Question

Is the following narration authentic?

“Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) passed away in Ta-if, and a bird the likes of which had never been seen before was seen at his funeral. The bird entered the hole in the ground where Ibn ‘Abbas was to be buried. So, we looked and waited to see if it would come out, and it didn’t. When his body was finally placed in the ground, we could hear the verse ‘O, the one in rest and satisfaction! Come back to your Rabb, Well-pleased and well-pleasing!’ [Surah Fajr, Verse: 27-30] being recited from the edge of his grave, but we were unable to find out who had recited it.”

Answer

Imam Hakim, Imam Tabarani (rahimahumallah) and others have recorded the incident in question on the authority of Sa’id ibn Jubayr (rahimahullah).

Hafiz Haythami has declared the narrators of Tabarani reliable.

(Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 3, pg. 543/4, Al Mu’jamul Kabir, Hadith: 10581, Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 9, pg. 285.)

The incident of a bird appearing at the janazah of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) has been reported through several chains. Therefore Hafiz Dhahabi (rahimahullah) has termed the incident ‘mutawatir’ (the highest level of authenticity)

(See: Siyaru A’lamin Nubala, vol. 3, pg. 358)

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar