Subtleties of Isnaad (Lataa’if
ul-Isnaad): Part 1
Musalsal Isnaad
Meaning of Musalsal Linguistically and
Technically
Linguistically, “Musalsal”
refers to the connection of one thing with another i.e. bound together with a
Silsilah or link, i.e. inter-linked, sequential, or serial. Such as a train or
rings of iron joined together to make a chain
Technically, a Musalsal (uniformly-linked
or continuous) isnaad is one in which all the reporters use the same mode of
transmission or in other words, all of them while narrating a chain, share a
common description (Siffah) or condition (Haal) whether it be in each of its
narrator or narration, or whether its entire chain is narrated upon a single
description or condition at all its levels.
The meaning of continuous or a
common mode is that a narrator shares a common Description (Siffah) or
Condition (Haal) with the remaining narrators of the chain.
The difference between
Description (Siffah) and Condition (Haal) is that Description (Siffah) is what
necessitates a human or is a part of him at all times and conditions just as
how we say about a person that he is a Haafidh, or he is a Qaari, or he is an
Imaam and other similar descriptions that describe or necessitate a human. And
similarly, we also say that a Hadeeth is Musalsal (continuous) with Huffaadh,
or Thiqaat, or Qudaat, and so on i.e. all the narrators in its chain are
Huffaadh, or Thiqaat (Reliable), or Qudaat (Judges).
As for the Condition (Haal) then
it is what a human achieves on a temporary basis and it does not necessarily
necessitate his personality. Hence, Love and Hate are among the conditions of a
human and similarly the entwining of fingers is a condition like other
temporary conditions.
And with that “Tasalsul (continuity
i.e. of the chain)” is divided into two categories, which are: (1) Succession
or Continuity of Condition (Haal) and (2) Continuity of Description (Wasf).
Categories of Tasalsul:
First: Sharing of a common Condition (Haal):
It means that the condition of
the narrator of the hadeeth while narrating the hadeeth was the same as that of
his Teacher (whom it took it from) and likewise, the condition of that teacher
while narrating the hadeeth was the same as that of his teacher until the end
of the chain.
And it has three subdivisions:
1- Sharing a common word while narrating: which means that
all the narrators from the beginning of the chain to the end share a common
word while narrating the hadeeth such as the following Hadeeth.
Imaam Ibn Abi
ad-Dunya narrates in Kitaab ash-Shukr (1/39 H. 109):
“حدثنا الجروي، حدثني
عمرو بن أبي سلمة، ثنا أبو عبيدة الحكم بن عبدة، ثنا حيوة بن شريح، عن عقبة بن
مسلم، عن أبي عبد الرحمن الحبلي، عن الصنابحي، عن معاذ، قال: قال لي النبي: "
إني أحبك، فقل: اللهم أعني على ذكرك، وشكرك، وحسن عبادتك "، قال الصنابحي:
قال لي معاذ: إني أحبك، فقل هذا الدعاء، قال أبو عبد الرحمن: وأنا أحبك فقل، قال
حيوة: قال لي عقبة: وأنا أحبك فقل، قال أبو عبيدة: قال لي حيوة: وأنا أحبك فقل،
قال لي عمرو: قال لي أبوعبدة: وأنا أحبك فقل، فقال لي حسن يعني الجروي: وأنا أحبك
فقل”
“(Al-Jarawi) narrated to us, who narrated from (Amr
bin Abi Salamah), who narrated from (Abu Ubaydah al-Hakam bin Abdah),
who narrated from (Haywah bin Shurayh), from (Uqbah bin Muslim),
from (Abu Abdur Rahmaan al-Hubuli), from (As-Sunaabihi), from (Mu’aadh)
(radiallah anhu) who said that (the Prophet) (sallallaahu alayhi
wasallam) told me: ‘Indeed I love you, so say: O
Allaah help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an
excellent manner.’
(As-Sunaabihi) said that (while narrating
this narration), (Mu’aadh) told me: ‘Indeed I love you, so say this Du’aa.’
