The Miracle of Returning of the Sun after it had Set! Known as Mujiza Radd al Shams
The Miracle of Sun’s Returning after it had Set!
Known as
‘Mu’jiza Radd al Shams’
Sayyidah Asma bint Umays narrated that: “Revelation {‘Wahi’} was being received by the Prophet while his Head was resting on the Lap of Sayyiduna Ali bin Abu Talib. As a result, he
This Miracle or incident is known as ‘Mu’jizah Radd al Shams’, i.e. ‘The Miracle of Returning of the Sun’ amongst the Muslim scholars.
The great Hanafi Jurist and Hafiz of Hadith, Imam Hafiz Abu Ja’far Tahawi narrates this Hadith in ‘Mushkil ul Hadith wal Athar’, Volume: 3, Chapter: 165, Hadith: 1067-1068. Imam Tahawi and Imam Tibrani also narrates this Hadith with slight variations in wordings from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah, Sayyiduna Ali bin Abu Talib and Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri.
Imam Tahawi and Imam Tibrani narrate this Hadith through a ‘Sahih’ {Authentic} chain of narrators except for Ibrahim bin Hasan who is ‘Thiqa’ {Trustworthy} as declared by Imam Ibn Hibban.
But, the editor of the ‘Mushkil al Hadith wal Athar’ of Imam Tahawi, Shaykh Shuayb Aranut cites all the negative rulings and does not mention any favourable reviews by Muhaddithin. Further, his edition is missing the words of Imam Tahawi himself as cited by Imam Qazi Ayaz in ‘Al Shifa’ verbatim that: “These Two Hadiths {from Sayyidah Asma bint Umays} are firmly established as Authentic and their Narrators are Trustworthy! {“fa hadhani al Hadithani Thabitini wa Ruwatuhuma Thiqat!”}
Moreover, Imam Haythami in ‘Majmu az Zawaid (8:297)’ states: “Imam Tibrani has mentioned all the ‘Sanads’ {Chains of Narrators} of this Hadith.
Imam Tibrani in ‘Mujam al Kabir (24:148; H#390)’, Imam Dhahabi in ‘Mizan al Itidal (5:205)’, Imam Ibn Kathir in ‘Bidayah wal Nihaya (6:83)’, Imam Qazi Ayaz Maliki in ‘Al Shifa (1:400)’, Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti in ‘Khasais al Kubra (2:137)’, Imam Halabi in ‘Sirat al Halabiya (2:103)’, Imam Qurtubi Maliki in ‘Tafsir al Qurtubi (15:197)’ also narrate this Hadith.
There is also a similar Hadith narrated by Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah as mentioned by Imam Tibrani in ‘Mu’jam al Awsat and declared as ‘Hasan’ {Good/Fair} by Imam Ibn Hajr Asqalani in ‘Fath al Bari (6:221)’ and Imam Haythami in ‘Majmu az Zawaid (8:296)’.
Scholars like Shaykh Ibn Taymiya and some of his students imitated Imam Ibn Jawzi in declaring this Hadith as ‘Mawzu’ {Forged} but the majority of Hadith Masters do not regard their ruling as correct. They are of the opinion that some of the ‘Isnad’ of this Hadith are at the most ‘Zaeef’ {Weak} and in no way ‘Mawzu’ {Forged}!
Therefore, Shaykh Ubaydullah bin Abdullah (d.480) collected all the ‘Isnad’ {Chains} of this Hadith in a book, ‘Masla fi Tasheeh Hadith Radd al Shams’ and Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti collected them in ‘Kashf al Labas an Hadith al Shams’. Imam Suyuti says in ‘Khasais al Kubra (2:137)’ that it has been narrated by Ibn Mundah, Ibn Shaheen and Tibrani through some chains which are ‘Sahih’ {Authentic}. Imam Shaybani states in ‘Hadaiq al Anwar (1:193)’ that Imam Tahawi narrated it in ‘Mushkil al Hadith wal Athar’ with ‘Sahih’ chain of narrators. Imam Nawawi Shafai’ states in ‘Sharh Sahih Muslim (12:52)’, Imam Qazi Ayaz Maliki states in ‘Al Shifa’ that: ‘It was done by the Prophet more than once!”
This Hadith highlights some points, they are:
i. This Hadith shows the immense Miraculous Powers of the Prophet over the mightiest of the heavenly bodies near Earth - the Sun. When the Prophet commanded it back, it obeyed him.
ii. This Hadith also shows that Allah Almighty had given the Beloved RasulAllah Miraculous Powers which he could use at his will, over whatever he liked and for whomever he wanted!
iii. This Hadith explains that Sayyiduna Ali bin Abu Talib gave preference to the Beloved RasulAllah over the Asr prayer, which was by all means in Love and Obedience to the Beloved Prophet and indirectly Obedience of Allah Almighty as He had chosen the time of Asr prayer for revealing the Holy Quran to the Prophet! The Prophet liked Sayyiduna Ali’s act and as a result supplicated for him to Allah Almighty and commanded the Sun to return back to the time of Asr so that Sayyiduna Ali could offer the prayers.
iv. This Hadith also shows that the Obedience of the Beloved RasulAllah is also the Obedience of Allah Almighty.
v. This Miracle of the Prophet also dismissed and destroyed the creed of the Magians or Fire-worshippers and some Arabs that the Sun was Supreme powerful object and God!
vi. This Miracle also proved that nothing is great and superior than Prophet amongst the Creatures of Allah Almighty!
Compiled & Edited by
Basharath Ali Siddiqui Ashrafi
Ashrafiya Islamic Foundation,
Hyderabad, India.