Tanbih al-Hudhaq ala Butlan ma Shaa bayn al-Anam min Hadith al-Nur al-Mansub li-Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq
- Author died
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- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
Tanbih al-Hudhaq ala Butlan ma Shaa bayn al-Anam min Hadith al-Nur al-Mansub li-Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq ("Alerting the Discerning to the Falsehood of What Has Spread Among the People Regarding the Hadith of Light Attributed to the Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq") is a treatise of hadith criticism and creed by Muhammad Ahmad ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Shinqiti al-Madani, completed in 1390 AH (1970 CE) . The work is dedicated to demonstrating the fabrication of the purported hadith claiming that the primordial light of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was the first entity created by God and the origin of all subsequent creation .
Background and Purpose
The author—who identified his origins in Chinguetti (Mauritania), his descent from Quraysh, and his residence in Medina—finished compiling the treatise with eight nights remaining in Shawwal 1390 AH . He composed it in response to the widespread belief among the public and certain scholars that God created the light of Muhammad ﷺ before all else, that the rest of creation was fashioned from it, and that existence itself was brought into being solely for the Prophet's sake . Proponents grounded this belief in an alleged transmission through Jabir ibn Abd Allah attributed to the Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq al-San'ani, which spans roughly four large pages and divides this primordial light into ten portions from which various cosmic elements were formed .
Content and Method
The treatise establishes the baselessness and fabrication of the narration through both textual (naqli) and rational (aqli) arguments :
- Hadith Criticism and Transmission: The author points out that the narration lacks any valid chain of transmission (isnad) meeting the six fundamental criteria established by hadith scholars (continuity, retentive accuracy, moral integrity, corroboration for obscure transmitters, absence of irregularity, and freedom from detrimental defects) . He notes its total absence from recognized classical hadith compendia and confirms that it does not appear in the printed copies of Abd al-Razzaq's Musannaf published in India . He further identifies internal textual signs of forgery, including extreme verbosity, linguistic weakness, and incongruous phrasing .
- Quranic Evidence: Citing Ibn al-Qayyim's rule in al-Manar al-Munif that direct contradiction of clear Quranic texts indicates fabrication, the treatise highlights verses establishing that humanity was created from clay and dust, the jinn from fire, and all living things from water, directly contradicting the premise that all entities originated from prophetic light .
- Authentic Hadith Traditions: The author contrasts the Jabir narration with authentic reports recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Sunan al-Tirmidhi . These include the traditions establishing the primordial creation of the Water, the Throne, and the Pen, as well as the explicit prophetic statement in Sahih Muslim: خُلقت الملائكة من نور وخُلق الجان من مارج من نار، وخُلق آدم مما وُصف لكم ("The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you") .
- Refutation of Extravagant Praise: The author critiques popular poetic lines embodying these notions, such as verses from the Burdah of al-Busiri, and recounts a debate he conducted in northern Mauritania with a figure named Muhammad al-Barr regarding the claim that no sustenance or blessing reaches creation except because of the Prophet ﷺ .
Reception and Publication
The work was prefaced with an endorsement by Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, who praised the author for his rigorous use of traditional and rational proofs in refuting the narration .
The treatise has been issued in several editions, including a print by the Islamic University of Medina, an edition published by Maktabat Dar al-Yaqin in Riyadh (2nd ed., 1402 AH), and another by Dar al-Fath in Sharjah .
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