Sayyidah ʿAʾishah’s Critique of the Hadith of Ibn ʿAbbas on Rukyatullah in al-Zarkashi’s al-Ijabah

Abstract

This study critically analyzes a hadith narration by Ibn 'Abbas regarding rukyatullah (seeing Allah in the afterlife) that was rejected by Sayyidah 'A'ishah, as quoted in the book al-Ijābah li Īrād Mā Istadrakathu 'A'ishah 'ala ash-Shahābah by al-Zarkasyī. This book compiles various criticisms by ‘Ā’isyah against the hadiths of the Companions, covering aspects of creed, etiquette, and law. This study uses a qualitative approach based on literature review with the method of hadith criticism from the aspects of sanad and matan. The study begins with the process of takhrij on the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbās, followed by the hadith of ‘Ā’isyah who rejected it, then a comparative analysis and exploration of the al-jam‘u (compromise of evidence) method to reconcile the contradictions in the content of the hadith. The results of the study indicate that both hadiths have authentic chains of transmission, so that compromise approaches such as takhshīṣ and contextual division are prioritized over tarjīḥ or naskh. This research also highlights Sayyidah ‘Ā’isyah’s intellectual contribution to hadith criticism discourse and the importance of reconciliation methodology in addressing differences in narrations within classical Islamic creed discourse.

Keywords: Criticism of Hadith, Rukyatullah, Sayyidah 'A'isyah, Ibn 'Abbās, al-Ijabah, al-Zarkasyi