Al-Ḥākim al-Jushamī’s Rejection of Reports Unbefitting the Prophet

How Imam al-Ḥākim al-Jushamī (d. 494 AH) assessed a report against the established character of the Prophet ﷺ

Among the principles employed by classical Zaydī scholars in evaluating hadith is that reports attributed to the Prophet ﷺ must be consistent with his established character. One narration, found in Sunan Abī Dāwūd, states:

ʿAlī reported: I said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “Your uncle, the misguided old man, has died.” The Prophet said, “Go bury your father and do nothing until you come back to me.” I buried him and I came back to him. The Prophet ordered me to bathe myself and he supplicated for me. Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3214 · Grade: Ṣaḥīḥ according to al-Albānī

This hadith was addressed by Imam al-Ḥākim al-Jushamī (d. 494 AH) in his Qurʾānic commentary, al-Tahdhīb fī al-Tafsīr, while commenting on the verse:

“Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He knows best those who are rightly guided.” Qurʾān 28:56

The Problem with the Report

Imam al-Jushamī rejects this report because of what it attributes to the Prophet ﷺ and to ʿAlī. In the narration, ʿAlī is portrayed as referring to Abū Ṭālib as “the misguided old man,” while the Prophet ﷺ is portrayed as accepting this description without correction and responding only by instructing ʿAlī to bury him.

By responding as though the description were correct, the report portrays the Prophet ﷺ as endorsing such language about Abū Ṭālib. Imam al-Jushamī considers this unacceptable. He states that this is “not befitting” (lā yalīqu) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, nor is it “befitting” (yalīqu) in relation to ʿAlī.

The Origin of Such Narrations

Rather than accepting this report at face value, Imam al-Jushamī attributes narrations of this nature to anti-ʿAlid (Nāṣibī) transmitters, whose reports sought to diminish the standing of Abū Ṭālib and the family of the Prophet ﷺ.

The Broader Principle

Accordingly, Imam al-Jushamī’s discussion illustrates an important principle of Zaydī hadith methodology: the content of a narration is assessed alongside its chain of transmission. Thus, reports that may be classified as authentic by other schools may still be rejected within the methodology employed by al-Jushamī if they attribute to the Prophet approval of words or conduct considered not befitting (lā yalīqu) of his prophetic character.