Israiliyyat in Tafsir: Shaykh Ahmad Shakirs View

The Place of Israiliyyat in Tafsir

By Shaykh Ahmad Shakir From his introduction to Umdah at-Tafsir an al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir [1/14-17], his summary of Tafsir ibn Kathir Al-Hafiz i n !athir has som" stron# $ords conc"rnin# th" issu" of Israiliyyat and narratin# th"m% &ith r"#ards to som" of th"m, h" clarifi"d his stanc" conc"rnin# th"m% '"s(it" that, ) ha*" found him m"ntionin# som"% Fr"+u"ntly, h" follo$s th"m u( $ith comm"nts in r"futation% ,h"r"for", ) thou#ht that ) should #ath"r to#"th"r in this introduction som" of $hat ) found durin# my r"adin# of it -i%"% his ,afsir. $hich ) had r"cord"d% /"rha(s ) $ill " a l" to #ath"r th" thin#s that ) o*"rlook"d and th"n m"ntion th"n m"ntion th"m u(on com(l"tion of this ook -Al-Umdah., if Allah $ills% So h" stat"d in th" introduction of his ,afsir -((% 40,44. aft"r m"ntionin# th" hadith, Convey from me, even if it be an ayah, and narrate from the Children of Israil, and there is no sin in that And whoever lies !"on me deliberately, then let him take his "lace in the #ellfire$: Ho$"*"r, th"s" )sra1ili narrations ar" m"ntion"d for su((ortin# "*id"nc"s, not to " r"li"d on in and of th"ms"l*"s, so th"y ar" of thr"" cat"#ori"s2 3n" of th"m2 ,hat $hich $" to " corr"ct "caus" our sourc"s -th" 4ur1an and Sunnah. t"stify to its truthfuln"ss, so that is corr"ct% And th" s"cond2 ,hat $hich $" kno$ its fals"hood "caus" our sourc"s contradict it% And th" third2 ,hat a out $hich no (osition is tak"n, it is not of "ith"r ty(", so $" do not "li"*" in it, nor do $" r"5"ct it, $hil" it is ("rmissi l" to cit" du" to $hat has (r"c"d"d% )t should " not"d that most of th"m contain no "n"fit in any r"li#ious matt"r, and for this r"ason, th" scholars of th" /"o(l" of th" Book th"ms"l*"s disa#r"" conc"rnin# th"s" ty("s of issu"s a #r"at d"al% As a r"sult, th"r" is much disa#r""m"nt amon#st th" mufassirun[1] as $"ll% 67am(l"s of this ar" $hat th"y m"ntion conc"rnin# th" nam"s of th" /"o(l" of th" 8a*", th" color of th"ir do#, and th"ir num "r9 and conc"rnin# th" staff of :usa, and $hat ty(" of tr"" it $as from9 and th" ty("s of irds that Allah rou#ht ack to lif" for ) rahim, and9 th" (art of th" co$ $ith $hich th" murd"r"d ("rson $as struck $ith -to rin# him ack to lif".9 and th" ty(" of tr"" that Allah s(ok" to :usa from9 and oth"r matt"rs Allah l"ft un"7(lain"d $hich contains no "n"fit for ("o(l" in th"ir $orldly affairs or in th"ir r"li#ious affairs% Ho$"*"r, r"(ortin# th"ir disa#r""m"nt is ("rmissi l", as Allah -;<=>?. said, They will say three, and the fo!rth of them was their do%,$ until th" "nd of th" *"rs"%

Ahmad :uhammad Shakir, may Allah (ardon him stat"s2[2] ,h" ("rmission to narrat" from th"m conc"rnin# that $hich $" do not ha*" (roof of its truth or fals"hood is on" thin#, and m"ntionin# that in tafsir of th" 4ur1an, and makin# it an o(inion or an "7(lanation of th" m"anin# of *"rs"s, or in (articularizin# that $hich $as not (articulariz"d in it, or in clarifyin# th" d"tails of $hat $as m"ntion"d in it in #"n"ral form is som"thin# "ls"% ,his is "caus" m"ntionin# som"thin# lik" this n"7t to th" S(""ch of Allah mi#ht #i*" th" mistak"n im(r"ssion that this r"(ort $hich $" do not kno$ to " tru" or fals" "7(lains th" stat"m"nt of Allah -@A=BCD., and clarifi"s th" d"tails of $hat is #"n"ral in itE Allah and His Book ar" fr"" of thatE Allah1s :"ss"n#"r -FGDH @IGJ KL ;GM., $h"n h" ("rmitt"d narratin# from th"m, h" ord"r"d us to not affirm nor r"5"ct $hat th"y say, and $hat affirmation of th"ir narrations and th"ir o(inions can " stron#"r th"n conn"ctin# th"m to th" Book of Allah, and (lacin# th"m n"7t to it in th" (lac" for tafsir or "7(lanationNE 3 Allah, -$" s""k. for#i*"n"ss%[3] Al-Hafiz i n !athir has hims"lf stat"d in th" comm"ntary on *"rs" OP from Surah alKahf, aft"r m"ntionin# o(inions conc"rnin# Iblis and his nam" and $hich tri " h" is from2 ,h"r" ar" many narrations that ha*" ""n r"(ort"d from th" Salaf conc"rnin# this, and th" ma5ority of th"m ar" from th" Israiliyyat $hich ar" r"(ort"d so that th"y may " "7amin"d, and Allah kno$s "st $hat is th" tru" condition of many of th"m% Amon#st th"m is that $hich $" can affirm $ith c"rtainty that it is fals"hood, du" to its contradictin# our sourc"s, and th" 4ur1an suffic"s us from th" r"(orts of th" (r"c"din# -nations., "caus" hardly any of th"m is fr"" from distortion, su traction, or addition, and "caus" many of th"m ar" for#"ri"s% ,his is "caus" th"y do not ha*" amon#st th"m th" (r"cis" Huffaz[4] $ho "liminat" from th"ir narrations th" distortions of "7a##"rators and th" for#"ri"s of th" falsifi"rs, lik" th" )mams and scholars, th" no l" and (ious, th" ri#ht"ous and distin#uish"d on"s, from th" *"rifyin#, mast"r scholars and #r"at Huffaz that this Qmmah (oss"ss"s $ho r"cord"d th" Hadiths and *"rifi"d th"m, and clarifi"d th" Sahih and Hasan from th" $"ak, th" r"5"ct"d and fa ricat"d% ,h"y id"ntifi"d th" fa ricators, th" liars, and th" unkno$n narrators, and th" oth"r *arious class"s of narrators% All of this $as to (rot"ct th" Station of th" S"al of th" :"ss"n#"rs and th" 8hi"f of :ankind -FGDH @IGJ KL ;GM., so that fals"hood not " attri ut"d to him, or that som"thin# that is not from him should " r"(ort"d from him, so may Allah " (l"as"d $ith th"m and may H" (l"as" th"m, and may h" may mak" th" Rard"ns of al-Firdaws th"ir a od"% And truly H" has don" so% )n th" comm"ntary on *"rs"s O1-OS from Surah al-Anbiya aft"r indicatin# th" r"lationshi( of ) rahim -TUV<L @IGJ. $ith his fath"r, and his lookin# to$ards th" stars and th" cr"at"d thin#s, h" stat"d2 :any of th" stori"s $hich many of th" scholars of tafsir and oth"r than th"m ha*" m"ntion"d ar" from th" narrations of th" 8hildr"n of )sra1il% So $hat"*"r of it a#r""s $ith th" truth that $" ha*" comin# from a masoom[5], $" acc"(t it, du" to its a#r""in# $ith $hat is auth"ntic, and $hat"*"r of it contradicts anythin# of that, $" r"5"ct it, and that $hich n"ith"r a#r""s nor contradicts, $" do not affirm it or r"5"ct it, rath"r $" r"frain

from takin# a (osition conc"rnin# it% :any of th" Salaf allo$"d for narratin# this ty(" of narrations, and many of th"m contain no "n"fit, and th"r" is no conclusion that can " dra$n from th"m that is of any r"li#ious "n"fit% )f it had a "n"fit for ("o(l" in th"ir r"li#ion, this ("rf"ct, all-"ncom(assin# shariah $ould ha*" "7(lain"d it% ,h" (ath that $" ha*" tr"ad in this comm"ntary is to a*oid m"ntion of much of th"s" Israili narrations, "caus" th"y m"r"ly $ast" tim", and "caus" many of th"m m"r"ly contain th" fals"hood $hich $as in circulation amon#st th"m% ,his is "caus" th"y mak" no distinction "t$""n $hat is auth"ntic and $hat is $"ak as th" (r"cis" Huffaz and )mams of this Ummah do% At th" "nd of his comm"ntary on *"rs" 1PW of Surah al-Baqarah, h" stat"d2 ,h"r" ar" narrations conc"rnin# th" story of Harut and :arut from a #rou( of th" tabiin, such as :u5ahid, as-Suddi, al-Hasan al-Basri, 4atadah, A u al-XAliyah, az-Yuhri, arZa i1 i n Anas, :u+atil i n Hayyan, and oth"rs, and many of th" scholars of tafsir, from th" "arly on"s and th" lat"r on"s, m"ntion"d th"s" stori"s% )n th"ir d"tails, th"y ar" d"("nd"nt u(on th" r"(orts of th" 8hildr"n of )sra1il, for th"r" is not a sin#l" auth"ntic, marfu[6]hadith $ith a conn"ct"d chain #oin# ack to th" ,ruthful, B"li"*"d 3n" $ho is #uard"d from "rror, th" on" $ho do"s not s("ak as"d on d"sir", conc"rnin# this% ,h" a((ar"nt m"anin# of th" 4ur1an l"a*"s th" m"ntion of th" story in #"n"ral form $ithout #oin# into #r"at d"(ths and $ithout any "7a##"ration, so $" "li"*" in $hat has ""n m"ntion"d in th" 4ur1an as Allah -;<=>?. int"nd"d it, and Allah is most kno$l"d#"a l" conc"rnin# th" r"ality of th" affair% H" stat"d at th" "#innin# of Surah af2 )t has ""n narrat"d from som" of th" salaf that th"y said, [ af is a mountain that surrounds th" $hol" "arth, and it is call"d :ount 4afE\ And it is as if this, and Allah kno$s "st, is from th" su("rstitions of th" 8hildr"n of )sra1il that som" of th" ("o(l" took from th"m, "caus" of th"ir consid"rin# it to " ("rmissi l" to narrat" from th"m that $hich is not affirm"d nor r"5"ct"d% ) think that this and its lik"s ar" from th" for#"ry of som" of th" !anadiqah[7] amon#st th"m $ho d"c"i*" th" ("o(l" conc"rnin# th" matt"r of th"ir r"li#ion, 5ust as hadiths ha*" ""n fa ricat"d u(on th" /ro(h"t -@IGJ KL ;GM FGDH. in this Qmmah ] d"s(it" th" #r"at status of its scholars, Huffaz, and )mams ] "*"n thou#h it has not ""n such a lon# tim"% So ho$ a out th" nation of Bani Israil, $hat $ith th" #r"at tim" that has (ass"d, th" lack of (r"cis" Huffaz amon#st th"m, th"ir drinkin# alcoholic drinks, th"ir scholars t$istin# th" $ords from th"ir (lac"s and chan#in# Allah1s Books and ^"rs"s% ,h" _"#islator only ("rmitt"d narratin# from th"m in his stat"m"nt, &'elate from the Children of Israil, and there is no sin in that, conc"rnin# that $hich th" int"ll"ct can conc"i*", ut as for $hat th" int"ll"cts find to " im(ossi l", and it is d""m"d fals"hood, and it is fairly o *ious that it is a for#"ry ] th"n it is not includ"d in that% )n th" comm"ntary of *"rs"s 41-44 of Surah an-"aml, aft"rnin# m"ntionin# a lon# narration from i n XA as conc"rnin# th" story of th" 4u""n of Sh" a, $hich h" charact"riz"d as [mun#ar$ %harib &iddan -r"5"ct"d, "7tr"m"ly stran#".,\ h" stat"d2

&hat is most lik"ly conc"rnin# th" lik"s of th"s" r"(orts is that th"y ar" tak"n from th" /"o(l" of th" Book, from $hat is found in th"ir scrolls, such as th" narrations of !a1 and &ah , may Allah " kind $ith th"m conc"rnin# th" stran#", outlandish, and fanciful r"(orts that th"y r"(ort"d to this ummah from th" 8hildr"n of )sra1il, som" of $hich occurr"d and som" of $hich did not, and som" of $hich $"r" distort"d or chan#"d or a ro#at"d% Allah -@A=BCD. has suffic"d us from that $ith som"thin# $hich is mor" corr"ct than it and "tt"r, cl"ar"r, and mor" "n"ficial% And to Allah "lon#s th" /rais" and th" Rrac"% )n th" comm"ntary on *"rs" 4S of Surah al-An#abut, aft"r r"latin# th" hadith, (hen the Peo"le of the )ook narrate to yo!, do not believe nor re*ect them,$ h" stat"d2 ,h"n, it should " kno$n that most of $hat th"y narrat" is fals"hood and for#"ry, "caus" distortion, chan#", and fals" int"r(r"tation ha*" "nt"r"d into it, and