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Narration Depicting Scandal Of Maria Qibtiya And Prophet Muhammad (SWS)
Assalam Alaikum. I want to ask about the clarification/context of the Hadith 3959 in Sunan an-Nasa’i. I have watched Mr. Ghamdi’s videos on slavery and how it was gradually eliminated from Islam. However, this particular Hadith is used by the critics of Islam to say that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was caught having sex with Maria (RA) by Hafsa (RA) in her house, and it became a huge scandal. Can you please clarify if this is an authentic Hadith; if it is, how do we counter these points?
My search for an answer brought me to this platform. I am immensely grateful for your time as I know it is valuable. Jazak Allah!
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Narration Depicting Scandal Of Maria Qibtiya And Prophet Muhammad (SWS)
updated 10 months ago
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Please see Discussion 57059 • Reply 57098
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This incident has been reported in Hadith books and History books primarily under exegesis of Quran 66:1-4. There are two separate incidents reported under exegesis of Quran 66:1-4. The first one is what has been referred to in the Question and is included in the following books of Hadith:
From Anas bin Malik (rta) (all variants with more or less the same wording):
Sunan Nisai 3959 (https://sunnah.com/nasai:3959), Sunan Nisai Al-Kubra 11539 and 8857 (through one same chain of narrators), Mustadrak lil Hakim 2/492, Sunan-Al Kubra Bayhaqi 7/351 (through same primary chain of narrators), Al-Ahadith-ul-Mukhtara by Al-Muqdasi 1694.
From Umar bin Khattab (rta):
Al-Ahadith-ul-Mukhtara by Al-Muqdasi 189, Jamay Al-Bayan by Tabri 23/88 (Tafsir-e-Tabri).
Abdullah Ibn-e-Abbas (rta):
Al-Moajam Al-Awsat Tabarani 8764.
These are all the references in which some narrators (one or two), despite having some weaknesses can be taken to the level of Hassan or Sahih. The rest of all the narrations in history books and tafsir books are either with broken chains or include narrators who fabricate narrations or lie or are weak/extremely weak.
Shiekh Albani and Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai have categorized the chain of Nisai 3959 as Sahih.
But none of these narrations come from the first-hand source i.e. people who were involved in the incident like Ayesha (rta) or Hafsa (rta). These kinds of narrations are called Mursal of a Sahabi, which may or may not be accepted depending on different factors; and one of these factors which render this narration as non-acceptable is the second incident reported under exegesis of same verses of Quran 66:1-4 by Ayesha (rta) herself, and is reported in the primary Hadith Books including Bukhari and Muslim, please see:
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5267
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6691
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1474b
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:3714
and several other books.
Imam Nisai himself wrote in Sunan Al-Kubra after narrating this incident by Ayesha (rta):
هذا الحديث إسناده جيدغاية صحيح، حديث عائشة هذا في العسل
“This hadith has a very good chain of narration, and it is Sahih. This hadith of Ayesha is about honey”.
(Excerpt from Sunan Nisai Al-Kubra 5584)
It can be seen that this incident reported with a stronger chain of narrators and in primary books of hadith contradicts the incident referred to in the question. In addition to this, this incident comes from first-hand source which is Ayesha (rta) herself as opposed to Mursal of a Sahabi. Therefore, many exegetes have concluded that the narration of Bukhari correctly depicts the incident. For instance, Al-Qurtubi mentions the story of Ayesha (rta) and Honey followed by narrations that include Maria (rta), then he writes:
أَصَحُّ هَذِهِ الْأَقْوَالِ أَوَّلُهَا وَأَضْعَفُهَا أَوْسَطُهَا
“The most correct of these opinions is the first of them, and the weaker of them are the others”
(Tafsir al-Qurtubi 66:1 – 18/179)
Ibn-al-Arabi concludes:
وَإِنَّمَا الصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي الْعَسَلِ وَأَنَّهُ شَرِبَهُ عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ وَتَظَاهَرَتْ عَلَيْهِ عَائِشَةُ وَحَفْصَةُ فِيهِ وَجَرَى مَا جَرَى فَحَلَفَ أَلَّا يَشْرَبَهُ وَأَسَرَّ ذَلِكَ وَنَزَلَتْ الْآيَةُ فِي الْجَمِيعِ
“And the only authentic narration is that it was about honey, that the Prophet drank it with Zainab (rta), and Ayesha (rta) and Hafsa (rta) pretended to be offended by it. There occurred what occurred and the Prophet made an oath never to drink it again. He confided that to his wife and the verse was revealed regarding all of them”.
(Ahkam al-Quran 66:1 – 4/294)
Conclusion:
Hence on the basis of the above explanation and factors mentioned therein, the first incident cannot be accepted on academic grounds.
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