All humans make mistakes!
http://onlinepj.com/aayvukal/
மேற்கண்ட ஆய்வு கட்டுரையின் ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பு (Translator: Imran)
All humans make mistakes!
كل بني آدم خطاء . وخير الخطائين التوابون
“Kullu bani adama Khattaoon. Wa Khairal Khattaeena tawwaboon”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2499, also by Ibn Maajah, who narrated this version – al-Sunan, ed. by ‘Abd al-Baqi, no. 4251)
This hadith is often cited in many Islamic speeches.
Only God is apart from mistakes .Whoever be it, no one is apart from commiting mistakes.Moreover,the meaning that the hadith carries also forms the basis to establish several other fundamentals of islam to a great extent.
Many of the verses from the Qur’an and hadith, makes explicit that only Allah has the right to be worshipped and no one else.The above mentioned hadith strengthens this notion.
This hadith also makes us ponder:If it is said that no one is apart from commiting mistakes,how can we worship someone who makes mistakes?
Similarly many verses from the Qur’and and hadiths makes explicit that only Qur‘an and hadith can be considered as basis for Islam.
The above hadith strengthens this notion as well.
As all humans make mistakes, so no one should follow any individual’s opinion.Only God’s message is fit to be followed because its free of all defects.
For all those who fight against tareeqah, bidah and all other kinds of evil , this hadith forms a basis in calling people to the truth.
So this is the reason why this hadith is very often used in Islamic speeches.
Even though few scholars grade this hadith as authentic, few other scholars have criticized this hadith as weak(da’eef) considering its chain of narration..
What follows is a research done on this issue of critcism
The above hadith is recorded in Hakim, Darimi, Musnad abi ya’la, Ibn maja, Tirmidhi , Ahmad and many other hadith books.
سنن الترمذي4/ 659
2499 - حدثنا أحمد بن منيع حدثنا زيد بن حباب حدثنا علي بن مسعدة الباهلي حدثنا قتادة عن أنس : أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال كل ابن آدم خطاء وخير الخطائين التوابون
In all the hadith books where this hadith is recorded, Anas(r ) is the reporter of this hadith. Anas(r ) is the companion of the prophet so its needless to check his credibility.
In all the narrations of this hadith Qatada reports from Anas(r).Qatada is trustworthy and so this hadith cannot be declared weak(da’eef) as there is no criticism on him.
Ali bin mas adha al bahili reports it from Qatada.In all of the narrations of this hadith , he reports it from Qatada.
Scholars have contradictory opinions about him (Ali bin mas adha al bahili).
تهذيب التهذيب - ابن حجر (7/ 334)
622 - بخ ت ق البخاري في الأدب المفرد والترمذي وابن ماجة علي بن مسعدة الباهلي أبو حبيب البصري روى عن قتادة وعبد الله الرومي وعاصم الجحدري ورياح بن عبيد الباهلي روى عنه بن المبارك والقطان وابن مهدي وأبو داود الطيالسي وخلف بن تميم وزيد بن الحباب وبهز بن أسد وسليم بن أخضر ومحمد بن سنان العوفي ومسلم بن إبراهيم وغيرهم قال أبو داود الطيالسي ثنا علي بن موسى وكان ثقة وقال إسحاق بن منصور عن بن معين صالح وقال أبو حاتم لا بأس به وقال البخاري فيه نظر وقال الآجري عن أبي داود سمعت يقول هو ضعيف وقال النسائي ليس بالقوي وقال بن عدي أحاديثه غير محفوظة وقال بن حبان لا يحتج بما لا يوافق فيه الثقات له عند ت ق حديث كل بني آدم خطاء قلت وقال الدوري عن بن معين ليس به بأس في البصريين وذكره العقيلي في الضعفاء تبعا للبخاري وأورد له عن قتادة عن أنس رفعه الإسلام علانية والإيمان في القلب
In the opinion of Abu dawud and Tayalisi, he is reliable and trustworthy. Ibn ma’een commends him and Abu hatham says that he does not find any faults with him.So, in the opinion of all these above mentioned scholars , his hadiths are acceptable.
