Question
I have heard that the following narration is recorded in Sunan Darimi. Is this correct?
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said that both Abu Bakr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) and ‘Ali (radiyallahu ‘anhu) arrived at the door of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa wa sallam).
Abu Bakr said: “Ya ‘Ali, you go first.”
‘Ali replied: “Please you go before me. I will never go in front of a man of whom the Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said the sun never rises or sets on any better man than Abu Bakr.”
Abu Bakr replied: “How can I go before whom the Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said the best woman (Fatimah radiyallahu ‘anha) was given to the best man.”
‘Ali then said: “I will never enter before a person whom the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said on the Day of Judgement a call will come from Almighty Allah saying “O Abu Bakr! You and the ones that love you enter Jannah!'”
Abu Bakr replied: “I will never go before you because you will come rising on the Day of Judgement and it will be said that ‘he was a good man, a good brother and a good father.'”
So ‘Ali then said: “I will never go before you when Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘If the Iman of Abu Bakr was placed on one side of the scale and the Iman of the Ummah on the other, the Iman of Abu Bakr would outweigh it.'”
Abu Bakr replied: “I cannot go before the one who Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said on the Day of Judgement ‘Ali will come with his wife Fatimah (radiyallahu ‘anha), their two children riding on a camel and the people will ask ‘Who is this O Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)?’ and the reply will be given, ‘This is the one whom Allah loves.'”
‘Ali then replied that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah said, “The one who brought ‘Sidq’ was Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and the ‘Siddiq’ is the one that follows.”
Jibril (‘alayhis salam) was then instructed to go to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and say, “Allah sends His salam and all the angels are listening to the conversation between Abu Bakr and ‘Ali. Go out and be the third one to resolve it! Allah Ta’ala sends His special Mercy and has built a fence of Iman and Adab between them.” (Meaning they are the people of etiquette)
Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then came out and kissed both of them and said:
“By the one in whose hand lays my soul – if the sea was ink and the trees pens and the creations of the heavens and the earth were writing they would never be able to write about your virtues nor describe your words.”
Answer
I have not come across this narration in Sunan Darimi nor any other Hadith source. The Hadith should not be quoted until it can be sourced and then verified.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar