Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Al-Minhaal bin Amr al-Asdi al-Koofi



Name:

المِنْهال بن عَمْرو الأَسَديُّ، أسد خُزَيْمة مولاهم، الكوفي.

Al-Minhaal bin Amr al-Asdi, Asad Khuzaymah, their client, al-Koofi

Tabaqah: 5 - From the Minor Taabi'een

Death: 111-120 H

Narrated by: Al-Bukhaari Abu Dawood Tirmidhi Nasaa'ee Ibn Maajah

Teachers: Zadaan al-Kindi, Sa’eed bin Jubayr, Aamir bin Sa’d bin Abi Waqqaas, Abdur Rahmaan bin Abi Layla, Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbaas, Mujaahid bin Jabar al-Makki, Aa’ishah bint Talhah, Ali bin al-Husayn bin Ali bin Abi Taalib, and others.

Students: Hajjaaj bin Artaat, Salamah bin Kuhayl, Sulemaan al-A’mash, Shu’bah bin al-Hajjaaj, Abdullah bin Awn, Abd Rabbih bin Sa’eed, Ataa al-Khurasaani, Layth bin Abi Sulaym, Muhammad bin Abdur Rahmaan bin Abi Layla, Abaan bin Taghlib and others.

Status: Thiqah

Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:

Those who praised him:

1-    Imaam al-Jarh wat Ta'deel Yahya bin Ma’een (D. 233) said: “Al-Minhaal bin Amr is Thiqah”
[ Al-Jarh wat Ta'deel by Ibn Abi Haatim (8/357); Taareekh Ibn Ma’een narrated by Ibn Muhriz; Taareekh Ibn Ma'een, narrated by ad-Daarimi (3/407)]

2-    Imaam Ahl us-Sunnah Ahmed bin Hanbal (D. 241) said: “Abu Bishr is Awthaq but Al-Minhaal is stronger”
[ Ad-Du'afa al-Kabeer by al-Ukaylee (4/236), Chain Saheeh]

3-    Ameer ul-Mu'mineen fil Hadeeth, Imaam   Muhammad bin Ismaa’eel al-Bukhaari (D. 256) narrated from Al-Minhaal bin Amr in his Saheeh
[ Saheeh al-Bukhaari (H. 3371)]

And this is a proof of the reliance of Imaam Bukhaari on Al-Minhaal.

Haafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani writes: “Every reasonable person should know that the narration of a narrator by the author of As-Saheeh points towards his uprightness (Adaalah) according to him, the strength of his preciseness (Dhabt), and the lack of his negligence; especially when the Jumhoor A’immah have also agreed upon in naming these books ‘Saheehayn’. And this position can not be given to those whose narrations are not narrated in As-Saheeh. Thus those (i.e. the narrators) who are mentioned in them (i.e. Saheehayn) are reliable according to the Jumhoor Muhadditheen”
[Fath al-Baari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari (1/384)]

Muhaddith ul-Asr, Muhammad Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaani (rahimahullah) said while refuting the Jarh on Al-Minhaal bin Amr that: “It is enough to refute that (i.e. criticism) that he is one of the narrators of Al-Bukhaari”
[Tahqeeq al-Ayaat al-Bayyinaat fi Adm Samaa al-Amwaat (P. 84)]

4-    Imaam Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Saalih al-Ijlee (D. 261) said: “Minhaal bin Amr, Koofi, Thiqah”
[ Ath-Thiqaat by al-Ijlee (2/300)]

5-    Imaam Abu Dawood Sulemaan bin Asha’th as-Sijistaani (D. 275) said about a hadeeth of Minhaal bin Amr that: “This hadeeth is a proof that Qur’aan is not a creation”
[ Sunan Abu Dawood (H. 4737)]

This proves two things: First that the one who declares Qur’aan to be a creation is an opposer of Sunnah according to Imaam Abu Dawood; and second that Al-Minhaal bin Amr is Thiqah and reliable according to Imaam Abu Dawood and his hadeeth is also a proof in the basic matters of religion i.e. Aqaaid.

6-    Imaam Abu Eesa Muhammad bin Eesa at-Tirmidhi (D. 279) said while grading a hadeeth of Al-Minhaal bin Amr that: “This hadeeth is Hasan Saheeh”
[ Sunan at-Tirmidhi (H. 2060)]

7-    Imaam Abu Bakr Ahmed bin Amr bin Abdul Khaaliq al-Bazzaar (D. 292) said after narrating a hadeeth of al-Minhaal bin Amr that: “Its chain is Hasan”
[ Musnad al-Bazzaar al-Manshoor bi-ism Baher az-Zakhkhaar (11/321)]

8-    Imaam ul-A'immah Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ishaaq Ibn Khuzaymah (D. 311) has declared several narrations of Al-Minhaal bin Amr to be Saheeh
[See, Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah (H. 1194, 2830)]

9-    Imaam Abu Awaanah Ya’qoob bin Ishaaq al-Neeshaaboori (D. 316) has also declared the hadeeth of al-Minhaal bin Amr to be Saheeh
[ See, Mustakhraj Abu Awaanah (7764)]

10-          Imaam Abu Ja’far Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Salaamah at-Tahaawi al-Hanafi (D. 321) said about a hadeeth of al-Minhaal bin Amr that: “And this is a proof in that…”
[ Sharh Mushkil ul-Athaar (1/347), also see (13/177)]

11-          Imaam Abu Haatim Muhammad bin Hibbaan bin Ahmed bin Hibbaan al-Busti (D. 354) has also declared several narrations of al-Minhaal to be Saheeh
[ See for example: Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan (1012, 1013, 1757, 2978, and 5617 etc)]

12-          The expert of Rijaal, Imaam Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Umar ad-Daaraqutni (D. 385) said about al-Minhaal bin Amr that: “He is Sadooq”
[ Su'aalaat al-Haakim li'd-Daaraqutni (P. 273)]

13-          Imaam Abu Hafs Umar bin Ahmed Ibn Shaaheen (D. 385) said: “Al-Minhaal bin Amr is Thiqah”
[ Taareekh Asmaa ath-Thiqaat by Ibn Shaaheen (P. 230 T. 1412)]

14-          Imaam Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi (D. 458) authenticated his hadeeth saying: “The chain of this hadeeth is Saheeh”
[ Shu’b al-Eemaan by al-Bayhaqi (1/610 H. 390)]

15-          Imaam Abu Umar Yoosuf bin Abdullah, Ibn Abdul Barr (D. 463) said: “There are numerous narrations narrated on the signs of Nabuwwah. Alhamdulillah many people have collected many of them. All of them are Hasan but the best among them is what Abdul Waarith bin Sufyaan narrated to us…. From al-Minhaal bin Amr….”
[ Al-Tamheed by Ibn Abdil Barr (1/221)]

16-          Imaam Abu al-Qaasim Ali bin Hasan Ibn Asaakir (D. 571) declared a hadeeth narrated by al-Minhaal to be Saheeh
[ Mu’jam Ibn Asaakir (1/340)]

17-          Imaam Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Abdul Waahid, Zayaa al-Maqdisi (D. 643) has declared many narrations of al-Minhaal to be Saheeh
[ See, Al-Ahaadeeth Al-Mukhtaarah (455, 760)]

18-          Haafidh Abdul Azeem bin Abdul Qawi al-Mundhiri (D. 656) authenticated his hadeeth saying: “This hadeeth is Hasan, its narrators are relied upon in as-Saheeh (i.e. Bukhaari and Muslim)”
[ Al-Targheeb wal Tarheeb by al-Mundhiri (4/197 H. 5396)]

19-          Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (D. 652) authenticated his hadeeth saying: “And it is on the condition of both of them (i.e. Bukhaari and Muslim)”
[ Sharh Hadeeth al-Nuzool (P. 83)]

20-          Haafidh Abu Fidaa, Imaad ud-Deen, Ismaa’eel bin Umar, Ibn Katheer (D. 774) said about some narrations which also include the narration of al-Minhaal bin Amr that: “Thus all these routes are Jayyid (strong), which prove the certainty of this matter”
[ Musnad al-Faarooq by Ibn Katheer (1/391)]

21-          Imaam Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Uthmaan, adh-Dhahabi (D. 748) has written the sign of “Sahha” before the biography of al-Minhaal. And he himself says about this sign that: “Whenever I write [Sahha] before the name, then it is an indication that the practice concerning that narrator is to trust his tawtheeq”
[ Lisaan al-Meezaan by Ibn Hajar (1/9)]

Moreover, Imaam Dhahabi said about a narration narrated by al-Minhaal that: “This chain is Saalih”
[Taareekh al-Islaam (4/107)]

22-          Haafidh Abu al-Fadl, Ahmed bin Ali, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani (D. 852) said while answering the criticism on al-Minhaal bin Amr that: “A Thiqah person cannot be criticized with this saying”
[ Hadi al-Saari (1/446)]

Ibn Hajar also said: “Al-Minhaal bin Amr is criticized without any Hujjah”
[Hadi al-Saari (1/464)]

Those who criticized him:

1-    It is said Imaam Abu Abdullah al-Haakim al-Neesaaboori (D. 405) said: “Yahya bin Sa’eed (al-Qattaan) used to lower his status”
[ Meezaan al-I'tidaal by Dhahabi (4/192)]

Answer:
This saying is not to be found in any of the books of Imaam al-Haakim, nor has anyone narrated this saying from Imaam Yahya bin Sa’eed with a chain. There is a difference of about three and a half centuries between Imaam al-Haakim and Imaam Dhahabi; and there are about two centuries between Imaam al-Haakim and Imaam Yahya bin Sa’eed. How can we accept that Imaam Yahya bin Sa’eed used to lower his status without any chain?

Secondly, even if we consider this narration to be authentic, it still does not prove any Jarh of Ibn al-Qattaan on al-Minhaal bin Amr because it is a very unclear statement. It is possible that Ibn al-Qattaan used to lower his status compared to another person who was more thiqah than him according to al-Qattaan, and this is not a Jarh.