(Abu Abdur Rahmaan) said (while narrating
this narration), ‘Indeed I love you, so say…’
(Haywah) said that (Uqbah) told me, ‘Indeed
I love you, so say…’
(Abu Ubaydah) said that (Haywah) told
me, ‘Indeed I love you, so say…’
(Amr) said that (Abu Ubaydah) told
me, ‘Indeed I love you, so say…’
Similarly, (the author of the book said) (Hasan
Al-Jarawi) told me, ‘Indeed I love you, so say…’”
So this entire
chain is continuous (Musalsal) with each narrator saying the words while
narrating it to their students, “Indeed I love you, so say…” copying the exact method
and words of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
2- Sharing a common act or gesture while narrating: which
means that all the narrators from the beginning of the chain to the end share a
specific act or gesture in common while narrating the hadeeth such as Musalsal
Bi’t Tashbeek (Each narrator interlocking his finger while narrating it to the
next narrator) and Musalsal Bil Musaafahah (Each narrator shaking hands with
the next while narrating).
3- Sharing a common gesture as well as word while narrating: which
means that all the narrators at all levels of the chain agree upon a common
gesture along with a common word while narrating the hadeeth, such as the hadeeth
in which each narrator grasps his beard while narrating and says the words, “I
believe in the Qadr”.
Second: Sharing of a common Description or
Trait (Siffah):
It refers to all the narrators
of a chain sharing a common trait and it has two subdivisions:
1- Sharing of a common description of the Narrator: which
refers to the Tasalsul in the chain that comes under the characteristic or
trait of a narrator. The traits of a narrator are divided into verbal traits (Sifaat
Qawliyyah) and practical traits (Sifaat Fi’liyyah).
Thus sharing a
common verbal trait of the narrators would mean that all the narrators agree
upon the verbal trait of the narrator that relates to the narrator, such as
their agreement upon narrating the most authentic of narration like the
Musalsal Hadeeth of recitation of Surah Saff.
As for the
agreement upon the practical traits of the narrators that it is when all the narrators
of the chain from beginning to the end share a common description such has
Hifdh (Memorization), Itqaan (Mastery), and others. Like the hadeeth of
Musalsal bil Huffaadh (The chain of which contains all the Haafidh narrators),
and Musalsal bil Fuqaha (The chain of which contains all the Faqeeh narrators),
and Musalsal bil Basriyyeen (The chain of which contains all the Basri
narrators) etc.
2- Sharing of a common description of the way the hadeeth is
related, such as:
-
The expression of
narration: such as all the narrators agreeing upon narrating with the
expression “Haddathana (He narrated to us)” or “Akhbarna (He informed us)”, or
other forms of narrating.
-
The period of narration:
such as all the narrators agreeing upon the narration of a hadeeth at a
specific time or day.
-
The date of narration:
such as all the narrators agreeing upon mentioning the date the narration was
related, such as the first hadeeth he heard from his Shaykh, or that each narrator
was the last one to hear that hadeeth from his teacher, like Musalsal Bil
Awwaliyya and Musalsal bil Aakhariyyah.
Nature of Musalsal Asaaneed:
With regard to their continuity,
Musalsal Asaaneed are divided into two forms:
First: al-Musalsalaat at-Taammah (Completely
Continuous)
It is a Musalsal Isnaad which is
continuous from the beginning of the chain until the end and this is what most
of the Musalsal narrations are comprised of.
In the illustrations above some
examples of Musalsal Taammah have been mentioned but among them there are some
about which there is dispute whether their continuity is complete (Taammah) or
there is a disconnection in it?
Second: al-Musalsalaat al-Naaqisah (not fully
continuous)
The default in Musalsal Asaaneed
is that they are completely continuous from the beginning of the chain until
the end. However sometimes, a disconnection occurs in the continuity of the
isnaad at some levels of the chain either at its beginning or at the end. This
is called “Musalsal al-Naaqis”.
For example the Musalsal Bil
Awwaliyyah (The narration which is the very first narration each of its
narrators heard from his Shaykh in the beginning of his career in narrating).
The chain of this Isnaad goes as
follows, Imaam Abu Taahir as-Salafi narrates:
(Ja’far bin Ahmad as-Siraaj) narrated
to us and it was the first hadeeth that I heard, he said: (Abu Nasr as-Sijzi)
narrated to us and it was the first hadeeth that I heard, he said: (Abu
Ya’la Hamzah bin Abdul Azeez) narrated to, and it was the first hadeeth I
heard from him, he said: (Abu Haamid al-Neesaaboori) narrated to us, and
it was the first hadeeth I heard, he said: (Abdur Rahmaan bin Bishr al-Abdi)
narrated to us, and it was the first hadeeth I heard, he said: (Sufyaan bin
Uyaynah) narrated to us, and it was the first hadeeth I heard from Sufyaan,
he narrates from (Amr bin Deenaar), from (Abu Qaaboos), from (Abdullah
bin Amr bin al-Aas), who said that the (Prophet) (sallallaahu alayhi
wasallam) said: “If you show mercy to those who
are on the earth, He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you”
As we can see that this chain is
continuous (Musalsal) with narrators who narrated this narration as their first
narration. But this continuity is broken at and after (Sufyaan bin Uyaynah),
so this is an example of “Musalsal Naaqis” whose continuity broke at the
end of the chain.
