Imam Abu Hanifah's view on the sun returning for Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) hadith
By Islamic Portal
4th July 2023
Question
What was Imam Abu Ḥanīfah's view on the Hadith of Returning the Sun to Ali? There is this mentioned in Lisān al-Mīzān:
And it is said: The first one to call him the Devil of Taq, Abu Hanifa, with a debate that took place in his presence between him and some of the Haruriyyah … and a debate took place with Abu Hanifa on something related to the virtues of Ali, in which he was named: Muhammad bin Al-Nu’man, attributed to his grandfather, and Abu Hanifa said to him as the one who denounced him: From whom I narrated a hadith, he replied The sun maybe? He said: From whom did you narrate from him: O Sareet al-Jabal.
The name of God the Merciful
Answer
The ḥadīth is transmitted in several books that on one occasion, Sayyidunā ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) was unable to perform his ʿAṣr Ṣalāh and the sun set. Thereafter, the Prophet ﷺ returned the sun enabling him to perform ʿAṣr Ṣalāh. The scholars and ḥadīth experts have mixed opinions regarding the authenticity of this narration and whether it is established, as outlined in an earlier answer entitled Ḥadīth query: (following posts in thread) Did the sun return for Sayyidunā ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him)? and our book al-ʿIqd al-Thamīn fī Ḥubb al-Nabī al-Amīn ﷺ(p. 145-148). Imam Ṭaḥāwī (d. 321/933) and a group of experts are inclined to the ḥadīth being established. On the other hand, Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241/855), Imam ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī (d. 234/849) and other experts are of the view that it is not established. This view is also attributed to Imam Abu Ḥanīfah (d. 150/767) based on the incident which you have referred to and which is also found in earlier texts. Both these views are substantiated with evidence.
Ibn Taymiyyah said in Minhaj Al-Sunnah (8/197): He said: Abu Al-Abbas bin Uqda said: Jaafar bin Muhammad bin Amr told us, Suleiman bin Abbad told us, I heard Bashar bin Daraa said: Abu Hanifa met Muhammad bin Al-Nu’man, and he said: From whom did you narrate the hadith? the sun? He said: On the authority of someone other than the one you narrated about, O Sareet al-Jabal. The compiler said: All of these are signs of proof of hadith. I said: This indicates that the imams of the people of knowledge did not believe in this hadith, because it was not narrated by an imam of the Muslims. And this Abu Hanifa is one of the famous imams, and he does not accuse Ali, because he is from the people of Kufa, the abode of the Shiites, and he met with the Shiites, and heard of the virtues of Ali as God willed, and he loves him and takes care of him. Despite this, he denied this hadith against Muhammad ibn al-Nu`man, and Abu Hanifa is more knowledgeable. He is more knowledgeable than al-Tahawi and his ilk, and Ibn al-Nu`man did not answer him with a correct answer. Rather, he said: On the authority of someone other than whom I narrated a hadith: “O Sareya al-Jabal.” It is said to him: Suppose that is a lie, so what is there in his lie that indicates the truth of this?
And Ibn Katheer said in The Beginning and the End (8/585): It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hanifa, may God have mercy on him, his denial and mockery of those who narrated it, and he cited the aforementioned narration of Ibn Uqda, then he said: This is Abu Hanifa, may God have mercy on him, and he is one of the respected imams, and he is a Kufi who is not accused of loving Ali Ibn Abi Talib and his preference for what God and His Messenger favored him with, and despite this he denies this to his narrator, and Muhammad bin Al-Nu’man’s statement to him is not an answer, but rather an ineffective opposition, i. What you have narrated about the merits of Umar ibn al-Khattab in his saying: O Sareya al-Jabal. And this is not authentic from Muhammad ibn al-Nu`man, because this is not like this, neither isnaad nor dictated. End.
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
16 Dhū al-Qaʿdah 1444 / 5 June 2023
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmed and Mufti Muhammad Tahir
