Compiled, Translated and Annotated
Abu Hibban & Abu Khuzaimah Ansaari
Many narrations are well known in the virtue of Soorah Yaseen one such is that Soorah Yaseen is the heart of the Qur’aan and recite it when a person is near death (ie dying) and so on. However in terms of the authenticity of their chains none of them reach the level of authentic and some are either fabrications or weak. The narration of (Soorah Yaseen) being the heart of the Qur’aan was declared a fabrication by Shaikh al-Albaanee. (ad-Da’eefah Hadeeth no.169)
It is well known the recitation of Soorah Yaseen near a person about to die has his soul taken with ease, but this hadeeth is not established in its chain. The details are as follows.
Narrated Muhammad ibn E’laa bin Makkee al-Marwazee who said informed me Ibn al-Mubaarak from Suleimaan at-Taymee from Abee Uthmaan not Nahdee from him his father from Ma’qil bin Yasaar who said the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu Alayhee-Was-Sallam) said, “Recite Soorah Yaseen upon the one’s near death, these are the words of E’laa.” (Mussanaf Ibn Abee Shaybah (4/84), as-Sunan Ibn Maajah (3/19), al-Mustadrak, Abu Abdullah al-Haakim (1/565), as-Sunan al-Kubraa (3/383) of Baihaqee, al-Musnad (5/26) of Imaam Ahmad, Amal al-Yaum Wal Laylah (p.58) of Imaam Nasaa’ee, al-Adhkaar (pp.131-132) of Imaam Nawawee.)
The chain of this hadeeth rests on Suleimaan at-Taymee from Abee Uthmaan from his father from Ma’qil.
Alee ibn al-Madeenee said Suleimaan at-Taymee is the only person who narrates from Abee Uthmaan and he is unknown ie Majhool al-Haal.
Ibn Hibbaan, Haakim and Abu Dawood have narrated it from Abee Uthmaan, not Nahdee from his father however Imaam Nasaa’ee and Ibn Maajah have mentioned it as being narrated by Abee Uthmaan from Ma’qil.
Haafidh Ibn Hajr said this hadeeth is ‘Ghareeb’ (strange or odd). Ibn Qattaan said there is Idthiraab (mixing/confusing the chain). So in total there are three defects in the chain of this hadeeth.
(1) Abee Uthmaan is majhool (unknown)
(2) Abu Uthmaan’s father is also Majhool.
(3) There is also Idhtiraab in the chain.
Details of the Idhtiraab are as follows
(1) Is the hadeeth Mawqoof (stopped) or Marfoo (raised)
(2) This narration has been narrated from Abee Uthmaan from Ma’qil and also from Abu Uthmaan from his father from Ma’qil.
Allaamah Shawkaanee said in Nayl al-Awthaar, “Ibn Qattaan said this hadeeth is defective for the following reasons, there is Idhtiraab in it, it being mawqoof, Abee Uthmaan from his father is majhool (unknown ie both son and father are unknown).”
Daarqutnee said, “The chain of this hadeeth is weak and the text is unknown and there is no such hadeeth in this subject.” (Irwaa al-Ghaleel (3/151) of Allaamah Muhammad Naasir ud deen al-Albaanee, Nayl al-Awthaar (2/22) of Qadhee Shawkaanee.
Allaamah Nawawee said in al-Adhkaar, “Its chain is weak and two narrators in it are unknown but Abu Dawood did not declare it weak. It is narrated from Ibn Abee Dawood from Mujaalid narrates from Sha’bee who said the Ansaar (The Companions who helped the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu Alayhee-Was-Sallam) in Madeenah) would recite Soorah al-Baqarah when one was close to dying. However Mujaalid is weak.” (al-Adhkaar (pp.131-132)
Also Ameer San’aanee in Subl as-Salaam (2/186), Minawee in Faidh al-Qadeer (2/67), Shaikh ul-Hdeeth Allaamah Ubaidullaah Mubaarakpooree in Mira’ah al-Mafaateeh Sharh Mishkaat al-Masabeeh (5/314-315) have all mentioned the criticism above, however Minawee has put a ‘H’ sign next to it.
Allaamah Mubaarakpooree has discussed the virtue of reciting Soorah Yaseen in Mira’ah and mentions the criticism on the hadeeth but he has not written clearly whether it is authentic or weak.
Allaamah al-Albaanee has declared it weak in all of his books and according to my information the most detailed discussion of it is in al-Irwaa. (see Irwaa al-Ghaleel (3/15), Da’eef Ibn Maajah (p.159), Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh (1/1501) Checking al-Albaanee, Da’eef Jaami as-Sagheer Wa-Ziyaadah (1/330) and Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz (p.11).
There is another hadeeth with a similar meaning, which is narrated in Akhbaar Asfahaan by Abu Nu’aym. (Akhbaar Asfahaan (1/188) of al-Albaanee.
There is a narrator in the chain whose name is Marwaan, about whom Imaam Ahmad said, “He is not Thiqah (trustworthy). Saajee and Abu A’roobah Haraanee said, “A fabricator of hadeeth”
Daylamee has also narrated this hadeeth with the same chain but after the successor he mentions it from Abu Dardaa Abee Dharr. (Irwaa al-Ghaleel (3/152) of al-Albaanee, Talkhees al-Habeer (2/110) of Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee.
Here we also find the narration is Musnad al-Firdaus like the hadeeth of Taareekh Asfahaan is also inauthentic as it is also narrated whilst including Marwaan and he is not reliable as has preceded. The number of people that have criticised Abu Uthmaan from his father, are many however Haafidh Ibn Hajr has graded him from amongst the fourth level of acceptable narrators. (Taqreeb ut-Tahdheeb (2/449).
The summary is this hadeeth is not established by any chain.