Hadeeth, “There will come upon you worst of rulers… so do not be an officer, or a policeman, or a tax-collector, or a treasurer with them”

Question:

Narrated Abu Saeed and Abu Hurairah: The Prophet PBUH said: "There will come upon you rulers who will bring the worst of people near to them, and they will delay the prayer from its prescribed times, so whoever of you realizes that, let him not be an officer, or a policeman, or a (tax) collector, or a treasurer with them."

Majma Zawaid 9225, Al Haythami said narrators are Sahih, except AbdurRahman bin Masud and who is trustworthy.

Ibn Hibban, 4586, Hasan by Albani also Silsilah Sahiha 360 and Sahih Targheeb 790, Hasan Lighairih by Albani.

Al Aranout “Isnaad Daeef, AbdurRahman bin Masud who is Al Yashkari, no one call him trustworthy except author (i.e. Ibn Hibban)

Is this hadith a daeef or Hasan ? What is the status of Abdur rahman bin Masud Al Yashkari

JazakAllah khair... 

Answer:

Assalaam-o-Alaykum wa Rehmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh

Praise be to Allaah,

Imaam Abu Haatim Ibn Hibbaan al-Busti (D. 354) rahimahullah said:

" أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ، عَنْ رَقَبَةَ بْنِ مَصْقَلَةَ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ إِيَاسٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَا: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: "لَيَأْتِيَنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَرَاءُ يُقَرِّبُونَ شِرَارَ النَّاسِ، وَيُؤَخِّرُونَ الصَّلَاةَ عَنْ مَوَاقِيتِهَا، فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ، فَلَا يَكُونَنَّ عَرِيفًا وَلَا شُرْطِيًا ولا جابيا ولا خازنا""

“Ahmed bin Ali bin al-Muthanna informed us, he said: Ishaaq bin Ibraaheem al-Marwazi narrated to us, he said: Jareer bin Abdul Hameed informed us, from Raqabah bin Masqalah, from Ja’far bin Iyaas, from Abdur Rahmaan bin Mas’ood, from Abu Sa’eed and Abu Hurayrah (radiallah anhum) they both said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: ‘There will come upon you rulers who will bring the worst of people near to them, and they will delay the prayer from its prescribed times, so whoever of you realizes that, let him not be an officer, or a policeman, or a (tax) collector, or a treasurer with them’”

[Saheeh al-Imaam Ibn Hibbaan (7/28 H. 4567 with Ta’leeqaat al-Hisaan and according to the Edition of Al-Arana’oot H. 4586)]

It is also narrated by Imaam Abu Ya’la al-Mawsali in his Musnad (2/362 H. 1115 Ed. Husayn Saleem Asad & H. 1110 according to the Edition of Shaykh Irshaad ul-Haqq) from Ishaaq bin Ibraaheem.

This chain is weak because Abdur Rahmaan bin Mas’ood al-Yashkuri is Majhool ul-Haal as we have already explained in one of our articles at Asmaa-ur-Rijaal here.

So what appears is that Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arana’oot is correct in this dispute between Muhaddith ul-Asr Shaykh Albaani and him. And this hadeeth is thus, weak.

Shaykh Albaani has also mentioned a supporting narration with this narration in his Silsilah as-Saheehah (360) but that shaahid is severely weak and is not suitable and strong enough to strengthen this narration. The narration he mentions is as follows:

Imaam Abu al-Qaasim at-Tabaraani (D. 360) rahimahullah narrates:

" حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الثَّقَفِيُّ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ الرَّيَّانِ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ أُمَرَاءُ ظَلَمَةٌ , وَوُزَرَاءُ فَسَقَةٌ , وَقُضَاةٌ خَوَنَةٌ , وَفُقَهَاءُ كَذَبَةٌ , فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ مِنْكُمْ ذَلِكَ الزَّمَنَ فَلَا يَكُونَنَّ لَهُمْ جَابِيًا وَلَا عَرِيفًا وَلَا شُرْطِيًّا» "

“Ali bin Muhammad ath-Thaqafi al-Baghdaadi narrated to us, Mu’aawiyah bin al-Haytham bin ar-Rayyaan al-Khurasaani narrated to us, Dawood bin Sulemaan al-Khurasaani narrated to us, Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak narrated to us, from Sa’eed bin Abi Aroobah, from Qataadah, from Sa’eed bin al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayrah (radiallah anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: ‘At the end of time there will be tyrant rulers, Faasiq Governors, disloyal Judges, and liar fuqahaa, so whoever among you witnesses that period, he should not become a (tax) collector, nor an officer, nor a police man to them’”

[Mu’jam al-Awsat (1/340 H. 564)]

This chain is severely weak due to the following reasons:

1-    Ali bin Muhammad ath-Thaqafi is Majhool.

