Method For Confirming Alawi Bin Ubaidillah
Book Title: 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)
Author: KH. Imaduddin Utsman Al-Bantani, leader of the Nahdlatul Ulum Islamic Boarding School (Pondok Pesantren), Banten, Indonesia
Publisher: Maktabah Nahdlatul Ulum (October, 2022)
Previous Work: Assessing the Authenticity of the Habib Lineage in Indonesia
Field of Study: Ba Alawi History, Genealogy (Ilmu Nasab), Islamic History
Publisher: Maktabah Nahdlatul Ulum Banten, 1st Edition / 2023
Daftar Isi
- Evidence That Prophet Muhammad Pbuh Had A Child Named Fatimah R.A.
- Evidence That Sayyidah Fatimah R.A. Had A Child Named Husain R.A.
- Evidence Stating That Husain R.A. Had A Child Named Ali Zainal Abidin And So Forth Down To Ali Al-Uraidhi
- Evidence That Ali Al-Uraidhi (219 Ah) Had A Child Named Muhammad An-Naqib (250 Ah)
- Evidence That Muhammad Al-Naqib (250 Ah) Had A Son Named Isa (300 Ah)
- Evidence That Isa Bin Muhammad (300 Ah) Had A Son Named Ahmad (345 Ah)
- Evidence That Ahmad Al-Abah (345 Ah) Al-Naffat Bin Isa Had A Son Named Ubaidillah (383 Ah)
- Fifth-Century Hijri Books
- Sixth-Century Hijri Books
- Seventh-Century Hijri Books
- Eighth-Century Hijri Books
- The Appearance of the Name Abdullah in Historical Books
- Ninth-Century Hijri Books
- The Appearance of the Name Abdullah at the End of the 9th Century AH
- Habib Ali Al-Sakran: The First Person To Mention The Name Ubaidillah As The Son of Ahmad
- The Argument of Habib Ali al-Sakran (d. 895 AH) That Ubaid Is Another Name for Abdullah
- Back to: The Discontinuity of the Habib Lineage to the Prophet Muhammad
METHOD FOR CONFIRMING ALAWI BIN UBAIDILLAH
Alawi bin Ubaidillah is the ancestor of the Ba Alawi in Indonesia, Yemen, and several Southeast Asian countries. His complete lineage is claimed as follows: Alawi bin Ubaidillah "bin" Ahmad al-Muhajir bin Isa al-Rumi bin Muhammad an-Naqib bin Ali al-Uraidhi bin Ja'far al-Sadiq bin Muhammad al-Baqir bin Ali Zainal Abidin bin Husain bin Fatimah Azzahra binti Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.. Within this lineage, Alawi is the 12th name in the sequence.
To establish this using the looking down method, we must be able to find evidence that the name above him indeed had a child with the name listed below him.
EVIDENCE THAT PROPHET MUHAMMAD PBUH HAD A CHILD NAMED FATIMAH R.A. (May Allah be pleased with her)
The evidence that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (PBUH) had a daughter named Fatimah is found in the following hadith:
قال: (تزوجت فاطمة رضي الله عنها، فقلت: يا رسول الله! ابْنِ بِي قال: (أعطها شيئاً) قلت: ما عندي من شيء، قال: (فأين دِرْعُكَ الْحُطَمِيَّة؟) قلتُ: هي عندي، قال: (فأعطها إياه) الدروع. رواه النسائي
"By Allah, if Fatimah binti Muhammad were to steal, I would surely cut off her hand." (Narrated by Bukhari)
EVIDENCE THAT SAYYIDAH FATIMAH R.A. HAD A CHILD NAMED HUSAIN R.A.
The following evidence establishes that Husain is the son of Ali and Fatimah:
The first hadith states that Husain is the son of Ali:
"Narrated from al-Hakim an-Naisaburi with a chain of transmission (sanad) from Abi Hazim, from Abi Hurairah r.a., he said: I saw Messenger of Allah s.a.w. carrying al-Husain bin Ali a.s. on his shoulder, and he said: 'O Allah, indeed I love him, so love him.'"
The second hadith states that Ali is the husband of Fatimah:
قال: (تزوجت فاطمة رضي الله عنها، فقلت: يا رسول الله! ابْنِ بِي قال: (أعطها شيئاً) قلت: ما عندي من شيء، قال: (فأين دِرْعُكَ الْحُطَمِيَّة؟) قلتُ: هي عندي، قال: (فأعطها إياه) الدروع. رواه النسائي
"Ali r.a. said: I married Fatimah r.a., then I said: O Messenger of Allah, let me enter into marriage (with Fatimah). The Prophet said: 'Give her something (as a dowry).' I said: I have nothing. The Prophet said: 'Where is that hutomiyah coat of mail?' I said: I have it. The Prophet said: 'Then give it to her.'" (Narrated by Nasa’i)
From these two hadiths, it is concluded that it is true that Husain is the child of Siti Fatimah May Allah be pleased with her
Evidence Stating That Husain R.A. Had A Child Named Ali Zainal Abidin And So Forth Down To Ali Al-Uraidhi
Below is a hadith found in the book Sunan at-Tirmidhi, which was authored in the 3rd century AH:
“(Imam Tirmidhi said:) Nashr bin Ali al-Jahdhami narrated to us, Ali (al-Uraidhi) bin Ja’far (al-Sadiq) bin Muhammad al-Baqir bin Ali (Zainal Abidin) narrated to us, my brother Musa (al-Kadhim) bin Ja’far (al-Sadiq) bin Muhammad (al-Baqir) informed me, from his father Ja'far bin Muhammad, from his father Muhammad bin Ali, from his father Ali bin Husain, from his father (Husain), from his grandfather Ali bin Abi Talib, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ held the hands of Hasan and Husain and said: 'Whoever loves me and loves these two and their father and mother, will be with me in my station on the Day of Resurrection.' Abu Isa (Imam Tirmidhi) said: 'This hadith is gharib (scarce/isolated); we do not know it from the transmission of Ja’far bin Muhammad except through this route.'"
From this single hadith, it can be concluded that:
- It is true that Husain had a child named Ali Zainal Abidin.
- It is true that Ali Zainal Abidin had a child named Muhammad al-Baqir.
- It is true that Muhammad al-Baqir had a child named Ja’far al-Sadiq.
- It is true that Ja’far al-Sadiq had a child named Ali al-Uraidhi.
Evidence That Ali Al-Uraidhi (219 AH) Had A Child Named Muhammad An-Naqib (250 AH)
Finding evidence regarding the children of Ali al-Uraidhi in books of hadith is difficult, so we must turn to lineage books (kitab nasab). The lineage books used must be primary sources—those written during the lifetime of the figure being discussed. If a primary source cannot be found, we utilize the oldest secondary sources (written after the figure's death) that are chronologically closest to that figure's lifetime.
As mentioned previously, Ali al-Uraidhi passed away in the year 210 Hijri, at the beginning of the third century Hijri. Is there a genealogical book written during that era? The author has not yet found a genealogical book written in the third century Hijri; what the author did find was a genealogical book written by a scholar who lived in the mid-fourth century Hijri, namely the book Sirr al-Silsilah al-Alawiyyah by Sheikh Abi Nashr Sahl bin Abdullah al-Bukhari (d. 341 AH):
وقال) ولد علي بن جعفر- محمدا وحسنا ابني علي بن جعفر عليه السلام امهما ام ولد واحمد بن علي بن جعفر من عربية
"(al-Bukhari said): Ali (al-Uraidhi) bin Ja'far (al-Sadiq) had children: Muhammad (al-Naqib) bin Ali and Hasan bin Ali—their mother was an ummu walad (a female slave who bore a child for her master)—and (another child of Ali al-Uraidhi) Ahmad bin Ali bin Ja'far, from an Arab woman."
Al-Bukhari mentions three children of Ali al-Uraidhi: Muhammad (al-Naqib), Hasan, and Ahmad. Based on the information from the book above, it is confirmed that Ali al-Uraidhi indeed had a son named Muhammad (al-Naqib).
Take note! Although there is a gap in the record of 131 years—from the death of Ali al-Uraidhi in 210 Hijri until the recording of his son Muhammad al-Naqib's name in 341 AH—no book has been found within that timeframe that rejects the existence of Muhammad al-Naqib as the son of Ali al-Uraidhi. This is where the principle of al-Shuhrah wa al-Istifadhah (widespread fame and ubiquity) applies to Muhammad al-Naqib during that interval. Typically, within such a duration, an individual remains very well-known across three or four generations upward. Furthermore, it will later be proven that the author of this book lived during the same period as the grandson and great-grandson of Ali al-Uraidhi, named Isa and Ahmad.
