"Muhammad ibn ‘Umar (al-Waqidi) informed us, saying: ‘Abdullah ibn Ja‘far informed us, on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah ibn Mas‘ud, who said: 'I entered upon ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and asked her about the quality of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) prayer at night. She replied: “He used to sleep at the beginning of the night, rise at its last third, pray eleven rak‘ahs, then lie down on his right side until the muezzin called the dawn prayer.”'"
Grading of this specific report (h. 3714):
In the vast ocean of Islamic biographical literature (‘ilm al-rijal), few works command as much authority and reverence as Ibn Sa‘d’s Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir (often shortened to Tabaqat al-Kubra). For the historian, the hadith scholar, or the student of early Islamic sociology, a citation from this text is a gateway to the 1st and 2nd centuries of the Hijri calendar.
One such citation—Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 3, p. 269, hadith number 3714—represents a critical node in the chain of transmission (isnad). While the precise name of the narrator varies slightly across manuscript traditions (often identified as a companion from the tribe of Banu Harith or a lesser-known figure from Basra), the structural and methodological significance of this specific entry is immense. This article decodes the layers of meaning behind this citation, exploring the life of the narrator in question, the methodology of Ibn Sa‘d, and why this particular page and hadith number matter to Islamic scholarship. tabaqat al kubra. vol. 3 pg. 269 h. 3714
An Analysis of Kitab Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Page 269, Hadith 3714
In the vast ocean of early Islamic literature, few works possess the editorial precision and historical weight of Imam Ibn Sa‘d’s Kitab Tabaqat al-Kubra (The Major Classes). While later historians like al-Tabari focused on chronological narrative, Ibn Sa‘d organized his work by "classes" (generations) and tribes, providing a rich prosopography of the early Muslim community.
On Page 269 of Volume 3, under entry number 3714, the reader encounters a vivid snippet of early Islamic history. This volume typically covers the Tabi‘in (the Successors), but in this specific section—often dealing with the Banu Salim or the Ansar—Ibn Sa’d presents a narration that transports us back to the days of the Prophet.
To understand the weight of page 269, we must first appreciate the author. Muhammad ibn Sa‘d was a Katib (scribe) and student of the legendary traditionist al-Waqidi (d. 207 AH). Born in Basra, Ibn Sa‘d later settled in Baghdad, the epicenter of the Islamic Golden Age. His Tabaqat is not merely a hadith collection; it is a comprehensive prosopography—a biographical dictionary that classifies over 4,000 early Muslim figures into hierarchical generations (tabaqat). Ibn Sa‘d records via his chain ( isnad ):
The matn states that the Prophet (PBUH) himself interpreted Surah al-Nasr as a sign of his imminent death.
The death notice in h. 3714 mentions the "plague of ‘Adhri‘at". This was a massive pandemic in Syria and Iraq that killed thousands, including many scholars. The fact that Ibn Sa‘d records this specific death year helps modern historians correlate Islamic dates with late antique plagues, providing a reliable anchor for epidemiological history.
Method: cross-check this specific isnād with other hadith collections (Sahihayn, Musnad collections) and biographical dictionaries.
The chain is: Ibn Sa‘d ← Muhammad ibn ‘Umar (al-Waqidi) ← ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ← ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr ← Ibn ‘Abbas
‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (al-Awza‘i? Or al-Ansari?): Depending on the manuscript, this is likely ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Ansari (a judge in Egypt). He is considered saduq (truthful) but not thiqah (precise) by some; others accept him. Not a major problem. Grading of this specific report (h
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr (d. ~115 AH): A reliable Tabi‘i (follower), a judge in Mecca, known as a faqih and ascetic. He is trustworthy (thiqah). Imam al-Dhahabi praises him.
Ibn ‘Abbas (d. 68 AH): The great companion and scholar. His reports are generally accepted if the chain is sound.
Isnad Verdict:Da‘if jiddan (very weak) due to Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al-Waqidi, who is rejected by major hadith critics. The narration has no corroborating strong chain from other, reliable sources like Malik, Shu‘bah, or al-Thawri.
