Question

Is the incident regarding Sayyiduna Tha’labah’s tawbah authentic?

The gist of the story is as follows:

Sayyiduna Tha’labah who use to serve Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) once gazed at a woman who was bathing. He then feared that wahy (revelation) will come to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) so he escaped to the mountains for approximately forty days. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sent Sayyiduna ‘Umar and Sayyiduna Sayyiduna Salman Al Farisi (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) to look for him. He returned and passed away thereafter.

Answer

Hafiz Abu Nu’aym (rahimahullah) and others have recorded this incident.

(Ma’rifatus Sahabah of Abu Nu’aym, vol. 1, pg. 498)

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahumallah) has pointed out the weaknesses in the chain for this particular version. He has also (as well as Hafiz Ibnul Athir) pointed out a discrepancy regarding the date of revelation of the Quranic verse mentioned in the narration.

Although there does exist more than one chain for this, it still remains weak.

(Refer: Usdul Ghabah, vol. 1, pg. 471 and Al Isabah, vol. 2, pg. 74. Also see Tanzihush Shari’ah, vol. 2, pgs. 283-285)

There is another lengthier version (Tambihul Ghafilin, pg. 581-584) of this incident, which is filled with other questionable statements, the like of which one will not usually encounter in the Hadith of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

This should not be quoted.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar