Chapter III: Method for Confirming Alawi ibn Ubaidillah

Method For Confirming Alawi Bin Ubaidillah Alawi bin Ubaidillah is the ancestor of the Ba Alawi in Indonesia, Yemen, and several Southeast Asian count

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 
Publisher of English version: Al-Khoirot Research & Publication

Daftar Isi

  1. Chapter III: Method for Confirming Alawi ibn Ubaidillah 
  2. Evidence That Prophet Muhammad Pbuh Had A Child Named Fatimah R.A. 
  3. Evidence That Sayyidah Fatimah R.A. Had A Child Named Husain R.A.
  4. Evidence Stating That Husain R.A. Had A Child Named Ali Zainal Abidin And So Forth Down To Ali Al-Uraidhi
  5. Evidence That Ali Al-Uraidhi (219 Ah) Had A Child Named Muhammad An-Naqib (250 Ah)
  6. Evidence That Muhammad Al-Naqib (250 Ah) Had A Son Named Isa (300 Ah)
  7. Evidence That Isa Bin Muhammad (300 Ah) Had A Son Named Ahmad (345 Ah)
  8. Evidence That Ahmad Al-Abah (345 Ah) Al-Naffat Bin Isa Had A Son Named Ubaidillah (383 Ah)
    1. Fifth-Century Hijri Books
    2. Sixth-Century Hijri Books
    3. Seventh-Century Hijri Books
    4. Eighth-Century Hijri Books
  9. The Appearance of the Name Abdullah in Historical Books
  10. Ninth-Century Hijri Books
  11. The Appearance of the Name Abdullah at the End of the 9th Century AH
  12. Habib Ali Al-Sakran: The First Person To Mention The Name Ubaidillah As The Son of Ahmad
  13. The Argument of Habib Ali al-Sakran (d. 895 AH) That Ubaid Is Another Name for Abdullah 
  14. Abdullah Is Not Ubaidillah In The Book Al-Suluk
  15. The Tenth Century: The Names Ubaidillah and His Descendants Begin to Mature, Although Not Yet Referred to as Ubaidillah 
  16. Abdullah Officially Becomes Ubaidillah In The 14th Century AH
  17. The Ba Alawi Lineage Lacks Syuhroh (fame) and istifadoh (widespread transmission)
  18. Conclusion
  19. Referenses 
  20. Back to: The Discontinuity of the Habib Ba Alawi Lineage to the Prophet Muhammad

CHAPTER III: 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:

حدثنا نصر بن علي الجهضمي حدثنا علي بن جعفر بن محمد بن علي أخبرني أخي موسي بن جعفر بن محمد عن أبيه جعفر بن محمد عن أبيه محمد بن علي عن أبيه علي بن الحسين عن أبيه عن جده علي بن أبي طالب أن رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم أخذ بيد حسن وحسين فقال من أحبني وأحب هذين وأباهما وأمهما كان معي في درجتي يوم القيامة قال أبو عيسي هذا حديث حسن غريب لا نعرفه من حديث جعفر بن محمد إلا من هذا الوجه. 

`“(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:

 وأحمد أبو القاسم الأبح المعروف بالنفاط لأنه كان يتجر النفط له بقية ببغداد من الحسن أبي محمد الدلال علي الدور ببغداد رأيته مات بأخره ببغداد رأيته مات بأخره ببغداد بن محمد بن علي بن محمد بن أحمد بن عيسي بن محمد بن العريضي.


"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:

  1. al-Daw' al-Lami' by al-Sakhawi (d. 902 AH).
  2. Qiladat al-Dahr fi Wafayat A'yan al-Dahr by Abu Muhammad al-Thayyib Ba Makhramah (d. 947 AH).
  3. Tsabat by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974 AH).
  4. Tuhfat al-Thalib by Sayyid Muhammad bin al-Husain as-Samarqandi (d. 996 AH).
  5. 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:

 والذي يظهر عندي أن الشيخ الإمام عبد الله بن أحمد بن عيسي بن محمد بن علي ابن جعفر كان من عظيم تواضعه ... ويستحسن تصغير اسمه ومحو رسمه تحقيرا لها وتصغيرا لما ينسب اليها وافناء للدعوي ومقتضيات الهوي بحسب التسمية له بعبيد. 

"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:

The First Passage:

 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 bin Zain al-Abidin (there should not be a 'bin' here, as Zain al-Abidin is a title for Ali) 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."

