Answering the Accusations of Hanif Alatas

5/24/2026

Answering the Accusations of Hanif Alatas

Book title: An Indonesian Scholar Proves The Falsity of The Ba 'Alawi Lineage Connecting to the Prophet Muhammad
Author: KH. Imaduddin Utsman Al-Bantani, Indonesia
Title of Original / Indonesian version: Ulama Nusantara Menggugat Nasab Palsu: Jawaban KH. Imaduddin Utsman al-Bantani terhadap Buku Hanif Alatas dkk
Penulis: KH. Imaduddin Utsman Al-Bantani, pengasuh pesantren Nahdlatul Ulum, Banten
Cetakan pertama: November 2024
Penerbit: Lakeisha 2024
15,6 cm X 23 cm, 691 Halaman
ISBN : 978-623-119-469-5
Bidang studi: Sejarah Baalawi, sejarah Nabi, ilmu nasab, sejarah Islam, genealogi, garis keturunan, filologi/manuskrip, Tes DNA
Publisher of English version: Al-Khoirot Research and Publication
Fields of study: Ba'alawi history, history of the Prophet, science of lineage, Islamic history, genealogy, bloodline / lineage, philology/manuscripts, DNA testing

Table of Contents

Answering the Accusations of Hanif Alatas

Answering the Framing by Hanif et al. That the Author Opposes, Ignores, and Belittles the Recognition of Mutabar (Authoritative) Scholars Concerning the Ba'alwi Lineage
Scholars Who Recognize Versus Those Who Reject
Recognition from Scholars Answered with Assumptions
Imam Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami

Back to Book Indonesia Ulema Challenge Spurious Lineage: KH. Imaduddin Utsman al-Bantani's Refutation of the Book by Hanif Alatas et al

Answering the Accusations of Hanif Alatas

Answering the Framing by Hanif et al. That the Author Opposes, Ignores, and Belittles the Recognition of Mutabar (Authoritative) Scholars Concerning the Ba'alwi Lineage

"The validity of the Ba'alawi lineage is not a new issue (nawazil) that has never been discussed by scholars so as to require new ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) or legal excavation. The Ba'alawi lineage and their status as asyraf/sadah (nobles/descendants of the Prophet) reached the hands of competent scholars in the fields of genealogy, sharia science, and history centuries ago, and was subsequently approved by them. On the other hand, the tha'nu (defamation/criticism) that invalidates the Ba'alawi lineage has only emerged in recent years from a few individuals who claim to be scholars." 141

Hanif et al. state that the validity of the Ba'alwi lineage is not a new issue. On what basis can Hanif say that the Ba'alwi lineage is valid, when all the clear evidence shows that Abdullah was only mentioned as a child of Ahmad bin Isa in a genealogy book after 535 years? Furthermore, the name Ubaid or Ubaidillah only emerged from the internal claims of the Ba'alwi themselves, who then assumed it to be identical to Abdullah. So, where does this validity come from?

Scholars Who Recognize Versus Those Who Reject

Hanif says that many scholars have recognized the Ba'alwi lineage, listing several names from the fifth century until today. We will prove that what Hanif mentions prior to the 9th century AH is partly a lie and partly an appropriation of the history of Jadid. Hanif et al. state:

"Below, we briefly present those names:

Al-Nassabah Syaikh al-Syaraf al-'Ubaidili (d. 435 AH)
Al-Sayid Hasan bin Muhammad al-'Allal al-Husaini (d. 460 AH)
Al-Sayid Abul Qasim al-Naffath (d. 490 AH)
Al-Faqih Hasan bin Rasyid (d. 638 AH)
Musnad Syaikh Umar bin Sa'ad al-Dzhafari (d. 667 AH)
Muarrikh al-Yaman al-Imam Bahauddin al-Janadi al-Yamani (d. 732 AH)
Imam al-Muarrikh Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin As'ad bin Sulaiman al-Yafi'i al-Yamani al-Makki (d. 768 AH)
Al-Malik al-'Abbas bin Ali bin Dawud al-Rosuli (d. 778 AH)
Al-Imam al-Muarrikh Abil Hasan Ali bin al-Hasan al-Khazraji (d. 812 AH)
Imam Taqiu al-Din Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Hasani al-Fasi al-Maliki (d. 832 AH)
Imam Husein bin Abdurrahman al-Ahdal (d. 855 AH)
Al-Syaikh Abdurrahman bin Muhammad al-Khathib al-Anshari al-Tarimi (d. 855 AH)
Al-Nassabah Muhammad Kazhim bin Abil Futuh al-Yamani al-Musawi (d. 880 AH)..." 142

Rebuttal

Notice that first, he mentions Syaikh Al-Ubaidili who died in the year 435 AH; this is a false claim by Hanif et al. Al-Ubaidili never recognized the Ba'alwi lineage. He authored a book titled Tahdzib al-Ansab, in which he mentions Ahmad bin Isa and some of Ahmad bin Isa's children, but he makes absolutely no mention of Ahmad bin Isa having a child named Ubaid/Ubaidillah/Abdullah. So, on what basis do Hanif et al. dare to place Al-Ubaidili as one of those who verified the Ba'alwi? In his footnote, Hanif states that this is based on a quote by Murtadla al-Zabidi, who died in the year 1205 AH, which certainly refers to the book Al-Raudl al-Jaly. However, the author has previously discussed that Al-Raudl al-Jaly has been proven to be a forged book. It is not the work of Murtadla al-Zabidi, but rather the work of Hasan Muhammad Qasim (d. 1394 AH), whose author's name was forged to make it appear as though it was authored by Murtadla al-Zabidi. A full explanation showing that this book is not the work of Murtadla al-Zabidi can be read in the "introduction" of the printed version of Al-Raudul Jali edited (tahqiq) by Ba'dzib.

Secondly, Hanif et al. mention the name Hasan al-Allal (460 AH), and thirdly, Abul Qasim al-Naffat (490 AH). These two names cited as having verified the Ba'alwi lineage are nothing but a lie. This is based on a fabricated chain of transmission (sanad) created by Salim bin Jindan (d. 1969 AD). The author has explained this previously.

Next, Hanif lists the fourth name, Hasan bin Rasyid (638 AH), which is also a lie. Hasan bin Rasyid only mentions the name Jadid and does not mention Ba'alwi Abdurrahman Assegaf; furthermore, he does not connect it to Ahmad bin Isa, as the author has also previously explained in detail.

Similarly, for the fifth name, Hanif mentions Sa'aduddin al-Dzifari, which is also a false citation. It relies solely on a forged book indicated to have been written by Salim bin Jindan.

Then, Hanif et al. mention the name Al-Janadi (d. 732 AH), the author of the book Al-Suluk. This book does not mention the Ba'alwi-Abdurrahman Assegaf lineage at all, but instead mentions the lineage of Jadid, and Jadid is not the younger brother of Alwi. He is a different person, and it is invalid to use the history of another person as historical proof. The author says "the history of another person" because this is a book of general history, which cannot formally verify a lineage. Therefore, although this book mentions the lineage of Jadid bin Abdullah bin Isa, it cannot verify Abdullah as the son of Ahmad bin Isa because it is not a book of genealogy. It is merely a history book whose content also contradicts the genealogy book Al-Syajarah al-Mubarakah.

In the seventh position, Hanif et al. mention the name Abdullah al-Yafi'i (d. 768 AH), the author of the book Mir'at al-Jinan, as a scholar who verified the Ba'alwi. In reality, Al-Yafi'i does not mention the Ba'alwi lineage at all; he merely composed poetry about Abu Alwi. The Abu Alwi known during Al-Yafi'i's time was not the family of Abdurrahman Assegaf, but rather the family of Syarif Abul Jadid. The family of Abdurrahman Assegaf claimed to be Abu Alwi in the 9th century AH (in the year 895 AH), thereby acquiring the history of Abu Alwi and subsequently beginning to introduce themselves as the Ba'alwi.

In the eighth position, Hanif et al. mention Malik Abbas (d. 778 AH), the author of the book Al-Athaya al-Saniyah, as one who verified the Ba'alwi. This statement is incorrect. The book mentions the lineage of Syarif Abul Jadid, not the family of Abdurrahman Assegaf. The Ba'alwi cannot use the historical lineage of Syarif Abul Jadid as proof for their own lineage, because it is unproven that Jadid had a younger brother named Alwi.

Then, in the ninth position, Hanif et al. mention Al-Khazraji (d. 812 AH), the author of the book Al-Iqd al-Fakhir. This book also cannot serve as proof for the Ba'alwi lineage because the Ba'alwi-Abdurrahman Assegaf lineage is not mentioned in it at all; what is mentioned is Abu Alwi-Syarif Abul Jadid.

These are the nine books claimed by Hanif et al. to be books verifying the Ba'alwi written before the 9th century AH. None of them mention the Ba'alwi-Abdurrahman Assegaf lineage; instead, they mention the name of Syarif Abul Jadid. Furthermore, none of them are dedicated genealogy books, which, according to genealogy experts, means they are invalid to be used as references in verifying a lineage. Since the above books are invalid for verifying the lineage of Syarif Abul Jadid, using them to verify the Ba'alwi-Abdurrahman Assegaf lineage is even more invalid, as there is no evidence indicating that Jadid had a younger brother named Alwi (the ancestor of Ba'alwi-Abdurrahman Assegaf).

Dr. Abdurrahman bin Majid al-Qaraja states in his book Al-Kafi al-Muntakhob:

ولا يقدم بحال على ما يثبته النسابة خصوصا ان كانوا اقرب زمانا او مكانا

"(A historian) under no circumstances may be prioritized over the verification made by a genealogy expert, particularly if those genealogy experts are closer in time or location." 143

Syaikh Khalil bin Ibrahim said:

لا يؤخذ هذ العلم الا من مصادره ومراجعه المعتمدة

"This science (the verification of lineage) cannot be taken except from its authoritative sources and references." 144

The genealogy expert Syaikh Khalil bin Ibrahim states:

فالنسب يثبت اذا وجد في رقعة او كتاب بشرط ان يكون هذا المكتوب قطعي الدلالة على المقصود وليس من المؤتلف اي متشابه الاسماء

"A lineage can be said to be verified if it is found within a document or book, provided that what is written yields absolute textual certainty (qath'iy al-dalalah) toward that objective, and does not stem from al-mu'talif, meaning a mere similarity of names." 145

