3 of 3 · Words of the Prophet ﷺ after Waraqah's death · Makkah
Waraqah ibn Nawfal
"Do Not Revile Waraqah"
Waraqah died before the Prophet ﷺ began calling people openly, so the question of where he stood was asked early. Al-Hakim reports from 'A'ishah that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not revile Waraqah, for I have seen that he will have a garden, or two gardens." Al-Hakim graded it sound, and al-Albani included it in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.
Al-Tirmidhi reports a related account: Khadijah told the Prophet ﷺ that Waraqah had believed in him but died before his message appeared, and he said he had been shown Waraqah in a dream wearing white garments, which would not have been so had he been among the people of the Fire (Jami' al-Tirmidhi 2288). Al-Tirmidhi himself called it gharib and noted that one of its narrators is not strong.
Is he then a Companion? Scholars differ. Ibn Hajar discusses him in al-Isabah, noting that several earlier compilers listed him among the Companions, since he met the Prophet ﷺ after revelation had begun and affirmed him. Others did not count him, because he died before the call to Islam was proclaimed and before the religion's teachings were given. For that reason he appears here, among those who affirmed and supported the Prophet ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ defended the honour of a man who had believed in him with only a few sentences, and never let his early support be forgotten.
Do you remember with gratitude those who believed in you before anyone else did?
- al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn (hadith of 'A'ishah on Waraqah)Historical report
- al-Albani, al-Silsilah al-SahihahHistorical report
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi 2288 Graded by Ahmad Muhammad Shakir: Daif · Al-Albani: Daif · Zubair Ali Zai: DaifDa'if
- Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-SahabahHistorical report
What the hadith grades mean
- Sahih (authentic): an unbroken chain of trustworthy, precise narrators, free of hidden flaws or contradiction. It is acted upon.
- Hasan (good): like sahih, but a narrator's precision is slightly lighter. It is also accepted and acted upon. "Hasan sahih" means it reaches sahih by its routes.
- Da'if (weak): a break in the chain or a narrator who is not reliable enough. It is not used to establish beliefs or rulings.
- Very weak (munkar, matruk): a seriously flawed chain or a narrator accused of lying. It is not relied on at all.
- Mawdu' (fabricated): falsely attributed to the Prophet ﷺ. It may not be narrated as his words except to warn against it.
- The two Sahihs: every hadith with a full chain in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim is accepted as sahih by the scholars of hadith.
- Historical report: biographies and histories (Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabari) record events with chains that are often incomplete. They are used for the story, not for rulings.
- Hadith scholars grade a narration; the four madhhabs do not. Where a hadith carries a ruling, the page shows which schools act on it.
Create a free account to keep your place as you go. Create a free account · Sign in