Question:
Assalamualaikum. Kindly please explain the status of this hadith.
The Prophet PBUH said, “Revealed to me ten verses. Those who frequent them will surely enter the paradise”. He then recited Surah al-Mu’minun verses 1-10. Thank you.
Brief Answer:
The sanad of this hadith is weak as it is mentioned that Yunus bin Sulaim narrated this hadith directly from al-Zuhri. While a stronger and more sahih sanad is that this hadith is narrated from Yunus bin Sulaim, from Yunus in Yazid, from al-Zuhri. However, this hadith may be practiced because it is among hadiths in the form of encouragement to practice.
Explanation:
Umar bin al-khattab narrated that:
كَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْوَحْيُ يُسْمَعُ عِنْدَ وَجْهِهِ دَوِيٌّ كَدَوِيِّ النَّحْلِ فَمَكَثْنَا سَاعَةً فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ زِدْنَا وَلَا تَنْقُصْنَا وَأَكْرِمْنَا وَلَا تُهِنَّا وَأَعْطِنَا وَلَا تَحْرِمْنَا وَآثِرْنَا وَلَا تُؤْثِرْ عَلَيْنَا وَارْضَ عَنَّا وَأَرْضِنَا ثُمَّ قَالَ لَقَدْ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيَّ عَشْرُ آيَاتٍ مَنْ أَقَامَهُنَّ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ عَلَيْنَا {قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ} حَتَّى خَتَمَ عَشْرُ آيَاتٍ
When the Revelation came down to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), a sound could be heard near his face like the buzzing of bees. We waited a while, then he turned to face the qiblah and raised his hands, then he said: “O Allah, give us more (blessing) and do not give us less; honour us and do not humiliate us, given to us and do not deprive us, give precedence to us and do not give others precedence over us; be pleased with us and make us pleased.” Then he said: “Ten verses have been revealed to me; whoever adheres to them will enter Paradise.” Then he recited to us: “Successful indeed are the believers” [al-Mu'minoon 23:1] until he completed the ten verses.
Musnad Ahmad (223)
This hadith is also narrated by al-Nasai’e in Sunan al-Kubra, al-Bazzar in his Musnad, al-Tahawi in Syarh Musykil al-Athar, al-‘Uqayli in al-Du’afa’ al-Kabir and al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak. All of them mentioned Yunus bin Yazid in the sanad.
Pertaining to this matter, Imam al-Tirmidhi gave some commentaries as the following:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ بِمَعْنَاهُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا أَصَحُّ مِنَ الْحَدِيثِ الأَوَّلِ سَمِعْتُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنَ مَنْصُورٍ، يَقُولُ رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمَدِينِيِّ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ .قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَمَنْ سَمِعَ مِنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ، قَدِيمًا فَإِنَّهُمْ إِنَّمَا يَذْكُرُونَ فِيهِ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ وَبَعْضُهُمْ لاَ يَذْكُرُ فِيهِ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ وَمَنْ ذَكَرَ فِيهِ يُونُسَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ فَهُوَ أَصَحُّ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ رُبَّمَا ذَكَرَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ يُونُسَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ وَرُبَّمَا لَمْ يَذْكُرْهُ وَإِذَا لَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ يُونُسَ فَهُوَ مُرْسَلٌ .
It is narrated from Muhammad bin Aban, from Abd al-Razzaq, from Yunus bin Sulaim, from Yunus bin Yazid, from al-Zuhri with this chain of narration that Abu 'Eisa said: This is more correct than the first narration. I heard Ishaq bin Mansur said: "Ahmad bin Hanbal, 'Ali bin AlMadini, and Ishaq bin Ibrãhim reported this Hadith from 'AbdurRazzaq, from Yunus bin Sulaim, from Yunus bin Yazid from AzZuhri." Abu 'Eisa said: Only those who heard from 'Abdur-Razzaq early mentioned in it: "From Yunus bin Yazid", while some of them did not mention in it: "From Yunus bin Yazid." And whoever mentioned "From Yunus bin Yazid" then he was more correct. Sometimes 'Abdur-Razzaq would mention Yunus bin Yazid in this Hadith and sometimes he would not mention him. [When he did not mention Yunus, then it is Mursal].
(Refer Sunan al-Tirmizi, 5/326)
Based on the commentary from al-Tirmizi above, it clearly indicates that this hadith if narrated with the sanad that does not mention Yunus bin Yazid, then it is mursal (not connected).
Besides, Syeikh Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Mubarakfuri gave commentary on this hadith by stating that this hadith of Umar bin al-Khattab is also narrated by Imam Ahmad and al-Nasai’e, and in their sanad, there is Yunus bin Sulaim al-San’ani. In al-Mizan, it is stated in the biography of Yunus bin Sulaim that Abd al-Razzaq narrated hadith from him and his narration is criticised badly. (Refer Tuhfah al-Ahwazi bi Syarh Jamiʻ al-Tirmizi, 9/14)
Ibn Abu Hatim al-Razi mentioned I don’t recognize Yunus bin Sulaim and it is not known that he narrated this hadith from al-Zuhri. (Refer ‘Ilal al-Hadith li Ibn Abi Hatim, 4/688)
Al-Tahawi in Syarh Musykil al-Athar states that he is from San’a’ and we do not know anyone who narrates hadith from him other than Abd al-Razzaq. We also do not know hadith which he narrated from him (Abd al-Razzaq) other than this hadith. (Refer Syarh Musykil al-Athar, 10/294)
Al-‘Uqaili said that this hadith has its supported chain of narration (mutaba’at) and is not known other than this chain. (Refer al-Duʻafa’ al-Kabir, 4/460)
Imam al-Nasai’e gave his commentary on this hadith by saying that this hadith is munkar and is not known by anyone who narrated it other than Yunus bin Sulaim and he is not known. (Refer al-Sunan al-Kubra li al-Nasa’i, 2/170)
Imam al-Bukhari also stated that Yunus bin Sulaim is a weak narrator but he is better than ‘Amru bin Barq. (Refer al-Tarikh al-Awsat, 2/258)
Imam al-Zahabi stated that Abd al-Razzaq narrated a hadith from Yunus bin Sulaim by imla’ method (a teacher recites the hadiths to his students while his students copy and write it down) and Yunus mentioned that he narrated the hadith from al-Zuhri. (Refer Mizan al-Iʻtidal, 4/481)
In conclusion, based on the opinions of the hadith experts, it is clear that sanad which contains Yunus bin Yazid is more accurate compared to sanad which does not mention Yunus bin Yazid because the sanad other than that is not connected. Next, the factor which makes this sanad weak is also due to Yunus bin Sulaim is a weak narrator and it is confirmed that he does not narrate the hadith from al-Zuhri directly but through Yunus bin Yazid. However, this hadith is still permissible to be practiced as it is among the matters which are commendable.
Wallahu a’lam.