Subtleties
of Isnaad (Lataa’if ul-Isnaad): Part 2
Aalee and
Naazil Isnaad
These two categories of Isnaad have
to do with the number of narrators it takes in a chain to reach the destination
i.e. the Prophet.
The Meaning of Isnaad Aalee:
The word “Aalee” literally means
“Elevated” and it comes from the word “’Uluw” meaning Elevation.
Technically the concept of a chain
of narration having the minimum number of narrators as compared to another is
called “Uluw” and such a chain is called “Aalee” as compared to its opposite
which is called “Naazil”.
Hence, Imaam Muhammad bin Ismaa’eel
as-Sana’aani rahimahullah (D. 1182) said:
"
هو الذي قلت: الوسائط في سنده أو قدم سماع روايته وزمانه "والنازل" وهو
يقابله"
“(Aalee Isnaad) is the one that has the least number of
narrators in its chain or the hearing of its narration and period was earlier,
and Naazil is the opposite of that.”
[Tozeeh ul-Afkaar (2/227)]
Categories of Isnaad Aalee:
“Uluw” is of two types:
1-
Uluw Mutlaq (without a
restriction)
2-
Uluw Nisbi (with a
comparison to another)
If a hadeeth is narrated through
several chains, the chain that has the least number of narrators is called “Aalee
(عالي)”.
And the chain that has the most
number of narrators is called “Naazil (نازل)”.
And the chains that have equal
number of narrators are called “Musaawee (مساوي)”.
1- Uluw Mutlaq:
If an un-interrupted chain reaches
up to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) with the least number of
narrators, it is called “Uluw Mutlaq” or “Absolute Elevation”.
Haafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani
rahimahullah (D. 852) said:
"
فإن قل عدده – أي عدد رجال السند' فإن ينتهي إلى النبي بذلك العدد القليل بالنسبة
إلى سند آخر' فهذا هو العلو المطلق"
“If its number – i.e. the number of the narrators in the
chain – is less, and it reaches the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) with
that less number of narrators as compared to another chain, then this is Uluw
Mutlaq”
[Nazhat un-Nazar fee Tozeeh Nukhbat
al-Fikr (1/146), Rephrased]
In other words, Aalee Mutlaq Isnaad
has to do with the closeness of the author to the Prophet. This is the best
category of Uluw because the less the number of men between the author and the
Prophet, the more the reliable it becomes (with the condition that the
narrators are Thiqaat).
Example:
So if ((Imaam
Maalik)) narrates a hadeeth from ((Naafi’))
– from – ((Ibn Umar radiallah anhu))
– from – ((The Prophet))
And ((Imaam
Bukhaari)) narrates the same hadeeth from ((Humaydee)) – from – ((Sufyaan))
– from – ((Ibraaheem)) – from – ((Alqamah)) – from – ((Umar radiallah anhu))
– from – ((The Prophet))
The chain of Imaam Maalik is A’laa
(loftier) than the chain of Imaam Bukhaari in its closeness to the Prophet (sallallaahu
alayhi wasallam). Hence this is the example of Uluw Mutlaq.
Similarly the Thulaathiyaat of the
authors of Sihaah Sittah and Imaam Ahmed (the chains having only three
narrators between the author and the Prophet) are also examples of Uluw Mutlaq
as long as they do not have an even shorter chain in comparison.
2-
Uluw
Nisbi:
“Uluw Nisbi” or “Relational
Elevation” refers to the less number of narrators from the one
narrating to a specific Imaam or author of the field such as A’mash, or Zuhri,
or Ibn Jurayj or Maalik etc, no matter if the number of narrators after that
Imaam to the Prophet is large.
Hence, Haafidh Ibn Hajar
al-Asqalaani rahimahullah (D. 852) said:
"
العلو النسبي، وهو ما يقل العدد فيه إلى ذلك الإمام، ولو كان العدد من ذلك الإمام
إلى منتهاه كثيرا"
“Uluw Nisbi is the one that has the less number of narrators in it up until
that specific Imaam, even if the number of narrators after that Imaam until the
end is more.”
