Question
Is the following narration suitable to quote?
قال: ثم مضيت هنيهة، فإذا أنا بنساء تعلقن بِثَدْيِهِنَّ، فَسَمِعَتْهُنَّ يَضْجِجْنَ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، قُلْتُ: يَا جِبْرِيلُ مَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ النِّسَاءُ؟ قَالَ: هَؤُلَاءِ الزُّنَاةُ مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ.
He [i.e., Rasulullah – sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam] said: Thereafter I proceeded for a little while, then suddenly I was by [a group of] women hung by their breasts. I heard them screeching out to Allah Ta’ala, honored and revered is He. I said [i.e., asked]: ‘O Jibril, who are these women?’
He replied: These are the fornicators amongst your Ummah [nation/followers].
Answer
This Hadith is part of a very long narration recorded by Imams Ibn Jarir At-Tabari, Bayhaqi and others (rahimahumullah) on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (radiyallahu ‘anhu).
(Tafsirs Tabari, Surah Isra, Verse: 1 Dalailun Nubuwwah, vol. 2, pgs. 390-396; Also see: Ad-Durrul Manthur, Surah Isra, Verse: 1)
After having recorded various authentic Hadiths regarding Mi’raj, Imam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) then alluded to the existence of many other weak Hadiths on the topic. He then recorded a few such narrations, and in doing so commenced with this narration [i.e., the narration in question], declaring it as the best of the weak versions (أمثلها إسنادا).
(Dalailun Nubuwwah, vol. 2, pgs. 389-390; Also see: Al-Kamil, pgs. 1732-1734, Dalailun Nubuwwah, vol. 2, pg. 405, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah Isra, Verse: 1, Fathul Bari, Hadith: 3887, Subulul Huda War Rashad, vol. 3, pg. 112 onwards, and Sharhuz Zurqani ‘Alal Mawahib, vol. 8, pg. 27; Also see: Al-Mughni Fid Du’afa, vol. 2, pg. 32)
Imam Dhahabi (rahimahullah) has commented on this Hadith mentioning it to be a very strange and perplexing Hadith (هذا حديث غريب عجيب). He has added: “It is because of narrating the likes of this Hadith that Abu Harun [Al-‘Abdi, one of the narrators in the chain] became/was branded very weak” (وبسياق مثل هذا الحديث صار أبو هارون متروكا).
(Tarikhul Islam, vol. 1, pgs. 638-640; Also see: Mizanul I’itidal, vol. 3, pgs. 182-184, Al-Kashful Hathith ‘Am-man Rumiya Bi Wad‘il Hadith; Tanzihush Shari’ah vol. 1, pg. 89, and At-Tahdhibut Tahdhib, vol. 7, pgs. 412-414)
Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah) has stated: “it is from the strangest of Hadiths and there is weakness in the chain” (فإنه من غرائب الأحاديث وفي إسناده ضعف). In his Tafsir, however, he has mentioned one of the reasons for citing it to be that it is supported through corroborating narrations as well as broader supports. (وإنما سقنا حديثه ها هنا لما في حديثه من الشواهد لغيره…)
(Al-Bidayah Wan Nihayah, vol. 3, pg. 342 and Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah Isra, Verse: 1)
Therefore, since many corroborating narrations do exist regarding the punishments of fornication, one may quote this portion of the Hadith alongside them.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best.
Answered by: Mawlana Farhan Shariff
Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar