Al-Zuhri’s Hadith Narration from Nafi‘ (the Mawla of Ibn ‘Umar): An Inductive and Critical Study

Abstract

Abstract:

This study traces all the narrations of Imam al-Zuhri from Nafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar, as found in various hadith collections. It examines these narrations critically, analyzing al-Zuhri’s stance on narrating from freed slaves, with a particular focus on his reports from Nafi‘.

The study concludes that only two reports and one mursal (disconnected) narration from al-Zuhri via Nafi‘ are considered authentic, though even these remain questionable in terms of reliability. This finding aligns with reports stating that al-Zuhri refrained from narrating from Nafi‘. However, this avoidance was not due to a judgment of weakness in Nafi‘’s reliability, but rather because al-Zuhri found similar narrations from Sālim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, who was of a higher status and had greater precision than Nafi‘.

Furthermore, the research highlights that the structure of this isnād (chain of transmission) is problematic according to hadith scholars and that attributing this isnād to Sahih al-Bukhari is incorrect, let alone considering it one of the most authentic chains of transmission.