How strong is the Hadith ‘whoever imitates a people is from them’?

Quran

Hadith

Islamic Text

The Hadith “Whoever imitates…” is differed over regarding its authenticity. Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani considered it to be Hasan.

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَسَّانُ بْنُ عَطِيَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُنِيبٍ الْجُرَشِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ

(Sayidina) Ibn Umar (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, , ‘Whoever imitates a people is from them.’ (Abu Dawood, 4031).

The Hadith above is often quoted by people in the context of religious assimilation with the Kufar. Such assimilation is clearly prohibited in Islam based on an abundance of authentic evidence. However, is this particular Hadith authentic?

وَقَدْ وَرَدَ حَدِيثُ بن عُمَرَ رَفَعَهُ مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ قُلْتُ أَخْرَجَهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ بِسَنَدٍ حَسَنٍ

Indeed Ibn Umar’s Hadith from the Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘Whoever imitates a people is from the.’ Has been narrated by Abu Dawood with a Hasan chain. (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari).

We see that the opinion of Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani is that the Hadith is Hasan (strong). Imam al-Iraqi goes a little further and considers the Hadith to be Sahih.

حَدِيث «من تشبه بِقوم فَهُوَ مِنْهُم». أخرجه أَبُو دَاوُد من حَدِيث ابْن عمر بِسَنَد صَحِيح. (المغني عن حمل الأسفار في الأسفار)

The Hadith, ‘Whoever imitates a people is from them,’ has been narrated by Abu Dawood from Ibn Umar (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) with a Sahih chain. (Imam Zayn al-Deen al-Iraqi, Fath al-Bari).

It must be noted that there is considerable difference of opinion with regards to the Hadith. Some have considered it weak:

الحَدِيث الثَّالِث وَالثَّلَاثُونَ من تشبه بِقوم فَهُوَ مِنْهُم. اخرجه ابو دَاوُد من حَدِيث ابْن عمر بِإِسْنَاد فِي ضعف. (اللآلئ المنثورة في الأحاديث المشهورة)

The thirty-third Hadith, ‘Whoever imitates a people is from them.’ It was narrated by Abu Dawood from Ibn Umar (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) with a weak chain. (Imam Abu Abdillah al-Zarkashi, al-Laali al-Manthoorah).

Although the narration in Abi Dawood is differed over with regards to authenticity. Imam Ibn Hajr did mention the fact that it has a supporting narration elsewhere, which is Hasan. So even if someone were to take the opinion of Imam al-Zarkashi that the narration in Abi Dawood is weak, it is certainly strengthened by another narration.

وَأَبُو مُنِيبٍ لَا يُعْرَفُ اسْمُهُ وَفِي الْإِسْنَادِ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ ثَابِتِ بْنِ ثَوْبَانَ مُخْتَلَفٌ فِي تَوْثِيقِهِ وَلَهُ شَاهد مُرْسل بِإِسْنَاد حسن أخرجه بن أَبِي شَيْبَةَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْأَوْزَاعِيِّ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جَبَلَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ

And Muneeb’s name is not known. Abd al-Rahman bin Thabit bint Thowbaan is in the chain too, and he is differed over regarding his reliability. And the Hadith has a supporting narration, which is Mursal and has a Hasan chain. It has been narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah from the chain of al-Owzai, from Saeed bin Jabalah from the Prophet (peace be upon him). (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari).

The Hadith is in Musanaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith number 19437 and 33010, it has Tawoos narrating from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Saeed bin Jabalah narrates from Tawoos. The Hadith is a longer version of the Hadith in Abi Dawood. However, it contains the words in Abi Dawood and thus supports that narration.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

– Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (18.12.2021)

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