Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 5, Hadith 91
It was narrated that `Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: `Abdullah bin Shaddad came and entered upon `A`ishah (رضي الله عنها) when we were sitting with her, as he was returning from Iraq during the time when ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) was murdered. She said to him: O `Abdullah bin Shaddad, will you tell me the truth about what I am going to ask you? Tell me about these people whom ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) killed. He said: Why shouldn`t I tell you the truth? She said: Tell me about them. He said: When `Ali (رضي الله عنه) corresponded with Mu`awiyah and the two arbitrators gave their verdict, eight thousand of the pious rebelled against him and camped in a land called Haroora`, near Koofah. They criticised him and said: You have taken off a chemise that Allah caused you to wear and a title that Allah gave to you, then you went ahead and asked people to issue a decree concerning the religion of Allah. There is no ruling except the ruling of Allah, may He be exalted. When `Ali (رضي الله عنه) heard about their criticism of him and the reason why they had split from him, he told his caller not to admit anyone but those who had memorised the Qur`an. When the house was filled with people who had memorised the Qur`an, he called for a large Mushaf and put it front of him, and he started tapping it with his hand, saying: O Mushaf, tell the people. The people called out: O Ameer al-Mu`mineen, how could you ask it? It is only ink and paper, but we could speak on the basis of what we understand from it. What do you want? He said: These companions of yours who rebelled, between me and them is the Book of Allah, and Allah says in His Book concerning a woman and a man: `If you fear a breach between them twain (the man and his wife), appoint (two) arbitrators, one from his family and the other from hers; if they both wish for peace, Allah will cause their reconciliation.` . He said: I saw him and I was with ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) when he was examining the slain. He called the people and said: Do you know this one? How many of them came and said: I saw him praying in the mosque of Banu So and so, and I saw him praying in the mosque of Banu So and so. And there was no proof of who he was except that. She said: What did `Ali say when he stood over him, as the people of Iraq claim? He said: I heard him say: Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. She said: Did you hear him say anything other than that? He said: No, by Allah. She said: Yes, Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. May Allah have mercy on `Ali (رضي الله عنه): it was his habit, if he saw something he liked, to say: Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. But the people of Iraq fabricated lies against him and added words to what he said.
حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ الْحَنَفِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا نَكُونُ بِالْبَادِيَةِ فَتَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَحَدِنَا الرُّوَيْحَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ الْحَقِّ إِذَا فَعَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ وَلَا تَأْتُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي أَعْجَازِهِنَّ وَقَالَ مَرَّةً فِي أَدْبَارِهِنَّ.
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 5, Hadith 91
The above hadith is from the Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal collection of hadiths. The Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal is a foundational work in Islamic hadith literature, highly valued for its comprehensive nature. Its most defining feature is its organizational method; it categorizes hadiths based on the companion of the Prophet who first reported them, with a dedicated section for each. This structure provides a unique window into the practices and sayings of the Prophet as witnessed and related by his diverse companions. Although the Musnad is held in extremely high regard and contains many authentic narrations, it is important to note that, due to its encyclopedic aim of collecting available reports, it also contains some hadiths with weaker chains of transmission that are subject to scholarly scrutiny.
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For more Hadith in Book 5: Musnad ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib