Status Of Hadith With A Majhul Person (Sunni/shia)

[Inquisitor]

(salam)

 

What is the status of a hadith if one of the narrator's reliability is not established nor is he weakened/criticized?

 

Do Shias and Sunnis have different ruling on the status of such a hadith?

[narsis]

Bismillah.

 

Salaam.

 

There are different opinions even between Shia scholars; some believe if that Hadith is in the main sources of Shia and there is no Hadith or Qur'anic verse contradicting its content, we rely on that.

 

Another thing is that the content is important; if it is about Mustahabbaat and Makrouhaat we can take it.

 

With Duas.

 

Narsis.

[guest050817]

The belief that we can accept a hadith as long as it does not contradict the Quran is the most flawed and subjective belief ever, considering the fact we need hadith to interpret the Quran in the first place..(sometimes)

Edited December 2, 2014 by Tawheed313

[narsis]

The belief that we can accept a hadith as long as it does not contradict the Quran is the most flawed and subjective belief ever, considering the fact we need hadith to interpret the Quran in the first place..(sometimes)

 

Brother I think you take my writing partially; as I said it i not enough for a hadith not being contradicting the Qur'an, I said that such Hadith if is narrated in one of our main sources that are in the highest level of authenticity, then some scholars would take it and consider it as authentic Hadith.

 

With Duas.

 

Narsis.

[Nader Zaveri]

(salam)
(bismillah)

 

I will remind our fellow members that any claims or posts in this particular section will not be accepted unless source(s) are given. Any posts from here on out that lack sources will be hidden or removed. 

 

(salam)

[Nader Zaveri]

(salam)
(bismillah)

 

Here is the Sunni viewpoint of a Majhul narrator in a hadith, I will post the Shee`ah viewpoint later, inshaa'Allah:

 

أمور أخرى تتعلق بالراوي تؤثر في صحة الحديث:

أ) الجهالة بالراوي:

والجهالة هي عدم معرفة عين الراوي أو حاله.

 

وللجهالة أسباب منها:

1- كثرة صفات الراوي، فأحيانًا يُذكر باسمه، وأحيانًا بكنيته، وأحيانًا بلقبه، وأحيانًا بصفته، أو بحرفته، أو نسبه، فيشتهر بواحدة منها، فإذا ذُكر بغير ما اشتهر به، ظُنَّ أنه راوٍ آخر فيحصل الجهل به.

 

مثال ذلك: (محمد بن السائب بن بِشْر الكُلْبيُّ) نسبه بعضهم إلى جده فقالوا: (محمد بن بشر) وسماه بعضهم: (حماد بن السائب)، وكنّاه بعضهم: (أبا النَّضْر)، وكنَّاه بعضهم: (أبا سعيد)، وبعضهم: (أبا هشام) وكلها مسميات لشخص واحد.

 

2- قلة رواية الراوي، وقلة مَنْ روى عنه.

 

3- عدم التصريح باسم الراوي، كقول الراوي: أخبرني فلان، أو حدثني شيخ، أو رجل ونحوه.

 

والمجهول على نوعين: مجهول عين، ومجهول حال.

 

1- مجهول العين: هو الذي لم يرو عنه غير راوٍ واحد ولم يتعرض له أحد من أهل العلم بجرح أو تعديل.

 

مثال ذلك: طياف الإسكندراني.

 

روى عنه الهيثم بن خارجة فقط.

 

قال ابن حجر - رحمه الله - في " تعجيل المنفعة: (494) - " مجهول "[4].

 

وهذا محمول على مجهول العين؛ لأنه لم يروَ عنه إلا راوٍ واحد، ولم يتعرض له أحد بجرح، أو تعديل.

 

2- ومجهول الحال: هو من روى عنه راويان، أو أكثر ولم يتعرض له أحد من أهل العلم بجرح، أو تعديل.

 

مثال ذلك: سفيان بن عبدالرحمن بن عاصم بن سفيان.

 

روى عنه لاحق المكي، و أبو الزبير المكي.

 

قال ابن حجر - رحمه الله - في التقريب: " مقبول ".

 

وأيًّا كان مجهول العين أو الحال فالأصل في روايته عدم القبول.

 

وتحت الجهالة عدة تنابيه:

التنبيه الأول: جهالة العين أشد من جهالة الحال، فإن جهالة العين: من أسباب الضعف الشديد، ولا يصلح في المتابعات فلا هو يقوِّي غيره، ولا يقوى بغيره، أما جهالة الحال: فمن أسباب الجهل المحتمل، فإن تابعه ثقة، أو مَنْ يُحتج بحديثه قوي، وكان شاهدًا له على حفظ حديثه، وضبطه سندًا ومتنًا، وهذا باتفاق العلماء.

 

وإن تابعه من هو مثله في الضعف المحتمل، فإن حديثه يتحسَّن بمجموع الطريقين الضعيفين على مذهب كثير من المتأخرين من أهل الحديث.

 

التنبيه الثاني: مجهول العين: يطلق عليه بعض الصفات مثل: " مجهول العين " أو " لا يعرف من ذا " أو " مجهول " ومجهول الحال: يطلقون عليه: " مستور " أو " مقبول " أو " لا يُعرف حاله " وقد يصفه البعض بـ " مجهول " و الذي يحدد نوع الجهالة: عدد من روى عنه، فإن كان واحدًا، فهو مجهول العين، وإن كان أكثر فهو مجهول الحال.

 

التنبيه الثالث: يُلْحِق بعضهم بهذين القسمين قسم ثالث هو: (المُبْهم)، والمبهم: هو مَنْ لم يُصرَّح باسمه في الحديث، ولذا قال البيقوني في منظومته:... ومبهمٌ مافيه راوٍ لم يسم.

 

والمبهم حديث مردود؛ لجهالة عين الراوي، فلا نستطيع معرفة عدالته.

 

مثاله: ما أخرجه عبدالرازق وأحمد و أبوداود من طريق عبدالله بن مسلم أخي الزهري عن مولى لأسماء بنت أبي بكر عن أسماء بنت أبي بكر رضي الله عنهما عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم "مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُنَّ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلَا تَرْفَعْ رَأْسَهَا حَتَّى يَرْفَعَ الرِّجَالُ رُءُوسَهُمْ".

 

وعند التأمل في الحديث نرى فيه راوٍ مبهم وهو: مولى أسماء - رضي الله عنها - فالحديث ضعيف.

 

وأيضًا يقال: لو أُبهم الراوي بلفظ التعديل، فإن روايته لا تقبل، فلو قال الراوي: (أخبرني ثقة) فإن روايته لا تقبل مادام مبهما، فإنه ربما يكون عنده ثقة، وعند غيره ليس بثقة.

 

قال الحافظ ابن حجر - رحمه الله -: "ولا يقبل حديث المبهم ما لم يُسَمْ؛ لأن شرط قبول الخبر عدالة راويه، ومن أُبهم اسمه لا تُعرف عينه، فكيف عدالته؟! وكذا لا يُقبل خبره ولو أُبهم بلفظ التعديل، كأن يقول الراوي عنه: أخبرني الثقة؛ لأنه قد يكون ثقة عنده مجروحًا عند غيره "[5].

 

 

Other Matters pertaining to a narrator which influences the hadith’s authenticity

 

The Jahaalah (Ignorance) of a Narrator:

And the Jahaalah is the lack of recognition (or, knowing) of a narrator or his condition 

 

The Jahaalah and the reasons of it:

1.)   Many characteristics of a narrator, sometimes he is mentioned with his name, and sometimes by his kunya and sometimes by his laqab and sometimes by his characteristic, or occupation, or lineage, and he is famous unique by it. And if he is mention without what he is famously (known) by it, then it is assumed that it is another narrator and he obtains jahaalah (status) by it

a.     For example: Muhammad b. al-Saa’ib b. Bishr al-Kalbi, he is sometimes attributed to his grandfather, and they say: ‘Muhammad b. Bishr” and sometimes to his name “Hammaad b. al-Saa’ib” and sometimes to his kunya “Aba al-Nadr” and sometimes to (another) kunya “Aba Sa`eed” and sometimes “Aba Hishaam” and all of these names means one person