Ibn Sa‘d records via his chain (isnad):
"Muhammad ibn ‘Umar (al-Waqidi) informed us, saying: ‘Abdullah ibn Ja‘far informed us, on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah ibn Mas‘ud, who said: 'I entered upon ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and asked her about the quality of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) prayer at night. She replied: “He used to sleep at the beginning of the night, rise at its last third, pray eleven rak‘ahs, then lie down on his right side until the muezzin called the dawn prayer.”'"
Grading of this specific report (h. 3714):
In the vast ocean of Islamic biographical literature (‘ilm al-rijal), few works command as much authority and reverence as Ibn Sa‘d’s Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir (often shortened to Tabaqat al-Kubra). For the historian, the hadith scholar, or the student of early Islamic sociology, a citation from this text is a gateway to the 1st and 2nd centuries of the Hijri calendar.
One such citation—Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 3, p. 269, hadith number 3714—represents a critical node in the chain of transmission (isnad). While the precise name of the narrator varies slightly across manuscript traditions (often identified as a companion from the tribe of Banu Harith or a lesser-known figure from Basra), the structural and methodological significance of this specific entry is immense. This article decodes the layers of meaning behind this citation, exploring the life of the narrator in question, the methodology of Ibn Sa‘d, and why this particular page and hadith number matter to Islamic scholarship.
An Analysis of Kitab Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Page 269, Hadith 3714
In the vast ocean of early Islamic literature, few works possess the editorial precision and historical weight of Imam Ibn Sa‘d’s Kitab Tabaqat al-Kubra (The Major Classes). While later historians like al-Tabari focused on chronological narrative, Ibn Sa‘d organized his work by "classes" (generations) and tribes, providing a rich prosopography of the early Muslim community.
On Page 269 of Volume 3, under entry number 3714, the reader encounters a vivid snippet of early Islamic history. This volume typically covers the Tabi‘in (the Successors), but in this specific section—often dealing with the Banu Salim or the Ansar—Ibn Sa’d presents a narration that transports us back to the days of the Prophet.
To understand the weight of page 269, we must first appreciate the author. Muhammad ibn Sa‘d was a Katib (scribe) and student of the legendary traditionist al-Waqidi (d. 207 AH). Born in Basra, Ibn Sa‘d later settled in Baghdad, the epicenter of the Islamic Golden Age. His Tabaqat is not merely a hadith collection; it is a comprehensive prosopography—a biographical dictionary that classifies over 4,000 early Muslim figures into hierarchical generations (tabaqat).
The matn states that the Prophet (PBUH) himself interpreted Surah al-Nasr as a sign of his imminent death.
The death notice in h. 3714 mentions the "plague of ‘Adhri‘at". This was a massive pandemic in Syria and Iraq that killed thousands, including many scholars. The fact that Ibn Sa‘d records this specific death year helps modern historians correlate Islamic dates with late antique plagues, providing a reliable anchor for epidemiological history.
Method: cross-check this specific isnād with other hadith collections (Sahihayn, Musnad collections) and biographical dictionaries.
The chain is: Ibn Sa‘d ← Muhammad ibn ‘Umar (al-Waqidi) ← ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ← ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr ← Ibn ‘Abbas
‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (al-Awza‘i? Or al-Ansari?): Depending on the manuscript, this is likely ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Ansari (a judge in Egypt). He is considered saduq (truthful) but not thiqah (precise) by some; others accept him. Not a major problem.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr (d. ~115 AH): A reliable Tabi‘i (follower), a judge in Mecca, known as a faqih and ascetic. He is trustworthy (thiqah). Imam al-Dhahabi praises him.
Ibn ‘Abbas (d. 68 AH): The great companion and scholar. His reports are generally accepted if the chain is sound.
Isnad Verdict:Da‘if jiddan (very weak) due to Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al-Waqidi, who is rejected by major hadith critics. The narration has no corroborating strong chain from other, reliable sources like Malik, Shu‘bah, or al-Thawri.