DISTORTION OF IBN 'ABD AL-BARR'S STATEMENT ON IMAM ALI ع IN AL-ISTI'AB

﷽

In the Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful,

It is indeed true that, in relation to Ibn 'Abd Al-Barr's statement regarding the consensus that Imam Ali, peace be upon him, was the first to pray towards the two Qiblas, the phrase "the first" has been removed.

This is evident from the statement of the Sunni scholar Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani (b. 1372 CE), who explicitly quotes Ibn 'Abd Al-Barr’s original statement. In the quoted text, it is clearly mentioned that there is a consensus affirming that Imam Ali, peace be upon him, was the first to pray towards the two Qiblas.

The Sunni scholar Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani stated the following in his book Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, published by Matba‘at Da’irat al-Ma‘arif al-Nizamiyyah, Hyderabad Deccan, India, in the First Edition (1325-1327 AH), Volume 7, Pages 336-337, with the following words:

وقال شعبة عن سلمة بن كهيل عن حبة هو ابن جوين عن علي أنا أول من صلى مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. قال ابن عبد البر وقد أجمعوا إنه أول من صلى القبلتين وهاجر وشهد بدرا وأحدا وسائر المشاهد وأنه أبلى ببدر وأحد والخندق وخيبر البلاء العظيم وكان لواء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيده في مواطن كثيرة ولم يتخلف إلا في تبوك خلفه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على المدينة وقال له أنت مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى إلا أنه لا نبي بعدي

"Shu‘bah narrated from Salamah ibn Kuhayl, from Hubah, who is Ibn Juwayn, from Ali, who said: “I am the first to pray with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” 

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: There is unanimous agreement that he [Ali, peace be upon him] was the first to pray towards both Qiblas, to migrate, and to witness the battles of Badr, Uhud, and all other significant events. He demonstrated remarkable bravery in Badr, Uhud, the Trench, and Khaybar. The banner of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was in his hand in many places. He did not miss any battle except for Tabuk, when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, left him in charge of Medina and said to him: ‘You are to me as Harun was to Musa, except there will be no prophet after me." [1] [2]

Here we can clearly see that Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani quotes Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, who stated that Ali was the first to pray towards both Qiblas.

This statement has evidently been distorted. In the book Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani quotes from—Al-Isti‘ab by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr—it is apparent that in the printed version available today, the phrase "the first" has been removed. 

In Al-Isti‘ab, annotated by Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Turki and published alongside Al-Inbah fi Dhikr Qaba’il al-Ruwat, First Edition, Cairo, Egypt: Markaz Hajar lil-Buhuth wal-Dirasat al-‘Arabiyyah wal-Islamiyyah, 1440 AH / 2019 CE, the following can be found in Volume 5, pages 311-312:

وقال عليٌّ: صَلَّيتُ مع رسولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كذا وكذا لا يُصَلِّي معه غيرِي إلا خديجةَ.

وأجمَعوا على أنَّه صَلَّى القبلتَيْنِ، وهاجَر، وشهِد بدرًا والحُدَيبيةَ، وسائرَ المشاهدِ، وأنَّه أبلَى ببدرٍ وبأُحُدٍ والخندقِ وخيبرَ بلاءً عظيمًا. وأنَّه أغنَى في تلك المشاهدِ، وقام فيها المقامَ الكريمَ (١)، وكان لواءُ رسولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بيدِه في مواطنَ كثيرةٍ، وكان يومَ بدرٍ بيدِه على اختلافٍ في ذلك

"Ali said: "I prayed with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in such and such a manner, and no one prayed with him except for me, except for Khadijah."

It is agreed upon that he prayed towards the two Qiblas, migrated, witnessed Badr, Hudaybiyyah, and other battles. He displayed immense bravery in Badr, Uhud, the Trench, and Khaybar. He played a significant role in these battles, performing with great honor. The banner of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was in his hand on many occasions, and on the day of Badr, it was in his hand, though there are varying reports regarding this.." [3] [4] 

In this printed version, we can observe that Ibn Hajar's quotation of Ibn Abd al-Barr, where Ibn Abd al-Barr stated that there is a consensus that Ali was the first to pray towards the two Qiblas, no longer includes the phrase "the first," which has been removed.

The version of Al-Isti‘ab by Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Turki is not the only one that has omitted the phrase"the first"; other printed versions have also removed the phrase.

In Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-As-hab, in the version edited by Ali Muhammad al-Bijawi (d. 1399 AH) and published by Maktabat Nahdat Misr, Cairo, 1380 AH / 1960 CE, the following is mentioned in Volume 3, Pages 1096-1097:

وقال على رضي الله عنه: صليت مع رسول الله ﷺ كذا وكذا لا يصلى معه غيري إلا خديجة. وأجمعوا على أنه صلى القبلتين، وهاجر، وشهد بدرا والحديبية، وسائر المشاهد، وأنه أبلى ببدر وبأحد وبالخندق وبخيبر بلاء عظيما، وأنه أغنى في تلك المشاهد، وقام فيها المقام السكريم. وكان لواء رسول الله ﷺ بيده في مواطن كثيرة، وكان يوم بدر بيده على اختلاف في ذلك.

"Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I prayed with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in such and such a manner, and no one prayed with him except for me, except for Khadijah."

It is agreed upon that he prayed towards the two Qiblas, migrated, and witnessed Badr, Hudaybiyyah, and other battles. He displayed great valor in Badr, Uhud, the Trench, and Khaybar. He played a significant role in those battles and held a noble position in them. The banner of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was in his hand on many occasions, including on the day of Badr, though there are varying reports regarding this.." [5]

Here, we see another example of how the phrase "the first" has been removed from another version of Al-Isti‘ab by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr.

One might argue that the context of what Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr is stating is not related to Imam Ali's being the first to pray, and that this is why the printed version we have today is accurate. However, this claim is clearly absurd, as immediately before Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr says, "It is agreed upon that he was the first to pray towards the two Qiblas," he mentions the following in the printed version of Al-Isti‘ab:

وقال على رضي الله عنه: صليت مع رسول الله ﷺ كذا وكذا لا يصلى معه غيري إلا خديجة.

"Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I prayed with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in such and such a manner, and no one prayed with him except for me, except for Khadijah." [6]

Therefore, to say that the distorted statement of Ibn 'Abd al-Barr in the printed versions we have today is correct due to the claim that the statement is not in line with Imam Ali being the first to pray is clearly incorrect, as the context clearly pertains to Imam Ali, peace be upon him, being the first one to pray.

Additionally, there is another Sunni scholar who has mentioned a consensus, but in this consensus, it is stated that Imam Ali, peace be upon him, was the first to become Muslim. This differs from what Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said, which is that there is a consensus regarding Imam Ali, peace be upon him, being the first to pray in the direction of the two Qiblas. Clearly, in both cases, it points to a consensus that Imam Ali, peace be upon him, was the first to declare his faith in Islam among the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family.

The Sunni scholar Ibn Hajar al-Haythami mentioned the following:

الْفَصْل الأول فِي إِسْلَامه وهجرته وَغَيرهمَا

أسلم رَضِي الله عَنهُ وَهُوَ ابْن عشر سِنِين وَقيل تسع وَقيل ثَمَان وَقيل دون ذَلِك قَدِيما بل قَالَ ابْن عَبَّاس وَأنس وَزيد بن أَرقم وسلمان الْفَارِسِي وَجَمَاعَة إِنَّه أول من أسلم وَنقل بَعضهم الْإِجْمَاع عَلَيْهِ

"The First Section: On His Acceptance of Islam, His Migration, and Other Matters

He [Imam Ali, peace be upon him], may Allah be pleased with him, embraced Islam when he was ten years old, although it is also said he was nine, eight, or even much younger than that. In fact, Ibn ‘Abbas, Anas, Zayd ibn Arqam, Salman al-Farsi, and a group of others stated that he was the first to embrace Islam, and some have even reported a consensus on this matter." [7]

And this, of course, does not contradict what the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, has stated in several Sunni narrations deemed authentic according to Sunni standards. For example, one can find the following narration transmitted by the Sunni scholar Abu Bakr al-Haythami, where the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, said to Sayyidah Fatimah, peace be upon her:

أما ترضين ان زوجتك أقدم أمتي سلما وأكثرهم علما وأعظمهم حلما

“Are you not pleased that your husband is the first Muslim of my Ummah, and the most knowledgeable of them, and the most clement of them?” [8]

And regarding the chain of the narration, the Sunni Scholar Abu Bakr Al-Haythami has said:

رواه أحمد والطبراني برجال وثقوا

“Ahmad and At-Tabarani have narrated it with narrators who have all been graded as trustworthy.” [9]

Regarding whether there is a narration in which Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, mentions that he was the first to pray, one can find, for example, what has been narrated by Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib , peace be upon him, in the Sunni Scholar Al-Busiri's book "Itihaf Al-Khirah Al-Mahirah" with the following words:

وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَبْلَ النَّاسِ

“By Allah, I saw myself praying with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, years before the people.” [10]

And the Sunni Scholar Al-Busiri has stated the following regarding the narration:

رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ بِإِسْنَادٍ حَسَنٍ

Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi narrated it with a Hasan (good) chain of transmission. [11]

With everything presented and demonstrated, there is no doubt that Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, was the first to pray among the companions and the first to declare his faith among them, and that a distortion occurred in the Sunni scholar Ibn Abd al-Barr's book Al-Isti'ab regarding the consensus that Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, was the first to pray towards the two Qiblas.

And All Praise be to Allah, the Lord of worlds

References

[1] At-Tahdhib At-Tahdhib,  Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalani, First edition, Published by Matba‘at Da’irat al-Ma‘arif al-Nizamiyyah, Hyderabad Deccan, India, Volume 7, Page 336

[2] At-Tahdhib At-Tahdhib, Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalani, First edition, Published by Matba‘at Da’irat al-Ma‘arif al-Nizamiyyah, Hyderabad Deccan, India, Volume 7, Page 336-337

[3] Al-Isti‘ab, Ibn 'Abd Al-Barr, annotated by Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Turki, published alongside Al-Inbah fi Dhikr Qaba’il al-Ruwat, First Edition, Cairo, Egypt: Markaz Hajar lil-Buhuth wal-Dirasat al-‘Arabiyyah wal-Islamiyyah, 1440 AH / 2019 CE, Vol. 5, pp. 311-312

[4] Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Ibn 'Abd Al-Barr, annotated by Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Turki, published alongside Al-Inbah fi Dhikr Qaba’il al-Ruwat, First Edition, Cairo, Egypt: Markaz Hajar lil-Buhuth wal-Dirasat al-‘Arabiyyah wal-Islamiyyah, 1440 AH / 2019 CE, Vol. 5, pp. 311-312

[5] Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, edited by Ali Muhammad al-Bijawi (d. 1399 AH), Cairo: Maktabat Nahdat Misr, 1380 AH / 1960 CE, Vol. 3, pp. 1096-1097

[6] Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, edited by Ali Muhammad al-Bijawi (d. 1399 AH), Cairo: Maktabat Nahdat Misr, 1380 AH / 1960 CE, Vol. 3, pp. 1096

[7] As-Sawa'iq Al-Muhriqah, Ibn Hajar Al-Haythami, Volume 2, Page 351

[8] Majma' Az-Zawa'id, Abu Bakr Al-Haythami, Volume 9, Page 114

[9] Majma' Az-Zawa'id, Abu Bakr Al-Haythami, Volume 9, Page 114

[10] Al-Itihaf Al-Khirah Al-Mahirah, Al-Busiri, Volume 7, Page 206

[11] Al-Itihaf Al-Khirah Al-Mahirah, Al-Busiri, Volume 7, Page 206

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Is it true that in relation to Ibn 'Abd Al-Barr's statement regarding the consensus that Imam Ali, peace be upon him, was the first to pray towards the two Qiblas, the phrase "the first" has been removed?

In the printed version we have today, it instead appears that he states there is consensus that Imam Ali, peace be upon him, prayed towards the two Qiblas, rather than being the first to do so.

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