 

2.)   Scarcity of the narrators narrations, and the scarcity of who narrates from him

3.)   The absence of declaration of the name of the narrator, like saying the narrator: “So and so informed me” or “a Shaykh has narrated to me” or “a man” and other ways

 

And there are two types of Majhul: Majhul `Ayn and Majhul Haal

 

1.)   Majhul al-`Ayn: It is who no one has narrate from him except for one narrator, and there is not exposition for him by any of the people of the knowledge of jarh wa ta`deel

 

For example: Tiyaaf al-Iskandiraani.

Only al-Haytham b. Khaarijah narrates from him

Ibn Hajr said in Ta`jeel al-Munfi`ah (# 494) – Majhul [4]

And this is assumed to be Majhul al-`Ayn, because no one narrates from him except for one narrator, and there is no exposition for him in Jarh wa Ta`deel (books)

 

 

2.)   It is someone who narrates from him two narrators, or more, and there is no exposition for him by any of the people of knowledge in Jarh wa Ta`deel

For Example: Sufywan b. `Abd al-Rahman b. `Asim b. Sufyan

Laahiq al-Makki and Abu al-Zubayr al-Makki narrated from him

Ibn Hajr said in his al-Taqreeb – Maqbool

Whosoever is Majhul al-`Ayn or Haal, the principle in his narration is not to accept it

 

And Under al-Jahaalah there are many warnings:

 

Warning #1: Jahaalah al-`Ayn is more severe than Jahaalah al-Haal. For the Jahaalah al-`Ayn the reasons for its weakness is more severe, and it is not correct in followed (by anything), and it is not strengthening by anything, and it not strengthening others. As for Jahaalah al-Haal: And from the reasons of Jahl there are likely to occur, if it is followed by a Thiqah or whoever proofs of his hadith is strengthened and there is corroborating evidenced upon the preservation of the hadith and the preservation of the sanad or matn and this is an agreement by the scholars

And if it is follow by it from what is like it the weakening is likely to occur, and if his hadith is reformed by a collection of weak paths upon the madhhab, many of the muta’akhireen from the Ahl al-Hadith (it is weak)

 

 

Warning #2: Majhul al-`Ayn – some of the characteristics and names given are like: “Majhul al-`Ayn” or “It is not recognized from that” or “Majhul”. Majhul al-Haal its names are: ‘Mastoor” or “Maqbool” or “His condition is not known” and he is characterized by some with “Majhul” and whose delimiting type of Jahaalah: The number who narrates from him, and if it is one, then he is Majhul al-`Ayn and if it is more, then he is Majhul al-Haal

 

Warning #3: some append these two type, (with) a third type it is: “al-Mubham” – and it is when the name is not declared in the hadith, and for that al-Bayquni has said in his Mandhoomah “And the mubham is a narrator who is not named”

 

And the Mubham hadith is rejected; for the narrator who is Jahaalah al-`Ayn, we are not able to know his justness

 

Its example: What is related by `Abd al-Razzaq, Ahmad, Abu Dawud from the path of `Abd Allah b. Muslim brother of al-Zuhri from Mawla of Asma b. Abi Bakr from Asma’ b. Abi Bakr from the Prophet

 

And with careful contemplation in the hadith we see in it is a narrator who is mubham and he is: Mawla  Asama’, so the hadith is da`eef

 

And also it is said: If the obscure (mubham) narrator is (given) a wording of praise, we will not acceopt his narrator (for example) If the narrator said: ‘a trustworthy informed me’ and his narrator is not accepted as long as he (remains) obscure, because he may be Thiqah according to him and to other than him he is not thiqah

 

Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr said: And do not accept the hadith of al-Mubham who is not named, for the condition of accepting the narration is the `Adaalah (Justness) of the narrator, and whoever’s name is obscure (mubham) he is not known, so how can he be Just?! Thus his narration is not accepted if his obscureness if (appended) with wordings of praise, like a narrator from him says: ‘A trustworthy has informed me’ because he may be thiqah according to him and impugned according to others.[5]

