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Commentary on the Hadith "Even if he strikes your back and takes your wealth
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Question and Answer
by Dr. Hani Al-Siba'i - 2012 (Republished)
The Question
A questioner sent the following to the Maqrizi website on YouTube:
Peace be upon you. I want to know the Sheikh's opinion on the hadith narrated from Hudhayfah who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "After me there will be leaders who do not follow my guidance nor adopt my Sunnah, and among them will rise men whose hearts are the hearts of devils in human bodies." He said: I asked, "What should I do, O Messenger of Allah, if I witness that?" He said: "Listen and obey, even if he strikes your back and takes your wealth, so listen and obey."
I want to know the authenticity of this hadith, and if it is authentic, what is its interpretation? May Allah reward you well. I love you for the sake of Allah.
Another questioner asked: We want a complete lecture from the Sheikh about the scholars of the Al Saud family and his opinion on Ibn Baz, Ibn Uthaymeen, and others.
Answer by Sheikh Dr. Hani Al-Siba'i
Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and thereafter:
First: Regarding the hadith of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), it was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih, number 4891 in the Encyclopedia numbering, in the Book of Leadership, Chapter on the Command to Adhere to the Community When Tribulations Appear and Warning Against Those Who Call to Disbelief. However, the phrase "even if he strikes your back and takes your wealth" has been discussed by scholars. Al-Daraqutni weakened it because the hadith narrator, Abu Salam Mamtur al-Aswad al-Habashi al-Dimashqi, did not hear from Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him). Therefore, this addition is disconnected (mursal). As for the main text of the hadith, it is authentic without this addition, as in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim from the narration of Abu Idris al-Khawlani.
Al-Hafiz al-Daraqutni mentioned in his book "Al-Ilzamat wal-Tatabbuc" (pp. 181-182, hadith no. 53): Muslim narrated the hadith of Mu'awiyah ibn Salam, from Zayd, from Abu Salam, who said: Hudhayfah said: We were evil people, then Allah brought us good. This, in my view, is mursal (disconnected), as Abu Salam did not hear from Hudhayfah nor from his contemporaries who settled in Iraq, because Hudhayfah died a few nights after the killing of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said in it: "Hudhayfah said," which indicates it is mursal.
In the margin of the book "Al-Ilzamat," the researcher Sheikh Muqbil ibn Hadi said on p. 182: "Al-Hafiz al-Mizzi said in Tahdhib al-Kamal regarding the teachers of Abu Salam and Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman: It is said to be mursal." Al-Hafiz said in Tahdhib al-Tahdhib: He transmitted as mursal from Hudhayfah, Abu Dharr, and others. Al-Hafiz al-'Ala'i said in Jami' al-Tahsil, vol. 2, p. 679: Mamtur Abu Salam al-Habashi from Hudhayfah and Abu Malik al-Ash'ari, and that is in Sahih Muslim, and al-Daraqutni said: He did not hear from them.
In this hadith of Hudhayfah, there is an addition not found in the agreed-upon hadith of Hudhayfah, which is his saying "even if he strikes your back and takes your wealth." This addition is weak because it is from this disconnected chain. And Allah knows best. (Reference: Al-Ilzamat wal-Tatabbuc by Imam al-Daraqutni, edited by Sheikh Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadi'i, Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2nd edition, 1405 AH - 1985 CE, pp. 181-182)
Second: Some scholars have authenticated this addition through corroboration in the hadith of Subay' ibn Khalid al-Yashkuri from Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), as well as through Imam Ahmad al-'Ijli's authentication of Mamtur and Ibn Hibban's authentication of Subay' ibn Khalid.
Third: However, those who weakened the addition did not accept Imam al-'Ijli's authentication because they accuse him of leniency. The issue of accusing Imam al-'Ijli of leniency requires independent research. They also did not accept Ibn Hibban's authentication due to his leniency in authentication, and also for fear of the concealment (tadlis) of Qatadah because he did not explicitly state hearing in the hadith of Subay' ibn Khalid. They considered it rejected (munkar) because it contradicts what is more authentic than it - meaning without the phrase "even if he strikes your back and takes your wealth" - because a group of trustworthy narrators narrated this hadith from Junadah ibn Abi Umayyah from 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) without this addition, and their narrations are in the two Sahihs.
Fourth: Assuming the authenticity of the addition in the hadith, it is qualified by the hadith of 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) as in the two Sahihs: in the Book of Leadership as in Sahih Muslim, number 4877, and in Sahih al-Bukhari in the Book of Tribulations, number 7056, which states: "Unless you see clear disbelief (kufr bawah) for which you have proof from Allah." This hadith may apply to Muslim rulers who have oppression and injustice, but despite their oppression and injustice, they still rule by Islamic Shari'ah. On the other hand, this hadith does not apply to the rulers of our era who have altered Allah's law, changed the rulings of our true religion, allied with the enemies of Allah, fought against the allies of Allah, conspired against their nation, and who protect constitutions and laws that oppose Allah's sovereignty on His earth. These rulers command people to judge by other than what Allah revealed, in addition to not ruling by what Allah revealed! If what they rule us with is not clear disbelief, then what is clear disbelief?!
Fifth: Jihad against the rulers by hand is mentioned in the authentic collections, as Muslim narrated in his Sahih in the Book of Faith, number 188, with his chain from Abu Rafi' from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "No prophet was sent by Allah to a nation before me except that he had from his nation disciples and companions who followed his Sunnah and obeyed his command. Then after them came successors who say what they do not do and do what they are not commanded. Whoever strives against them with his hand is a believer, whoever strives against them with his tongue is a believer, and whoever strives against them with his heart is a believer, and beyond that there is not a mustard seed's worth of faith."
Sixth: Regarding the Al Saud family, we have a book published about ten years ago called "The Conflict Between Religious Institutions and Ruling Systems," in which we reviewed the Egyptian and Saudi models and how the two religious institutions were co-opted by the ruling systems. The book is printed and available on the Maqrizi Center website and other Islamic websites. As for the two Sheikhs Ibn Baz and Ibn Uthaymeen, we mentioned in our last lecture on Paltalk dated 5 Rabi' al-Awwal 1433 AH regarding the Sunni movement to save Egypt that I do not know of any leadership of Islamic movements, especially jihadi ones, that declares the two Sheikhs as disbelievers (takfir). Rather, they pray for mercy upon them, even though they disagree with them on numerous issues.
This is what comes to mind as an answer to your question, briefly.
And our final supplication is that praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
Dr. Hani Al-Siba'i
London, Monday
28 Rabi' al-Awwal 1433 AH - February 20, 2012