After mentioning eighth-century books, Hanif et al. then list more than one hundred books from the ninth century to the contemporary era. However, he does not mention the book Al-Burqah al-Musyiqah by Ali bin Abubakar al-Sakran (d. 895 AH). Why? Because this very book is the first to formally contain the lineage of Ba'alwi-Abdurrahman Assegaf tracing back to Ahmad bin Isa. It is an internal Ba'alwi book that outlines the chronology of how the name Abdullah found in Al-Suluk (732 AH) was assumed by Ali al-Sakran to be Ubaidillah, and then called Ubaid. Actually, there is one more book in the ninth century that deserves suspicion as a creator of the Ba'alwi lineage, namely a book by someone referred to as a student of Abdurrahman Assegaf named Abdurrahman bin Muhammad al-Khatib (d. 855 AH?). That book contains myths and superstitions and is titled Al-Jauhar al-Syafaf. However, that book is highly suspicious. The name Abdurrahman bin Muhammad who authored a book titled Al-Jauhar al-Syafaf is recorded in the book Hadiyyat al-Arifin by Ismail Basya al-Babani as having passed away in the year 724 AH, and likewise in the book Mu'jam al-Mu'allifin by Ridla Kahhalah. How could someone who died in the year 724 AH come back to life in the 9th century AH, compose a book with the exact same title (Al-Jauhar al-Syafaf), and then die in the year 855 AH? Because of this anomaly and strangeness, it is highly suspected that the book is a forged text falsely attributed to Abdurrahman bin Muhammad al-Khatib. Therefore, we place the entire responsibility for the creation of this Ba'alwi lineage upon the book Al-Burqat al-Musyiqat.

The books containing the Ba'alwi lineage written after Al-Burqat al-Musyiqat mentioned by Hanif et al.—even if they number in the hundreds—cannot serve as proof for the Ba'alwi lineage because they all refer back to Al-Burqat al-Musyiqah. According to the rules of genealogy experts, a large number of books cannot be used as proof for the continuity of a lineage if they all originate from the same single reference.

A genealogy expert, Khalil bin Ibrahim, states:

لا يحتج بكثرة المصادر اذا كانت تنقل من اصل واحد

"A large number of reference books cannot be used as proof if they all copy from a single, common source." 146

Hanif et al. Employ Framing Regarding Those Who Invalidate the Ba'alwi Lineage

Hanif Alatas et al. create a framing that the only people in Indonesia who invalidate the Ba'alwi lineage are the author and Mama Gufran. In reality, today, almost every regency across Java, Lampung, Bali, and parts of Kalimantan has formed the Perjuangan Walisongo Indonesia (PWI) organization; in fact, several regencies have even formed PWI branches at the sub-district level. A single leadership board at the regency level consists of dozens of officials and hundreds of troops (laskar). Imagine the total number of officials and troops across all regencies and provinces in Java, Sumatra, and Bali.

As an example, the author will list the Indonesian scholars who invalidate the Ba'alwi as descendants of the Prophet Muhammad SAW:

K.H. M. Abas Bili Yahsyi - Buntet Islamic Boarding School, Cirebon
K.H. Faris Fuad - Buntet Islamic Boarding School, Cirebon
K.H. Muhammad - Balerante Islamic Boarding School, Cirebon
K.H. Ahmad Hasan - Bendakerep Islamic Boarding School, Cirebon
Gus Ali Zen - Bendakerep Islamic Boarding School, Cirebon
Gus Saefullah Noval - Bendakerep Islamic Boarding School, Cirebon
K.H. Suryadi - Chairman of PCNU Denpasar, Bali
K.H. Toha - Denpasar, Bali
Pangeran Abdullah - Kanoman Sultanate
K.H. Wahib Mahfudz - Kebumen Islamic Boarding School
K.H. Abdurrazaq - Sumedang
K.H. R. Muhammad Amin - Garut
K.H.R. Aceng Abdul Mujib - Cianjur
K.H.R. Alawi Nurul Alam al-Bantani - Bandung
K.H. Ihsan Al-Badawi - Bekasi
Tengku Qori Oktiva - Bekasi
K.H. R. Yusuf Al-Mubarak - Serang, Banten
K.H.R. Maujud Astari - Kresek, Tangerang, Banten
K.H. R. Lutfi Fauji - Kresek, Tangerang, Banten
K.H.R. Ali Taba - Legok, Tangerang, Banten
K.H.R. Taquyuddin - Lengkong, Tangerang, Banten
K.H. Utin Abdul Mu'thi - Cikokol, Tangerang, Banten
K.H. Ahmad Ghazali - Tangerang, Banten
K.H. Entis - Paku Haji, Tangerang, Banten
K.H.R. Hamdan Suhaimini - Serang, Banten
K. Nasrurazi - Balaraja, Tangerang, Banten
K.H.R. Alwiyan Qasid - Citangkil, Cilegon, Banten
Gus Aziz Jazuli - Serang, Banten
K.H. Jaelani - Pandeglang, Banten
K.H. Zaenuddin - Pandeglang, Banten
K.H. Ahmad Yuri - Petir, Serang, Banten
Gus Sofyan - Kopo, Serang, Banten
K.H. Syihab - Labuan, Banten
K.H. Suparman Abdul Karim - Lampung
Ki Ageng Fatahilah - Fajar Baru, Lampung
K.H. Muhammad Yasin - Palembang
Tuan Guru Ahmad Zein Al-Arsyad - Banjar, Kalimantan
K.H. Mas Nurhasan - Sidogiri Islamic Boarding School
K.H.R. Fathullah Fudholi - Jember
K.H.R. Mubarak - Gresik
K.H. Muhtadin - Depok
K.H. Abdul Mujib - Depok
K.H. Zen Syarafuddin - Surabaya
K.H. Ahmad Thoifur - Papua
K.H. R. Abdussalam Mujib - East Java
K.H.R Abdul Mughni Mujib - East Java
K.H. Imam Bukhari - East Java
K.H. Abdul Hamid - Pasuruan
K.H. Suadi Abu Ammar - Pasuruan
KRT. Fakih Wirahadiningrat - Pasuruan
KRT. K.H. Nur Ihya Hadinegara - Surabaya
K.H. Husnu Mufid - Surabaya
K.H.R. Zabidi - Surabaya
K.H.R. Ismail - Surabaya
K.H. Ja'far Fauzi Damanhuri - Batu Ampar, Madura
K.R. Abdul Gholib Sahuri - Madura
K. R. Mun'im Saleh - Berruk, Madura
K. R. Minal Bukhari - Madura
K. R. Damanhuri Fauzi - Madura
Lora Ombul - Madura
Lora Khalil Kawakib - Madura
K.R. Thayib Kamil - Beruk, Madura
Lora Nawawi Abdul Gholib - Ombul
K.R. Abdul Halim Bahwi - Sember Anyar, Madura
Lora Abdul Hamid Rokeb - Pakong
K.H. R. Nurhadi Muhammad - Malang, East Java
K.H. R. Syaikhurrijal - Malang
K.H.R. Imam Makruf - Malang
K.H.R. Zainul Arifin - Malang
K.H.R. Thariq bin Ziyad - Malang
K.H. Marzuki Mustamar - Malang
K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri - Malang
K.H. Mukhlis - Malang
Lora Makbul Sulaiman - Madura
K.H.R. Muhammad Amin - Garut
K.H. Fuad - Pleret, Yogyakarta
K.H. Riyad Musthofa - Sragen
K.H. Mubarak - Wonogiri
K.H.R. Anshori - Tuban
K.H.R. Fadil - Grobogan
K.H.R. Mufid - Klaten
K.H. Nawawi - Klaten
K.H. Ja'far Shadiq - Majalengka
K.H. Muharrar - Demak
And thousands of others.

Recognition from Scholars Answered with Assumptions

Hanif Alatas et al. state in their book:

"The recognition regarding the validity of the Ba'alawi or Aalu Abi Alawi lineage as the descendants (dzurriyah) of the Prophet SAW, or their status as al-Husaini by such a vast number of scholars above, is an undeniable fact. No matter how actively Imaduddin writes and lectures to propagandize the invalidation of the lineage of the Sadah Ba'alawi, it does not change the fact that recognition from those scholars exists. Everything that Imaduddin conveys merely reflects his personal opinion." 147

Hanif's statement above is merely framing. The recognition of scholars after the ninth century cannot be used as valid proof because it contradicts the lineage books from before the ninth century, which state that Ubaid/Ubaidillah/Abdullah was not a child of Ahmad bin Isa. With Ubaid being invalid as a child of Ahmad bin Isa, the Ba'alwi lineage automatically becomes invalid. If Hanif wants to defend his lineage, he must be able to present just one genealogy book from before the ninth century that states Ubaid was a child of Ahmad, which is impossible. This is because the algorithm for grafting the Ba'alwi lineage is already known, namely that it occurred in the 9th century AH within the Ba'alwi's own book, Al-Burqat al-Musyiqat. Therefore, the vast number of books mentioned by Hanif all hit a dead end, originating from Al-Burqat.

A genealogy expert, Khalil bin Ibrahim, states:

لا يحتج بكثرة المصادر اذا كانت تنقل من اصل واحد

"A large number of reference books cannot be used as proof if they all copy from a single, common source." 146 / 148

He also states:

اذا عرف الواضع وعرفت علة الوضع الجارحة انتفى الاستدلال

"Once the fabricator is identified, and the specific disqualifying motive behind the fabrication is known, the validity of the deduction (istidlal) collapses." 149

Hanif Alatas et al. state:

"1. Those who authenticate the Ba'alawi lineage are those who have a teacher-student relationship with the Ba'alawi, such as al-Imam Murtadha al-Zabidi who studied under Ba'alawi scholars from the Alidrus clan; 2. Those who authenticate the Ba'alawi lineage are motivated by factors of good faith (husnuzhon) due to interacting with Ba'alawi figures who were good and pious, as occurred with al-Imam al-Nabhani. What Imaduddin puts forward is an assumption that does not change the fact of recognition from those scholars. Whether realized or not, Imaduddin seems to accuse those great scholars of daring to authenticate an invalid lineage simply because of teacher-student relationships and seeing good character. It is as if those great scholars ignored the warning of the Prophet SAW regarding the curse of Allah upon anyone who attributes themselves to other than their true father, and the threat of hellfire for those who lie in the name of the Messenger of Allah SAW. Besides Imaduddin's assumptions being unproven, what he puts forward also contains a vile slander." 150