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[4] Ibn Hajr, Ta`jeel al-Munfi`ah, vol. 1, pg. 200

[5] Ibn Hajr, Nujzah al-Nadhr, pg. 106

 

Source: http://www.alukah.net/sharia/0/65041/

 

(salam)

[Nader Zaveri]

(salam)
(bismillah)

 

Here is the Shee`ah view of Majhul. Before starting on what is majhul, we should start with the definition of a Da`eef Hadith. Then we will define what majhul is.

 

Definition of a Da`eef Hadith (Weak Hadith):

 

Hasan al-Sadr, Nihaayah al-Diraayah, pg. 234:

الضعيف ، وهو: ما في سنده مذموم، أو فاسد العقيدة غير منصوص على ثقته، أو مجهول، وإن كان باقي رواته ممدوحين بالعدالة، لان الحديث يتبع اعتبار أدنى أدنى رجاله، كما أن لنتيجة تتبع أخس المقدمتين

Da`eef it is: What is in its sanad someone who is condemned, or has a corrupt `aqeedah without textual (proof) for his trustworthiness, or majhul, even if the rest of its narrators are just, because a hadith’s reliability is adheres to the reliability of the lowest of the low men in it, just like a result adheres to the lower of the two premises.

 

 

Hashim Ma`roof al-Hasani, Diraasaat fee `ilm al-Hadeeth wa Muhadditheen, vol. 1, pg. 37:

 الضعيف ) وهو الفاقد للشروط المعتبرة في الأصناف الثلاثة الصحيح، والحسن والموثق ومن ذلك ما لو رواه من هو متصف           بالفسق أو ببعض الصفات التي تشعر بعدم تورعه عن الكذب ونحوه من المعاصي ،       

أو كان جميع رواته أو بعضهم من المجهولين الذين لم يتبين حالهم من حيث استقامتهم وسلامة عقيدتهم . ومجرد الانحراف عن العقيد ة الشيعية الصحيحة لا يوجب ضعف الحديث ما لم يقترن ببعض الصفات كالفسق، وعدم التورع عن الكذب ونحو ذلك مما يوحي بعدم الاطمئنان إليه

al-`Da`eef – it is devoid of the conditions (which make a hadith) reliable in the three categories al-Sahih, al-Hasan, and al-Muwaththaq, and from that what if its narrator is someone who is characterized by his fis, or with some of the characteristics which is reported by the absence of him refraining from lying or others (things) from the sins

Or if all its narrator or someone of them are Majhul, and it is their conditions are not explained from their uprightness and integrity of their `aqeedah. Merely being deviated from the belief of the correct Shee`ah does not necessitate the weakening of the hadith, what is not coupled with some of the characterisitics of fisq, and the absence of avoidance from lying or other than that of what suggest the lack of itmi’naan (security) to him

 

 

Ibn Shaheed al-Thaani, al-Ma`aalim, vol. 1, pg. 206:

هو ما لم يجتمع فيه شروط أحد الثلاثة بأن يشتمل طريقه على مجروح بغير فساد المذهب أو مجهول.

(Da`eef) is what is not collectively have any of its condition of the three (i.e. Sahih, Hasan, Muwaththaq), and it contains in its path (i.e. sanad) someone who is impugned without a corrupt madhhab or majhul

 

 

`Ali Akbar al-Ghaffari, Diraasaat fee `ilm al-Hadeeth, vol. 1, pg. 35:

هو ما لم يجتمع فيه شروط أحد الأقسام الاخرى بأن اشتمل طريقه على مجروح بالفسق ونحوه، أو على مجهول الحال، أو ما دون ذلك كالوضاع،

(Da`eef) is what is not collectively have any of its conditions of other categories, and that it contains in its path someone who is impugned with fisq or other than that or whose condition is majhul or what is below that like fabricating

 