[Nazhat un-Nazar (1/147)]
Hence as compared to the closeness
to the Prophet, this category has to do with the closeness of a chain to a
specific authority.
Types of Uluw Nisbi:
Uluw Nisbi is of four types:
1- Uluw in relation to a specific Imaam
2- Uluw in relation to the transmission of one or both of the
Saheehayn, or the other famous authoritative books.
3- Uluw in relation to early death.
4- Uluw in relation to early audition (samaa).
1- Uluw in relation to a specific Imaam:
It refers to the closeness or proximity of the narrator to a
specific Imaam of the field such as Bukhaari, Muslim, Zuhri, or Maalik etc even
if it is not Aalee in relation to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
For
example, Imaam Bayhaqi narrates a chain in which there are four narrators
between him and Imaam Bukhaari. And in another chain, he has three narrators
between him and Imaam Bukhaari. So the chain that has three narrators as
compared to the four is an example of an Aalee chain in relation to Imaam
Bukhaari (Aalee Nisbi) even though the number of narrators after Imaam Bukhaari
up to the Prophet may be large.
2-
Uluw
in relation to the transmission of one or both of the Saheehayn, or the other
famous authoritative books:
Some of the titles for this type of Uluw used by some later
Muhadditheen are:
1. Muwaafqah
2. Badal
3. Musaawaat
4. Musaafahah
Later
transmitters of hadeeth have come to pay a good deal of attention to this type
of Uluw. Some of those who are found mentioning this type of Uluw in their
remarks are the expert Abu Bakr al-Khateeb, some of his teachers, Abu Nasr Ibn
Maakoola, Abu Abdullah al-Humaydee, and others of their generation as well as
those who came after them.
1- Muwaafqah
(Agreement/Accordance)
Muwaafqah is to
narrate a chain through the route of the Shaykh of one of the authors (of the
book of hadeeth) through other than the route of the author himself.
For example:
((Imaam Bukhaari)) narrates from – ((Qutaybah bin Sa’eed)) – from ((Maalik)) – from – ((Az-Zuhri))
– from – ((Ibn al-Musayyab)) – from – ((Abu Hurayrah)) – from – ((The
Prophet Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam))
So
if anyone from the Muhadditheen who came after the era of Imaam Bukhaari, take
for example, Imaam Bayhaqi were to narrate the same hadeeth through the route
of Imaam Bukhaari and finds that between him and the Shaykh of Bukhaari i.e.
Qutaybah, there are four narrators.
Then
he wishes to narrate the same hadeeth through other than the route of Bukhaari
to make his Isnaad Aalee and decrease the number of narrators between him and
Qutaybah, so he finds that there are three narrators between him and
Qutaybah, so this would be called “Muwaafqah (accordance)” because he
accorded with Bukhaari in the narration of hadeeth from his Shaykh with Uluw in
Isnaad.
[See, Sharh al-Nukhbah by Ibn Hajar (1/79)]
In
simpler words, if Bayhaqi had narrated the hadeeth from the Shaykh of Bukhaari
i.e. Qutaybah through the route of Bukhaari, it would have taken him four
narrators to reach Qutaybah, but when he narrated from other than Bukhaari, it
took him only three narrators to reach Qutaybah. So Muwaafqah has to do with
closeness to the Shaykh of a specific Imaam through another route
than the Imaam as compared to the route through the Imaam.
2- Badal
(Substitution):
Badal is to
narrate a chain from the Shaykh of the Shaykh of the author through other than
the route of the author and his Shaykh.
Its example is
similar to what is shown previously. So if in the previous example, Imaam
Bayhaqi, while securing the Uluw of Isnaad, were to narrate that hadeeth from
the Shaykh of Qutaybah i.e. Maalik through other than the route of Qutaybah
let’s say for example, Muhammad bin Bashshaar narrating from Maalik. This would
be termed: Badal.
