al-Mustadrak (al-Hakim) 6837
✧ Mentioning the daughters of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ after Fatimah, mentioning Zainab bt. Khadijah, who is the eldest daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
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وَقَدْ أَخْبَرَنِيهِ أَبُو مُحَمَّدِ بْنُ زِيَادٍ الْعَدْلُ ثَنَا الْإِمَامُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى ثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ فَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ
الْإِمَامُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ اللَّفْظَةِ أَفْضَلُ بَنَاتِي مَعْنَاهُ أَيْ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ بَنَاتِي لِأَنَّ الْأَخْبَارَ ثَابِتَةٌ صَحِيحَةٌ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ عَلَيْهَا السَّلَامُ سَيِّدَةُ نِسَاءِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ وَكَذَلِكَ ثَابِتٌ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ «فَاطِمَةُ سَيِّدَةُ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا مَرْيَمَ بِنْتَ عِمْرَانَ» وَقَدْ أُمْلِيتُ مِنْ هَذَا الْجِنْسِ أَنَّ الْعَرَبَ قَدْ تَقُولُ أَفْضَلُ تُرِيدُ مِنْ أَفْضَلَ وَفِي كُتُبِي مَا فِيهِ الْغَنِيَّةُ وَالْكِفَايَةُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ ﷻ وَقَدْ شَفَى الْإِمَامُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي بَيَانِ هَذِهِ اللَّفْظَةِ وَلَا نَزِيدُ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُهُ إِذْ هُوَ الْإِمَامُ الْمُقَدَّمُ حَقًّا لَكِنْ تَحْتَ هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةِ حَرْفٌ يُؤَدِّي إِلَى مَعْنًى آخَرَ غَيْرِ مَا قَالَهُ وَهُوَ أَنَّ الْعِلْمَ مُحِيطٌ بِأَنَّ زَيْنَبَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ فَاطِمَةَ سِنًّا وُلِدَتْ قَبْلَهَا وَيُمْكِنُ أَنْ يُقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَرَادَ بِقَوْلِهِ أَفْضَلُ أَيْ أَكْبَرُ وَأَقْدَمُ أَوْلَادِي وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ
Translation
Chain of narrators
- al-Imām Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. Isḥāq
- Muḥammad b. Yaḥyá
- Ibn Abū Maryam
✧ Imam Abu Bakr, at the end of this expression “the best of my daughters,” meant “one of the best of my daughters,” because the reports are firmly established and authentic from the Prophet ﷺ that Fatima (peace be upon her) is the mistress of the women of this community. Likewise, it is established from the Prophet ﷺ that he said, “Fatima is the mistress of the women of Paradise except Maryam bt. ‘Imran.” I have dictated from this genre that the Arabs may say “afdal” meaning “min afdal,” and in my books there is what suffices, Allah Almighty willing. Imam Abu Bakr has sufficiently clarified this expression, and we do not add to what he says since he is truly the foremost imam. However, under this word there is a nuance that leads to another meaning different from what he said: that knowledge encompasses that Zaynab was older than Fatima in age, born before her. It is possible to say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ meant by his saying “afdal” i.e., the eldest and earliest of my children, and Allah knows best.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.