27 Shaikh Saleem al-Hilaalee says, "Summarising what has been reported from ibn Abbaas on this issue: with this you will know, O beloved (reader) - may you learn the good - that the chains of narration that are reported from ibn Abbaas to do with his explanation of His saying, "the Day when the Shin will be exposed" cannot be used to establish a proof, because they are all da'eef.

So if it is said: 'Can they be considered under the definition of hasan li ghayrihi (i.e. hasan due supporting each other).'

I say (in reply): Indeed the weakness of them is such that they cannot support one another...

Firstly: Some of them are severely weak and cannot be used to support rather they make the matter worse. For example:

i) the route of Usama bin Zayd from Ikrimah from him (ibn Abbaas), and it is no. 1

ii) the route of al-Uofiyyeen and it is no. 2

iii) the 'masaa'il' of Naafi bin al-Azraq, and it is no. 8

Secondly: Some of them have a single deficiency, and that is inqitaa (missing links in the chain), so when this is the case then they do not support or strengthen others, and they are:

i) the route of Alee bin Abee Talha from him and it is no.3

ii) the route of Ibraaheem an-Nakha'i from him and it is no.6

iii) the route of Dahhaak bin Mazaahim al-Hilaalee and it is no.7

Thirdly: Some of them cannot support others because they do not have the same meaning:

i) So in some of them he says, "distress and severity"

ii) in some of them he says, "the matter will be exposed and the actions will be shown"

iii) in some he says, "a severe matter"

iv) in some he says, "the Day of Judgement and the Hour due to it's severity."

....and due to this we are certain that the narration is not authentic to ibn Abbaas." al-Manhal ar- Raqraaq' (p. 30)

28 Shaikh Muhammad bin Jameel Zainoo explains [in his refutation against Muhammad Aadil Azeezah - and his book "Aqeedatul-Imaam al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer"]:

" And if only he had taken a look at it (i.e. the saying of Ibn Abbaas) as the Muhaddithoon have, those who have declared it weak (da'eef) due to idtiraab (uncertainty/confusion) regarding its matn (text). Let the reader refer to the book "al-Manhal ar-Raqraaq fee Tafseer Yawma Yukshafu an Saaq" of Shaikh Saleem al-Hilaalee and others besides him from amongst the scholars who have studied its matn and its isnaad and have explained the weakness of the report from Ibn Abbaas. And is it understandable that Ibn Abbaas - may Allaah be pleased with him - would oppose the hadeeth [of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree] which explains the aayah and yet he is the same one who said: "I see that you will soon face destruction, I say to you 'Allaah's Messenger said' and you say 'Abu Bakr and Umar said'!!? Reported by Ahmad and others and Ahmad Shaakir declared it authentic.

And I refer the reader to the tafseer of ash-Shawkaanee and Siddeeq Hasan Khan, both of whom explained the aayah with the hadeeth [of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree]... And Ibn Katheer said at the end of his explanation of the aayah, where he mentions the meaning of the previous Prophetic Hadeeth: 'And when they were called to prostrate in the life of the world, they held back from that even though they were safe and sound [in health]. And likewise, they will be punished for their lack of power over it [i.e. prostrating] in the Hereafter when the Lord - the Mighty and Magnificent - shows/reveals Himself - so the Believers will prostrate to Him and not a single one of the Disbelieves or the Hypocrites will be able to prostrate...'. I say: And in this explanation it is evident and clear that Ibn Katheer has explained the aayah with the hadeeth and has not explained it with the saying of Ibn Abbaas..." Bayaan wa Tahdheer min Kitaab Aqeedatil-Imaam al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer (p.4-5).

29 Reported by Bukhaaree in 'Kitaabul-Jihaad', Muslim in 'Kitaabul-Imaarah', Ibn Maajah in his muqaddimah, Imaam Maalik in Muwatta'a (1/285) and an-Nasaa'ee (2/32).

30 Asmaa was-Sifaat (p. 470).

31 Imaam Bukhaaree - may Allaah have mercy upon him - was clearly upon the way of the Salaf, meaning he affirmed the Attributes of Allaah as they befitted Him, and this is seen in his work 'Saheeh ul- Bukhaaree' (in Kitaab ut-Tawheed) and his work 'Khalq Af'aal al-Ebaad.' As for the above hadeeth, Bukhaaree mentions it in three places in his 'Saheeh':

• Book of Jihaad, Chapter 28.
• Book of the Merits of the Ansaar, Chapter 10.
• Book of Tafseer, Chapter 6.