3- Musaawaat (Equivalence):
Musaawaat means
that the author of a book narrated a hadeeth with a specific chain. Another
person from a later era comes and narrates the same hadeeth through another
chain and both the chains have equal number of narrators.
Its
example, as Ibn Hajar explains, would be: if, let’ say Imaam Nasaa’ee for
example, narrates a hadeeth in which there are 11 narrators between him and the
Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), and the same hadeeth has reached us
(i.e. Ibn Hajar) with another chain up to the Prophet in which there are 11
narrators between us and the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), hence we
have equalized with or have come on an equal foot with Imaam Nasaa’ee with
respect to the number of narrators even though his chain may be totally
different than us.
Imaam Nasaa’ee has
narrated a hadeeth in the virtue of “Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad” which states that
“Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad is a third of Qur’aan”. Imaam Nasaa’ee has narrated this
hadeeth with a chain that has 10 narrators in it. This hadeeth is
called “Al-Hadeeth al-‘Ashaari” and this is the longest chain in
the entire Sihaah Sittah. Imaam Nasaa’ee says about this chain:
"ما أعرف اسنادا اطول من هذا"
“I do not know of a lengthier chain than this.”
[Sunan Nasaa’ee (H. 996)]
Allaamah Ibn as-Salaah rahimahullah
(D. 643) said:
“Musaawaat in our times, is when
the number of intermediaries in your Isnaad is fewer, not just to the teacher
of Muslim and his peers nor to the teacher of his teacher, but rather to
someone more remote than that, like the companion or someone near him – and
this may even be to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) – so
that the number of intermediaries between you and the Companion for instance,
is the same as the number between Imaam Muslim and the companion of his chain.
So you are, therefore, ‘equal (musaawiyan)’ to, for instance, Muslim in regard
to proximity of Isnaad and the number of transmitters in the Isnaad.”
[Muqaddimah Ibn as-Salaah (1/259)
English Trans. (P. 185)]
4-Musaafahah (Hand-Shaking):
Ibn
Hajar rahimahullah (D. 852) defines this as:
“Having a Musaawaat
(equivalence) with the student of the author of a specific book”
[Sharh Nukhbat al-Fikr (1/79)]
A more detailed
definition that also explains the reason behind this name is given by Allaamah
Ibn as-Salaah rahimahullah (D. 643) who said:
“Musaafahah is when the
‘Musaawaat (equivalence)’ (with the author) we described above belongs to your
teacher rather than to you. So you have ‘Musaafahah (Hand-Shaking)’ because it
is as if you had in that hadeeth ‘met’ Muslim and ‘shook hands with him’
through it, on account of your having met your teacher who is ‘equal’ to
Muslim. If the ‘Musaawaat (equivalence)’ belongs to the teacher of your
teacher, the hand-shaking (Musaafahah) goes to your teacher. So you can say,
‘It is as if my teacher heard Muslim and shook his hand.’ If the ‘Musaawaat
(equivalence)’ belongs to the teacher of your teacher’s teacher, then you can
say regarding it, ‘It is as if the teacher of my teacher heard Muslim and shook
his hand.’ It is better that you do not mention any connection to yourself for
that, but rather say, ‘It is as if X heard it from Muslim,’ without saying for
it, ‘My Teacher’ or ‘The teacher of my teacher.’”
