Measuring the Authenticity of Habib Lineage in Indonesia

Book Title: Measuring the Authenticity of Habib Lineage in Indonesia
Author: KH Imaduddin Utsman Al Bantani, leader of Nahdlatul Ulum Islamic Boarding School, Banten
First Edition: October 2022
Publisher: Maktabah Nahdatul Ulum
Translator: alkhoirot.org | Al-Khoirot Research and Publication
Field of Study: Islamic History, genealogy  

The second book:  The Discontinuity of the Habib Lineage to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH   (A Refinement of the Book: Assessing the Authenticity of the Habib Lineage in Indonesia)

Summary: The Ba 'Alawi (Sada) are a group of Hadhrami Sayyid families originating in Hadhramaut, Yemen. They assert that they maintain an unbroken patrilineal descent from Prophet Muhammad through his grandson, Husayn ibn Ali, and Fatima al-Zahra. The claimed is challenged by an Indonesian scholar named Kyai Imaduddin Usman Al-Bantandi as invalid and false as it cannot proven scientifically by historical data nor by YDNA. The Kyai Imad's thesis gains widespread supports from Indonesian muslims especially among Nahdlatul Ulama's followers. Things are getting worse for the Habaib or Ba Alawis as they cannot prove themselves otherwise.

Contents

1. Foreword
2. Habib Ba Alawi in Indonesia 
3. Methods For Establishing Lineage (Nasab)
   1. Lookinh Up
   2. Looking Down 
4. Methods For Confirming Lineage Books (Kitab Nasab)
5. Method For Confirming Alawi Bin Ubaidillah  
6. Evidence That Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. Had A Child Named Fatimah
7. Evidence That Siti Fatimah R.A. Had A Child Named Husain 
8. Evidence Stating That Husain R.A. Had A Child Named Ali Zainal Abidin And So Forth Down To Ali Al-Uraidhi
9. Evidence That Ali Al-Uraidhi Had A Child Named Muhammad An-Naqib   
10. Evidence That Muhammad An-Naqib Had A Child Named Isa
11. Evidence That Isa Bin Muhammad Had A Child Named Ahmad (Al-Muhajir)  
12. There is No Evidence That Ahmad Al-Muhajir Bin Isa Had A Son Named Ubaidillah
    1. Fifth Century Hijri Book
    2. Sixth Century Hijri Book
    3. Seventh Century Hijri Book 
    4. Eighth Century Hijri Book
    5. Ninth Century Hijri Book 
13. The Appearance of the Name Abdullah at the End of the 9th Century Hijri
14. In the 10th Century, the Name Abdullah and His Descendants Began to Mature, Although He Was Not Yet Referred to as Ubaidillah
15. Is the Abdullah of the 9th Century AH the Same as the Abdullah of the 10th Century AH? 
16. Abdullah Officially Becomes Ubaidillah in the 14th Century AH
17. Conclusion of the Scientific Research
18. Scientific Research is Not the Ultimate Truth 
19. Indonesian version: Menakar kesahihan Nasab Habib di Indonesia 

Foreword

This small book before the reader is the result of the author's verificative research regarding the authenticity of the lineage (nasab) of the habibs in Indonesia. This research was prompted by the phenomenon of claims made by the habibs on various occasions in mass media and social media, asserting that they are the grandsons (descendants) of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

The problem investigated by the author is whether it is true that these habibs are descendants of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. The method used by the author is a library research method, collecting scientific data in the form of lineage books (kitab nasab) from various periods. This data was then processed to ensure it is systematic, rational, and valid.

The objective of this research is to measure the authenticity of whether these habibs are truly the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. The urgency of this study is significant because the claim of being a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. carries consequences in social and religious life.

May this research be beneficial for us all. Amen!

October, 2022

KH Imaduddin Usman al-Bantani

HABIBS IN INDONESIA

The habibs in Indonesia arrived approximately between 1880 AD from Yemen until 1943, prior to the arrival of the Japanese. In Indonesia, most of them did not undergo assimilation with the local population; therefore, they can be easily identified by the clan names (surnames) placed after their names, such as Assegaf, Al-Attas, Al-Idrus, bin Shihab, bin Smith, and others.

They claim to be descendants of the Great Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. According to them, they belong to the lineage of the Bani Alawi (Ba Alawi) family. Ba Alawi itself is a family group in Yemen that originated from their ancestor named Alawi bin Ubaidillah.

They maintain that Alawi bin Ubaidillah is from the lineage of Imam Ali al-Uraidhi, who was the son of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq. According to them, the lineage of Alawi to the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. is as follows: Alawi (d. 400 AH) bin Ubaidillah (d. 383 AH) bin Ahmad (d. 345 AH) bin Isa an-Naqib (d. 300 AH) bin Muhammad An-Naqib (d. 250 AH) bin Ali al-Uraidhi (d. 210 AH) bin Ja’far al-Sadiq (d. 148 AH) bin Muhammad al-Baqir (d. 114 AH) bin Ali Zainal Abidin (d. 97 AH) bin Sayyidina Husain (d. 64 AH) bin Siti Fatimah az-Zahra (d. 11 AH) binti Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. (d. 11 AH). The years of death mentioned were taken by the author from an article titled "Inilah Silsilah Habib Rizieq Shihab. Keturunan Ke-38 Nabi Muhammad?".

Unfortunately, the aforementioned lineage is not confirmed in primary and authoritative (mu’tabar) lineage books. This conclusion is drawn because lineage books written close to the lifetime of Alawi bin Ubaidillah do not record his name.

Before discussing the Ba Alawi lineage comprehensively, the author will first prioritize several matters, and subsequently discuss the name Ubaidillah, who is the father of Alawi, the ancestor of the habaib in Indonesia.

Footnotes

[1] Historiografi Etnis Arab di Indonesia, Miftahul Tawbah, Journal Multicultural of Islamic Education, Volume 6, p. 132.

[2] https://artikel.rumah123.com/inilah-silsilah-habib-rizieq-shihab-keturunan-ke-38-nabi-muhammad-124800