In reality, that is exactly the case. At the time of its initial appearance in the 9th to 10th century AH, the Ba'alwi lineage was only written about by internal Ba'alwi figures or their students. Let us list the books that wrote about the Ba'alwi lineage in the 9th and 10th centuries AH:

1. Ali bin Abubakar al-Sakran (d. 895 AH), the first writer of the Ba'alwi lineage, was a member of the Ba'alwi clan;
2. Abdurrahman al-Khatib (d. ?), the author of Al-Jauhar al-Syafaf (?), is referred to as a student of Abdurrahman Assegaf Ba'alwi (d. 819 AH);
3. Abu Bakar bin Abdullah al-Idrus (d. 914 AH), the author of Al-Juz' al-Latif, who granted the Tariqat robe authorization to Ibn Hajar al-Haytami;
4. Muhammad Ali Khirid Ba'alwi (d. 960 AH), the author of Gurar al-Baha al-Dau'.

Look closely! These four books, authored by the Ba'alwi and their students, are what fenced in the Ba'alwi lineage during the 9th and 10th centuries AH. Subsequent books then drew from these texts, hitting a dead end at the book Al-Burqat in the year 895 AH. There is nothing written prior to the book Al-Burqat that mentions the Ba'alwi family name.

According to the rules of the science of genealogy, books written by parties with a vested interest cannot be used as proof.

Abdul Majid al-Qaraja states in his book Al-Kafi al-Muntakhab:

المصلحة فان ظهرت مصلحة عند المثبت او النافي يترك قوله غالبا، وقد يعمل بنقيض مصلحته في حالات مخصصة، ولا يؤخذ بقوله الا اذا وجد ما يعضده عند غيره ممن ليست لهم مصلحة ولم ينقلوا عن من له مصلحة

"Fifth is the presence of personal interest (al-maslahat). If a personal interest or benefit becomes apparent on the part of the one affirming or negating a lineage, their opinion is generally abandoned. In certain specific cases, their opinion may be utilized if it goes entirely against their own personal interest. Their opinion cannot be accepted unless it is corroborated by other scholars who hold no personal interest and have not transmitted their reports from anyone with a vested interest." 151

Imam Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami

Hanif et al. state:

"Those who validate the Ba'alawi lineage merely copy from those before them, as was done by al-Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami. Once again, facts are met with a forced assumption. Whether out of ignorance or pretending not to know, they ignore that the science of genealogy is indeed built upon the transmission of the lineage tree ('amud al-nasab), as we have explained, so that copying in transmitting lineage is an inevitability. Furthermore, in the world of writing, there is a well-known and popular rule: a muallif (author/writer) quoting a source without providing a rebuttal or correction constitutes their agreement with the substance of that record. This is exactly as mentioned by the scholars:

و من قواعدهم إذا نقلوا عن الغير و لم يتعقبوه فهو تقرير : وعلامة على اعتماد

"And among their rules is that if they quote from someone else and do not follow it up [with a rebuttal or correction], then it constitutes an endorsement and a sign of reliance."

Therefore, a scholar quoting from someone else and including the validity of the Sadah Ba'alawi lineage in their book is a form of recognition from that scholar. If they considered the lineage invalid, they would be obligated to provide a note, as several scholars have done regarding certain problematic lineages, just as we exemplified when explaining the first deviation in this chapter." 152

In reality, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami merely quoted from the book Al-Juz' al-Lathif authored by Abubakar al-Idrus. Please read and observe the contents of Ibn Hajar's book Al-Tsabat from page 195 to page 213, and then compare it with the book Al-Juz' al-Lathif starting from page 493 onwards. See how the contents of both are extremely similar, with only a few words altered.

In his book Tsabat, Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami mentions the Sufi cloak (khirqah sufiyah) transmission chain of Sheikh Abu Bakar bin Abdullah bin Abu Bakar Al-Idrus (d. 914). By mentioning this chain of transmission, did Ibn Hajar truly verify the Ba'alwi lineage?

In that Tsabat book, Ibn Hajar mentions the transmission chain of Abu Bakar bin Abdullah Al-Idrus. However, Ibn Hajar admits that he never actually met the said Sheikh Abu Bakar. He states:

وهو وإن لم أَلقَهُ أيضاً لكني لقيتُ كثيراً من تلامذته (۳) ووقع بيني وبينهم ما يجوز لي الرواية عنه

"And he (Abu Bakar al-Idrus), although I did not meet him either, I met many of his students. And between me and his students, something occurred (an agreement) which ultimately permitted me to narrate from him." 141 (Tsabat Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, p. 195).