2-    Mu’aawiyah bin al-Haytham is also Majhool.

3-    Sa’eed bin Abi Aroobah is a Mudallis and is narrating with AN.

4-    Qataadah bin Di’aamah is also a Mudallis and is narrating with AN.

Therefore, it is severely weak and cannot strengthen the narration under discussion.

Note: Dawood bin Sulemaan is not weak but reliable!

This narration also has another shaahid from the Mawqoof narration of Abdullah bin Mas’ood which is as follows.

Imaam Abdur Razzaaq bin Hammaam as-Sana’aani (D. 211) rahimahullah narrates:

" عَنِ الثَّوْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي حُصَيْنٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ مَهْدِيٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: كَيْفَ أَنْتَ يَا مَهْدِيُّ إِذَا ظُهِرَ بِخِيَارِكُمْ، وَاسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَحْدَاثُكُمْ، وَصُلِّيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ لِغَيْرِ مِيقَاتِهَا؟ قَالَ: قُلْتُ: لَا أَدْرِي قَالَ: «لَا تَكُنْ جَابِيًا، وَلَا عَرِيفًا، وَلَا شُرَطِيًّا، وَلَا بَرِيدًا، وَصَلِّ الصَّلَاةَ لِوَقْتِهَا» "

“From ath-Thawree, from Abu Husayn, from ash-Sha’bee, from Mahdi, he said that Ibn Mas’ood (radiallah anhu) said: How would you be O Mahdi when the best of you people will be held back and you will be ruled by young and evil people, and prayers will not be prayed on their due time? I said: ‘I don’t know.’ He replied: ‘Do not be a (tax) collector, nor an officer, nor a police-man nor postman and continue praying Salaah on its time.’”

[Musannaf Abdur Razzaaq (3789) and from him narrated Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer (9/299 H. 9498)]

This chain is at least Hasan except that Ath-Thawree who is a Mudallis has narrated it with AN. Some people have weakened this narration saying that “Mahdi” in the chain is Majhool. However, the one narrating from Mahdi is Imaam Aamir bin Sharaaheel ash-Sha’bee and when he narrates from a person then he does not remain a Majhool.

Imaam Ibn Abi Khaythamah has mentioned in his Taareekh:

" سمعت يحيى بن معين يقول: إذا حدث الشعبي عن رجل فسماه فهو ثقة يحتج بحديثه"

“I heard Yahya bin Ma’een saying: When Sha’bee narrates from a person and he names him then he is Thiqah and evidence is taken from him”

[With reference from Al-Zarkashi’s Al-Nukat Ala Muqaddimah Ibn as-Salaah (3/372)]

Similarly, Imaam Ya’qoob bin Shaybah said:

" « قلت ليحيى بن معين:متى يكون الرجل معروفاً ؟ إذا روى عنه كم ؟ قال:إذا روى عن الرجل مثل ابن سيرين والشعبي وهؤلاء أهل العلم فهو غير مجهول. قلت: فإذا روى عن الرجل مثل سماك بن حرب وأبي اسحاق ؟ قال:هؤلاء يروون عن مجهولين » "

“I asked Yahya bin Ma’een when is a narrator known? When how many narrators narrate from him? He replied: ‘When men like Ibn Sireen, Sha’bee and such people of knowledge (of narrators) narrate from him then he is not Majhool’ I asked: What when men like Simaak bin Harb and Abu Ishaaq narrate from a person? He replied: ‘These people narrate from Majhool narrators (meaning, they take from everyone and did not stipulate a condition for narrating only from the reliable ones)’”

[Sharh Ilal al-Kabeer by Ibn Rajab (1/377)]

So this narration is only slightly weak, not to also forget the fact that this is only a Mawqoof narration so being lenient on it is permissible!

Even if it is proven, this is only a saying of Abdullah bin Mas’ood (radiallah anhu) and it cannot be attributed to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).

In short, the Marfoo narrations on this topic are narrated from two routes:

1-    One of them is slightly weak due to Al-Yashkuri.

2-    The second one is severely weak and cannot support the narration of al-Yashkuri so it remains weak.

On the contrary, similar wording is narrated from Abdullah bin Mas’ood as Mawqoof, meaning, as his personal saying only and it cannot be attributed to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).

And Allaah knows best