Imam Abu Hatim Muhammed ibn Hibban (d.354AH)

Imam Abu Hatim Muhammed ibn Hibban (b.271-d.354 AH) was an early hadith scholar and a Shafi jurist. From among his teachers were hadith scholars Imam An-Nasai (d.303 AH) and Imam Ibn Khuzaimah (d.311 AH).

His famous work “Sahih Ibn Hibban” is said to be the most authentic collection of hadiths after Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and Sahih Ibn Khuzaimah. In this work, Imam Ibn Hibban at times provides his commentary to the narrations, some of which are quoted below and roughly translated.

Allah is not in time or place

قَالَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: «وَهِمَ فِي هَذِهِ اللَّفْظَةِ حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ مِنْ حَيْثُ فِي غَمَامٍ إِنَّمَا هُوَ فِي عَمَاءٍ، يُرِيدُ بِهِ أَنَّ الْخَلْقَ لَا يَعْرِفُونَ خَالِقَهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ هُمْ، إِذْ كَانَ وَلَا زَمَانَ وَلَا مَكَانَ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُعْرَفْ لَهُ زَمَانٌ، وَلَا مَكَانٌ وَلَا شَيْءٌ مَعَهُ، لِأَنَّهُ خَالِقُهَا، كَانَ مَعْرِفَةُ الْخَلْقِ إِيَّاهُ كَأَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي عَمَاءٍ عَنْ عِلْمِ الْخَلْقِ، لَا أَنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ فِي عَمَاءٍ إِذْ هَذَا الْوَصْفُ شَبِيهٌ بِأَوْصَافِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ»

“….He means the creation does not know where the Creator is, as He was without time and without place, and one does know of time or place or anything with him….”

This is similar to what Imam Ibn Hibban has said in his book “Ath-thiqah” (Volume 1, page 1) :

الحمد لله الذي ليس له حد محدود فيحتوى, ولا له أجل معدود فيفنى, ولا يحيط به جوامع المكان, ولا يشتمل عليه تواتر الزمان

“Praise be to Allah, Who is free of limits … who is not situated by any of the places and who is not subject to the passage of time ”

Nuzul  ( lit. Descent) of Allah is not a movement from place to place

قَالَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: صِفَاتُ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا لَا تُكَيَّفُ، وَلَا تُقَاسُ إِلَى صِفَاتِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ، فَكَمَا أَنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا مُتَكَلِّمٌ مِنْ غَيْرِ آلَةٍ بَأَسْنَانٍ وَلَهَوَاتٍ وَلِسَانٍ وَشَفَةٍ كَالْمَخْلُوقِينَ، جَلَّ رَبُّنَا وَتَعَالَى عَنْ مِثْلِ هَذَا وَأَشْبَاهِهِ، وَلَمْ يَجُزْ أَنْ يُقَاسَ كَلَامُهُ إِلَى كَلَامِنَا، لِأَنَّ كَلَامَ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ لَا يُوجَدُ إِلَّا بِآلَاتٍ، وَاللَّهُ جَلَّ وَعَلَا يَتَكَلَّمُ كَمَا شَاءَ بِلَا آلَةٍ، كَذَلِكَ يَنْزِلُ بِلَا آلَةٍ، وَلَا تَحَرُّكٍ، وَلَا انْتِقَالٍ مِنْ مَكَانٍ إِلَى مَكَانٍ، وَكَذَلِكَ السَّمْعُ وَالْبَصَرُ، فَكَمَا لَمْ يَجُزْ أَنْ يُقَالَ: اللَّهُ يُبْصِرُ كَبَصَرِنَا بِالْأَشْفَارِ وَالْحَدَقِ وَالْبَيَاضِ، بَلْ يُبْصِرُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ بِلَا آلَةٍ، وَيَسْمَعُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أُذُنَيْنِ، وَسِمَاخَيْنِ، وَالْتِوَاءٍ، وَغَضَارِيفَ فِيهَا، بَلْ يَسْمَعُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ بِلَا آلَةٍ، وَكَذَلِكَ يَنْزِلُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ بِلَا آلَةٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يُقَاسَ نُزُولُهُ إِلَى نُزُولِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ، كَمَا يُكَيَّفُ نُزُولُهُمْ، جَلَّ رَبُّنَا وَتَقَدَّسَ مِنْ أَنْ تُشَبَّهَ صِفَاتُهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ

In commentary to the hadith of the Nuzul of Allah during the Night, he says:

“….the attribute of Allah cannot be likened nor measured with the attributes of creation, just as Allah is (attributed to be a) Speaker without (need for) instruments, tongue, teeth, lip like creatures do …..It is not permissible to liken the Speech of Allah with speech of creation as it (speech of creation) cannot exist except as instruments, and Allah Almighty Speaks as He Wills without instruments, similarly the Descent is without instruments, nor movements, nor transition from place to place, similar to this is the Hearing and Seeing, ….He Sees as He Wills without instruments and Hears without Ears…and instead Hears as He Wills without instruments, (similarity) He descends as He Wills without instruments,  It is not to be likened to the descent of creatures….”

Tawil of  Saq (lit. Shin) to mean Severity

قَالَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ : السَّاقُ الشِّدَّةُ

On the narration which mentions of “Saq” used by Salafiyya (Wahhabiyya) to attribute Allah with legs, 
Imam Ibn Hibban interprets it to means “severity”. This tawil is no different to tawil by Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatada, Ibn Qutaybah and others from the Salaf (may Allah be pleased with them), as related by Imam Tabari and others in commentary to verse of Quran 68:42. Imam Ahmed Bin Hanbal also narrated the tawil of Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه‎‎:

اعلم أنني سلكت في تفسير هذا الحرف سبيلَ كثير من [علماء السنة]، وسوّغ ذلك: أن ابن عباس والحسن في جماعة من التابعين فَسَّرُوه بهذا التفسير، ونقله الإمام أحمد ورواه.

قال الزجاج في معانيه: أخبرنا عبدالله بن أحمد بن محمد بن حنبل قال: حدثنا أبي، أخبرنا محمد بن جعفر، عن شعبة، عن مغيرة، عن إبراهيم قال: قال ابن عباس في قوله: { يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ }: الأمر الشديد.

On the hadith “Allah puts His Qadam (lit. Foot) in Hell”

With regards to the authentic hadith that says:

“Hell would continue to say: Is there anything more, until Allah, the Exalted and High, would place His foot therein and that would say: Enough, Enough”

[In another narration it is said: “And as regards the Hell it would not be full until Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, places His foot therein, and it would say: Enough, enough, enough, and it would be then full” which if taken in bare literal terms would mean hell would fill up with the “foot” of Allah]

Imam Ibn Hibban explains that,

قَالَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ: هَذَا الْخَبَرُ مِنَ الْأَخْبَارِ الَّتِي أُطْلِقَتْ بِتَمْثِيلِ الْمُجَاوَرَةِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ وَالْأَمْكِنَةِ الَّتِي عُصِيَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا، فَلَا تَزَالُ تَسْتَزِيدُ حَتَّى يَضَعَ الرَّبُّ جَلَّ وَعَلَا مَوْضِعًا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ وَالْأَمْكِنَةِ فِي النَّارِ، فَتَمْتَلِئُ فَتَقُولُ: قَطْ قَطْ، تُرِيدُ: حَسْبِي حَسْبِي، لِأَنَّ الْعَرَبَ تُطْلِقُ فِي لُغَتِهَا اسْمَ الْقَدَمِ عَلَى الْمَوْضِعِ، قَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ وَعَلَا: {لَهُمْ قَدَمُ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ} [يونس: 2]، يُرِيدُ: مَوْضِعَ صِدْقٍ، لَا أَنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا يَضَعُ قَدَمَهُ فِي النَّارِ، جَلَّ رَبُّنَا وَتَعَالَى عَنْ مِثْلِ هَذَا وَأَشْبَاهِهِ

in Arab linguistic usage foot is used to mean position/locus,  like in the verse {Warn mankind and bring unto those who believe the good tidings that they have a sure footing with their Lord} [Quran 10:2] where “sure footing” here according to him means sure position, and Imam Ibn Hibban says it (the narration) does not  mean that Allah will place His “Qadam” (literally foot) in fire.

I.e. just as the Quranic verse does not mean the believers will have their literal foot with Allah and instead the foot is metaphor to a position, or a reward, or reference to the Prophet (s) as mentioned in tafsirs of this verse; similarly this hadith does not mean a literal “foot” is placed in hell.

On the hadith “Allah created Adam in his image”

He says that “his image” cannot be referring to Allah as it Kufr and Allah has no likeness, and instead it means image of Adam عليه السلام himself, in the sense that image of Adam عليه السلام was created by Allah directly such as his appearance and height, while others in creation are not directly created but go through means and phases such as meeting of male & female and physical phases in the womb.

قَالَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ: «هَذَا الْخَبَرُ تَعَلَّقَ بِهِ مَنْ لَمْ يُحْكِمُ صِنَاعَةَ الْعِلْمِ وَأَخَذَ يُشَنِّعُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِينَ يَنْتَحِلُونَ السُّنَنَ، وَيَذُبُّونَ عَنْهَا، وَيَقْمَعُونَ مَنْ خَالَفَهَا بِأَنْ قَالَ: لَيْسَتْ تَخْلُو هَذِهِ الْهَاءُ مِنْ أَنْ تُنْسَبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَوْ إِلَى آدَمَ، فَإِنْ نُسِبَتْ إِلَى اللَّهِ كَانَ ذَلِكَ كُفْرًا، إِذْ {لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ} [الشورى: 11]، وَإِنْ نُسِبَتْ إِلَى آدَمَ تَعَرَّى الْخَبَرُ عَنِ الْفَائِدَةِ، لِأَنَّهُ لَا شَكَّ أَنَّ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خُلِقَ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ لَا عَلَى صُورَةِ غَيْرِهِ، وَلَوْ تَمَلَّقَ قَائِلُ هَذَا إِلَى بَارِئِهِ فِي الْخَلْوَةِ، وَسَأَلَهُ التَّوْفِيقَ لِإِصَابَةِ الْحَقِّ وَالْهِدَايَةِ لِلطَّرِيقِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ فِي لُزُومِ سُنَنِ الْمُصْطَفَى صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَكَانَ أَوْلَى بِهِ مِنَ الْقَدْحِ فِي مُنْتَحِلِي السُّنَنِ بِمَا يَجْهَلُ مَعْنَاهُ، وَلَيْسَ جَهْلُ الْإِنْسَانِ بِالشَّيْءِ دَالًا عَلَى نَفْيِ الْحَقِّ عَنْهُ لِجَهْلِهِ بِهِ.

وَنَحْنُ نَقُولُ: إِنَّ أَخْبَارَ الْمُصْطَفَى صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا صَحَّتْ مِنْ جِهَةِ النَّقْلِ لَا تَتَضَادَّ، وَلَا تَتَهَاتَرُ، وَلَا تَنْسَخُ الْقُرْآنَ بَلْ لِكُلِّ خَبَرٍ مَعْنًى مَعْلُومٌ يُعْلَمُ، وَفَصْلٌ صَحِيحٌ يُعْقَلُ، يَعْقِلُهُ الْعَالِمُونَ.

فَمَعْنَى الْخَبَرِ عِنْدَنَا بِقَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: » خَلَقَ اللَّهُ آدَمَ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ «: إِبَانَةُ فَضْلِ آدَمَ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْخَلْقِ، وَالْهَاءُ رَاجِعَةٌ إِلَى آدَمَ، وَالْفَائِدَةُ مِنْ رُجُوعِ الْهَاءِ إِلَى آدَمَ دُونَ إِضَافَتِهَا إِلَى الْبَارِئِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا – جَلَّ رَبُّنَا وَتَعَالَى عَنْ أَنْ يُشَبَّهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ – أَنَّهُ جَلَّ وَعَلَا جَعَلَ سَبَبَ الْخَلْقِ الَّذِي هُوَ الْمُتَحَرِّكُ النَّامِي بِذَاتِهِ اجْتِمَاعَ الذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى، ثُمَّ زَوَالَ الْمَاءِ عَنْ قَرَارِ الذَّكَرِ إِلَى رَحِمِ الْأُنْثَى، ثُمَّ تَغَيُّرَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى الْعَلَقَةِ بَعْدَ مُدَّةٍ، ثُمَّ إِلَى الْمُضْغَةِ، ثُمَّ إِلَى الصُّورَةِ، ثُمَّ إِلَى الْوَقْتِ الْمَمْدُودِ فِيهِ، ثُمَّ الْخُرُوجِ مِنْ قَرَارِهِ، ثُمَّ الرَّضَاعِ، ثُمَّ الْفِطَامِ، ثُمَّ الْمَرَاتِبِ الْأُخَرِ عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا ذَكَرْنَا إِلَى حُلُولِ الْمَنِيَّةِ بِهِ.

هَذَا وَصْفُ الْمُتَحَرِّكِ النَّامِي بِذَاتِهِ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَخَلْقِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَّا آدَمَ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ الَّتِي خَلْقَهُ عَلَيْهَا، وَطُولُهُ سِتُّونَ ذِرَاعًا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَكُونَ تَقْدُمُهُ اجْتِمَاعُ الذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى، أَوْ زَوَالُ الْمَاءِ، أَوْ قَرَارُهُ، أَوْ تَغْيِيرُ الْمَاءِ عَلَقَةً أَوْ مُضْغَةً، أَوْ تَجْسِيمُهُ بَعْدَهُ، فَأَبَانَ اللَّهُ بِهَذَا فَضْلَهُ عَلَى سَائِرِ مَنْ ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، بِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ نُطْفَةً فَعَلَقَةً، وَلَا عَلَقَةً فَمُضْغَةً، وَلَا مُضْغَةً فَرَضِيعًا، وَلَا رَضِيعًا فَفَطِيمًا، وَلَا فَطِيمًا فَشَابًّا كَمَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ حَالَةُ غَيْرِهِ ضِدَّ قَوْلِ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْحَدِيثِ حَشْوِيَّةٌ يَرْوُونَ مَا لَا يَعْقِلُونَ وَيَحْتَجُّونَ بِمَا لَا يَدْرُونَ»

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Ibn Hibban  said:

ﻓﻤﻌﻨﻰ اﻟﺨﺒﺮ ﻋﻨﺪﻧﺎ ﺑﻘﻮﻟﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ: «ﺧﻠﻖ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺁﺩﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺻﻮﺭﺗﻪ» : ﺇﺑﺎﻧﺔ ﻓﻀﻞ ﺁﺩﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺳﺎﺋﺮ اﻟﺨﻠﻖ، ﻭاﻟﻬﺎء ﺭاﺟﻌﺔ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺁﺩﻡ، ﻭاﻟﻔﺎﺋﺪﺓ ﻣﻦ ﺭﺟﻮﻉ اﻟﻬﺎء ﺇﻟﻰ ﺁﺩﻡ ﺩﻭﻥ ﺇﺿﺎﻓﺘﻬﺎ ﺇﻟﻰ اﻟﺒﺎﺭﺉ ﺟﻞ ﻭﻋﻼ - ﺟﻞ ﺭﺑﻨﺎ ﻭﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﻋﻦ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺸﺒﻪ ﺑﺸﻲء ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺨﻠﻮﻗﻴﻦ

Translation: The meaning of Prophetic hadith is that Allah created Adam in his image which refers to giving superiority to Adam over other creations. The Dhamir of “AL-HA” is Rajih towards Adam. The benefit of returning the Dhamir of AL-HA towards Adam is that It cannot be towards Allah because Allah is Far exalted than giving Him Tashbih to any of His creation…Then Ibn Hibban goes in detail and explains how it refers to Adam i.e. He was created directly in his form of 60 cubits length, he did not go through procedure of developing in womb and so on. [Sahih Ibn Hibban #6162]

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Allah Sees not with eyes and Hears not with ears

In a hadith where the Prophet  places his finger over the ear and eyes while reciting the verse {Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing}, he comments on it that it does not mean Allah Sees with eyes or Hears with ears, and instead Allah Sees and Hears without instruments as He Wills.

قَالَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ: أَرَادَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِوَضْعِهِ أُصْبُعَهُ عَلَى أُذُنِهِ وَعَيْنِهِ تَعْرِيفَ النَّاسِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا لَا يَسْمَعُ بِالْأُذُنِ الَّتِي لَهَا سِمَاخٌ وَالْتِوَاءٌ، وَلَا يُبْصِرُ بِالْعَيْنِ الَّتِي لَهَا أَشْفَارٌ وَحَدَقٌ وَبَيَاضٌ، جَلَّ رَبُّنَا وَتَعَالَى عَنْ أَنْ يُشَبَّهَ بِخَلْقِهِ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ، بَلْ يَسْمَعُ وَيُبْصِرُ بِلَا آلَةٍ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ

On the hadith “It (date) is nurtured in the hand of Ar-Rahman”

Imam Ibn Hibban under the following header,

ذِكْرُ الْخَبَرِ الدَّالِّ عَلَى أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْأَخْبَارَ أُطْلِقَتْ بِأَلْفَاظِ التَّمْثِيلِ وَالتَّشْبِيهِ عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا يَتَعَارَفُهُ النَّاسُ بَيْنَهُمْ، دُونَ كَيْفِيَّتِهَا أَوْ وُجُودِ حَقَائِقِهَا

“….reports …. with wording that are comparison and metaphorical…without howness and presence of reality” mentions the narration of Abu Hurairah narrating that: the Messenger of Allah  said: “None gives charity from Tayyib – and Allah does not accept but Tayyib – but that Ar-Rahman accepts it with His Right (Hand). Even if it is a date, it is nurtured in the Hand of Ar-Rahman until it is greater than a mountain, just as one of you nurtures his foal or young camel.”

After which he says,

 قَالَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: قَوْلُهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِلَّا كَأَنَّمَا يَضَعُهَا فِي يَدِ الرَّحْمَنِ» يُبَيِّنُ لَكَ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْأَخْبَارَ أُطْلِقَتْ بِأَلْفَاظِ التَّمْثِيلِ دُونَ وُجُودِ حَقَائِقِهَا، أَوِ الْوُقُوفِ عَلَى كَيْفِيَّتِهَا، إِذْ لَمْ يَتَهَيَّأْ مَعْرِفَةُ الْمُخَاطَبِ بِهَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِلَّا بِالْأَلْفَاظِ الَّتِي أُطْلِقَتْ بِهَا

that the saying  “it is nurtured in the Hand of Ar-Rahman” shows the wording of report is a comparison without presence of reality.

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(Edited by ADHM)