Evidence That Muhammad al-Naqib (250 AH) Had a Son Named Isa (300 AH)
The evidence stating that Muhammad al-Naqib had a son named Isa is found in the book Sirr al-Silsilah al-Alawiyyah by Sheikh Abu Nashr al-Bukhari (341 AH):
وولد محمد بن علي بن جعفر عليه السلام عيسى الارت وجعفرا وعليا واحلس ٌن ويحي من امهات الاولاد
"And Muhammad (al-Naqib) had children: Isa al-Arat, Ja’far, Ali, al-Husain, and Yahya, from (mothers who were) ummu walad."
From the book mentioned above, it is confirmed that Muhammad an-Naqib had a son named Isa.
Evidence that Isa Bin Muhammad (300 AH) Had a Son Named Ahmad (345 AH)
The evidence that Isa had a son named Ahmad bin Isa is found in the book Tahdhib al-Ansab by Sheikh Sharaf al-Ubaidili (d. 435 AH):
فالعقب من ولد ابي الحسين عيسى النقيب بن محمد بن علي العريضي من جماعة...والى ان قال)...واحمد بن عيسى النقيب بن محمد بن علي العريضي
"The descendants of Abul Husain Isa al-Naqib bin Muhammad bin Ali al-Uraidhi are numerous... (until al-Ubaidili says)... and Ahmad bin Isa al-Naqib bin Muhammad bin Ali al-Uraidhi."
Based on the information from the book above, it is confirmed that Isa had a son named Ahmad.
From the evidence provided, it is concluded that the lineage of Ahmad bin Isa leading up to the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad SAW, is scientifically confirmed. Next, regarding the authenticity of Ahmad bin Isa’s connection to his "son" named Ubaidillah—who is the father of Alwi bin Ubaidillah (the forefather of the habaib)—is it true that Ahmad bin Isa had a son named Ubaidillah? We proceed with the research as follows:
Evidence that Ahmad al-Abah (345 AH) al-Naffat Bin Isa Had a Son Named Ubaidillah (383 AH)
Fifth-Century Hijri Books
First: The book Tahdhib al-Ansab wa Nihayat al-Alqab, authored by al-Ubaidili (d. 437 AH) in the 5th century. When explaining the descendants of Ali al-Uraidhi, he does not mention the name Alawi or his father, Ubaidillah. He only mentions one child of Ahmad al-Abah bin Isa, which is Muhammad. The excerpt from the book is as follows:
واحمد بن عيسى النقيب بن محمد بن علي العريضي يلقب النفاط من ولده ا ابو جعفر الاعمى) محمد بن علي بن محمد بن أحمد ، عمي في آخر عمره وانحدر الى البصرة واقام بها ومات بها وله اولاد وأخوه ا بْالجبل له اولاد.تهذيب الانساب ونهاية الالقاب ص 176-177
"And Ahmad bin Isa an-Naqib bin Muhammad bin Ali al-Uraidhi was given the title an-Naffat. Among his descendants is Abu Jafar (al-A'ma: the blind) Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad; he became blind at the end of his life, went to Basrah, settled there, and passed away there. He had children. His brother in al-Jabal (the mountain) also had children."
Al-Ubaidili, the author of this book, lived during the same era as Alawi and his father, Ubaidillah. According to the book Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, al-Ubaidili passed away in the year 436 or 437 Hijri, meaning he died only 36 or 37 years after the death of Alawi in the year 400 Hijri.
Furthermore, the same book states that al-Ubaidili lived to be 100 years old. This means al-Ubaidili was born in 336/337 Hijri. When Ubaidillah (Alawi’s father) passed away in 383 Hijri, al-Ubaidili was already 47 years old, and by the time of Alawi’s death, he was over 60. Certainly, his knowledge and wisdom had reached a level of reliability (tsiqah).
It is also mentioned that during his life, al-Ubaidili frequently visited many countries, such as Damascus, Egypt, Tiberias, Baghdad, and Mosul. Therefore, when explaining the descendants of Ahmad bin Isa, he should have recorded Alawi as the grandson and Ubaidillah as the son of Ahmad bin Isa. However, the reality is that al-Ubaidili did not mention them. Why? Because these two names were not found to be the son and grandson of Ahmad bin Isa.
Moreover, as mentioned by Habib Muhammad Dliya Syahab in his book al-Imam Ahmad Al-Muhajir, Ahmad bin Isa was an Imam. If one is an Imam, they would be well-known to the public—not just personally, but their children and grandchildren as well. Yet, al-Ubaidili, a contemporary of Alawi, does not list Alawi as a grandson of Ahmad bin Isa.
