Imam Ali al-Siddiq al-Akbar

Welcome to our blog, our Sunni brethren claim that Abu Bakr the son of Abu Quhafa is al-Siddiq al-Akbar (The greatest speaker of truth) but they have no hadith what-so-ever to back this claim as originally The title al-Siddiq al-Akbar belongs to Mawla Ali a.s and we will prove how :

HADITH :

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَنْبَأَنَا الْعَلاَءُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنِ الْمِنْهَالِ، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ أَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، وَأَخُو، رَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَأَنَا الصِّدِّيقُ الأَكْبَرُ، لاَ يَقُولُهَا بَعْدِي إِلاَّ كَذَّابٌ صَلَّيْتُ قَبْلَ النَّاسِ لِسَبْعِ سِنِينَ ‏.‏

Ubaydullah Ibn Musa narrated that al-Aala Ibn Saleh told him from al-Minhal on the authority of Abad bin Abdullah who said that Imam Ali said :

“I am Abd-Allah and the brother of His Messenger ﷺ I am al-Siddiq al-Akbar and no one will say this after me except a liar. I prayed seven years before the people.”

~Sunan Ibn Majah 120

• This hadith has been criticised due to Abad Ibn Abdullah al-Kufi, while in reality he is trustworthy, and criticizing him is deception

1) Allamah Ibn Hibban mentioned him in his Thiqat (The book of trustworthy narrators) 4268 :

ﻋﺒﺎﺩ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻷﺳﺪﻱ ﻣﻦ ﺃﻫﻞ اﻟﻜﻮﻓﺔ ﻳﺮﻭﻱ ﻋﻦ ﻋﻠﻰ

Abad Ibn Abdullah al-Asadi from Kufa who used to narrate from Imam Ali

2) Allamah al-Ijli writes in Taarikh al-Thiqat 765:

ﻋﺒﺎﺩ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻷﺳﺪﻱ: ﻛﻮﻓﻲ، ﺗﺎﺑﻌﻲ، ﺛﻘﺔ

Abad Ibn Abdullah al-Asadi from Kufa, a Tabee’ who is Trustworthy.

3) Ibn Abi Haatim al-Raazi mentioned him in al-Jarah wa at-Ta’deel vol 6:82 :

عباد بن عبد الله الاسدي كوفى سمع عليا

Abad Ibn Abdullah al-Asadi from Kufa heard from Ali

• Note : if Imam al-Raazi mentions a narrator and neither criticizes him nor praises him, the narrator is to be accepted.

4) Nur ad-Deen al-Haythami mentions a narration in his Majmaa’ al-Za’waid vol 9:113, which is taken from Musnad Ahmad 883 with the sanad :

عَنِ الْمِنْهَالِ ، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْأَسَدِيِّ ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ

From Minhal on the authority of Abad Ibn Abdullah al-Asadi from Imam Ali.

These are the same narrators from Sunan Ibn Majah 120 and after mentioning it al-Haythami said : The chain is strong ( ﻭﺇﺳﻨﺎﺩﻩ ﺟﻴﺪ)

• This proves Allamah al-Haythami considered Abad ibn Abd-Allah acceptable in narrations also Ahmad Muhammad Shakir the Muhaqqiq of Musnad Ahmad denoted this Sanad as Hasan.

5) Hafidh al-Busayri mentions the narration where Imam Ali said I am Siddiq al-Akbar in Masabih al-Zajajah vol 1:45 and writes :

ﻫﺬا ﺇﺳﻨﺎﺩ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ ﺭﺟﺎﻟﻪ ﺛﻘﺎﺕ

The Sanad is Sahih and the narrators are trustworthy.

6) Imam al-Haakim mentioned this hadith in his Mustadarak 4584 and the purpose of this book was to collect those narrations which al-Bukhari and/or Muslim missed out.

•So, according to Imam al-Haakim al-Nishapuri this Hadith is Sahih on the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim.

7) Hafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani mentioned this narration from the chain of Mustadarak ala al-Sahihayn of al-Haakim in his book Itihaf al-Maharat 14442 and affirmed al-Haakim :

ﺻﺤﻴﺢ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺷﺮﻃﻬﻤﺎ

It is Sahih on their (Bukhari & Muslim) conditions.

8) Imam al-Nisai’i took this narration in Khasais Emir al-Mu’meenin no.7

• This was written by Imam al-Nisai’i to refute the Nawasib of Shaam and collect the virtues of Emir al-Mu’meenin Ali.

9) Allamah Nur ad-Deen al-Sindhi mentioned :
قلت هذا إسناد صحيح رجاله ثقات رواه الحاكم في المستدرك عن المنهال وقال صحيح على شرط الشيخين…قلت فكأن من حكم بالوضع حكم عليه لعدم ظهور معناه لا لأجل خلل في إسناده

“I say this chain is Sahih and its narrators are trustworthy and al-Haakim narrated it in his Mustadarak and said It is Sahih on the conditions of Bukhari & Muslim.”

al-Sindhi further says : “I say those who said this is fabricated, it’s not because of an issue in the sanad (chain) but because they couldn’t understand the meaning of the text.”

~Hashiyah ala Sunan Ibn Majah vol 1:58.

• Of course, they will not understand a simple text because it has the glory of Emir al-Mu’meenin in it.

××Those who criticized Abad Ibn Abd-Allah×× :

1) Imam al-Bukhari said about him in Taarikh al-Kabeer under 1594 :

Keep a check on him (ﻓﻴﻪ ﻧﻈﺮ)

> Feehi Nadhr of al-Bukhari could mean that the narrator is weak but it’s not always the case, it could be – there is a narrator on whom there’s criticism, but his Jarah isn’t proven. There are many narrators from Sahih Muslim and the rest of the Sunan al-Arba (Nisai’i, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah) about whom Bukhari said Feehi Nadhr.

(For example : Abd al-Rahman Ibn Salman Ibn Aqeel, a narrator of Sahih Muslim, Sunan Nisai’i & Tirmidhi)

> al-Uqayli in ad-Du’afa al-Kabeer, Ibn Adee al-Jurjani in his al-Kamil fee Du’afa & others opted the same statement of al-Bukhari.

Not to miss that both al-Uqayli & Ibn Adee’ were strict in grading Hadiths, especially those pertaining to Imam Ali. A bit of Nasibism smelled?

2) Ibn al-Jawzi narrated in his book al-Mawduat vol 1:341 that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said about this narration : rejected (منكر)

> Imam Ahmad has called many narrations from Sahihayn (Bukhari & Muslim) as munkar too. There’s no justification for which Imam Ahmad rejected it.

3) Ibn al-Madaini and others called him weak however this is Jarah Mubham (Without justification) and not Mufassir i.e they did not provide reasoning as to why the narrator is weak.

• Now if we see a narration where Ta’deel & Jarah Mubhim collides we accept the narration :

1) Hafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani mentions :

ﻭاﻟﺠﺮﺡ ﻣﻘﺪﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺘﻌﺪﻳﻞ…ﻷﻧﻪ ﺇﻥ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻏﻴﺮ ﻣﻔﺴﺮ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻘﺪﺡ ﻓﻴﻤﻦ ﺛﺒﺘﺖ ﻋﺪاﻟﺘﻪ

“Jarah (criticism) is over Tadeel but if it is not Mufassir (explained) then it doesn’t disprove the tadeel.”

~Nuzhat al-Nadhr page 179

2) Hafidh Ibn Salah mentions :

اﻟﺘﻌﺪﻳﻞ ﻣﻘﺒﻮﻝ ﻣﻦ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺫﻛﺮ ﺳﺒﺒﻪ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﺬﻫﺐ اﻟﺼﺤﻴﺢ اﻟﻤﺸﻬﻮﺭ… ﻭﺃﻣﺎ اﻟﺠﺮﺡ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﻻ ﻳﻘﺒﻞ ﺇﻻ ﻣﻔﺴﺮا ﻣﺒﻴﻦ اﻟﺴﺒﺐ

According to the correct methodology, Ta’deel is accepted without a need for justification but a Jarh can’t be accepted unless it’s proven.

~al-Muqaddamah Ibn Salah, page 106

• Firstly, we concluded Abad Ibn Abd-Allah al-Kufi is trustworthy by the Aimmah of Hadith but even those who deemed him weak won’t be accepted as they did not provide justification for his weakness and the usool is to accept the narration rather than reject it based upon Jarh Muhbam.

• Shawaid (external evidences) for this narration :

ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺃﺑﻮ ﻓﺎﻃﻤﺔ ﻋﻦ ﻣﻌﺎﺫﺓ ﺑﻨﺖ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﻌﺪﻭﻳﺔ ﻗﺎﻟﺖ: ﺳﻤﻌﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﺎ ﺭﺿﻲ ﻳﻘﻮﻝ: ﺃﻧﺎ اﻝﺻﺪﻳﻖ اﻷﻛﺒﺮ ﺁﻣﻨﺖ ﻗﺒﻞ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺆﻣﻦ ﺃﺑﻮ ﺑﻜﺮ، ﻭﺃﺳﻠﻤﺖ ﻗﺒﻞ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺴﻠﻢ ﺃﺑﻮ ﺑﻜﺮ

Abu Fatimah Sulayman ibn Abdullah narrates from Mu’adha bint Abdullah that she heard Imam Ali saying :
I am al-Siddiq al-Akbar and I believed before Abu Bakr did and I accepted Islam before Abu Bakr did.

~Kitab al-Awail, Abee Urubah al-Harrani, 46.

> One of the criticism on this chain is that Abu Fatima never met Muadaha as mentioned by al-Bukhari in Taarikh al-Kabeer vol 4:582 :

ولا يعرف سليمان من معاذة

But it’s not true as Abu Fatima himself mentions he heard it from Mu’adha :

ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﺤﺎﺭﺛﻲ، ﺣﺪﺛﺘﻨﻲ ﻣﻌﺎﺫﺓ اﻟﻌﺪﻭﻳﺔ

~al-Ahad wa al-Muthani 187.

Also in al-Dawlabi’s book al-Kunya vol 2:155 :

أبو فاطمة قال سمعت معاذة اﻟﻌﺪﻭﻳﺔ، ﺗﻘﻮﻝ ﺳﻤﻌﺖ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﻦ ﺃﺑﻲ ﻃﺎﻟﺐ ع ﻳﺨﻄﺐ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻨﺒﺮ اﻟﺒﺼﺮﺓ ﻭﻫﻮ ﻳﻘﻮﻝ ﺃﻧﺎ اﻟﺼﺪﻳﻖ اﻷﻛﺒﺮ ﺁﻣﻨﺖ ﻗﺒﻞ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺆﻣﻦ ﺃﺑﻮ ﺑﻜﺮ ﻭﺃﺳﻠﻤﺖ ﻗﺒﻞ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺴﻠﻢ

Abu Fatimah said “I HEARD Mua’adha say that she heard Emir al-Mu’meenin Ali on the minbar say ‘I am al-Siddiq al-Akbar and I believed before Abu Bakr did and I accepted Islam before he did.'”

> The second criticism is that Abu Fatima is a weak narrator, which is a deception, his narrations are accepted :

1) Ibn Hibban said in al-Thiqat (The book of trustworthy narrators) 8211:

ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺑﺼﺮﻱ ﻳﺮﻭﻱ ﻋﻦ ﻣﻌﺎﺫﺓ

Sulayman Ibn Abdullah Basri used to narrate from Mu’adha.

2) Ibn Abi Haatim al-Raazi mentioned him in al-Jarah wa al-Ta’deel (vol 4:126) without any jarah.

3) Those who criticize him have taken it from al-Bukhari & it is not an explained Jarah.

• Another narration :

ﻣﺎﻟﻚ ﺑﻦ ﻣﻐﻮﻝ ﻋﻦ اﻟﺤﺎﺭﺙ ﺑﻦ ﺣﺼﻴﺮﺓ ﻋﻦ ﺃﺑﻲ ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ اﻟﺠﻬﻨﻲ ﻗﺎﻝ ﺳﻤﻌﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﺎ ﺭﺽ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﻨﺒﺮ ﻳﻘﻮﻝ ﺃﻧﺎ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻭﺃﺧﻮ ﺭﺳﻮﻟﻪ ﷺ ﻻ ﻳﻘﻮﻟﻬﺎ ﻏﻴﺮﻱ ﺇﻻ ﻛﺬاﺏ

Malik ibn Maghul from al-Harith on the authority of Abu Sulayman al-Juhni that he heard Imam Ali on the pulpit saying :
“I am Abd-Allah & the brother of His Messenger ﷺ and one who claims that other than me is a liar.”

~Khasais Ali, Imam al-Nisai’i, 67.

> The phrase ‘Siddiq Al-Akbar’ is missing in it but the rest of the narration is the same as the one narrated by Abad Ibn Abd-Allah.