[Muqaddimah Ibn as-Salaah (P. 259)]
Ibn
as-Salaah further writes:
“Be aware that this type of Uluw
(elevation) is an Uluw dependent on Nuzool (lowness), since if it were not for
the Nuzool (lowness) of that Imaam in his Isnaad, you would not have achieved
Uluw (elevation) in your Isnaad. In Marw (a place), I had recited to our
prolific teacher Abu al-Muzaffar Abdur Raheem – the son of the author Abu Sa’d
as-Sama’aani (may Allaah have mercy upon both of them) – from the collection of
Forty Hadeeth of Abu al-Barakaat al-Furaawi, a hadeeth regarding which Furaawi
claimed that it was as if he himself – or his teacher – had heard it from
Bukhaari. The teacher Abu al-Muzaffar said, ‘It is not elevated in relation to
you, rather it is low (Naazil) in relation to Bukhaari’. This is a good and
clever response which takes this type of Uluw down a notch, and Allaah knows
best.”
[Muqaddimah Ibn as-Salaah (P. 260)]
3-
Uluw
in relation to early death:
One of the types
of Uluw is the Uluw derived from a transmitter dying early if the number of
narrators in both chains is equal (i.e. the chains are Musaawee).
Imaam Ibn
as-Salaah said:
“One of the types of Uluw is the
Uluw derived from a transmitter dying early. An illustration of this is a
hadeeth I relate from a teacher who informed me from someone else from the
expert Bayhaqi from the expert Abu Abdullah al-Haakim. It is more elevated than
my relation of that same hadeeth from a teacher who informed me from someone
from Abu Bakr bin Khalf from al-Haakim, despite both Isnaads having the same
number of intermediaries, because Bayhaqi died before Ibn Khalf. Bayhaqi died
in 458 AH [1066 AD] and Ibn Khalf died in 487 AH [1094 AD]… This is a
discussion of Uluw based on priority of death derived from the comparison of
one teacher with another and the measuring of one against another.”
[Muqaddimah
Ibn as-Salaah (P. 261)]
4- Uluw in relation to early audition (samaa’):
Another form of Uluw is derived from earliness of the audition
(samaa) of a hadeeth.
Imaam Ibn
as-Salaah said:
“We were informed from the expert
Muhammad bin Naasir that the expert Muhammad bin Taahir said, ‘Priority of
audition (samaa) is part of Uluw (elevation).’ Much of this comes under the
previously mentioned category, but there are some aspects that do not and
indeed they distinguish it. For instance, two people hear a hadeeth from a
single teacher. The audition (samaa) of one of them was, let us say, sixty years
ago, and the audition of the other forty years ago. When the isnaads up to the
two people contain the same number of transmitters, the isnaad to the first –
the one whose audition was earlier – is more elevated (Aalee).”
[Muqaddimah
Ibn as-Salaah (P. 262)]
These are the types of Uluw fully
explained and satisfactorily clarified. All praise belongs to Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta’ala).
The Benefits of Isnaad Aalee:
# 1 – Seeking an Aalee Isnaad
is the Sunnah of Salaf
Travelling to seek the hadeeth is
the sunnah of those whom Allaah chose to protect the second basic source of
this religion, the explainer of the Book of the Lord of Aalameen, the Hadeeth.
In fact the Scholars used to criticize the narrator who restricted his samaa of
hadeeth to his country and did not travel.
Imaam Harb bin Ismaa’eel said:
" سئل أحمد (يعني ابن حنبل) عن الرجل
يطلب الإسناد العالي؟ قال: "طلب الإسناد العالي سنة عمن سلف؛ لأن أصحاب عبد
الله كانوا يرحلون من الكوفة إلى المدينة، فيتعلمون من عمر ويسمعون منه"
“I asked (Imaam) Ahmed bin Hanbal about a man who seeks
Isnaad Aalee? He replied: ‘Seeking an Aalee Isnaad is the sunnah of those who
passed before, for indeed the companions of Abdullah (bin Mas’ood radiallah
anhu) used to travel from Koofah all the way to Madeenah to learn and hear from
Umar’”
[Al-Jaami by al-Khateeb (# 117) from
the Kitaab al-Ilal of Al-Khallaal]
The famous Taabi’ee, Imaam Abu al-Aaliyah
ar-Riyaahi said:
“كنا نسمع الرواية عن أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بالبصرة،
فلم نرض حتى ركبنا إلى المدينة، فسمعناها من أفواهم”
“We used to hear a narration from the Companions of
Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) in Basrah (through the Taabi’een),
and we would not have satisfied until we travelled to Madeenah and heard the
narration from the very mouths of the Companions themselves.”
[Al-Jaami by al-Khateeb (# 1684),
Chain Saheeh]
Ibn as-Salaah narrates that Imaam
Yahya bin Ma’een was asked at his death bed, “What do you desire?” He replied:
" بيت خالي، وإسناد عالي "
“An empty house and an Aalee (elevated) isnaad.”
[Muqaddimah Ibn as-Salaah (P. 256)]
# 2 – Aalee isnaad is the
means of closeness to the Prophet
The ascetic and scholar Muhammad
bin Aslam at-Toosi (D. 242) rahimahullah said:
" قرب الإسناد قرب أو قربة إلى الله عز
وجل "
“Proximity in the Isnaad is proximity” or “a means to
gain proximity to Allaah (the exalted and great)”
[Muqaddimah Ibn as-Salaah (P. 257)]
Imaam Ibn as-Salaah said after the saying
of At-Toosi:
" وهذا كما قال ; لأن قرب الإسناد قرب
إلى رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم -، والقرب إليه قرب إلى الله عز وجل "
“It is as he said, because proximity in the Isnaad is
proximity to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and
proximity to him is proximity to Allaah (the exalted and great).”
[Ibid]
# 3 – A (Saheeh) Isnaad Aalee
is far from defectiveness
Ibn as-Salaah said:
"العلو يبعد الإسناد من الخلل، لأن كل
رجل من رجاله يحتمل أن يقع الخلل من جهته سهوا، أو عمدا، ففي قلتهم قلة جهات
الخلل، وفي كثرتهم كثرة جهات الخلل، وهذا جلي واضح"
“Uluw keeps defectiveness away from the Isnaad, because
it is possible for defectiveness to come, either mistakenly or deliberately,
from every transmitter in the Isnaad. Therefore, a small number of transmitters
represent a small number of sources of defectiveness and a large number of men represent
a large number of sources of defectiveness. This much is patently clear.”
[Muqaddimah (P. 256)]
The Meaning of Isnaad Naazil:
The word “Naazil” literally means
“Lowered” and it comes from the word “Nuzool” meaning “Lowness”.
In Istalaah, it is
the opposite of Isnaad Aalee. Each of the subcategories of Uluw has, as its
opposite, a subcategory of Nuzool. There are, therefore, five subcategories of
Nuzool and a detailed understanding of these may be derived from the classification
of the subcategories of Uluw given above.
When is an Isnaad Naazil
given precedence over Isnaad Aalee?
Nuzool (lowness) is known by its
opposition so whenever Uluw gets known, the Nuzool is what opposes it. And
although having an Aalee isnaad is better but it is not always given
precedence. A Saheeh Naazil isnaad is given precedence to an Aalee isnaad when
the Aalee isnaad is not found to be secure from criticism of some of its
narrators, or disconnection, or tadlees or any other weakness.