Observe the sentence structure of Ibn Hajar al-Haytami when he mentions that transmission chain. He merely quotes the words of Abu Bakar al-Idrus using the phrase: Qala al-qutub Abu Bakar al-Idrus ("The spiritual pole Abu Bakar al-Idrus has said"). Thus, what is found in Ibn Hajar's book is not the words of Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, but the words of Abu Bakar al-Idrus. Ibn Hajar merely quoted it. Ibn Hajar's quote is as follows:

ولنختم بطريقة جليلة عالية المقدار ؛ لأن مشايخها من أولهم إلى منتهاهم من آل البيت، كل عن أبيه، قال القطب أبو بكرالعيدروس لَبِسْتُها من القطب عبد الله العيدروس، من أبيه أبي بكر: وهو أبيه عبد الرحمن السقاف وهو من أبيه محمد، من أبيه علي من أبيه علوي من أبيه الفقيه محمد الذي يتشعب منه أنساب بني علوي ، من أبيه على ، من أبيه محمد ، من أبيه علي: من أبيه علوي من أبيه محمد من أبيه علوي من أبيه عبد الله من أبيه أحمد من أبيه عيسى ، من أبيه محمد من أبيه علي من أبيه جعفر الصادق من أبيه الباقر، من أبيه علي زين العابدين من أبيه سيد الشهداء الحسين من أبيه علي، من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عدد معلوماته أبدا

"And let us conclude with a sublime path of immense value; because its sheikhs, from the first of them to the very end, are from the Family of the House (Ahl al-Bayt), each from his father. The spiritual pole Abu Bakar al-Aydarus said:"

If the sentence detailing the structure of that transmission chain is not the speech of Ibn Hajar, but rather the speech of Abu Bakar al-Idrus, where did Ibn Hajar obtain it? It turns out that Sheikh Abu Bakar Al-Idrus wrote a book titled Al-Juz' al-Lathif fi Tahkim al-Syarif. That exact sentence is found within that book.

Please read the printed edition of the book Al-Juz' al-Lathif (page 493), which is printed in a single volume along with another book by Sheikh Abu Bakar Al-Idrus, Diwan al-Adni. These two books were printed by Ahmad Muhammad Barakat through the Dar Al-Sanabil publishing house in Damascus and Al-Hawi in Beirut, first edition, 1432 AH / 2011 AD.

قلت : ألبسني شيخي ووالدي ، الشيخ الولي الكامل الفاضل ، قوت الكائنات ، عفيف الدين ، مأحيي النفوس والدروس ، عبد الله المكنى بالعيدروس بن أبي بكر ، كما ألبسه والده الشيخ الكبير أبو بكر السكران ، كما البسه والده الشيخ ، إمام الحقيقة والطريقة ، عبد الرحمن السقاف ، كما ألبسه والده الشيخ الهمام محمد مولى الدويلة ، كما أثبته والده الصالح الولي علي ، كما ألبسه والده الولي العارف ، ذو العلوم والمعارف ، الخبر العلامة علوي محمد بن ، كما أليسه والده قطب الأقطاب ، الفرد الغوث ، الجامع بين علمي الشريعة والطريقة ، المتحلي بثمرات الحقيقة ، القدوة الرحلة في زمنه ، المشهور بالفقيه محمد بن علي ، مقدم التربة بتريم حرسها الله تعالى وسائر بلاد الإسلام ، وهو جد آل باعلوي ، ومنه يتشعب نسبهم الشريف ، كما ألبسه والده علي بن محمد ، كما ألبسه والده صاحب مرباط محمد بن علي ، كما البسه والده خالع قسم علي بن علوي وعلي بن علوي هذا الذي ذكره الجندي والخزرجي واليافعي وحسين الأهدل وجماعة من المؤرخين أنه كان إذا صلى ... يكرر السلام على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى يسمع رد سلام جده عليه أو كما قالوا انتهى، كما ألبسه والده علوي بن مُحمد كما ألبسه والده مُحمد بن علي ، كما ألبسه والده الإمام أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب ، كما ألبسه علوي ، كما ألبسه والده علوي بن عبيد الله ،كما ألبسه والده عبيد الله بن أحمد ، كما ألبسه والده أحمد بن عیسی كما ألبسه والده عيسى بن محمد ، كما ألبسه والده محمد بن علي العريضي ...

"I said: I was clothed (with the Sufi cloak) by my sheikh and father—the complete, virtuous, saintly sheikh, the sustenance of all beings, the champion of the religion, the reviver of souls and lessons, Abdullah, nicknamed Al-Aydarus, son of Abu Bakar—just as he was clothed by his father, the great sheikh, Abu Bakar Al-Sakran, just as he was clothed by his father, the sheikh, the imam of ultimate reality and the spiritual path, Abdurrahman Al-Saqqaf, just as he was clothed by his father, the valiant sheikh, Muhammad Mawla Al-Dawilah, just as he was affirmed by his righteous, saintly father, Ali, just as he was clothed by his father, the saintly gnostic, the possessor of sciences and knowledge, the virtuous scholar, Alwi bin Muhammad, just as he was clothed by his father, the pole of poles, the solitary helper, the unifier of the sciences of Sharia and the spiritual path, the one adorned with the fruits of ultimate reality, the exemplary guide of his era, widely known as Al-Faqih Muhammad bin Ali, the master of the soil in Tarim—may Allah Almighty protect it and all other Muslim lands—and he is the ancestor of the Ba'Alwi clan, from whom their noble lineage branches out, just as he was clothed by his father, Ali bin Muhammad, just as he was clothed by his father, the master of Mirbat, Muhammad bin Ali, just as he was clothed by his father, Khali' Qasam, Ali bin Alwi—and this Ali bin Alwi is the one mentioned by Al-Janadi, Al-Khazraji, Al-Yafi'i, Husayn Al-Ahdal, and a group of historians that whenever he prayed... he would repeatedly send salutations upon the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, until he could hear his grandfather returning the salutation to him, or as they said, end of quote—just as he was clothed by his father, Alwi bin Muhammad, just as he was clothed by his father, Muhammad bin Ali, just as he was clothed by his father, the Imam, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali bin Abi Talib, just as he was clothed by Alwi, just as he was clothed by his father, Alwi bin Ubaydullah, just as he was clothed by his father, Ubaydullah bin Ahmad, just as he was clothed by his father, Ahmad bin Isa, just as he was clothed by his father, Isa bin Muhammad, just as he was clothed by his father, Muhammad bin Ali Al-Uraydi..."

Notice that the arrangement of names mentioned by Ibn Hajar is identical, except that Ibn Hajar removed many unnecessary honorific titles. He merely listed the names without titles. Notice also the phrasing used by Ibn Hajar:

من أبيه الفقيه محمد الذي يتشعب منه أنساب بني علوي

(...from his father, the jurist (al-Faqih al-Muqaddam) Muhammad, from whom the lineages of the Bani Alwi branch out).

This sentence is very similar to the sentence by Abu Bakar al-Idrus in Al-Juz' al-Lathif as follows:

ومنه يتشعب نسبهم الشريف

(...and from him their noble lineage branches out).

They are remarkably similar, are they not? This shows that the sentences written by Ibn Hajar in his book were merely copied from the book of Abu Bakar al-Idrus.

From this, we can see that the conclusion stating Ibn Hajar verified the Ba'alwi lineage is incorrect. He merely included the structure of that transmission lineage exactly as he received it from the book Al-Juz' al-Lathif. And according to the theory of genealogy science, such sentences cannot formally verify a lineage. As an example, let us read what was stated by genealogy expert Sheikh Khalil Ibrahim in his book Muqaddimat fi 'Ilm al-Ansab:

النسب يثبت باربع طرق الاول الرقعة اي المكتوب وشرط المكتوب أن يكون قطعي الدلالة صحيحا. فليس كل ما كتب صحيحا وليس كل ما يكتب يراد منه المقصود. فالنسب يثبت إذا وجد في رقعة أو كتاب بشرط أن يكون هذا المكتوب قطعي الدلالة على المقصود وليس من المؤتلف أي متشابه الأسماء

"Lineage can be established through four ways: the first is a document (al-ruq'ah), meaning what is written. The condition for what is written is that it must be authenticated with clear textual certainty (qat'iyy al-dalalah). For not everything that is written is legally correct, and not everything recorded is intended for that objective (verification). Thus, a lineage can be established if it is found in a document or a book, on the condition that this written text yields absolute certainty (qat'i) toward the objective (verification), and that the record does not fall into the category of al-mu'talif and al-mutasyabih (names that look or sound similar)." 155

From the narrative of the genealogy expert Sheikh Khalil Ibrahim above, it is clear that Ibn Hajar's text—which merely mentions the transmission chain of Abu Bakar al-Idrus containing the name Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa—cannot be defined as a formal verification under the science of genealogy. Ibn Hajar merely quoted it as it was, just as it appeared in the book belonging to Abu Bakar al-Idrus. Therefore, it absolutely cannot be said that Ibn Hajar verified the Ba'alwi lineage; he merely quoted a text written by a member of the Ba'alwi clan.

For a narrative in a book to be considered a formal verification of lineage, it must meet the condition of being qat'iyy al-dalalah (yielding clear, absolute indication), such as if Ibn Hajar had explicitly stated:

وهذه السلسلة صحيحة

("And this lineage chain is authentic"),

Only then can it be called verification. Meanwhile, in his Tsabat book, Ibn Hajar makes absolutely no mention of any phrases indicating that he validates the lineage. His book is a book of scholarly transmission chains (sanad keguruan), not a book of genealogy. He merely reports that the spiritual path transmission chain from Abu Bakar al-Idrus, according to him, is arranged in that manner, matching what he wrote in his book, Al-Juz' al-Lathif. Regarding whether that arrangement is true or false, Ibn Hajar offers no comment. Thus, it is clear that the opinion claiming Ibn Hajar verified the Ba'alwi lineage is incorrect.

Hanif et al. also state:

"Regarding the specific matter of Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Imaduddin did indeed quote his wording in its entirety. Unfortunately, the hatred towards the Ba'alawi that Imaduddin displays so openly has blinded his eyes and heart from seeing the statement of al-Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami—prior to quoting the words of Sayidina Abu Bakar bin Abdullah Alidrus—that all the names present in that transmission chain are from the 'ali al-bait', the family of the Messenger of Allah SAW. Ibn Hajar stated:

ولنختم بطريقة جليلة عالية المقدار ؛ لأن مشايخها من أولهم إلى منتهاهم من آل البيت، كل عن أبيه، قال القطب أبو بكرالعيدروس

"And let us conclude with a sublime path of immense value; because its sheikhs, from the first of them to the very end, are from the Family of the House (Ahl al-Bayt), each from his father. The spiritual pole Abu Bakar al-Aydarus said:"

This stands in stark contrast to the attitude shown by Imad. Even though his opinion contradicts great scholars who assert the validity of the Ba'alawi lineage, and his opinion is anomalous (syadz, opposing all scholars) and even deviant (munharif), Imaduddin confidently declares that his opinion on invalidating the Ba'alawi lineage is qath'i (possessing absolute truth). For Imad, the opinions of all the scholars who validate the Ba'alawi lineage are certainly wrong."

Why did Ibn Hajar state that all the names in the transmission chain he was about to mention belong to the descendants of the Alu al-Bait? Because he was quoting Abubakar al-Idrus, who stated exactly that.

Observe the words of Abubakar al-Idrus: 156

ولنا طريقة اخرى من طريق اهل البيت ... الى ان قال : قلت : ألبسني شيخي ووالدي ، الشيخ الولي الكامل الفاضل ، قوت ، عبد الله عفيف الدين ، محيي النفوس والدروس الكائنات ، عفيف المكنى بالعيدروس بن أبي بكر

"And we have another path from the way of the People of the House (Ahl al-Bayt)... up to where he said: I said: I was clothed (with the Sufi cloak) by my sheikh and father—the complete, virtuous, saintly sheikh, the sustenance [of all beings], Abdullah, champion of the religion, reviver of souls and lessons, nicknamed Al-Aydarus, son of Abu Bakar"

Look closely! The one who stated they were Ahlul Bait was Abubakar al-Idrus himself, and subsequently, Ibn Hajar simply quoted him without investigating whether that claim was authentic or not. Additionally, Ibn Hajar never actually met the said Abubakar al-Idrus, in accordance with his own admission which the author previously noted.

Hanif states:

"Consequently, those who authenticate the Ba'alawi lineage are made to look as if they do not understand the science of genealogy, sharia, and history, and that only he himself understands. Not stopping there, he also emphasizes that he will not believe in the authenticity of the Ba'alawi lineage even if scholars from all over the world and all muftis issue a fatwa stating that the lineage is authentic, 'walau afta al-muftun'. If only one or two scholars validated and recognized the authenticity of the Sadah Ba'alawi lineage, perhaps both could be wrong. However, in this case, the recognition comes from an immense number of scholars, even surpassing the hundreds. Did they all commit a collective error and collectively fail to understand genealogy and sharia? And is he the only one who is right and understands?" 157

Regarding the author's statement: Walau afta al-muftun ("even if the experts have issued a fatwa"), that phrase is taken from a hadith. Thus, the author follows the Messenger of Allah SAW in that truth and falsehood have distinct signs within our hearts. If we are certain of a truth, we must not waver from it, even if everyone issues a fatwa to the contrary.

عن أبي ثعلبة الخشني الله قال : قَالَ رَسُول اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْبِرُّ مَا سَكَنَتْ إِلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ وَاطْمَأَنَّ إِلَيْهِ الْقَلْبُ، وَالْإِثْمُ مَا لَم تَسْكُنْ إِلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ وَلَمَّ يَطْمَئِنَّ إِلَيْهِ الْقَلْبُ، وَإِنْ أَفْتَاكَ الْمُفْتُونَ) رواه أحمد

"Narrated from Abi Tsa'labah al-Khasyani RA, he said: The Messenger of Allah SAW said: 'Righteousness is that which the soul feels at ease with and the heart finds tranquility in; and sin is that which the soul does not feel at ease with and the heart does not find tranquility in, even if the muftis give you a fatwa.'" (Narrated by Ahmad)

From this hadith, we understand that a lineage like the Ba'alwi, which deviates from early genealogy books, cannot be accepted as authentic even if many people declare it valid. As for Hanif's statement regarding the vast number of scholars who recorded the Ba'alwi lineage after the ninth century, it cannot serve as proof because they all drew from the Ba'alwi's own book in the 9th century AH, which directly contradicts the books written by genealogy scholars of preceding centuries.

A genealogy expert, Khalil bin Ibrahim, states:

لا يحتج بكثرة المصادر اذا كانت تنقل من اصل واحد

"A large number of reference books cannot be used as proof if they all copy from a single, common source." 158

ENDNOTES

141 Hanif dkk. . .h. 219
148 Khalil lbrahim . . .h. 85
149 Khalil bin Ibrahim . . ..h. 85
150 Hanif dkk. . .h.220
151 Abdul Majid al-Qaraj a, Al-Kafi al-Muntkh ab, 49
152 Hanif dkk. . .h.221
153 Silahkan baca cetakan kitab Al-juz'ullatif tersebut (halaman 493) yang dicetak dalam satu jilid bersama kitab Syekh Abu Bakar Al-Idrus lainnya, "Diwanul Adni". Dua I<itab itu di cetak oleh Ahmad Muhammad Barakat melalui maktabah Darussanabil Damask-us dan Al-hawi Beirut cetakan pertama tahun 1432 H/ 2011.
154 Ibnu Hajar Al-Haitami, Al-Tsabat, h. 195
155 Khalil bin Ibrahim . . h.58
156 Abubakar Al-Idrus, Al-Juz al-Latif, dalam Diwan al-Adni, h. 493
157 Hanif dkk. . .h.222-223
158 Khalil Ibrahim . . .h.85