Salaam alaykum wa rahmatullah,
Our friend whom I talked about in another topic, the "non sectarian Husayni", is at it again.
In his recent series of articles, he has attacked Imam al-Zuhri (rah) for narrating Abu Talib's failure to accept Islam and he has tried to discredit Imam al-Zuhri (rah) for being employed by the Ummayads. He should be the last one to have such an issue since he has been given platform by the Shias, whether it be on Muslim Vibe or the Shi'i mosque where he occasionally delivers the jummah khutbah.
Nevertheless, I have a logical refutation ready for him. I wanted to know if my case can be substantiated further by one of you also addressing his references in the following article: https://themuslimvibe.com/faith-islam/abu-talib-al-zuhris-questionable-hadith-part-4
JazakAllah khair.
Part 3 and 4 of his articles are a spiders web. Apart from refuting them in a scientific way, those can be refuted by a simple fact that there are other Shawahid which support the fact that Abu Talib died as a disbeliever, which puts his concocted theories to rest. After these reports the question now raises on the credibility of this guy instead, while lifting the blame from Imam Zuhri.
Take these examples which are free of Zuhri or Musayyib:وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرِ الْمُقَدَّمِيُّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ الأُمَوِيُّ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ، عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ نَفَعْتَ أَبَا طَالِبٍ بِشَىْءٍ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَحُوطُكَ وَيَغْضَبُ لَكَ قَالَ " نَعَمْ هُوَ فِي ضَحْضَاحٍ مِنْ نَارٍ وَلَوْلاَ أَنَا لَكَانَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ
It is reported on the authority of 'Abbas b. Abd al-Muttalib that he said: Messenger of Allah, have you benefited Abu Talib in any way for he defended you and was fervent in your defence? The Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said: Yes; he would be in the most shallow part of the Fire: and but for me he would have been in the lowest part of Hell. [Sahih Muslim 209]
وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْهَادِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَبَّابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذُكِرَ عِنْدَهُ عَمُّهُ أَبُو طَالِبٍ فَقَالَ " لَعَلَّهُ تَنْفَعُهُ شَفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُجْعَلُ فِي ضَحْضَاحٍ مِنْ نَارٍ يَبْلُغُ كَعْبَيْهِ يَغْلِي مِنْهُ دِمَاغُهُ
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported: A mention was made of his uncle Abu Talib before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) He said: My intercession may benefit him on the Day of Resurrection and he may be placed in the shallow part of the Fire which would reach his ankles and his brain would be boiling. [Sahih Muslim 210]
وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَهْوَنُ أَهْلِ النَّارِ عَذَابًا أَبُو طَالِبٍ وَهُوَ مُنْتَعِلٌ بِنَعْلَيْنِ يَغْلِي مِنْهُمَا دِمَاغُهُ
Ibn 'Abbas reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Among the inhabitants of the Fire Abu Talib would have the least suffering, and he would be wearing two shoes (of Fire) which would boil his brain. [Sahih Muslim 212]
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ الأَشْجَعِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِعَمِّهِ " قُلْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ لَكَ بِهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ " . قَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنْ تُعَيِّرَنِي قُرَيْشٌ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا حَمَلَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْجَزَعُ لأَقْرَرْتُ بِهَا عَيْنَكَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ { إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ}
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah said to his uncle (at the time of his death): Make a profession of it that there is no god but Allah and I will bear testimony (of your being a Muslim) on the Day of judgment. He (Abu Talib) said: Were it not the fear of the Quraysh blaming me (and) saying that it was the fear of (approaching death) that induced me to do so, I would have certainly delighted your eyes. It was then that Allah revealed: " Verily thou canst not guide to the right path whom thou lovest. And it is Allah Who guideth whom He will and He knoweth best who are the guided" (xxviii-56). [Sahih Muslim 25]
It was narrated from 'Ali(R) that he came to the Prophet(S) and said: Abu Talib has died. The Prophet(S) said: "Go and bury him." 'Ali said: He died a mushrik. He said: "Go and bury him." 'Ali said: When I had buried him, I came back to the Prophet(S) and he said: "Do ghusl."[Musnad Ahmad #759]
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As for Zuhri then:Ibn Asakir related that Hisham ibn Abdulmalik (Caliph from Umeyyah) asked Sulaiman ibn Yasar about explanation of this verse (24:11): “and (as for) him who took upon himself the main part thereof, he shall have a grievous chastisement”. Hisham asked who was this man who would have a grievous chastisement? Sulaiman answered that this was Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salul. Hisham said: “You lied, rather he was Ali ibn Abi Talib”. When Hisham asked the same question from imam az-Zuhri, he also said that it was ibn Ubay. Hisham again said: “You lied, rather he was Ali ibn Abi Talib”. Imam az-Zuhri answered: “I lied?! May you have no father! By Allah if a caller from sky would say me that lying is permitted, I wouldn’t lie. Such and such related to me that the one who would have greater share therein was Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salul”. (end 0f quote “Sunnah wal Makanatuha fi Tashriy al-Islami” p 283, abriged)
Just see how imam az-Zuhri rejected accusation from Ali, and answered to caliph of Umawiyun!
This is the reason:
أقول: الزهري و إن كان من علماء العامة إلا أنه يظهر من هذه الرواية و غيرها أنه كان يحب علي بن الحسين ع و يعظمه.
Esteemed Shia scholar (al-Khoei) said: al-Zuhri is from the `ulemaa of the `aamah (sunnis) except that he showed from this narration and others that he loved `Alee bin al-Hussayn(as)[4th Shia Imam] and held him (AS) in a dignified (position)
[Source: al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal al-Hadeeth, vol. 16, pg. 182, hadeeth # 10960]