Now here is an example of “Musalsal
Naaqis” whose continuity brakes at the beginning of the chain.
Imaam Bayhaqi narrates in Sunan
al-Kubra (2/107 H. 2519) with a Saheeh chain:
“أخبرنا أبو عبد الله
الحافظ، ثنا أبو عبد الله محمد بن عبد الله الصفار الزاهد إملاء من أصل كتابه قال:
قال أبو إسماعيل محمد بن إسماعيل السلمي: " صليت خلف أبي النعمان محمد بن
الفضل فرفع يديه حين افتتح الصلاة وحين ركع وحين رفع رأسه من الركوع "، فسألته
عن ذلك، فقال: " صليت خلف حماد بن زيد فرفع يديه حين افتتح الصلاة وحين ركع
وحين رفع رأسه من الركوع " فسألته عن ذلك، فقال: " صليت خلف أيوب
السختياني فكان يرفع يديه إذا افتتح الصلاة وإذا ركع وإذا رفع رأسه من الركوع
"، فسألته، فقال: " رأيت عطاء بن أبي رباح يرفع يديه إذا افتتح الصلاة
وإذا ركع وإذا رفع رأسه من الركوع "، فسألته، فقال: " صليت خلف عبد الله
بن الزبير، فكان يرفع يديه إذا افتتح الصلاة وإذا ركع وإذا رفع رأسه من الركوع
"، فسألته، فقال عبد الله بن الزبير ": صليت خلف أبي بكر الصديق رضي
الله عنه فكان يرفع يديه إذا افتتح الصلاة وإذا ركع وإذا رفع رأسه من الركوع
" وقال أبو بكر: صليت خلف رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، " فكان يرفع
يديه إذا افتتح الصلاة وإذا ركع وإذا رفع رأسه من الركوع "”
“(Abu
Abdullah al-Haafidh) informed us, who narrated from (Abu Abdullah
Muhammad bin Abdullah as-Saffaar) from the original text of his book, he
said that (Abu Ismaa’eel Muhammad bin Ismaa’eel as-Sulami) said: I
prayed behind (Abu al-Nu’maan Muhammad bin al-Fadl) so he raised his
hands when he started the Salaah and when he bowed and when he raised his head
from bowing, so I asked him about that so he said: I prayed behind (Hammaad
bin Zayd), so he raised his hands when he started the Salaah and when he
bowed and when he raised his head from bowing, when I asked him about that he
said: I prayed behind (Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaani), so he raised his hands
when he started the Salaah and when he bowed and when he raised his head from
bowing, when I asked him about that, he said: I saw (Ataa bin Abi Rabaah)
raising his hands when he started the Salaah, when he bowed and when he raised
his head from bowing so I asked him about that and he said: I prayed behind (Abdullah
bin az-Zubayr) (radiallah anhu), so he raised his hands when he started the
Salaah and when he bowed and when he raised his head from bowing, so I asked
him about that so he said: I prayed behind (Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq)
(radiallah anhu), so he raised his hands when he started the Salaah and when he
bowed and when he raised his head from bowing, and Abu Bakr said: I prayed
behind the (Messenger of Allaah) (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), so he raised his hands when he started the Salaah and when
he bowed and when he raised his head from bowing.”
So this chain is continuous
(Musalsal) with each teacher practically illustrating the act of Raf’ ul-Yadayn
to his student in prayer as done by and taught to him by his teacher until all
the way to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam). However, this
act of illustration and thus continuity is broken at the beginning of the chain
before As-Sulami. So this is an example of “Musalsal Naaqis” whose
continuity is broken at the beginning of the chain and it also is an example of
the first category of Tasalsul shown above (i.e. the Tasalsul of Haal or
condition).
Benefits of a Musalsal Isnaad:
A Musalsal hadeeth has benefits
that are general as well as specific. The general benefits apply to all types
of Musalsal hadeeth and as for the specific benefits then they are only
restricted to some types.
One thing to keep in mind is
that these benefits do not prevent a Musalsal hadeeth from being weak because
the Asbaab (causes) of weakness are numerous.
Among the General benefits
of Musalsal Isnaad are:
1- Indication of Ittisaal (connection) and the absence of Inqitaa (interruption)
in the chain such as the Musalsal chain in which all the narrators use the
expressions “Sami’tu (I heard)” or “Haddathana (He narrated to us)” or “Akhbarna
(He informed us)”. And likewise, it indicates towards the Dhabt (accuracy) of
the narrators in that the narrator not only memorized the chain and the text
but also the exact condition with which he received that chain.
2- Protection from the Tadlees of some of the narrators and that is
when the chain is Musalsal with the explicit expressions of Samaa from its
narrators.
3- Imitation of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) verbally
as well as practically.
4- Elevation of doubts in which repetition or reversal of the
narrators is probable such as those narrators whose names are the same as that of
their father and grandfather like “Hasan bin al-Hasan bin al-Hasan bin Ali bin
Abi Taalib” radiallah anhum ajma’een.
As for the specific benefits
they include the fact that a narration that is Musalsal with Huffaadh A’immah,
it gives the benefit of certain knowledge according to many of the Muhadditheen
as Haafidh Ibn Hajar affirms in Sharh al-Nukhbah that:
“المسلسل بالحفاظ مما يفيد العلم القطعي”
“A Musalsal
with all Huffaadh in its chain is among those that give the benefit of certain
knowledge.”
The condition stipulated with
this is that it should not be a ghareeb chain. Hence an example could be given
of a hadeeth narrated by Imaam Ahmed in which he is also supported by a Thiqah
person, from Imaam Shaafi’ee in which he is also supported by a Thiqah person,
from Imaam Maalik in which he is also supported by a Thiqah person, from Naafi’
and with him likewise a Thiqah person, from Ibn Umar (radiallah anhu). This is
a Musalsal bil Huffaadh chain.
And there are two other benefits
with which we will end this discussion of ours:
First: Musalsal narrations are rarely free from
any weakness:
The experts of Hadeeth have done
prolonged researches on the chains of Musalsal ahaadeeth and they have found
that most of the Musalsal narrations are weak and only rare narrations among
them are Saheeh.
The meaning of being weak here
is that there is weakness within their Tasalsul (continuity) associated with a
certain condition that makes it Musalsal such as the Musalsal hadeeth of
Tashbeek (entwining of fingers). Even though the text of this hadeeth is found
in Saheeh Muslim but the chain with which it is narrated as Musalsal is weak.
Hence, Imaam Ibn as-Salaah said:
“وقلما تسلم المسلسلات من ضعف، أعني في وصف التسلسل
لا في أصل المتن”
“Musalsal
narrations are rarely free from weakness, meaning: weakness in the very nature
of Tasalsul, not in the original text.”
[Muqaddimah
Ibn as-Salaah (P. 276)]
Allaamah Sakhaawi said:
“وقلما يسلم التسلسل من ضعف يحصل في وصف التسلسل لا
في أصل المتن، كمتسلسل المشابكة فمتنه صحيح، والطريق بالتسلسل فيها مقال”
“And rarely are
the Musalsal narrations free from the weakness that comes in the nature of
Tasalsul not in the original text, such as the Musalsal narration of
Interlocking the fingers, for its text is Saheeh but the route through which it
comes as a Musalsal contains criticism.”
[Fath
ul-Mugheeth (4/41)]
Imaam Dhahabi said:
“وعامة المسلسلات واهية، وأكثرها باطلة؛ لكذب
رُواتها، وأقواها: المسلسل بقراءة سورة الصف، والمسلسل بالدمشقيِّين، والمسلسل
بالمصريين، والمسلسل بالمحمدين إلى ابن شهاب”
“The common
Musalsal narrations are weak and most of them are Baatil due to the lies of their
narrators. The strongest of all Musalsal narrations is the Musalsal narration
with the recitation of Surah Saff, and the Musalsal narration of Dimashqi
narrators, and the Musalsal narration of Basri narrators, and the Musalsal
narration of narrators by the name of Muhammad until Ibn Shihaab.”