Haafidh Ibn Hajar said about this Jarh: “And the statement of al-Haakim from al-Qattaan is Ghayr Mufassar”
[Fath al-Baari (1/446)]

2-    It is said Imaam Yahya bin Ma’een (D. 233) used to condemn al-Minhaal bin Amr
[ Taareekh Dimashq by Ibn Asaakir (60/374)]

This saying is not proven from Imaam Yahya bin Ma’een because the narrator of this saying “Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Moosa Baabisayri” is Majhool.

Even if this saying is authentic, Haafidh Ibn Hajar said: “As for the statement of al-Ghulaabi then it is possible that Ibn Ma’een would have dropped his level as compared to another (more Thiqah) person, as is also proven from Ahmed; the proof for this is that Abu Haatim has mentioned from Ibn Ma’een that he said (Al-Minhaal) is Thiqah”
[Fath al-Baari (1/446)]

3-    It is said that Imaam Shu’bah bin al-Hajjaaj (D. 160) heard the voice of a song coming out from the house of al-Minhaal.

There are two types of narrations narrated from Imaam Shu’bah on this issue. The first is that Imaam Shu’bah heard the Qur’aan being recited in a melodic (song-like) voice from the house of al-Minhaal.
[ Al-Jarh wat Ta'deel by Ibn Abi Haatim (8/357)]

Similarly, one narration says: “He heard the sound of Qira’ah with a rhythmic voice, thus he abandoned writing from him due to that”
[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel (1/172)]

The other narration says that he heard the voice of a song from the house of al-Minhaal
[Ad-Du’afa al-Kabeer by al-Ukaylee (4/236), Chain Saheeh]

So in reality, it was the recitation of the Qur’aan not a song. And reciting Qur’aan in such a way is not a Jarh as the famous Muhaqqiq of Arab, Doctor Bashshaar Awwaad says: “This Jarh is Mardood, wallahu a’lam. If this saying is proven that I don’t understand why Shu’bah permitted for himself to abandon him for reciting the Qur’aan in a melodic voice. Whereas the necessity of beautifying and the Tatreeb of Qira’ah is proven from the Prophet (peace be upon him)”
[Haashiah Tahdheeb al-Kamaal fi Asmaa ur-Rijaal (28/570)]

And even the other narration, in which it is said that he heard the voice of a song from his house, is not any Jarh on him. This is the reason when Imaam Shu’bah mentioned this incident to Wahb bin Jareer so Wahb bin Jareer criticized this act of Imaam Shu’bah and asked him a question which left Imaam Shu’bah speechless and he could not answer him. Wahb bin Jareer narrates from Imaam Shu’bah that he said: “I came to the place of Minhaal bin Amr thus I heard the voice of a song from his house, so I came back and did not ask him (about hadeeth). I (Wahb) said: Why did you not ask him! It is possible that he was unaware of it.”
[Ad-Du’afa al-Kabeer by al-Ukaylee (4/236), Chain Saheeh]

So the first answer of Imaam Shu’bah’s criticism was given by Imaam Wahb bin Jareer during the lifetime of Shu’bah. And many other later Muhadditheen have also refuted this Jarh of Shu’bah such as: Haafidh Abu al-Hasan Ibn al-Qattaan al-Faasi said about this Jarh of Shu’bah that: “Certainly this (reciting with a melodious voice) is not a Jarh unless it crosses the boundary of hurmah (i.e. when it involves mistakes), and there is no such thing mentioned in this incident.”
[Bayaan al-Wahem wal Ayhaam (3/363)]

Similarly, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Adh-Dhahabi, Ibn Hajar and others have also given answers to this Jarh of Shu’bah.

4-    It is narrated from Imaam Ibraaheem bin Ya’qoob al-Juzjaani (D. 259) that he said in his book ad-Du’afa that: “He is Sa’ee ul-Madhab”
[ Meezaan al-I'tidaal by Dhahabi (4/192)]

Whereas, the wording narrated by Al-Aynee al-Hanafi is that Al-Juzjaani said: “He is Sunni ul-Madhab”
[Maghaani al-Akhyaar (3/85)]

Haafidh Ibn Hajar said about this Jarh that: “As for al-Juzjaani’s statement then we have said many times before that his (i.e. Juzjaani’s) Jarh is not accepted about the people of Koofah due to his strict biasness and Nasab”
[Fath al-Baari (1/446)]

5-    Haafidh Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi (D. 456) said: “He is not strong”
[ Siyar A'laam al-Nabula by Dhahabi (5/184)]

Haafidh Ibn Katheer said: “Ibn Hazm has criticized him and rejected his hadeeth about the questioning of the grave narrated from Zadaan from al-Baraa, thus Ibn Hazm has erred in that”
[Al-Takmeel fil Jarh wat Ta’deel (1/211)]

Conclusion:

Al-Minhaal bin Amr is Thiqah. He, as Ibn Hajar says, has been criticized for no reason.

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