Second: The book al-Majdi fi Ansab al-Talibiyyin by Sayyid Syarif Najmuddin Ali bin Muhammad al-Umari an-Nassabah (d. 490 AH). When explaining the descendants of Isa bin Muhammad an-Naqib, he states that the descendants of Ahmad al-Abah bin Isa were in Baghdad, specifically through al-Hasan Abu Muhammad ad-Dallal Aladdauri bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Isa. Similar to al-Ubaidili, al-Umari only mentions one child of Ahmad al-Abah. The full quote is as follows:
"And Ahmad Abul Qasim al-Abah, who is known as 'al-Naffat' because he traded in naphtha oil (a type of kerosene), has descendants in Baghdad through al-Hasan Abu Muhammad ad-Dalal Aladdauri in Baghdad. I saw him pass away at the end of his life in Baghdad; he was the son of Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad (an-Naqib) bin (Ali) al-Uraidhi."
From the book al-Majdi, it is concluded that one of Ahmad bin Isa’s children was named Muhammad, which aligns with al-Ubaidili’s Tahdhib al-Ansab. The difference between the two is that al-Umari explains the descendants of Muhammad bin Ali in Basrah, while al-Ubaidili explains the son of Muhammad bin Ali, al-Hasan, who had moved to Baghdad. Both fifth-century books agree that Ahmad bin Isa had a son named Muhammad.
Third: The book Muntaqilat al-Talibiyyah by Abu Ismail Ibrahim bin Nasir ibn Thobatoba (d. 400s AH). This book, which describes the geographical migration of the descendants of Abu Talib, mentions that the descendant of Abu Talib in the city of Rayy was Muhammad bin Ahmad an-Naffat. As is known, the descendants of the Prophet are also the descendants of Ali bin Abi Talib. The quote is as follows:
(بالري) محمد بن امحد النفاط ابن عيسى بن محمد الاكبر ابن علي العريضي عقبه محمد وعلي والحسين
"In the city of Rayy, (there is a descendant of Abu Talib named) Muhammad bin Ahmad an-Naffat bin Isa bin Muhammad al-Akbar bin Ali al-Uraidhi. His (Muhammad bin Ahmad's) descendants are three: Muhammad, Ali, and Husain."
From this excerpt, Ahmad bin Isa is mentioned as having a son named Muhammad, the same as in Tahdhib al-Ansab and al-Majdi.
Based on these three books, the fifth century remains consistent: there is no son of Ahmad bin Isa named Ubaidillah, and no grandson named Alawi, even though the authors were contemporaries of Ubaidillah and Alawi. So, who is this Alawi bin Ubaidillah whose descendants later claimed to be the grandchildren of the Prophet Muhammad SAW?
Before that, let us look at other books to see if the name Ubaidillah is mentioned as a child of Ahmad bin Isa elsewhere.
Sixth-Century Hijri Books
The book al-Syajarah al-Mubarakah by Imam al-Fakhr al-Razi (d. 606 AH) states that Ahmad bin Isa did not have a son named Ubaidillah. The excerpt from the book is as follows:
أما أحمد الابح فعقبه من ثالثة بنين: محمد ابو جعفر بالري، وعلي بالرملة، وحسين عقبه بنيسابور
"As for Ahmad al-Abh, his descendants who had offspring are three: Muhammad Abu Ja’far in the city of Rayy, Ali in Ramallah, and Husain whose descendants are in Nishapur." (al-Syajarah al-Mubarakah: 111)
From the quote above, Imam al-Fakhr al-Razi explicitly mentions that Ahmad al-Abh bin Isa only had three children: Muhammad, Ali, and Husain. He specifies the number of Ahmad bin Isa’s children using a nominal sentence (jumlah ismiyah) that indicates emphasis (ta'kid). Ahmad al-Abh did not have a son named Ubaidillah and did not have a grandson named Alawi. According to Imam al-Fakhr al-Razi, none of these three children resided in Yemen. From this point, the possibility of including another name is scientifically closed, unless there is a contemporary book or one written earlier that states otherwise.
Imam al-Fakhr al-Razi, the author of al-Syajarah al-Mubarakah, lived in the city of Rayy, Iran, where many descendants of Ahmad al-Abh from the lineage of Muhammad Abu Ja’far resided. Naturally, he obtained valid information regarding how many children Ahmad al-Abh had from Ahmad’s descendants living in Rayy.
Up until the author of this book passed away in 606 Hijri—which was 261 years after the death of Ahmad bin Isa—there were no narrations, no stories, and no reports that Ahmad bin Isa ever had a son named Ubaidillah or a grandson named Alawi. Who were these two individuals, who were later reported by their descendants to be the grandchildren of the Prophet Muhammad SAW?
Before that, let us first examine other books; perhaps the name Ubaidillah is mentioned as a son of Ahmad bin Isa.
Seventh-Century Hijri Books
The book al-Fakhri fi Ansab al-Talibiyyin by Azizuddin Abu Talib Ismail bin Husain al-Marwazi (d. 614 AH) mentions the same information as the fifth-century books: it only identifies one lineage of Ahmad bin Isa, which is through Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Isa. The full quote is as follows:
منهم أبو جعفر الاعمى محمد بن علي بن محمد بن احمد الابح له اولاد بالبصرة واخوه في اْلجبل بقم له اولاد
"Among them is Abu Ja’far (al-A’ma: the blind) Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Abah; he has children in Basra, and his brother in al-Jabal in the city of Qum also has children." (Al-Fakhri fi Ansab al-Talibiyyin, Sayyid Azizuddin Abu Talib Ismail bin Husain al-Marwazi, edited by Sayyid Mahdi al-Raja’i, p. 30).
Up until this seventh century, there is no mention of a son of Ahmad named Ubaidillah, nor is there any mention that Ahmad had descendants in Yemen.
Eighth-Century Hijri Books
The book al-Ashili fi Ansab al-Talibiyyin by Shafiyuddin Muhammad ibnu al-Thaqtaqi al-Hasani (d. 709 AH) mentions a sample lineage of Ahmad bin Isa through his son named Muhammad bin Isa. The complete quote is as follows:
ومن عقب أحمد بن عيسى النقيب الحسن بن ابي سهل أحمد بن علي بن ابي جعفر محمد بن أحمد
"And from the descendants of Ahmad bin Isa an-Naqib is al-Hasan bin Abi Sahl Ahmad bin Ali bin Abi Ja’far Muhammad bin Ahmad."
The book al-Tsabat al-Mushan by Ibnul A'raj al-Husaini (d. 787 AH) states:
واما احمد فأعقب وكان من ولده ابو محمد الحسن الدلال ببغداد رآه ا شيخنا العمري ببغداد وهو مات بأخره ببغداد وهو بن محمد بن علي بن محمد بن أحمد بن عيسى كان له اولاد الرومي منهم ابو القاسم احمد الاشج المعروف بالنفاط
"As for Ahmad, he had offspring, and among his descendants was Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Dallal in Baghdad; my teacher al-Umari saw him in Baghdad, and he died at the end of his life in Baghdad. He was the son of Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Isa al-Rumi, and he had several children, including Abul Qasim Ahmad al-Asyaj, known as al-Naffath."
Similarly, up to 442 years since the death of Ahmad bin Isa, there is no mention of a son of Ahmad named Ubaidillah, nor is it mentioned that Ahmad had descendants in Yemen
The Appearance of the Name Abdullah in Historical Books
Then, after 385 years, a new name appeared. However, it was not Ubaidillah; it was Abdullah, who was cited as the son of Ahmad bin Isa. This name appeared not in a genealogical book, but in a work discussing the history of scholars and kings in Yemen. That book is titled Al-Suluk fi Tabaqat al-Ulama wa al-Muluk by Al-Qadi Abu Abdillah Bahauddin Muhammad bin Yusuf bin Ya'qub (d. 730/731/732 AH).
منهُم ابو الْحسن عَلي ّ بن محمد بن جدِيد (أو حدِيد) بن عبد الله بن أَحْمد بن عِيسَى بن محمَد بن عَلي ّ ابْن جَعْفَر الصَادِق بن محمد الباقر بن عَلي ّ بن زين العابدين بن الُْحسينْ بن عَلي ابْن ابي طَالب كرم الله وَجهه وَيعرف بالشريف ابي الَْحدِيد عِنْد أهل الْيمن اصله من حَضرمَوْت من اشراف هُنَالك يعْرفُون َ بَال ابي علوي بَيت صَلَاح وَعبادَة على طَرِيق التصوف.
"Among them is Abu al-Hasan, Ali, bin Muhammad bin Jadid (or Hadid, according to two manuscript versions) bin Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Ja'far al-Sadiq bin Muhammad al-Baqir bin Ali Zain al-Abidin bin al-Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib karramallahu wajhah. He is known as Syarif Abul Jadid among the people of Yemen; he originates from Hadramaut from the noble syarifs there who are known as the Al Abi Alwi, a house of piety and worship on the path of Sufism."
It is very clear that this name, Abdullah, is not Ubaidillah, as he has a different lineage than what is claimed by the Ba Alawi today. While the name Ba Alawi does indeed appear in this book, the names mentioned from the Ba Alawi family at the time this book was written are entirely different from the names mentioned in books authored by the Ba Alawi in later periods. Furthermore, this book does not mention the name Alawi bin Ubaidillah at all. This represents the first "grafting" of the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad SAW through the line of Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad an-Naqib, which was carried out by the Ba Alawi family of the Banil Jadid branch. The names Alawi and Ubaidillah still do not appear, remaining shrouded in a void.
In genealogical books written at the beginning of the ninth century, the name Abdullah still did not exist. This is very logical; a genealogical book written by a genealogist would certainly not haphazardly include an unclear name into the family tree of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. This differs from a history book. A historian records the lineage of a figure according to that person's own claim. They do not strictly demand its authenticity, because the validity of a lineage can later be identified and tested by a more specific field—namely, genealogy. History merely writes according to the figure's claim, as that claim itself is part of history. Whether it is true or not is very easily proven through the genealogical chains recorded in each generation within genealogical books.
This name, Abdullah, was subsequently used as a foundation by the Ba Alawi to connect their lineage to the Prophet Muhammad SAW. And as will be seen later, the Abdullah who appeared in the 8th century is not Ubaidillah.
Ninth-Century Hijri Books
In the book Umdat al-Thalib fi Ansab Ali Abi Thalib by Ibnu Inabah (d. 828 AH), it is mentioned that among the descendants of Muhammad an-Naqib is Ahmad al-Ataj bin Abi Muhammad al-Hasan ad-Dallal bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Isa. The full quote is as follows:
ومنهم احمد الاتج بن ابي محمد الحسن الدلال بن محمد بن علي بن محمد بن أحمد بن عيسى الاكبر
"Among the descendants of Muhammad an-Naqib is Ahmad al-Ataj bin Abi Muhammad al-Hasan ad-Dallal bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Isa al-Akbar".
Up until the beginning of the ninth century, the name Ubaidillah is not mentioned as a son of Ahmad bin Isa. Similarly, there is no mention of any son of Ahmad bin Isa residing in Yemen. Ibnu Inabah, it seems, disregarded the name Abdullah—whom al-Jundi had cited as a son of Ahmad bin Isa. Why? This is likely because his expertise in the field of genealogy did not tolerate the inclusion of a name that suddenly appeared without a clear cause.
The Appearance of the Name Abdullah at the End of the 9th Century AH
The name Ubaidillah had not yet appeared by the mid-ninth century. However, a new name was mentioned in the book An-Nafhah al-Anbariyah by Muhammad Kadzim bin Abil Futuh al-Yamani al-Musawi (d. 880 AH): Abdullah bin Ahmad. It appears that An-Nafhah likely quoted this from the book of al-Jundi (d. 730 AH).
From this, we can see that the name Abdullah had disappeared from the radar of genealogical writers for 543 years, calculated from the death of Ahmad bin Isa. Among the books that recorded the lineage of Ahmad bin Isa, there are at least seven works spanning from the fifth to the ninth centuries that do not mention Abdullah as a son of Ahmad bin Isa.
