Bismillaah-ir-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem

[عن واثلة بن الأسقع الليثي أبي فسيلة:] أُنزلتْ صحفُ إبراهيمَ أولَ ليلةٍ من شهرِ رمضانَ، وأُنزلتِ التوراةُ لستٍّ مضتْ من رمضانَ، وأُنزل الإنجيلُ بثلاثِ عشرةَ مضتْ من رمضانَ، وأُنزِلَ الزبورُ لثمانِ عشرةَ خلَتْ من رمضانَ، *وأُنزلَ القرآنُ لأربعٍ وعشرينَ خلتْ من رمضانَ*

Meaning of the hadeeth:

Waathilah bn al-Asqa - radiyallaahu anhu - reported that the Prophet - sallaallahu alahyi wa sallam - said: The Scrolls of Ibraheem were revealed on the first night in the month of Ramadan, At-Tauraah was revealed after the passing of six days in Ramadan, Injeel was revealed after the passing of 13 days in Ramadan, az-Zaboor was revealed after the passing of 18 days in Ramadan and Qur'aan was revealed after the passing of 24 days in Ramadan.'

Recorded by at-Tabaraanee in his al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer (5/450), al-Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad (4/107), al-Bayhaqee in Shuab Al-Eemaan (3/531), etc.

Below are some of the rulings on the hadeeth by scholars of hadeeth, in Arabic though:

الألباني (١٤٢٠ هـ)ØŒ صحيح الجامع ١٤٩٧  •  حسن

شعيب الأرنؤوط (١٤٣٨ هـ)ØŒ تخريج المسند ١٦٩٨٤  •  ضعيف  •  أخرجه أحمد (١٦٩٨٤) واللفظ له، والطبراني (٢٢/٧٥) (١٨٥)ØŒ والبيهقي (١٩١٢١)

الطبراني (٣٦٠ هـ)ØŒ المعجم الأوسط Ù¤/١١١  •  لم يرو هذا الحديث عن قتادة إلا عمران القطان ولا يروى عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلا بهذا الإسناد.

Another version in Al-Asmaa was-Sifaat of Al-Imaam al-Bayhaqee:

البيهقي (٤٥٨ هـ)ØŒ الأسماء والصفات Ù¡/٣٦٧  •  [ورد عن جابر من قوله وفيه عبيد الله بن أبي حميد وليس بالقوي]

*Commentary*

Regarding the hadeeth, scholars differ as to its authenticity. Truly Ash-Shaykh Al-Albaanee classed it as hasan. Ash-Shaykh Shuyab al-Ar'naaoot classed it as daeef in his checking over Musnad Ahmad (as shown in the Arabic above)

The bone of contention is regarding a narrator by name, Imraan bn Dawaar al-Ammiyy al-Qattaan al-Basree. Some scholars classed him as being weak while some others said he is fair (hasan).

He reported the hadeeth from Qataadah and Qataadah from Abu Al-Maleeh and Abu Al-Maleeh from Waathilah bn Al-Asqa.

Ash-Shaykh Al-Albaanee said his hadeeth will be regarded as hasan when it is clear he has not made a mistake.

Ash-Shaykh al-Ar'naoot said his like cannot report a hadeeth without a strong or fair corroboration.

Allaah knows best the corroboration that comes for it in the hadeeth of Jaabir bn Abdillâh (as recorded by Al-Imaam al-Bayhaqee in his Al-Asmaa was-Sifaat) has a narrator by name Ubayd bn Abdillâh. He is extremely weak. Al-Imaam Ahmad said about him, 'People dropped his hadeeth.' Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree said he is 'munkar hadeeth.' He also said 'he used to report reprehensible things from Abu Al-Maleeh.' (That statement brings a benefit that the hadeeth has the same route as the hadeeth of Waathilah, the route is via Abu Al-Maleeh. He and Qataadah reported it from Abu al-Maleeh. Though Qataadah was a strong reporter from Abu al-Maleeh, but the reporter from Abu al-Maleeh here was extremely weak, just as the reporter from Qataadah, in the hadeeth of Waathilah, was equally not strong).

Abu Daawud declared him as weak (that is, Imraan al-Qattaan) in his sunan. Al-Bukhaaree just recorded his hadeeth as a ta'leeq. Muslim did not use his hadeeth. An-Nasaee declared him weak.

Some other scholars such as Al-Imaam Ahmad, Yahyaa bn Maeen, AbdurRahmaan bn Mahdee, etc, said he is fair.

He was even accused of being from among the Khawaarij.

He was also accused of reporting things that opposed better reports. Al-Imaam at-Tabaraanee said that about him.

The view of Ash-Shaykh al-Ar'naaoot seems to be superior here, Allaah knows best, his hadeeth needs a very strong corroboration.

Meanwhile, some other scholars did explain the hadeeth in a better and acceptable way.

Al-Imaam al-Bayhaqee quoted Al-Imaam al-Haleemiyy in his Shuab Al-Eemaan that his statement - sallaallahu alahyi wa sallam - *'...the Qur'aan was revealed after the passing of 24 days in Ramadan...''* to mean that it was 25th night because that is what will come after the passing of the 24 days. That is also the view of Al-Imaam al-Ameer as-Sanaa'aanee in 'At-Tanweer Shar'h Jaami as-Sagheer' 4/281.

So with that the _mushkilah_ of the hadeeth (content-wise) is somehow removed for it would have opposed the belief that the Qur'aan was revealed on Laytul Qadr which the Messenger of Allaah - sallaallahu alahyi wa sallam - said we should look for in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.

Allaah the Mighty knows best.

A random check by a pupil, Aboo Aamir Is'haaq AbdurRaheem, may Allaah forgive him and his dead parents.

24th Ramadan, 1441AH