 

al-Shaykh al-Safi, Duroos fee `ilm al-Hadith, pg. 106:

الضعيف : ((وهو ما لا يجتمع فيه شروط احد الثلاثة بان يشتمل طريقة على مجروح بالفسق ونحوه أو مجهول الحال أو ما دون ذلك)).

al-Da`eef: It is what is not collectively having in it the conditions of any of the three (i.e. Sahih, Hasan, Muwaththaq) and that it contains in his path someone who is impugned with fisq and other than that, or whose condition is majhul or what is lower than that

 

Now that you know a majhul narrator weakens a hadith. Here is the definition of what a majhul narrator is

 

Definition of a Majhul Narrator

 

Hasan b. `Abd al-Samad al-Hathiri, Wusool al-Akhyaar, pg. 102 & Hasan al-Sadr, Nihaayah al-Diraayah, pg. 262:

و هو في الاصطلاح يطلق في موردين: أحدهما - يقع وصفا للحديث، و هو المروىّ‏غ عن رجلٍ غير موثّق و لا مجروح و لا ممدوح أو غير معروف أصلا، و منه قولهم: «عن رجل»، أو «ممّن حدّثه»، أو «عمّن ذكره»، أو «عن غير واحد»، أو نحو ذلك.

“And it is terminologically named in two mentionings: First of them – what occurs in the hadith and what is the narrated from a man who is not authenticated, nor is he impugned, nor praised or whose origin is not known. And from it they are said: ‘From a man” or “of someone who narrated it” or “from someone who mentioned it” or “from other than one” or like that”

 

 

Muhammad Ja`far Share`atmadaar, Lub al-Lubaab, pg. 462:

 

-: هو ما ذكر رواته في كتاب الرجال، و لكن لم يعلم حال البعض أو الكلّ و لو بالنسبة إلى العقيدة.

“Is what is mention about a narrate in the books of Rijal, but some of his conditions are not known, or all of it, and if he is attribution to a belief”

 

 

Al-Mamaqani, Miqbaas al-Hidaayah, vol. 1, pg. 220:

-: هو من لم يقع في كتب الرجال تصريح بعدالته ووثاقته، ولا بضعفه ومجروحيته.

“It is who is not in the books of rijal, the declaration of his justness or trustworthiness, nor his weakening nor his impugnation”

 

 

Al-Tustari, Qamus al-Rijal, pg. 1, pg. 44:

-: فرق بين كلمة «المجهول» في كلام العلّامة و ابن داوود، و بينها في كلام المتأخّرين، فأنّها في كلامهما عبارة عمّن صرّح أئمّة الرجال فيه بالمجهوليّة، و هو أحد ألفاظ الجرح، و أمّا في كلام المتأخّرين - من الشهيد الثاني و المجلسي إلى المامقاني - فأعمّ منه، و من المهمل الذي لم يذكر فيه مدح و لا قدح.

Difference between the word “al-Majhul” in the words of al-`Allamah and Ibn Dawud and between them in the words of the Muta’akhireen, in their words (Allamah and Ibn Dawud) the expression of someone who is declared by the leaders of rijal about him being Majhul and it is one of the words of impugnation. As for in the words of the Muta’akhireen from al-Shaheed al-Thani, al-Majlisi until al-Mamaqani, it is someone who is omitted which is not mentioned about in praise or impugnation.

 

 

(salam)

Edited December 4, 2014 by Nader Zaveri

[Inquisitor]

Thank you brother NZ. That was very helpful.

 

Just one more question: I recall someone saying that al-Albani has a rule to accept the trustworthiness of a narrator [X] (who is not authenticated nor weakened), if a reliable narrator narrates from him [X]. Are you aware of any such ruling to confirm what I heard is right?

[Nader Zaveri]

(Salam)

(Bismillah)

Thank you brother NZ. That was very helpful.

 

Just one more question: I recall someone saying that al-Albani has a rule to accept the trustworthiness of a narrator [X] (who is not authenticated nor weakened), if a reliable narrator narrates from him [X]. Are you aware of any such ruling to confirm what I heard is right?

I don't recall ever reading that, and from seeing Al-Albānī's gradings, he has weakened ahādīth because of majhūl narrators, even if they narrated from Thiqāt.

(Salam)

[Ibn al-Hussain]

(salam)

 

 

Hasan al-Sadr, Nihaayah al-Diraayah, pg. 234:

الضعيف ، وهو: ما في سنده مذموم، أو فاسد العقيدة غير منصوص على ثقته، أو مجهول، وإن كان باقي رواته ممدوحين بالعدالة، لان الحديث يتبع اعتبار أدنى أدنى رجاله، كما أن لنتيجة تتبع أخس المقدمتين

Da`eef it is: What is in its sanad someone who is condemned, or has a corrupt `aqeedah without textual (proof) for his trustworthiness, or majhul, even if the rest of its narrators are just, because a hadith’s reliability is lower and lowered by its men (in the sanad), like what is the result of becoming lowered to the Mutaqadimeen

 

 

 

 

Just the way I would translate it:

 

Da'eef: It is that which has a condemned individual in its chain, or has a corrupt belief - without textual proof for his trustworthiness, or he is unknown, even if the rest of the narrators have been praised with being just, because a narration adheres to the reliability of the lowest of the lowest men in it, just like a result adheres to the lower of the two premises.

 

This result adhering to the lower of the two premises is jargon used in Mantiq.

 

Wassalam 

[Nader Zaveri]

(salam)
(bismillah)

 

Thanks for that Ibn al-Hussain, I have edited my original post to correlate with your translation, if you don't mind.

 

From my experience there are different levels of Majhul. Here are the levels, from Best to Worst:

 

 

Level # 1 -  When there is some form of authentication to the said narrator, but the reliability of the method or mode of authentication is not authentic or it is questionable. There is no disparaging remarks regarding this narrator. He is majhul.

 

Level # 2 -  When there is ikhtilaaf in a narrator, some authenticate him while some weakened him. The scholars takes the safe approach and they do tawaqquf (desist in passing a judgement) and say he is majhul.

 

Level # 3 -  His name is mentioned in the classical books on Rijaal (i.e. Rijal al-Najashi, Rijal al-Tusi, Fihrist al-Tusi, al-Kashi's Rijal, Du`afaa al-Ghadaa'iri) , but no disparaging remarks or praise for the narrator. He is majhul.

 

Level # 4 -  His name is not mentioned in ANY classical work, but merely is mentioned in contemporary works (i.e. Jaami` al-Ruwa, Tanqeeh al-Maqaal, Mu`jam Rijaal al-Hadeeth). He is majhul.

 

Level # 5 -  His name is not mentioned in ANY classical or contemporary works, which is what al-Shahrudi has said in his Mustadarakaat `ilm al-Rijaal. This means the person is majhul.

 

Level # 6 -  His name is not mentioned in ANY classical or contemporary works of Rijaal in both Sunni or Shia books of Rijaal. This person will also be deemed as majhul.

 

 

As you can tell, in the last three levels (Levels 4 - 6), there is an extreme form of jahaalah regarding the narrator's condition. These last three categories could mirror the Sunni's version of Majhul al-`Ayn, while the first three levels (Levels 1 - 3) could be the Sunni's version of Majhul al-Haal.

 

(salam)

Edited December 4, 2014 by Nader Zaveri

[Abu Tufayl]

(bismillah)

 

There is a difference between these forms of Jahalah and they do not necessitate the rejection of the riwayah. This is especially true in the case that a narrator is not given a "grading" - or even if he is weakened -  in the rijal books or isn't even mentioned in them and there are other various Qara'in to show that the `Ulema relied upon him or he is to be relied upon, such as the consistent riwayah of the Fuqaha of the Ta'ifa from a narrator or the Fuqaha of the Ta'ifa passing on his books, etc. Simply due to the tarjima of a narrator not reaching us in the sparse 5 or 6 books of rijal - two of which are not "rijal" books but an index of authors - does not mean his asaneed are weak. 

 

في أمان الله