RENAISSANCE OCTOBER 2021

45 Monthly Renaissance October 2021 Ḥ ad ī th Critical Evaluation of the Narrative “Wisdom is a Believer’s Lost Heritage” Dr Shehzad Saleem I Introduction There are narratives that report that words of wisdom are the lost heritage of a true believer and that wherever he finds them, he is more worthy of them. In this article their ascription to the Prophet (sws ) will be critically evaluated. II Texts and their Analysis The following two companions report this narrative from the Prophet (sws). 1 1. Ab ū Hurayrah (rta) ﺣ ﺛ ﺪ ﻨ ﺎ ﻣ ﺑْ ﺪ ﻤ ﺤ ﻋﻤﺮ ﺑْ ﻦ ﻟْﻮﻟ ﻦ ﻴﺪ ﻟْﻜﻨْﺪيﺣ ﺛ ﺪ ﻨ ْ ﺎ ﻋ ﺒ ﷲٰ ﺪ ﻦ / ﺑْ ٍ ﻋ LْM ﻧﻤ ْ ﺑْ ﻦ ﺮ ْ ﻫ ﻴ ﻢ ﺑْ ﻦ ﻟْﻔﻀْﻞﻋ ْ ْ ﻦ ﺳﻌﻴ يﻋ L~ْ ﺪٍ ﻟْﻤﻘ ْ ﻦ Á ﻫﺮﻳْﺮة ﻗ ﻗ ﺎل ر ﺎل ﷲٰ ل ﻮْ ﺳ / ﷲ ٰ/ﻋﻠ † ﺻ ﻴۡﻪ 1. This narrative is also reported in its maqt ū ‘ form by some t ā bi‘ ū n . They include: i. Sa‘ ī d ibn Ab ī Burdah (Ibn Ab ī Shaybah, Mu ṣ annaf , vol. 7, 240, (no. 35681); Ibn ‘As ā kir, T ā r ī kh Mad ī nah Dimashq , vol. 21, 169, Al- Bayhaq ī , Al-Madkhal , 447, (no. 844). ii. ‘Abdull ā h ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr (Ibn Ab ī Shaybah, Mu ṣ annaf , vol. 7, 244, (no.3574); Ibn Ḥ arb, Akhb ā r Makiyy ī n , 307, (no. 270); Al- Bayhaq ī , Al-Madkhal , 283, (no. 413). iii. Zayd ibn Aslam (Al-Qu ḍā ’ ī , Musnad Shih ā b , vol. 1, 118, (no. 146); Ibn ‘As ā kir, T ā r ī kh Mad ī nah Dimashq , vol. 19, 289). The variants of ‘Abdull ā h ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr mention “knowledge” in place of “wisdom.”