul-Hadeeth (Wasted in hadeeth)”

[Tahdheeb al-Kamaal lil Mizzi: 17/100]

18-          Imaam Khateeb Baghdaadi said: “Al-Waaqidi is Dhaahib ul-Hadeeth according to the Aimmah of Naql”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 1/37]

19-          Haafidh Dhahabi said: “And it is established that he is weak”

[Siyar A’laam al-Nabula: 9/454]

20-          Haafidh Noor ud-Deen al-Haythami said: “And he is Severely Weak”

[Majma az-Zawaaid: 10/360]

Al-Haythami also said: “The Jumhoor has declared him Weak”

[Majma az-Zawaaid: 3/255]

21-          Haafidh Ibn al-Mulaqqin said: “Certainly the Jumhoor has weakened him”

[Al-Badar al-Muneer by Ibn al-Mulaqqin: 5/324]

22-          Haafidh Ibn Hajar said: “He is Matrook despite his vast knowledge”

[Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb: 6175]

23-          Al-Busayri declared him “Da’eef” and also a “Kadh-dhaab (Liar)” in another place.

[Ittihaaf al-Khayrah: 611, 3592 respectively]

24-          Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said: “He is Matrook”

[Al-Takhweef fi al-Naar by Ibn Rajab: 1/183]

25-          Ibn Abi al-Izz al-Hanafi said: “His saying is not taken as evidence”

[Al-Tanbeeh Ala Mushkilaat al-Hidaayah: 3/54]

Those who Praised him:

1-    Imaam Ibraaheem bin Ishaaq al-Harbi said: “Al-Waaqidi is the sincere of all people upon the people of Islaam”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 3/5, Chain Saheeh]

2-    Imaam Mus’ab bin Abdullah az-Zubayri

3-    Imaam Muhammad bin Ishaaq al-Musayyibi

4-    And Imaam Abu Yahya al-Azhari have declared him “Thiqah Ma’moon”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 3/3, Chain Saheeh]

5-    Imaam Ma’n bin Eesa was asked about al-Waaqidi, so he said: “I am being asked about al-Waaqidi, while in reality Waaqidi should be asked about me”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 3/3, Chain Saheeh]

6-    Imaam Ibn Numayr said: “As for his hadeeth in here then it is correct, and as for his hadeeth from Ahl ul-Madeenah then they know it better”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 3/3, Chain Saheeh]

7-    Imaam Yazeed bin Haaroon said: “Muhammad bin Umar al-Waaqidi is Thiqah”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 3/3, Chain Hasan]

8-    Imaam al-Abbaas bin Abdul Azeem al-Anbari said: “Al-Waaqidi is beloved to me than Abdur Razzaaq”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 3/3, Chain Saheeh]

9-    Imaam Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ishaaq as-Saaghaani said: “By Allaah, if he was not Thiqah according to me then I would not have narrated from him”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/5 with the Tahqeeq of Bashshaar Awwaad, Chain Saheeh]

10-          Imaam Abu Ali Mujaahid bin Moosa bin Farokh al-Khuwaarzimi said: “I have never written from anyone more preserving than him”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/5, Chain Saheeh]

Conclusion:

Muhammad bin Umar al-Waaqidi is “Severely weak” according to the Jumhoor. As compared to the severe “Tad’eef” of the Jumhoor, these 10 praises are Marjooh. Later on, there had occurred an Ijmaa and agreement over his being Da’eef.

Wallahu A’lam