Answered by: Maulana Mujahid Hussain
Question
Please authenticate this narration.
Abu Rafi’i said: The Prophet (saw) told ‘Ali: There will be a problem between you and ‘Aisha, ‘Ali said: Me O Rasulullah!? he said: yes, ‘Ali repeated: Me from amongst all my friends!? he said: yes, ‘Ali then said: Then I must have a really horrible end, He(saw) replied: “No, but if it does happen then return her to the safety of her home.” sources: Narrated by Ahmad 6/393, and al-Tabarani #995, also narrated by al-Bazzar #3272,
In the name of Allah the most Beneficent, the most Merciful
Answer
This hadith is found in Ahmad, Bazzar, Tabarani amongst other places.
Its hadith number 3881 in Musnad-Bazzar[1]and the chain is the same as Musnad Ahmad
It is mentioned in Musnad Ahmed 27198 according to Mussatur-Risalah print. Shuaab Ar’ Arnaoot was of the opinion that the hadith is weak and strange. This is due to one of the narrators who sometimes would make mistakes in narrating and sometimes narrate strange thingsالفضيل بن سليمان [2]
It is mentioned in Musnad Ahmad 27076 according to the Darul-Hadith print and Ahmad Shakir said it is Hasan as he did not regard this narration of الفضيل بن سليمان as strange.
Haythami mentions it in Majmauz-Zawaai, hadith number 12024 and said the following رَوَاهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، وَرِجَالُهُ ثِقَات"“its narrators are reliable “[3]
Ibn Hajar in Fathul Bari said the following
وأخرج أحمد والبزار بسند حسن من حديث أبي رافع
“Its narrated by Ahmad and Bazzar with a reliable chain”[4]
Shuaabi ar’naoot is not the only one to classify this hadith as weak , there are a few scholars who agree with him, however it was the practice of Shuaab ar’naoot that if a hadith did not make sense or contradicted reasoning and one of its narrators had a question mark over him, in this case, he would prefer to make the hadith da’eef over accepting it as reliable.
In conclusion, there is no concrete ruling about the authentication of this hadith. However, most scholars classified the hadith as reliable.
Only Allah Knows best.
Written by Maulana Mujahid Hussain
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