truth is *"ry rar" in th"ir r"(orts, and "*"n if it $"r" auth"ntic, it is of littl" "n"fit% )n th" comm"ntary on *"rs" 1`P of Surah al-Araf$ h" stat"d2 ,h"ir r"(orts ar" of thr"" ty("s2 from th"m is that $hich $" kno$ its corr"ctn"ss, as indicat"d y "*id"nc" from th" Book of Allah or th" Sunnah of His :"ss"n#"r, from th"m is that $hich $" kno$ its fals"hood, as th" o((osit" of it has ""n (ro*"n y "*id"nc" from th" Book and th" Sunnah, and from th"m is that a out $hich no (osition is to " tak"n, so it is ("rmissi l" to r"lat", du" to His stat"m"nt -TUV<LH aUb<L @IGJ., +arrate from the Children of Israil, and there is no sin in that $ ,his a((li"s to that $hich cannot actually " confirm"d or r"5"ct"d, du" to his stat"m"nt, ,o not believe them nor re*ect them $ ,h"r" is a *"ry lon# story that an-casa1i r"(orts in th" cha(t"r of at-Tafsir in as-Sunan al-Kubra ] $hich $" ha*" not s""n[8] - and ) n A i Hatim r"(orts in his Tafsir, from ) n XA as, and al-Hafiz i n !athir r"f"rs to it as th" Hadith of [al-Fatun'\ H" r"lat"s it in full in th" comm"ntary of His -;<=>?. stat"m"nt, And (e tried yo! with a heavy trial -fatuna.,$ from *"rs" 4P of Surah Ta-Ha% ,h"n h" stat"d2 )t is mawquf[9] from th" stat"m"nt of i n XA as, and th"r" is nothin# marfu conc"rnin# any of its cont"nts "7c"(t a littl" it, and it is as if i n A as took it from that $hich has ""n ("rmitt"d to narrat" of Israiliyyat, from !a1 al-Ah ar or oth"r than him, and Allah kno$s "st% ) h"ard our shaykh, A u al-Ha55a5 al-:izzi stat" that as $"ll%

Al-Hafiz i n !athir r"f"rs to this hadith, th" hadith of al-fatun, in a num "r of (lac"s in his Tafsir% ) ha*" thorou#hly "liminat"d it from this ook of min", and ) only r"f"rr"d to it onc", at th" first instanc" that ) n !athir r"f"rr"d to it, at th" tafsir of *"rs" 4P of Surah al-Baqarah% Aft"r that, ) a*oid r"f"r"nc" to it, so ) do not r"f"r to it "7c"(t if th"r" is som" (r"ssin# n""d to do so% And ) ask Allah for su((ort in doin# $hat is ri#ht and makin# it "asy, and ) ask for #uidanc" and firmn"ss%

3n" of th" #r"at"st stat"m"nts indicatin# that th" Rlorious 4ur1an is fr"" of th"s" Israili r"(orts is a stat"m"nt of ) n XA as that al-Bukhari r"(orts in his Sahih, and al-Hafiz i n !athir r"lat"s from him, at th" tafsir of *"rs" 7` from Surah al-Baqarah9 ) n XA as said2 3 community of :uslimsE Ho$ can you ask th" /"o(l" of th" Book a out som"thin#, $hil" your Book that Allah r"*"al"d to His /ro(h"t is th" most r"c"nt of r"(orts from Allah, and you r"ad it fr"sh, it has not #ro$n old% Allah has inform"d you that th" /"o(l" of th" Book alt"r"d th" Book of Allah and chan#"d it, and $rot" scri(tur" $ith th"ir o$n hands and said, This is from Allah,$ so as to (urchas" y it a small #ain% 'o"s th" kno$l"d#" that has com" to you not (rohi it you from askin# th"mN And no, y Allah, $" ha*" not s""n any of th"m "*"r askin# you conc"rnin# that $hich has ""n r"*"al"d to you% And this stron#, cl"ar admonition has ""n r"lat"d y al-Bukhari in thr"" (lac"s in his Sahih [O/O1O9 10/WdW,414 from Fath al-Bari]%[1P]
[1] Scholars of Tafsir% [2] ,h"s" ar" from th" $ords of Shaykh Ahmad Shakir hims"lf% ,his ty(" of usa#" is common in Ara ic to mak" cl"ar $h"n a lon# +uot" is comin# to an "nd and th" author1s $ords ar" continuin#% [3] )t s""ms, and Allah kno$s "st, that al-Hafiz i n !athir m"ntion"d th"s" narrations so that th"y could " kno$n and r"co#niz"d and "caus" th"y ha*" ""n +uot"d in th" ooks of Tafsir "for" him so h" $ish"d to "ncom(ass th" $ork of his (r"d"c"ssors% _ik"$is" th" m"r" fact that h" m"ntion"d th"s" narrations in his ,afsir do"s not m"an that h" r"li"d on th"m as th" "7(lanation of th" m"anin#s of th" 4ur1an, 5ust as h" did not int"nd that $"ak hadiths " r"li"d on as th" "7(lanation of its m"anin#s, y"t h" chos" to +uot" all hadiths r"l"*ant to "*"ry to(ic that cam" u(, irr"s("cti*" of th"ir l"*"l of auth"nticity% So $hat Shaykh Ahmad Shakir has said h"r" cannot " a#r""d $ith com(l"t"ly% Ho$"*"r, on" must a#r"" that $hil" th" /ro(h"t -FGDH @IGJ KL ;GM. ("rmitt"d narration of Israiliyat$ it is not fittin# to m"ntion th"s" stori"s or $"ak hadiths in ooks of Tafsir dir"ct"d to th" common :uslims, as th"y $ill not ha*" th" foundational kno$l"d#" to distin#uish "t$""n th" corr"ct and th" incorr"ct, and "caus" of th" confusion and misund"rstandin#s it $ould cr"at" for th"m, althou#h th"r" may " "n"fits in it for th" scholar or th" ca(a l" stud"nt of kno$l"d#"% &" s"", for "7am(l", that XA dullah i n XAmr is on" of thos" $ho r"(ort"d that th" /ro(h"t -FGDH @IGJ KL ;GM. ("rmitt"d th" study of Israiliyat' 3n th" day of earmuk, h" o tain"d t$o full loads of ooks of Ahl al-Kitab% So, h" cl"arly h" und"rstood that it is ("rmissi l" to study th"ir ooks% )t should " k"(t in mind, ho$"*"r, that our (rimary focus should " study of th" 4ur1an and th" Sunnah as shall " m"ntion"d in th" stat"m"nt of i n XA as shortly% Such $as, in fact, th" cas" $ith XA dullah i n XAmr% H" us"d to r"cit" th" 4ur1an com(l"t"ly "*"ry s"*"n ni#hts, and accordin# to th" t"stimony of A u Hurayrah hims"lf, h" kn"$ mor" hadiths than "*"n A u HurayrahE 8l"arly, th"r" is a diff"r"nc" "t$""n som"on" of that l"*"l of scholarshi( r"adin# th" Books of Ahl al!ita and a layman% &ithout dou t, th" Tafsir of )mam i n !athir is a scholarly $ork addr"ss"d to a kno$l"d#"a l" audi"nc", so )mam i n !athir, may Allah r"$ard him for his tr"m"ndous $ork, is fr"" of lam" in that r"#ard% And Allah kno$s "st% [4] /lural of Hafidh, a titl" for #r"at scholars of Hadith% [5] 3n" fr"" of "rror2 Allah or His :"ss"n#"rs%

[6] A hadith that is [rais"d u(,\ that is2 it #o"s ack all th" $ay to th" /ro(h"t -FGDH @IGJ KL ;GM.% [7] H"r"tics $ho s""k to und"rmin" th" r"li#ion% [8] Sinc" that tim", an-casa1i1s ook, As-Sunan al-Kubra, has ""n (rint"d and mad" a*aila l", and all (rais" is du" to Allah% [9] Roin# ack to a Saha i, not th" /ro(h"t -FGDH @IGJ KL ;GM.% [10] ,his +uot" r"affirms $hat ) m"ntion"d in a (r"*ious footnot"2 it is not a((ro(riat" for th" a*"ra#" :uslim to usy hims"lf $ith Israiliyat, "caus" at "st, th"y $ill distract him from und"rstandin# th" Book of Allah and th" Sunnah of His :"ss"n#"r -FGDH @IGJ KL ;GM.% At $orst, it $ill confus" him and misl"ad him conc"rnin# im(ortant matt"rs of his r"li#ion% ,h" l"arn"d ("rson, ho$"*"r, is allo$"d to study such narrations "caus" this is not f"ar"d him% So it is that $" s"" in th" hadith of al-Fatun r"f"rr"d to y Shaykh Ahmad Shakir, that i n XA as hims"lf narrat"d matt"rs that com" from th" Israiliyat, and in fact, h" did so in th" cont"7t of discussin# th" *"rs"s of th" 4ur1an% )t is im(ortant also to k""( in mind th" audi"nc" of i n XA as% H" only m"ntion"d thos" thin#s $h"n h" ask"d a out th"m y Sa1id i n fu ayr, on" of i n XA as1 #r"at"st stud"nts, $ho, in his o$n ri#ht, "cam" a #r"at )mam in Tafsir, to say nothin# of th" oth"r sci"nc"s of )slam%