The False Account of Asma bint Marwan
The False Account of Asma bint Marwan
by Ebrahim Saifuddin
Prophet Muhammad(saw) has been accused of ordering the killing of Asma bint Marwan after she had insulted him(saw) through her poetry. She was a poetess and a mother for whose death our Prophet(saw) is being held responsible.
Any student of Islam knows that the life of Prophet Muhammad(saw) has been described in detail in what he call the “Ahadith”. Ahadith in whole are basically collected stories, events, actions of the Prophet(saw). However not all the stories transmitted down by a chain of narrators are cent percent true. There are many sahih, hasan, da’eef (weak) ahadith. For Muslims it was very important to develop a science of hadith to separate truth from falsehood.
There are two places where this story about the killing of Asma bint Marwan has been reported and those are:
1) Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabir
and
2) Kinz ul Ummal
In Kinz ul Ummal this story is related under number 44131 and has been attributed to three people namely Ibn Asaker, Ibn Sad and Ibn Adiyy.
Ibn Adiyy is also the author of the book Al-Kamel and in that book he has mentioned this incident and on the authority of Jafar Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn As-Sabah on authority of Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Ash-Shami on authority of Muhammad Ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Lakhmi on authority of Mujalid on authority of Ash-Shu’abi on authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, he has added the following:
this isnad (chain of reporters) is not narrated on authority of Mujalid but by Muhammad Ibn Al-Hajjaj and they all (other reporters in the chain) accuse Muhammad Ibn Al-Hajjaj of forging it. (Al-Kamel Vol 6, pg. 145)
Ibn al-Gawzi in his book Al-Ilal (Vol. 1, pg. 279) mentioned that this report was false. This report is also listed among other flawed reports.
Hence in conclusion this report is nothing but a fabricated lie – a forgery and should be discarded.
3 Comments
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I looked into the point you made about Ibn Adiyy’s book..and his opinion is dusputed for reasons of lack of references or sources.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Disputed_statement
I would like to know exactly to ‘what’ he has taken this information where he claims the report is false.. as it stands right now.. ‘he’ is the only source. Please provide information about the people he refers to who call the chain of transmitters ‘liars’ and either hadith or other source to confirm this.
@ Yusef
As salamu ‘alaykum,
The link you provided has apparently nothing to do with this article. I am confused as I do not know the purpose of the link. Secondly I think you misread the article. No one calls the chain of transmitters “liars”. It is the chain of narrators who have said that Muhammad Ibn Hajjaj has forged the story.
Further Ibn al-Ghawzi has also stated this report to be false.
When I came across this discussion on :”Asma bint Marwan”, an event took place in the beginning of the light of Islamic revolution.
Before I begin looking into it I had to recognize the following:
1. Who is the person raising this issue? (Character of this person, Behavior, history)
2. Who is behind this person? (Who is supporting this person, Audience, Purpose, Agenda, Goals)
3. Why only this incident was chosen. (There were many other similar incidents in the history and many times more than this are committed by the enemies of this Islamic revolution that eventually brought peace and save their lives)
5. Instead of digging into the events of the past fourteen hundred years before when no one can revert it back, why they can’t see thousands of similar incidents happening today, in a broad day light, in so called best educated and civilized world, if they are so sympathetic to the incident of one Asma Bint Marwan, ignoring what damages she was committing through her poetry to the revolution that eventually saved millions of lives, converted worst tribal enemies fighting for tiny little things to the best brothers and sisters who started sharing and caring each others in both good times and bad times?
In short it will be obvious, as clear a day light, if you look into the events with fair and clear vision and free from self interest on both the losses and gains of this revolution of Islam as a complete way of life and a system of just and order, you will see the beauty of its mercy to mankind. If you can not see it than you are blinded by the same Allah (SWT) Who has created you and you will be cursed here and in the hereafter.
Let us look at this reasons why this revolution is a unique in the history of human life:
1. This was the only revolution that is a total revolution that covers every aspect of human life.
2. Only revolution that impacted individuals, tribes and nations and transformed them from worst to the best (See the book “The 100 great men”, by Dr. Michael Hart in which he gave 1st position to Muhammad(SAW)).
3. It also purified and reformed from ignorance to the most moderate every individual, family, tribe and nation.
4. This complete and everlasting revolution of Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah(Subhanahu Wa Tala) Upon him)) changed the believer’s religious beliefs, thoughts processes, rituals, behavior in day-to-day trades, economy, society and political life.
5. Yet this revolution had least losses of lives than any other revolution that impacted only one or limited/partial aspect of human life.
6. To judge whether this revolution is a mercy to mankind or a trouble and turmoil, you have books on history that were recorded by the most pious ones. These books have recorded names of every human being that lost life from both sides. This not only proves piety and honesty of the authors but also confirms that this revolution produced best results for the least losses of human lives. There is no comparison to the Islam as revolution, Muhammad (PBUH) as Allah’s messenger, Qur’an as the book of Allah’s (SWT) and the Ummah as the believers of Muhammad (PBUH). This is the challenge that was there in the beginning, it is there now and it will be there in the rest of the future. Allah (SWT) has given a limited time to the deniers to take advantage of the time to turn back to Him or get even worst to be chewed up by Hell Fire. This time is also for the innocents to come out of darkness of ignorance and take refuge of light of Islam. This time is also extended for believers to understand the message, practice and invite those who are still in the darkness of ignorance so that they will be saved.
7. Also There is the fact that every revolution had its enemies therefore, Islam had its own enemies too. No revolution tolerated its enemies and resisting forces as much as Islam did. It only this unique revolution from the true Creator of human race in which believers forgave their worst enemies who had blood on their hands of hundreds of their believing brothers and even blood relatives.
8. You have seen the worst enemies of Islam had turned into best followers and sacrificing for Islam in their life time. This is unique that confirms the truthfulness of Islam that only the disbelievers whom Allah (SWT) has blind folded can not see the truth.
9. This is the only revolution that is mercy to mankind had to be a threat, as a fact to the evil of its time in the beginning and will remain the same to the evil and anti human elements today and until the end of this world. Therefore, the fight between the virtue and evil, good and bad was there, is there today and will remain in future times to come but, it is upto every one of us today and in the times to come that who takes the side of truth, take a firm stand and end up ultimately into Heaven while rest of them walked into the path of Hell Fire by themselves. There were not only deceived themselves but, invited others towards deception and confusion as the Asma bint Marwan. Therefore, such people are proving themselves of today’s Abu Jahel, Asma bint Marwan and Musailema bin Kazzab etc., and inviting the same fate and anger from Allah (SWT).
As far as beleavers they do not get carried away by this arguments rather turn back to the light of Islam ignited by the last messenger of Allah (SWT). Everyone should know that only Islam confirms all the rightful and mighty messengers of Allah (SWT) includes Eisa, Musa, Ishaq, Ismail, Ibrahim, Sulaiman, Dawood, Nooh and Adam and all the messengers between them (Peace and Blessings of Allah be on to all of them). If a Muslim denies any one of them as they were sent down with the message given to them to call their tribes and nations towards Allah (SWT), the books that was revealed to them and the miracles that they were given, then he has lost his claim as being a Muslim, living in a fools paradise and end up into the same Hell Fire as the disbelievers of Islam.