A Narrative Regarding a Condition of the Muslims

Moiz Amjad · August 23, 2007

Title:

A Narrative Regarding a Condition of the Muslims

Article:

Subject Matter of the Narrative:

According to Tirmidhi's

narrative no. 2266 it is reported:

روي أنه قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا كان

أمراؤكم خياركم، وأغنياؤكم سمحاءكم، وأموركم شورى بينكم، فظهر الأرض خير لكم من

بطنها. وإذا كان أمراؤكم شراركم، وأغنياؤكم بخلاءكم، وأموركم إلى نسائكم، فبطن

الأرض خير لكم من ظهرها.

It is narrated

that the Prophet (pbuh) said: When the best among you are your rulers, the

wealthy among you are generous and when your collective affairs are managed

through consultation among you, then the back of this earth is better for

you than its stomach[1].

But when the worst among you are your rulers, the wealthy among you are

miserly and when your collective affairs are in the hands of your women,

then the stomach of this earth is better for you than its back[2].

Comment on the Narrative

This narrative has only been reported in

Tirmidhi and there too only through one chain of narrators. This chain of

narrators includes Saleh ibn Basheer al-Murriy

(صالح بن بشير المري), who is

considered to be an unreliable narrator. Some of the comments of the experts of

the field, regarding this narrator are reproduced below:

قال يحيى بن معين صالح المري ضعيف أو قال ليس بشيء… سألت أحمد بن حنبل عن

صالح المري قال صالح صاحب قصص يقص على الناس ليس هو صاحب حديث ولا إسناد ولا

يعرف الحديث وقال عمرو بن علي وصالح المري هو رجل صالح منكر الحديث جدا يحدث عن

قوم ثقات بأحاديث مناكير… ثنا البخاري قال صالح بن بشير أبو بشر المري البصري

القاص منكر الحديث… قال السعدي صالح المري كان قاصا واهي الحديث وقال النسائي

فيما أخبرني محمد بن العباس عنه قال صالح المري بصري متروك الحديث.(الكامل في

الضعفاء، ج 4،

ص 60)

… وقال أبو داود لا يكتب حديثه (الكاشف ج1،

ص 493)

… وقال الدارقطني ضعيف (تهذيب التهذيب

4،

ص 334)

Yahya ibn Mu`een said that 'Saleh al-Murriy

is weak' or he said that 'he holds no importance'; …I asked Ahmad ibn

Hanbal about Saleh al-Murriy, he said: 'Saleh al-Murriy

was a story-teller, he used to narrate stories to people, he was not a man

of Hadith or of chains of narrations, he was not aware of Hadith.'

Am'r ibn Ali said: 'Saleh al-Murriy was a pious man but

reported extremely abominable narratives. He would narrate abominable

narratives, ascribing them to a group of reliable narrators.' Bukhariy

said: 'Saleh ibn Basheer, Abu Basheer, Al-Murriy of Basra, was

a story teller reporting abominable narratives.' …Al-Sa`diy said: 'Saleh al-Murriy

was a story teller, with unsound narratives.' Al-Nissaiy said: 'Saleh

al-Murriy's narratives are discarded.' … Abu Dawood said: 'His

narratives are not accepted.' …Al-Darqutniy said: '[He is] weak.'[3]

Conclusion

Because this narrative has been reported only through a chain which includes

an unreliable narrator, therefore, we cannot safely hold this narrative as an

actual saying of the Prophet (pbuh).

(This write-up is

prepared by the Hadith Cell of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi)

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