Imam Bukhari has objection on him. Imam Abu dawud says that he is weak.Imam Nasa’ee says that he is untrustworthy while Imam Ibn adhee says his hadiths are unacceptable.Imam Ukaili has listed his name in his list of da’eef(weak) narrators.Ibn hibban says that his hadiths are counted only when it is in harmony with other authentic narrations.
Reference: Thahdheebuth thahdheeb.
Thus there are two contradictory opinions on him.Even those who accept the opinion of the first set of scholars to classify a hadith, have expressed contradictory opinions on him.
Imam hakim, Ibnul khattan and several other scholars declare this hadith as authentic without any second opinion while several other scholars have criticized him and graded the above hadith as weak.
Imam Ibn hibban explains very clearly about the reasons why he was criticized by the second set of scholars.Though he has narrated only a few hadith, he has made several mistakes in it and all the hadith that he narrates are one of its kind that no one else narrates similar hadiths.This is the explanation provided by Ibn Hibban concerning the criticism of Ali bin mas adha al bahili.
Mistakes may occur with those who narrate many ahadheeth.There will be no such person without commiting any mistakes.But when mistakes occur in case of the narrators who have narrated only a few ahadheeth,then it means that their memory power is not so strong.
The meaning of Ibn hibban’s explanation is that his narrations are classified as weak because all the hadiths that he narratess are one of its kind and no else narrate any hadiths similar to his.
As per the hadith norm which state that the “opinions of criticism about a person is given priority than the in-favor opinions of the narrators” and as Ibn Hibban has stated the reason clearly as to why he was criticized, the correct stance would be to decide based upon this and grade this hadith as weak.This is the argument putforth by second set of scholars.
It’s a fact that we cannot negate the truth contained in the above argument
Eventhough,there is no such hadith reported with the same wordings but there is a hadith found reported by trustworthy narrators.
مسند أحمد بن حنبل (5/ 160)
21458 - حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي ثنا عبد الرحمن وعبد الصمد المعنى قالا ثنا همام عن قتادة قال عبد الصمد ثنا قتادة عن أبي قلابة عن أبي أسماء وقال عبد الصمد الرحبي عن أبي ذر عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم فيما يروى عن ربه عز و جل : إني حرمت على نفسي الظلم وعلى عبادي ألا فلا تظالموا كل بني آدم يخطئ بالليل والنهار ثم يستغفرنى فأغفر له ولا أبالي وقال يا بنى آدم كلكم كان ضالا إلا من هديت وكلكم كان عاريا إلا من كسوت وكلكم كان جائعا إلا من أطعمت وكلكم كان ظمآنا إلا من سقيت فاستهدونى أهدكم واستكسوني أكسكم واستطعموني أطعمكم واستسقوني أسقكم يا عبادي لو أن أولكم وآخركم وجنكم وإنسكم وصغيركم وكبيركم وذكركم وأنثاكم قال عبد الصمد وعسيكم وبينكم على قلب أتقاكم رجلا واحدا لم تزيدوا في ملكي شيئا ولو أن أولكم وآخركم وجنكم وإنسكم وصغيركم وكبيركم وذكركم وأنثاكم على قلب أكفركم رجلا لم تنقصوا من ملكي شيئا إلا كما ينقص رأس المخيط من البحر
تعليق شعيب الأرنؤوط : إسناده صحيح على شرط مسلم رجاله ثقات رجال الشيخين غير أبي أسماء الرحبي - وهو عمرو بن مرثد - فمن رجال مسلم
In a hadith qudsi, The Prophet said :
…... So do not be unjust to each other.Every son of Adam makes mistake during day and night.Then they repent to ME.So, I forgive them.
The above hadith is just a part of a long hadith found in Musnad of Imam ahmad.
