Salafi Research Institute SRI
Translated & Annotated
Abu Khuzaimah Ansari
The 4th – Report of
Yahya bin Abi Kathir Rahimahullah
KEY BLACK BOLD = Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Junayd.
Blue [AK…..END] my annotations
This is reported by al-Harawi in Dhamm ul-Kalam Wa-Ahlihi (no.687)
[AK] This is from (Dhamm ul-Kalam Wa-Ahlihi (3/352 no.687) (KSA: Dar ul-Ajyal ut-Tawhid/Dar ul-Dalyaqan, 1442/2021, 1st Edn.) END]
(These 2 scans were shared on social media by those who promote the permissibility of backbiting rulers publicly)
[AK] in another edition (3/312 no.700) (Maktabah al-Ghuraba al-Athariyyah) END]
He said,
From Abu Ya’qub from Muhammad bin Ahmad bin al-Azhar from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Yunus from Abu Zayd adh-Dharir al-Mustamli from Ahmad bin Abi Raja’ from Mu’awiyyah bin Amr from Abi Ishaq al-Fazari from al-Awza’i who said Yahya bin Abi Kathir said, “It is not backbiting to speak against three people, the oppressive ruler, the person of innovation and the wicked sinner.”
Abu Zayd adh-Dharir is in the chain, and I do not know who he is (his trustworthiness) and this is what others have said. The teacher of al-Harawi, Abu Yaq’ub, No one could be found who declared him trustworthy. (Athar al-Waridah Fi Jawaz Ghibah al-Hakim al-Ja’ir p.15)
[AK] This report is in Dhamm ul-Kalam Wa-Ahlihi (3/352 no.687) (Dar ul-Ajyal ut-Tawhid). The muhaqqiq Abu Malik Ahmad bin Ali bin al-Muthanna ibn Shaykh Sa’id bin Amir al-Qufili grades the report weak. He said, “This Athar is da’if” (footnote 2).
He also does not bring any scholar of hadith who declared Abu Ya’qub trustworthy. There are some scholars who referred to him with praiseworthy titles but not even one described him with words of praise according to the terminology of the Muhadithun.
Al-Qufili adds Abu Zayd has a biographical entry in Hafiz adh-Dhahabi’s Tarikh al-Islam (6/646) and Ibn Makula in al-Ikmal (2/555) but none of them mention any words of criticism or praise for him. (Dhamm ul-Kalam Wa-Ahlihi (3/352 no.687) (KSA: Dar ul-Ajyal ut-Tawhid/Dar ul-Dalyaqan, 1442/2021, 1st Edn.)
Jamal ud-Din Yusuf bin Hasan bin Abdul Hadi al-Maqdisi al-Hanbali known as Ibn al-Mibrad also transmit this report in Jam’a al-Juyush wad-Dasakir Ala Ibn Asakir (p.202) and he quoted it in the context of backbiting the people of innovation and kalam and having those fanaticism of bidah (part of Mathalib Ibn Abi Bishr Egypt: Dar ul-Zakha’ir, 2017/1439H, 1st Edn. Muhammad bin Abdul Hamid al-Ghuwayatiyyi), another edition, (p.63) (KSA: Dar ul-Aqidah 2017 1439H 1st Edn. Ed. by Hussain bin Man’i al-Qahtani. END]
(Athar al-Waridah Fi Jawaz Ghibah al-Hakim al-Ja’ir p.14-15)