[Al-Mawqadhah
(P. 44)]
Second: The Most Authentic Musalsal Chain in
the world:
The Musalsal hadeeth with the
recitation of Soorah Saff is the most authentic of all Musalsal chains.
Allaamah Sakhaawi said in Fath
ul-Mugheeth:
“وأصحها مطلقا المسلسل بسورة الصف ثم بالأولية”
“The most
authentic Musalsal chain in absolute sense is the one with the recitation of Soorah
Saff, then comes the Musalsal of the first hadeeth heard”
Allaamah Suyooti narrates from
Haafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani that he said:
“أصح مسلسل يرد في الدنيا المسلسل بقراءة سورة الصف”
“The most
authentic of all Musalsal narrations found in the world is the Musalsal
narration of the recitation of Soorah Saff”
[Tadreeb
ar-Raawi (2/643)]
Suyooti comments after this:
“قلت: والمسلسل بالحفاظ والفقهاء أيضا”
“I say that the
Musalsal chain with Huffaadh and Fuqaha is also included”
Summary:
Musalsal (uniformly-linked
or continuous) isnaad is one in which all the reporters use the same mode of
transmission whether it relates to their Description/Trait/Siffah (a
permanent trait which stays with the person all the time such as Hifdh or place
of residence) or Condition/Haal (a temporary state which does not stay
all the time such as shaking hands, saying a specific word, or interlocking the
fingers etc)
With regard to the nature of
continuity, Musalsal can either be Musalsal at-Taam (completely continuous)
in which the entire chain is narrated with the same modes of either the Description
or Condition, or it can be Musalsal Naaqis (not fully continuous)
in which the chain is only partially continuous with the modes of either the Description
or Condition, due to the occurrence of discontinuity of these modes at
any level of the chain.
Musalsal Isnaad gives the
benefit of connectivity in the entire chain and gives the
indication of the narrator’s accuracy in narration, and most importantly
it is done mostly in imitation of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
One important fact about the
Musalsal chains is that most of them are usually weak and only rarely
are such narrations found to be authentic in their continuity of a
specific mode not in the original text of the hadeeth, and the most
authentic of all Musalsal narrations is the one in which all the narrators have
narrated the hadeeth with the recitation of Soorah Saff.
Books on this Topic:
Many authors have authored books
in which they compiled Musalsal narrations with their chains. Such as:
1- Musalsalaat Abi Bakr Ibn Shaazaan.
2- Musalsalaat Abi Nu’aym al-Asbahaani.
3- Musalsalaat al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi.
4- Musalsalaat Ibn Asaakir.
5- Al-Musalsalaat by Ibn al-Jawzee.
6- Ahaadeeth Muqtabasah min al-Arba’een al-Musalsalah.
7- Al-Musalsalaat min al-Ahaadeeth wal Athaar by Sulemaan bin Moosa
al-Kalaa’ee.
8- Khamsah Ahaadeeth Musalsalaat by Zayaa al-Maqdisi.
9- Al-Jawaahir al-Mufassilah fi al-Ahaadeeth al-Musalsalah by Ibn
Taylasaan.
10-
Ahaadeeth Musalsalaat
by Ibn Zahra as-Soofi.
11-
Ahaadeeth Musalsalah by
Ibn Naaqah al-Hanafi.
12-
Musalsalaat Ibn Naasir
ud-Deen.
13-
Al-Jawaahir
al-Mukallalah fi al-Akhbaar al-Musalsalah by As-Sakhaawi.
14-
Al-Musalsalaat al-Kubra
and Jayyaad al-Musalsalaat both by As-Suyooti.
15-
Al-Mawaarid as-Silsilah
fil Ahaadeeth al-Musalsalah by Ibn at-Tayyab al-Faasi al-Madani al-Maaliki.
16-
Al-Manaahil as-Silsilah
fil Ahaadeeth al-Musalsalah by Abdul Baaqi al-Ayyoobi.
17-
Al-Ayaat al-Bayyinaat
fi Sharh wa Takhreej al-Musalsalaat by Abdul Hafeedh al-Faasi.
18-
Al-Fawaaid al-Jaleelah
fi Musalsalaat Ibn Aqeelah by Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Sa’eed al-Hanafi.
19-
Risaalah al-Musalsalaat
by al-Kattaani.
20-
Al-Aajilah fi
al-Ahaadeeth al-Musalsalah by Abu al-Faydh al-Fadani.
And others
And Allaah knows best.