Abu dhardha(r ) reports it from the Prophet(p).He is the companion of the prophet(p) , so there is no need to verify him.
Abu asma narrates it from Abu dhardha(r).His real name is Amr bin mirsad.He is trustworthy and his hadith is recorded in Muslim as well.
Abu kilafa narrates it from Abu asma.He is also a trustworthy narrator.
Qatada narrates it from Abu kilafa.As mentioned previously Qatada is trustworthy as well.
Hammam narrates it from Qatada. He is also a trustworthy narrator.
Abdur rahman and Abdus samad narrate from Hammam.Both of them are trustworthy narrators.
Finally the Imam ahmad records it in his musnad via the above mentioned two narrators.
Thus all of the narrators of this hadith are trustworth.
The hadith ‘Every son of Adam makes mistake during day and night ‘ and the hadith “Every son of Adam makes mistakes” are two different hadiths but carry the same meaning.
Even though there is no mention of day and night(in the hadith narrated by tirmidhi and others), the same meaning is contained within the wording “makes mistakes”
So,the difference is only in wordings and not in their meanings.
To conclude, instead of using كل ابن آدم خطاء وخير الخطائين التوابون “Kullu bani aadhama Khattaoon. Wa Khairal Khattaeena tawwaboon” (“Every son of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.”), its not only better to use كل بني آدم يخطئ بالليل والنهار “Kullu bani aadhama ukhthivo billaili van nahari “(“Every son of Adam makes mistakes in day and night”) but we should also restrict ourselves to use only the later rather than the former.
Even though the above hadith may raise to a status of hasan, due to strengthening report, its better to use the Musnad Ahmad’s version of the hadith.
Just like Tirmidhi’s narration of this hadith , Musnad Ahmad’s record of this hadith also substantiate several fundamentals of Islam.
In a hadith qudsi, The Prophet said :
…... So do not be unjust to each other.Every son of Adam makes mistake during day and night.Then they repent to ME.So, I forgive them.
The above hadith is just a part of a long hadith found in Musnad of Imam ahmad.
Abu dhardha(r ) reports it from the Prophet(p).He is the companion of the prophet(p) , so there is no need to verify him.
Abu asma narrates it from Abu dhardha(r).His real name is Amr bin mirsad.He is trustworthy and his hadith is recorded in Muslim as well.
Abu kilafa narrates it from Abu asma.He is also a trustworthy narrator.
Qatada narrates it from Abu kilafa.As mentioned previously Qatada is trustworthy as well.
Hammam narrates it from Qatada. He is also a trustworthy narrator.
Abdur rahman and Abdus samad narrate from Hammam.Both of them are trustworthy narrators.
Finally the Imam ahmad records it in his musnad via the above mentioned two narrators.
Thus all of the narrators of this hadith are trustworth.
The hadith ‘Every son of Adam makes mistake during day and night ‘ and the hadith “Every son of Adam makes mistakes” are two different hadiths but carry the same meaning.
Even though there is no mention of day and night(in the hadith narrated by tirmidhi and others), the same meaning is contained within the wording “makes mistakes”
So,the difference is only in wordings and not in their meanings.
To conclude, instead of using كل ابن آدم خطاء وخير الخطائين التوابون “Kullu bani aadhama Khattaoon. Wa Khairal Khattaeena tawwaboon” (“Every son of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.”), its not only better to use كل بني آدم يخطئ بالليل والنهار “Kullu bani aadhama ukhthivo billaili van nahari “(“Every son of Adam makes mistakes in day and night”) but we should also restrict ourselves to use only the later rather than the former.
Even though the above hadith may raise to a status of hasan, due to strengthening report, its better to use the Musnad Ahmad’s version of the hadith.
Just like Tirmidhi’s narration of this hadith , Musnad Ahmad’s record of this hadith also substantiate several fundamentals of Islam.
26.11.2012. 02:18
