Hadith of prohibition of Mut'ah at Khaybar

One single (Arabic: "Ahaad") famous recorded oral tradition among Muslims (Arabic: "Hadith") is about the legality of temporary marriage (Arabic: "Nikah Mut'ah") and the Battle of Khaybar.

Although that narration is prominently quoted and referred to, it is not given any formal name, in contrast to other hadith such as the Hadith of the pond of Khumm or the Hadith of Qur'an and Sunnah.

Views

This hadith is primarily notable because it is very prominently referred to when discussing Hadiths regarding the legality of Nikah Mut'ah.

unni View

Most Sunnis regard this hadith as authentic (Sahih).

Positive

Most Sunni argue that this hadith unambiguously proves the prohibition of Mut'ah. This is mostly due to the hadith being included in the Two Sahihs: Sahi Muslim muslim|8|3266, muslim-usc|8|3263, muslim-usc|8|3264 muslim-usc|8|3265, muslim-usc|8|3267, muslim-usc|21|4763, muslim-usc|21|4764] and Sahih Bukhari Bukhari|7|67|432, bukhari-usc|7|62|50, bukhari-usc|5|59|527 , bukhari-usc|9|86|91] , the later being referred to as "The most authentic book after the Qur'an" [ [http://www.ummah.net/Al_adaab/hadith/bukhari/index.html ummah.net] , [http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/profile_story.asp?service_id=838 islamonline.com] , [http://www.sunnah.org/history/Scholars/imam_bukhari.htm sunnah.org] , [http://yarehman.bizbrowse.com/islam/Mazameen/Personalities-English/Imam-Bukhari.htm yarehman.com] , [http://www.inter-islam.org/A-Z/B/B.htm inter-islam.org] , [http://fatwa-online.com/classicalbooks/hadeeth/0000101.htm fatwa-online.com] ] , and some have taunted the Shi'a for ignoring the verdicts (Arabic: "fatwa") of Ali himself Fact|date=February 2007.

PresentScholar|Ibn Kathir|14th stated in his Tafsir of an-Nisa, 24 states [http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=4&tid=10803 site, offline as of 2006-09-29] [http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:pBBUYhiUz4wJ:www.tafsir.com/default.asp%3Fsid%3D4%26tid%3D10829+%22Ma%27bad+al-Juhani%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=21 Google Cache] ] :

A list of those scholars authenticating this hadith include:
*Muhammad al-Bukhari, author of Sahih Bukhari
*Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, author of Sahi Muslim
*Ibn Kathir

Negative

However, there are some who those who are not equally convinced. presentScholar|Ibn al-Qayyim|14th writes [Zad al-Ma'ad on page 183 ( [http://www.answering-ansar.org/answers/mutah/en/chap6.php ref] )] :

presentScholar|Ibn Hajar Asqalani|15th|Sunni|Shafi'i writes:

presentScholar|Ali al-Qari|17th|Sunni|Hanafi writes:

Others include:

*Umdat al-Qari Volume 8 page 311:"Allamah ibn Barr said that the tradition on the prohibition of Mut'ah on the Day of Khayber is wrong.

*Zad al-Ma'ad Volume 2 page 204 Ghazwa Khayber:"The tradition prohibiting Mut'ah during the victory of Makka is more Sahih.

*Fath al-Bari Volume 9 page 168

*Irshad al-Sari, Sharh al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah of Muhammad al-Zurqani vol.2 pg. 239, and Sharh al Muwatta vol.2 pg. 24, Abu Omar's opinion on the prohibition of Mut'ah at Khayber are cited::"This is absolutely wrong. Temporary marriage never took place in Khayber.

*Rowz Al Anf vol. 4 pg. 59 (printed 1391 AH)This is something that no one involved in the Seerah and the history Muhammad has ever acknowledged (that Mut'ah was prohibited on Khayber).

*Seera Halabiyah vol.3 pg.45This is something that no one involved in the Seerah and the history of Muhammad has ever acknowledged (that Mut'ah was prohibited on Khayber).

*In Fath al-Bari vol.9 pg. 145 and Nayl al-Awtar vol.6 pg. 146, Sunan Baihaqi vol.7pg.201 and Zad al-Ma'ad Volume 1 pg. 443 Abu Awaanah is quoted as writing in his Sahih::"I have heard scholars saying that the tradition related of Ali only talked of the prohibition of the eating of the meat of domestic asses and there was no mention of Mut'ah, and the tradition is silent on that matter".

Then they quote Ibn Qayyim in Zad al-Ma'ad Volume 2 page 142::"If we accept that Mut'ah was cancelled on the Day of Khayber then what we are saying is that cancellation occurred twice and this has never happened in religion for sure and will not happen.

hi'a View

On basis of isnad, Shias reject hadith from Zuhri ibn Shab referring to the Muslim agreed upon idea that hadith from people that hate Ali cannot be accepted. Shia further argue that it is strange that Sunnis regard this hadith as authentic, since Ibn Hajar Asqalani [Tahdhib al-Tahdhib] graded the two sons of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah to be weak, arguing that one was a murijee, and the other to be a Shi'a [ [http://www.answering-ansar.org/answers/mutah/en/chap6.php ref] ] .

On basis of matn, Shi'a view other hadith testify to Ali blaiming Umar for its prohibition, and arguing that those hadith are more credible. Further, Shi'a quote the non-Shi'a scholars who agree that no prohibition took place at Khaybar.

Shia's argue that since in all the hadith in Sahi Bukhari and in Sahi Muslim, numerous Sahaba reported that Muhammad declared haram only the eating of domestic asses and onion (or garlic), but nobody mentioning any kind of Mut'ah of any sort, it can be deducted that either did Muhammad not mentioned Nikah Mut'ah in that speech in 7 AH, or everyone forgot to mention it in their narration, including Ali.

Considering that Ibn Abbas was arguing the issue with Ibn Zubair around 15 AH, this would mean that Ali waited with narrating this hadith to anyone for eight years.

Shi'a argue that the authenticity of this single narration is contradicted by all other narrations of the event:

alama ibn al-Akwa

*bukhari|5|59|509
*bukhari|8|75|343
*muslim|19|4440

*bukhari|7|67|405
*bukhari|3|43|657
*muslim|19|4440
*muslim|21|4775

*Yazid ibn Abu Ubaid also transmitted the above hadith muslim|21|4775.

Anas ibn Malik

*bukhari|7|67|436

*bukhari|5|59|511

Abdullah ibn Abu Aufa

*bukhari|4|53|383

*bukhari|5|59|531

*muslim|21|4768
*muslim|21|4769

Al-Bara ibn Azib

*bukhari|5|59|535
*muslim|21|4771
*muslim|21|4772
*muslim|21|4773

*bukhari|5|59|532
*bukhari|5|59|533
*bukhari|5|59|534
*bukhari|7|67|434
*muslim|21|4770

Jabir ibn Abd-Allah

*bukhari|5|59|530
*bukhari|7|67|429
*bukhari|7|67|433
*muslim|21|4779
*muslim|21|4780

Above hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Jurayj.

*muslim|4|1146

*bukhari|1|12|814

Abd-Allah ibn Umar

*bukhari|5|59|526
*muslim|4|1141

*bukhari|1|12|812

*muslim|21|4774

*bukhari|5|59|528
*bukhari|5|59|529
*bukhari|7|67|430
*bukhari|7|67|431
*muslim|21|4766
*muslim|21|4767

Abu Tha'alba

*bukhari|7|67|435
*muslim|21|4765

Ibn Abbas

*bukhari|5|59|536
*muslim|21|4774See also bukhari|7|67|437

Targeting Ali and Ibn Abbas

They further argue that even if they were to accept that Mut'ah was forbidden on the Day of Khayber, there is still a question regarding why Ali and Abdullah ibn Abbas are the only ones who are quoted as saying so, specially since those are in forefront in the hadith that defended the legitimacy of Mut'ah.

They then conclude that it is logical to assume that the rest of the companions heard right and someone later on fabricated the Kahybar and Mut'ah hadith, and attributed it to those two who where the strongest defenders of Mut'ah, in order to strengthen their own arguments.

References

ee also

*List of Muslim reports