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By Sh. Muhannad Yusuf
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The book "Al-Sunnah" by Harb Al-Kirmani is without Isnad and the original author is unknown.
This book is considered one of the pillars of Wahhabi beliefs, even though it contains fabricated hadiths. They value it highly, recommend it and explain it, all on the basis of an unverifiable origin. It is noticeable that the Wahhabis are similar to the Ahl Al-Kitab who derive their beliefs and convictions from books with no chain of transmission, just because it suits their anthropomorphic ideas about the nature of the Almighty.
The books "Kitab al-Sunnah" and "Masa'iluhu" and "al-Ijma' al-ladhi haka" were combined because they all come from the book "Masa'il Harb", which has lost its tradition. The book has no original tradition, so how can they prove that it came from Harb?
Sheikh Mahmoud Youssef Abu Abdelrahman
The book "Kitab al-Sunnah" was published by Adel al-Hamdan and was given the name "Kitab al-Sunnah" by him. Adel al-Hamdan himself states that he did not find any sources for the book. The book was taken from the "Masa'il Harb al-Kirmani", and the "Masa'il Harb al-Kirmani" had no sources from the beginning, as the editor himself said. See "Kitab al-Sunnah li-Harb al-Kirmani", edited by Adel al-Hamdan, Dar al-Lulua.
The book "Masa'il Harb Al-Kirmani" was published by Faiz Habib with research and study and presented as part of his doctorate at Umm Al-Qura University. The copyist of the manuscript is unknown, as stated in the research, and the origin of the manuscript has been lost. Thus, the book has no source. (See pp. 145-149 "Masa'il Harb Al-Kirmani - Prepared by Faiz bin Ahmad bin Hamid Habib - Umm Al-Qura University")
The book "The Agreement of the Early Scholars in Faith" (Arabic: إجماع السلف في الاعتقاد) was written by As'ad bin Fathi al-Za'atari and he describes it as a kind of collation or compilation. In fact, however, it is taken from the themes of Harb al-Kirmani (Arabic: مسائل حرب الكرماني), as he himself says. However, the book Harb al-Kirmani has no chain of tradition (Arabic: سند) as we have already mentioned. See pp. 11-12 (The agreement of the early scholars in faith - from As'ad al-Za'atari - Dar al-Imam Ahmad)
The following text is a translation of a text by Ibn Taymiyyah:
"I have not been able to establish who vouched for this tradition. However, it was reported in a letter that Imam Ahmad confirmed the use of the term "al-Harakah" (movement) in the creed written by Harb ibn Ismail al-Kirmani. However, this creed has not been consistently transmitted by Imam Ahmad in his own words. I have found that this creed is based on three uncertain chains of transmission from unreliable narrators. The words are those of Harb ibn Ismail al-Kirmani, not of Imam Ahmad himself. This creed was also not transmitted by important scholars who quoted Imam Ahmad, such as Abu Bakr al-Khallal in his book "Al-Sunnah" or other well-known Iraqi scholars in the books of Ahmad. It was also not quoted by the reliable narrators, especially in such an extensive letter. Although it was popular among many later scholars, it has not been reliably transmitted."
(Al-Istiqamah 1/73 الاستقامة 1 / 73)
Ibn al-Wazeer al-Yamani:
"The scholar Harb al-Kirmani is mentioned by Al-Dhahabi in his book "Al-Tadhkirah", but there is no mention of anyone recognizing him as trustworthy. If the chain of transmission were revealed, it would show that it was transmitted by weak people who are not trustworthy."
(Al-Awasim wal-Qawasim fi al-Dhab 'an Sunnah Abi al-Qasim 3/315-316 العواصم والقواصم في الذب عن سنة أبي القاسم 3 / 315 - 316 )
"He - i.e. Harb al-Kirmani - made strange statements when he said: 'I had learned these questions before my meeting with Abi Abdullah (i.e. Imam Ahmad) and before my meeting with Ishaq bin Rahawayh and I did not repeat them...'"
(Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 1/389 طبقات الحنابلة 1 / 389)
"And what al-Kirmani has narrated contradicts the Qur'an of the Sunnah that was narrated from the early generations concerning the majesty of God. This shows that what he transmitted from the imams regarding matters of faith are only his own words and not the words of the imams, as it says in the transmitted text: '... and Allah has the Throne, and there are bearers who carry it, and it has limits, and Allah knows best about its limits...'"
(Resulting problems between reason and revelation 2/23 درء تعارض العقل والنقل 2 / 23)