The Light of Truth — Page 487
ASSESSING THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE ECLIPSE HADITH 487 This is to say, accept their testimony after investigation and completing all the steps of examination; do not accept it hastily. Hence, thinking well [of others] is to acknowledge that Dāraquțnī accepted this hadith from its narrators only after he investigated the matter and found them to be among the trustworthy, thus becoming content. You find that cer- tain narrators in [Şahih] al-Bukhārī were accused of deviating in their belief and various immoral actions; however, there are other chains of trustworthy narrators of this hadith. Consider what Na'im bin Hammad and Abül Hasan al-Khairi recorded about Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas in al-Juzziyyāt, and reflect like those with knowledge. Hafız Abū Bakr bin Ahmad bin al-Hasan has recorded the like of this hadith as have Kathir bin Marrah al-Hadrami and al-Baihaqi. The Quran sits in judgement over all these [ahādīth] through the bayyināt and muhkamāt [clear proofs and decisive verses]. Hence, only those will reject it whose hearts have hardened and who have fallen into the abyss of bigotry; having no experience of investigation; being ignorant of the deepest depths of cognisance; having not unearthed the crypts of fine subtleties; nor having sought the truth like those who strive to be rightly guided. The well-known nature of the hadith, along with its many chains [of transmission], indicate that it is a statement of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be on him, and this is how it was under- stood by all those who taught and learned [the Hadith]. If this were not the case, then what was the need that led [the Muslims] to drink from the cup of others? Were the ahādīth of the Best of Messengers not suffi- cient for guiding the virtuous? Why would they have collected sayings that were not from Khātamun-Nabiyyīn [the Seal of the Prophets], the Trustworthy Messenger? Is this anything but falsehood, deceit, and the work of satanic people? None carry out such acts except those who strive to create disorder in the world and destroy its inhabitants like the deceivers. As for those who, enabled by the Gracious God, have been granted a share of faith and a provision of obedience to the Sunnah [of the