6. The Isnad of "Summoning the Family"
The opponents of the Shi'a view naturally have tried to question the credibility of some of the narrators of this famous event.
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1. Haykal, Hayat Muhammed (Cairo 2nd edition, 1354) p.139-140.
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Ibn Taymiyya, well known for his anti-Shi'a sentiments, has adamantly declared it to be a fabricated hadth, He has attacked the credibility of 'Abd al-Ghaffar bin Qasim known as Abu Maryam al Kufi.1 Abu Maryam is the source of Ibn Ishaq in narrating the event of "Summoning the Family". However, the only basis for questioning the credibility of Abu Maryam is his Shi'a links; but, as any unbiased person knows, that is not a sufficient aground to reject his narration. Shi'a biographers of narrators have counted him among the reliable narrarots of hadith from the fouth, fifth, and sixth Shi'a Imams (as).2
Salma bin al-Fadhl (d. 191), the foremost disciple of Ibn Ishaq, is also recognised as credible in narrating the Prophet's biography from his master. He is quoted as saying, "I have heare the al-Maghazi from Ibn Ishaq two times," and he is well known among the scholars of hadith for historical narration from Ibn Ishaq. 3 According to Muta' at-Tarabishi, Salma bn al-Fadhl's narration of historical nature are accepted by all.4 Ibn Mu'in says, "Salma (bin al-Fadhl) al-Abrash ar-Razi was a Shi'i as already written and there is no defect in him ... Abu Zuhra says, "The People of Ray did not like
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1. Ibn Taymiyya, Minhaju 's-Sunnah, vol.4 (Cairo: al-Mathba'atu 'l-kubra al-Amiriyya, 1322) p.81.
2. Sayyid Abu 'l-Qasim al-khu'l, Mu'jam Rijali 'l-Hadith, vol.10 (Beirut; Madinatu l-Ilm, 1983) p.55-56.
3. Mut at-Tarabshi, Ruwat Muhammed bin Ishaq bin Yasar fi 'l-Maghazi wa s-Siyar wa Sa'iri 'l-Marwiyat (Damascus: Daru 'l-Fikr, 1994) p.149.
4. Ibid.
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him because of his undesrable [ i,e, Shi'a] beliefs."'1 Adh-Dhahabi writes the following about Salma: "He was steadfast in prayer and full of himility in his beliefs; he died in 191 A. D."'2
Shaykh Salim al-Bishri had raised the issue why al-Bukhari and Muslim fo not mention this tradition in their Sahihs. Sharafu 'd-Din al-Musawi responded as follows:
"The tradition conflict with the views of the two Shaykhs, Bukhari and Mulim, in respect of the Caliphate and that is why they have not recorded it in their Sahihs. They have also scrupulously avoided recording a number of other geniune tradtions which stipulated the Caliphate in favor of Amir al-Mu'minin lest the same serve as a weapon in the hands of the Shi'as, and so intentionally concealed the truth. Not noly Bukhari and Muslim but also many other Shaykhs (i. e, senior traditionists) among the Ahl al-Sunnah followed this practixde.. They used to conceal everything of this nature and are well known for thisr creed of concealment of facts (favouring Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt). Hafiz Ibn Hajar has related this from them in Fath al-Bari...
"Anyone who knows the behaviour of Bukhari towards Amir al-Mu'minin and other members of the Ahl al-Bayt also knows that his pen invariably omits
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1. S. Sharafu d-Din al-Musawi, al-Muraji'at, p.129; also its English translation by M. A. H. Khan. The Path (Blanco, Texas: Zahra Publication, 1986) p.85-86.
2. Adh-Dhahabi, Mizanu l-I tidal, vol.2 (Egypt, Dar Ihay'i l-Kutubi l-Arabiyya, n,d,) p.192.
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mentioning the clear traditions of the Holy Prophet in their favour, and that his ink dries up before relating their distinguished, execellent qualities and one will not be surprised at his skipping over this and other similar tradtions. There is neither might nor power but by Allah, the High and the Great."
7. Conclusion
This brief review on the self-censorship that was exercised by the early historians and compilers of hadith proves that absence of an event in the well known "early" books of Islamic history and hadith does not necessarily mean that that that event is a later invention by the Shi'as or is not considerred credible. One must go beyond the artificial limits of "early" and official histoy of the Muslim people and also study the other "non-orthodox" source to fully comprehend the real life drama that unfolded in the early days of the history of Islam.