The complete excerpt from An-Nafhah that mentions the name Abdullah is as follows:
فهاجر الى الرس فأولد عيسى ومن ولد عيسى السيد احمد المنتقل الى حضرموت. فمن ولده هناك السيد ايب اْلديد بفتح اْلجيم وكسر الدال المهملة وسكون الياء المثناة من تحت وبعدها دال القادم الى عدن في ايام المسعود بن طغتكين بفتح الطاء المهملة وسكون الغين المعجمة وفتح التاء المثناة من فوق ونون بعد الياء المثناة من تحت والكاف المكسورة ابن ايوب بن شاذي بفتح الشين وكسر الدال المعجمتين سنة احدي عشرة وستمائة فتوحش المسعود منه لامرما فقبضه وجهزه ا الي ارض الهند ثم رجع الي حضرموت بعد وفاة المسعود. فمن ذريته ثمة بنو ابي علوي وا بن ابي اْلجديد بن علي بن محمد ن احمد بن جديد بفتح اْلجيم وكسر الدال المهملة وسكون الياء المثناة من تحت و دال اخرى بعدها بن علي بن محمد بن جديد بن عبد الله بن احمد بن عيسى المتقدم الذكر
"Muhammad an-Naqib migrated to the city of Ros and had a son named Isa, and among the children of Isa was Ahmad, who moved to Hadramaut. Among his descendants there was Sayyid Abul Jadid who arrived in the city of Aden during the reign of al-Mas’ud bin Togtokin in the year 611 AH. Al-Mas’ud later treated al-Jadid harshly for a certain reason, arrested him, and prepared for his deportation to India; he eventually returned to Hadramaut after the death of al-Mas’ud. From the descendants of al-Jadid are the Bani Abu Alawi—namely, Abu Alawi bin Abul Jadid ibn Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Jadid bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Jadid bin Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa, who was mentioned previously."
Based on the quote above, the author of An-Nafhah al-Anbariyah, Sheikh Muhammad Kadzim, stands alone without reference to the previously mentioned genealogical books in two respects:
- First, he is alone in claiming that Ahmad moved to Hadramaut; no genealogist in the cited books mentions such a move.
- Second, he is alone in citing the name Abdullah as a son of Ahmad bin Isa, seemingly having referenced the book al-Suluk for this information.
One critical note is that the "Banu Abu Alawi" mentioned by Sheikh Muhammad Kadzim are not the Ba Alawi habibs who descend from al-Faqih al-Muqaddam. Rather, they are the Banu Abu Alwi from the Jadid family, as he explicitly states: "From the descendants of al-Jadid are the Bani Abu Alawi, namely Abu Alawi bin Abul Jadid bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Jadid bin Ali bin Muhammad ibn Jadid bin Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa." Note that this "Banu Abu Alawi" refers to Abu Alawi bin Abul Jadid, the eighth generation from Jadid ibn Abdullah.
HABIB ALI AL-SAKRAN: THE FIRST PERSON TO MENTION THE NAME UBAIDILLAH AS THE SON OF AHMAD
According to Habib Ali al-Sakran, the ancestor of the Ba Alawi Habibs was recorded in a continuous lineage as Ubaid bin Ahmad bin Isa. He then performed ijtihad (assumed) that this "Ubaid" was the same person as the Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad al-Naqib mentioned in the book Al-Suluk by al-Jundi (d. 730 AH).
Habib Ali al-Sakran authored a book titled Al-Burqat al-Mushiqah (hereafter referred to as al-Burqah). In this book, for the first time, the name Ubaidillah was mentioned as the son of Ahmad bin Isa, based on the argument that Ubaidillah is a variation of the name Abdullah mentioned by al-Jundi (d. 730 AH).
Subsequent books that mention Ubaidillah as the son of Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad al-Naqib most likely cited Habib Ali al-Sakran. Among these books are:
- al-Daw' al-Lami' by al-Sakhawi (d. 902 AH).
- Qiladat al-Dahr fi Wafayat A'yan al-Dahr by Abu Muhammad al-Thayyib Ba Makhramah (d. 947 AH).
- Tsabat by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974 AH).
- Tuhfat al-Thalib by Sayyid Muhammad bin al-Husain as-Samarqandi (d. 996 AH).
- al-Rawd al-Jaliy by Murtadha al-Zabidi (d. 1205 AH), and others.
The Argument of Habib Ali al-Sakran (d. 895 AH) That Ubaid Is Another Name for Abdullah
The ancestor of Habib Ali al-Sakran was known in his time as Ubaid, without the addition of "Allah". Habib Ali al-Sakran acknowledged this in his book, stating:
وهكذا هو هنا عبيد المعروف عند اهل حضرموت والمسطرفي كتبهم والمتداول في سلسلة نسبهم ونسبتهم انه عبيد بن احمد بن عيسى
"And so it is here, Ubaid, as known to the people of Hadramaut, recorded in their books, and transmitted in their genealogical chains and affiliations: that he is Ubaid bin Ahmad bin Isa." (al-Burqah al-Mutsiqah: 150)
It is important to note that the name recorded continuously among the people of Hadramaut for their ancestor was Ubaid bin Ahmad bin Isa. To conclude that this ancestor—named Ubaid without the suffix "Allah"—was actually Abdullah, Habib Ali al-Sakran stated:
وقد فهمت مما تقدم اولا منقولا من تاريخ اْلجندي وتلخيص العواجي وسبق به الكلام في ترجمة الامام ابي الحسن عَلي بن محمَد ابْن أَحْمد جدِيد انه عبد الله بن احمد بن عيسى حيث قال: منهُم ابو الْحسن عَلي ّ بن محمد بن جدِيد (أو حدِيد) بن عبد الله بن أَحْمد بن عِيسَى بن محمَد بن عَلي ّ ابْن جَعْفَر الصَادِق بن محمد الباقر بن عَلي ّ بن زين العابدين بن الُْحسينْ بن عَلي ابْن ابي طَالب كرم الله وَجهه وَيعرف بالشريف ابي الَْحدِيد عِنْد أهل الْيمن اصله من حَضرمَوْت من اشراف هُنَالك يعْرفُون َ بَال ابي علوي بَيت صَلَاح وَعبادَة على طَرِيق التصوف.انتهى
"And I understood from the preceding information—firstly, as narrated from the Tarikh al-Jundi (the book al-Suluk) and the book Talkhis al-Awaji, and as previously mentioned in the biography of al-Imam Abu al-Hasan, Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad Jadid—that Ubaid is Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa. This is based on when he (al-Jundi) said: 'Among them is Abu al-Hasan, Ali, bin Muhammad bin Jadid (or Hadid) bin Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Ja'far al-Sadiq bin Muhammad al-Baqir bin Ali bin Zain al-Abidin bin al-Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib karramallahu wajhah. He is known as Syarif Abul Jadid among the people of Yemen; he originates from Hadramaut from the noble syarifs there who are known as the Al Abi Alwi, a house of piety and worship on the path of Sufism.'"
Observe the phrase "waqad fahimtu mimma taqoddama" ("and I understood from what passed before") followed by the phrase "annahu Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa" ("that he is Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa") based on the citation from al-Jundi's history book.
From this, it is evident that prior records only listed Ubaid bin Ahmad bin Isa. Only after Habib Ali al-Sakran read al-Jundi's book did he understand (conclude) that this Ubaid was actually Abdullah.
As for why "Abdullah" became "Ubaid" and later "Ubaidillah," Habib Ali al-Sakran argued that Abdullah bin Ahmad was a humble man. He felt it was inappropriate to call himself Abdullah ("Servant of Allah") and instead referred to himself as Ubaid ("Little Servant"), omitting the word "Allah".
Consider the following passage:
"And what is apparent to me is that Sheikh Imam Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Ja'far, due to his humility... saw fit to use the tasghir (diminutive form) of his name and erase the marks [of his greatness], out of self-abasement and regarding anything attributed to him (lineage or otherwise) as small, thereby dissolving pretension and the habits of the ego by sufficing with the name Ubaid."
From the information above, it can be concluded that among the Ba Alawi family itself, the only famous lineage was "Ubaid bin Ahmad bin Isa". When Habib Ali al-Sakran encountered the book al-Suluk, which mentioned the name Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad al-Naqib, he concluded that it was a different name for the same individual, Ubaid bin Ahmad bin Isa.
ABDULLAH IS NOT UBAIDILLAH IN THE BOOK AL-SULUK
Defenders of the Ba Alawi lineage in Indonesia argue that Ubaidillah was already recorded by the eighth century Hijri. They claim this evidence is found in the book al-Suluk by al-Jundi (d. 730 AH), specifically where he mentions the name Abdullah as the son of Ahmad. According to the Habibs, this Abdullah had three children: Jadid, Alwi, and Bashri. They argue that Alwi and Bashri shared the same mother, while Jadid had a different mother. Their argument suggests it is natural that only the Jadid family was mentioned since they had a different mother, but because they were brothers, the Alwi family is implicitly included as descendants of Abdullah bin Ahmad. Is it true that the Abdullah mentioned by al-Jundi is the same individual as Ubaidillah, the ancestor of the Habaib?
In the author's view, even if it were true that Ubaidillah and Abdullah were the same person, there remains a 385-year gap in the record, calculated from the death of Ahmad bin Isa in 345 AH to the death of al-Jundi, the author of al-Suluk, in 730 AH.
Furthermore, the author’s findings indicate that this Abdullah is not Ubaidillah at all; they are different individuals.
Before proceeding, let us examine the passages in al-Jundi's al-Suluk that mention the name Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Isa. There are several passages on different pages that mention Abdullah and the Banu Alawi: