Hadeeth about each Prophet having seven select companions weak

10-9-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaah. My question is: how do we reconcile the hadith in which the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, says that every Prophet had 7 Companions and that he, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, had 14 Companions with the hadith that states that on the day of judgment, some Prophets will be leading their Ummah (community), and one Prophet will have no followers? If every Prophet had 7 Companions, then why is there a Prophet with no followers on the day of judgment? May Allaah reward you. Wassalaam.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. 

The hadeeth that reads, “Indeed every Prophet was given seven select attendants or companions.” [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi, and Al-Haakim] is weak, as ruled by some scholars, as its chain of narrators includes Katheer An-Nawwaa’, who is considered Dha’eef (weak) by the majority of the scholars.

Ath-Thahabi said in Al-Meezaan, “He is an eccentric Shiite, and he is considered weak by Abu Haatim and An-Nasaa’i. Ibn ‘Adiyy said, ‘He is an exorbitant Shiite’; and As-Sa’di said, ‘He is misguided.’”

Al-Haythami said in Al-Majma’, “The hadeeth incudes Katheer An-Nawwaa’, who is considered trustworthy by Ibn Hibbaan, but the majority of the scholars considered him weak.”

Al-Albaani classified this hadeeth as Munkar (objectionable) in As-Silsilah Adh-Dha’eefah, no. 2659.

Besides, Shaykh Sa’d Al-Humayd, when reviewing Mukhtasar Istidraak Al-Haafith Ath-Thahabi 'ala Mustadrak Abi 'Abdillah Al-Haakim (by Ibn Al-Mulaqqin), said, “This hadeeth was narrated by Katheer An-Nawwaa’ with five different narrations, but it was only narrated by him…(and he mentioned them…) then he ruled that the hadeeth is Dha’eef because Katheer An-Nawwaa’ is weak, and ‘Abdullah ibn Mulayl (another narrator) is unknown.

Allah knows best.