Islamic Studies

Closing a Gathering By Reading Sura al-Asr. Is the Hadith weak?

by Suhaib Webb
July 26, 2007
2 min read

The Question:

Is the hadith that states the companions used to close their gatherings with Sura al-Asr weak? If so, can we act up it?”

The Answer:

The hadith at hand is found in the Sunan of Imam Abu Dawod (417) and the M’ujam al-Aawsat of Imam al-Tabarani (5124) on behalf of Abu Madaniyah al-Darami who says:

“If two men from the companions of the Prophet [may peace and blessing of Allah be upon him] met, the would not part until they recited surah al-Asr, then they would give each other the greetings.”

Ibn Hajar al-Hathami says in Majm’u al-Fawaid vol. 4 pg. 463 and vol. 10 pg. 233, “The narrators of this hadith are all sound.”

In addition, this hadith was authenticated by Sh. Albani in his collection of sound narrations #2648.

There is difference amongst the scholars on acting on weak hadith. This difference is well known and accepted amongst the major scholars of hadith. Here is an article by Ust. Jamal Diwan on the subject. The point is that, even if the hadith was weak, there should be non censuring of those who act upon it unless it fails to meet the conditions outlined by Ust. Jamal in his translations. Click here for the article.

Allah knows best
Akhuk Suhaib

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About the author

Suhaib Webb

Suhaib Webb is a contemporary American-Muslim educator, activist, and lecturer. His work bridges classical and contemporary Islamic thought, addressing issues of cultural, social and political relevance to Muslims in the West. After converting to Islam in 1992, Webb left his career in the music industry to pursue his passion in education. He earned a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and received intensive private training in the Islamic Sciences under a renowned Muslim Scholar of Senegalese descent. Webb was hired as the Imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, where he gave khutbas (sermons), taught religious classes, and provided counselling to families and young people; he also served as an Imam and resident scholar in communities across the U.S.

From 2004-2010, Suhaib Webb studied at the world’s preeminent Islamic institution of learning, Al-Azhar University, in the College of Shari`ah. During this time, after several years of studying the Arabic Language and the Islamic legal tradition, he also served as the head of the English Translation Department at Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah.

Outside of his studies at Al-Azhar, Suhaib Webb completed the memorization of the Quran in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. He has been granted numerous traditional teaching licenses (ijazat), adhering to centuries-old Islamic scholarly practice of ensuring the highest standards of scholarship. Webb was named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in 2010.

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