Imaam Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak
rahimahullah (D. 181) said:
" بعد الإسناد أحب إلي إذا كانوا ثقات؛
لأنهم قد تربصوا به، وحديث بعيد الإسناد صحيح، خير من قريب الإسناد سقيم "
“Farness of Isnaad (or having a lengthy Isnaad) is more
beloved to us when its narrators are all reliable…. And a Saheeh hadeeth that
has a lengthy isnaad is better than a shorter isnaad that is weak”
[Al-Jarh wal Ta’deel by Ibn Abi
Haatim (1/1/25), Chain Saheeh]
And it is narrated from Ubaydullah
bin Amr ar-Raqi rahimahullah (D. 180) (Thiqah), when the proximity of isnaad
was mentioned to him, he said:
“حديث بعيد الإسناد صحيح، خير من حديث قريب الإسناد سقيم”
“An Authentic hadeeth having lengthy isnaad is better
than a Weak hadeeth having a shorter Isnaad”
[Al-Jarh wal Ta’deel (1/1/24) &
Al-Jaami by al-Khateeb (# 123), Chain Saheeh]
Similarly, Imaam Ibn Daqeeq ul-Eed
rahimahullah (D. 702) said:
" ولا أعلم وجهاً جيداً لترجيح العلو
إلا أنه أقرب إلى صحة وقلة الخطأ "
“I do not know of a stronger reason of giving precedence
to an Aalee isnaad except if it is closer to authenticity and fewer in mistake”
And he said:
" فإن كان النزول فيه إتقان، والعلو
بضده، فلا تردد في أن النزول أولى "
“So if the Naazil isnaad is proficient and Aalee isnaad is on the contrary,
then there is no dispute that the Naazil isnaad is better.”
[Al-Iqtiraah (P. 302)]
And Imaam Dhahabi (D. 748) said:
"متي رأيت المحدث يفرح بعوالي هولاء
فاعلم أنه عامي"
“When you see a Muhaddith getting happy upon the Aalee isnaads of these
(Weak and Liar narrators) then be aware that he is an ignorant”
[Tadreeb ar-Raawi by Suyooti (P. 184)]
Related Books on this topic:
No books have been written merely
on the mention of Aalee Isnaad but there are some booklets written on some specific
aspects such as:
1- Wahdaaniyaat:
Those narrations which despite the farness in the era
were narrated through merely one narrator such as “Al-Wahdaaniyyaat of
Abu Haneefah” which is compiled by Abu Ma’shar Abdul Kareem bin
Abdus-Samad at-Tabari al-Muqri ash-Shaafi’ee. However, all its chains are Weak
and unacceptable and the confirmed fact is that Imaam Abu Haneefah did not
narrate from any Sahaabi.
2- Thanaaiyaat:
Those narrations which despite the farness in the era
were narrated from the Prophet with only two narrators such as “Awaalee
Maalik” compiled by Imaam Haakim and then by Haafidh Ibn Asaakir, in
which they have compiled such narrations of Imaam Maalik. Even in his Muwatta
itself, there are many Thanaaiyaat.
3- Thulaathiyaat:
Those narrations which despite the farness in era were
narrated by an author with only three narrator between him and the Prophet,
such as the “Thulaathiyaat of Imaam Bukhaari” – there are total of 22
Thulaathiyaat of Imaam Bukhaari in his Saheeh out of which 11 are narrated from
Makki bin Ibraaheem, 6 are narrated from Abu Aasim al-Nabeel, 3 are narrated from
Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Ansaari, 1 is narrated from Assaam bin Khaalid al-Himsi,
and 1 is narrated from Khallaad bin Yahya al-Koofi.
There is also “Thulaathiyaat of Imaam Ahmed” – there
are total of 332 Thulaathiyaat of Imaam Ahmed in his Musnad. And they have recently
been published separately in English by Darussalam.
In Sunan Tirmidhi there is only one Thulaathi hadeeth.
While Ibn Maajah has five Thulaathiyaat all of which are
narrated through one narrator who is weak.
And the remaining books of Sihaah Sittah do not have any
Thulaathiyaat.
4-Rubaa’iyaat:
Those narrations which despite the farness in era were
narrated through four narrators, such as the Rubaa’iyaat of Sihaah Sittah, or “Rubaa’iyaat
of Imaam Shaafi’ee” compiled by Imaam Abu al-Hasan ad-Daaraqutni, and
similarly, “Rubaa’iyaat of Imaam Nasaa’ee”.
And the list goes on.
This is all we have to say on this
topic, and Allaah knows best.
Summary:
Raza Hassan