Take note! When al-Jundi mentions the names of scholars who came to Taiz, he mentions the name Abul Hasan Ali. Who was Abul Hasan Ali? Al-Jundi states that he was known among the people of Yemen as al-Syarif Abil Jadid, originating from Hadramaut and descending from the syarifs there. They were known as the Abu Alwi family, a family of piety and worship following the path of Sufism. 

In his aforementioned book, al-Jundi records the lineage of Abul Hasan Ali as follows: 

  1. Ali bin Abi Talib
  2. Husain  
  3. Ali Zainal Abidin  
  4. Muhammad al-Baqir  
  5. Ja'far al-Shadiq  
  6. Ali al-Uraidi  
  7. Muhammad al-Naqib  
  8. Isa al-Rumi  
  9. Ahmad  
  10. Abdullah  
  11. Jadid  
  12. Muhammad  
  13. Ali  
  14. Hadid  
  15. Ahmad  
  16. Muhammad  
  17. Abul Hasan Ali.  (617 H)

This Abu Hasan Ali was known as Syarif Jadid, who originated from Hadramaut. Now, observe the lineage of the Ba Alawi habibs down to the 17th generation below!

  1. Ali bin Abi Talib k.w.
  2. Husain
  3. Ali Zainal Abidin
  4. Muhammad  al-Baqir
  5. Ja'far al-Shadiq
  6. Ali al-Uraidi
  7. Muhammad  al-Naqib
  8. Isa al-Rumi
  9. Ahmad
  10. Ubaidillah
  11. Alwi
  12. Muharnrnad
  13. Ali
  14. Alwi
  15. Ali Khali qosam
  16. Muhammad Sohib mirbat (w.550 H)
  17. Ali Walidul Faqih (w.590 H.)
  18. Muhammad Faqih al-Muqoddam (653 AH)

Observe! Abul Hasan Ali lived in the same generation as Muhammad Sohib Mirbat, Ali Walidul Faqih, and Faqih al-Muqoddam. Why is it that when mentioning that Abul Hasan originated from the syarifs in Hadramaut, al-Jundi did not mention the name of Muhammad Sohib Mirbat or Faqih al-Muqoddam? Given that al-Jundi died in 730 AH, he should have been familiar with Muhammad Sohib Mirbat or Faqih al-Muqoddam, as they are described in the literature of the Habibs—such as Shamsu al-Dzahirah (p. 72)—as great scholars and "syaikhul masyayikh al-ajilla' al-a'lam" (the teacher of the great and prominent teachers); the same book even refers to him as "Imam al-a'immah" (the Imam of Imams). Furthermore, according to Salih bin Ali al-Hamid Ba Alawi in his book Tarikh Hadramaut (p. 709), Faqih al-Muqoddam was a great scholar who reached the level of a mujtahid mutlaq.

Logically, with such high accolades, al-Jundi should have known both of them, especially since al-Jundi lived in Aden, Yemen. For example, al-Jundi might have mentioned: "This Syarif Abul Hasan originates from Hadramaut, from the syarifs there known as Al Abi Alwi, belonging to the same family as Sohib Mirbat and Muhammad al-Faqih al-Muqoddam." However, al-Jundi did not state this. He only mentioned Abul Hasan Ali.

Some Habibs, such as Hanif Alatas in his book refuting the author's work, claim that al-Jundi does mention Faqih al-Muqoddam, Ali Khali Qosam, the pious son of Muhammad bin Ali bin Alwi, and Sayyid Abdullah bin Alwi. Is this claim true? Let us put it to the test!

Before that, let us read the following passage from al-Jundi's book:

ومنهُم أَبُو مَرْوَان لقبا واسْمه عَلي ّ بن أَحْمد بن سَالم بن محمَد بن عَلي ّ كَان فَقِيها خيرا كبيرا عَنه انتَشَر الْعلم بحضرموت انتشارا موسعا لصلاح كَان َوبركة في تدريسه وكَان َ صَاحب مصنفات عديدة وَهُو َ أول من تصوف من بَيت أَبا َ علوي اذ هم أَنما يعْرفُون َ بالفقه وَلما بلغ الْفَقِيه ذَلِك وَإِن هَذَا تصوف هجره. ومِمن  تفقه بِأبي مَرْوَان أَبُو زكريا خرج مقدشوا فنشر الْعلم بها و بنواحيها نشرا موسعا وَلم أتحقق لأحد مِنهُم تَارِيخا

"Among them (prominent figures of Hadramaut) is Abu Marwan, which is a title (laqab); as for his name, it is Ali bin Ahmad bin Salim bin Muhammad bin Ali. He was a great and excellent jurist (faqih); through him, knowledge spread extensively in Hadramaut due to his piety and the blessing of his teaching. He authored numerous works. He was the first from the house of Aba Alwi to practice Sufism, as they were previously known only for fiqh (jurisprudence). When the (other) jurist heard of this—that he had turned to Sufism—he distanced himself from him. Among those who studied fiqh under Abu Marwan was Abu Zakariya, who traveled to Mogadishu and spread knowledge there and in the surrounding areas extensively; I have not verified the dates for any of them."

From this passage, we find that on the surface, Abu Marwan is identified as a member of the Ba Alawi family and was the first to follow the Sufi path. However, the name "Abu Marwan" is not commonly used within the Ba Alawi Habib family. According to some Habibs, there is a missing sentence here; they claim that after the phrase "numerous works" (musannafat adidah), there should be the sentence: "And Muhammad bin Ali Ba Alwi studied under him," before continuing with "He was the first...".

Thus, according to Hanif's argument, Muhammad bin Ali Ba Alwi (Faqih al-Muqoddam) studied under Abu Marwan. Hanif claims this is supported by Husain bin Abdurrahman al-Ahdal's book, Tuhfat al-Zaman fi Tarikh Sadat al-Yaman. Upon investigation, I did find that the name Muhammad bin Ali appears there as Hanif mentioned. The drawback, however, is that this book was edited (tahqiq) by Abdullah Muhammad al-Habsyi, who is himself from the Ba Alawi family. I do not doubt the editor without reason, but several experiences with internal Ba Alawi editions—ranging from the books Abna' al-Imam to al-Rawd al-Jaliy—have consistently shown issues. Even if we accept that the name Muhammad bin Ali Ba Alwi is present, is it certain that he is indeed al-Faqih al-Muqoddam? Let us continue with the following passage from al-Jundi: 

 ومن بَيت أبي علوي قد تقدم لَهم بعض ذكر مَع َ ذكر أبي جَدِيد مَع َ واردي تعز وهم بَيت صَلَاح طَرِيق وَنسب فيهم جَماعَة منهُم حسن   بن محمد بن عَلي باعلوي كَان َ فَقِيها يحفظ الْوَجِيز للغزالي غيبا وكان لَه ُ عَم اسْمه عبد الرَحَْمن بن عَلي ّ بن باعلوي

 "And some from the family of Abi Alwi were previously mentioned in part along with the mention of Abi Jadid and those who arrived in Taiz. They are a family of righteousness, in both their spiritual path and their lineage. Among them is Hasan bin Muhammad bin Ali Ba Alawi, who was a jurist and memorized the book al-Wajiz by Imam Ghazali. He had an uncle named Abdurrahman bin Ali Ba Alawi."

From this passage, there is a name mentioned by al-Jundi as being part of the Ba Alawi family, namely Hasan bin Muhammad bin Ali Ba Alawi. The name Muhammad bin Ali Ba Alwi is mentioned again as having a son named Hasan. The question arises: if Muhammad bin Ali Ba Alwi refers to al-Faqih al-Muqoddam, as per Hanif’s interpretation, did al-Faqih al-Muqoddam actually have a son named Hasan?

Let us consult the Ba Alawi genealogical book Syamsu al-Dzahirah to see if al-Faqih al-Muqoddam had a son named Hasan.

Please observe the passage below:

 وله (اي الفقيه المقدم) من الولد خسة بنين: علوي وأحمد وعلي وعبد الله  بتريم سنة 663 وعبد الرحمن المتوفي بين الحرمين

"He (al-Faqih al-Muqoddam) had five sons: Alawi, Ahmad, Ali, Abdullah—who passed away in Tarim in the year 663 AH—and Abdurrahman, who passed away between Mecca and Medina." (Syamsu al-Dzahirah: 78)

It is clearly stated here that al-Faqih al-Muqoddam did not have a son named Hasan. Thus, it is also clear that the Muhammad bin Ali mentioned by al-Jundi is not al-Faqih al-Muqoddam.

The second piece of evidence that the Muhammad bin Ali mentioned by al-Jundi is not al-Faqih al-Muqoddam is the phrase: "He (Hasan bin Muhammad) had an uncle named Abdurrahman bin Ali..." The question is, did Ali, the father of al-Faqih al-Muqoddam, have a son named Abdurrahman? Let us look at the book Syamsu al-Dzahirah with the passage below!

 وله ابن واحد هو الشيخ الامام محمد الشهير ن بالفقيه المقدم

 "He (Sheikh Ali bin Muhammad Sahib Mirbath) had only one son, namely Sheikh Imam Muhammad, who is famously known by the name al-Faqih al-Muqoddam..." (Syamsu al-Dzahirah: 77)

It is stated in the book Syamsu al-Dzahirah that Ali (the father of al-Faqih al-Muqoddam) had only one child. This means that the Hasan mentioned by al-Jundi, who supposedly had an uncle named Abdurrahman, is clearly not a child of al-Faqih al-Muqoddam and is not part of the Habib Ba Alwi family.

 ومنهُم عَلي ّ بن باعلوي كَان َ كثيرالْعِبَادَة عَظِيم الْقدر لا َ يكَاد يفتر عَن الصَلَاة ثم َ مَتى تشهد ْ قَال َ السَلَام عَلَيْك ايها النَبي ِ ويكرر ذَلِك فَقيل لَه ُ قَال َ لا ازال أفعَل حَتى َ يرد النَبي ِ صلي الله عَلَيْه وَسلم فَكَان َ كثيرامَا يكَرر ذَلِك ولعلي ولد اسْمه محمد ابْن صَلَاح وَله ابْن عَم اسْمه عَلي بن باعلوي بعض تفاصيل ابا علوي احَْمد بن محمد  كَان َ فَقِيها فَاضلا توفي سنة  724 تقْرِيبًا وَعبد الله بن علوي بَاق ٍ الي اْلْان  حسن التعَبُّد وسلوك التصوف 

 "And among them is Ali bin Ba Alwi; he was a man of intense worship and great status who was almost never seen without praying. When he reached the tashahhud and recited 'Peace be upon you, O Prophet' (assalamualaika ayyuhannabiyyu), he would repeat it over and over. When asked why, he replied, 'I will continue to do so until the Prophet (PBUH) answers me,' and he repeated this frequently. This Ali had a son named Muhammad Ibn Salah, and he had a cousin named Ali bin Ba Alwi. Some details regarding the Aba Alwi family include Ahmad bin Muhammad, a prominent jurist who died approximately in the year 724 AH, and Abdullah bin Ba Alwi, who is still alive, known for his devotion and pursuit of Sufism."

Are these names truly members of the Habib Ba Alwi family as claimed by Hanif? Let us examine them one by one.

First, regarding Alwi bin Ba Alwi: there are many individuals named Alwi within the Habib Ba Alwi family, while the suffix "bin Ba Alwi" does not denote a specific father but rather the tribe. Thus, identifying him is difficult. However, Hanif claims this refers to Ali Khali Qosam and that the term "bin Ba Alwi" actually means "bin Alwi" without the "Ba." Once again, Hanif relies on the book Tarikh al-Ahdal, which was edited by the Ba Alawi themselves. Let us investigate further using the subsequent sentences. It is stated that this Ali bin Ba Alwi had a cousin (son of an uncle) also named Ali. Therefore, if he were Ali Khali Qosam, we must check if Ali Khali Qosam's father had a brother who also had a son named Ali, who would then be the cousin mentioned. Let us look at the book Syamsu al-Dzahirah!

ولعلوي هذا ابنان: سالم لا عقب له وعلي المعروف بخالع قسم

"This Alawi had two sons: Salim, who had no descendants, and Ali, who was known as Khali' Qosam." (Syamsu al-Dzahirah: 70)

Clearly, the name Ali bin Ba Alwi (mentioned by al-Jundi) is not Ali Khali' Qosam, because Ali Khali' Qosam's uncle had no children. How could he have a cousin (the son of an uncle) if his uncle had no offspring? Consequently, Hanif's claim that the Ba Alawi Habib family is mentioned in al-Jundi's history is refuted. Similarly, the claim made by Habib Ali al-Sakran in his book al-Burqah al-Mushiqah—which asserts that his ancestor, Ubaid bin Ahmad, is the same person as Abdullah bin Ahmad based on al-Jundi's accounts—is also refuted. From this point, it becomes very difficult to connect the lineage of the Ba Alawi Habibs to the lineage of Prophet Muhammad SAW, as their evidence relies solely on the assumed similarity between the names Ubaid bin Ahmad and Abdullah bin Ahmad.

Who, then, is the Abu Alwi in question? The Abu Alwi referred to is merely a descendant of Jadid bin Abdullah.

The Tenth Century: The Names Ubaidillah and His Descendants Begin to Mature, Although Not Yet Referred to as Ubaidillah

In the book Tuhfat al-Thalib bi Ma'rifati man Yantasibu Ila Abdillah wa Abi Thalib by Sayyid Muhammad bin al-Husain as-Samarqandi (d. 996), it is stated as follows:

 واما احمد بن عيسى بن محمد بن العريضي فقال ابن عنبة ابو محمد الحسن الدلال بن محمد بن علي بن محمد بن احمد بن عيسى الرومي من ولده وسكت عن غيره. قلت رايت في بعض التعاليق ما صورته قال المحققون بهذا الفن من اهل اليمن وحضرموت كالامام ابن سمرة والامام  اْلجندي والامام الفتوحي صاحب كتاب التلخيص والامام حسن بن عبد الرحمن الاهدل والامام  ابي الحب البرعي والامام فضل بن محمدالبرعي والامام محمد بن ابي بكر بن عباد الشامي والشيخ فضل الله بن عبد الله الشجري والامام عبد الرحمن بن حسان خرج السيد الشريف ن عيسى ومعه ولده عبد الله في جمع من الاولاد والقرابات والاصحاب والخدم من البصرة والعراق الي حضرموت واستقر مسكن ذريته واستطال فيهم بتر يم بحضرموت بعد التنقل في ا لبلدان والتغرب عن الاوطان حكمة الملك المنان. فأولد عبد الله علويا وعلوي اولد محمدا ومحمد أولد علويا وعلوي اولد عليا خالع قسم وعلي خالع قسم اولد محمدا صاحب مرباط واولد محمد صاحب مرباط علويا وعليا فاما علوي فله اربعة اولاد احمد وله عقب وعبد الله ولا عقب له وعبد المالك وعقبه في الهند وعبد الرحمن وله عقب. واما علي فله الفقيه المقدم محمد وله عقب كثير

"As for Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad bin (Ali) al-Uraidi, Ibn 'Anbah stated: 'Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Dalla' bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Isa ar-Rumi is among the descendants of Ahmad bin Isa'; he (Ibn 'Anbah) remained silent regarding anyone other than Abu Muhammad. I (the author of Tuhfat al-Thalib) say: I saw in a certain ta'liq (marginal notes written by a student while listening to a teacher's explanation) a text that reads: 'The researchers (al-muhaqqiqun) of this branch of knowledge (genealogy) from the people of Yemen and Hadramaut—such as Imam Ibn Samrah, al-Imam al-Jundi, al-Imam al-Futuhi who authored at-Talkhis, al-Imam Husain bin Abdurrahman al-Ahdal, al-Imam Abil Hubbi al-Bur'i, al-Imam Fadhol bin Muhammad al-Bur'i, al-Imam Muhammad bin Abi Bakar bin 'Ibad as-Syami, Sheikh Fadlullah bin Abdullah as-Syajari, and al-Imam Abdurrahman bin Hisan—have stated that Sayyid Syarif Ahmad bin Isa departed with his son, Abdullah, in a company of children, relatives, friends, and servants from Basra and Iraq toward Hadramaut after moving through various regions and hiding from various countries, as a wisdom from the Lord, the King, the Giver of Graces. Then, Abdullah had a son named Alwi, and Alwi had a son named Muhammad, and Muhammad had a son named Alwi (again), and Alwi had a son named Ali Khali' Qosam. Ali Khali' Qosam had a son named Muhammad Shohib Mirbath, and Muhammad Shohib Mirbath had sons named Alwi and Ali. As for Alwi, he had four sons: Ahmad, who had descendants; Abdullah, who had no descendants; Abdul Malik, whose descendants are in India; and Abdurrahman, who had descendants. As for Ali, he had a son, al-Faqih al-Muqoddam Muhammad, who has many descendants.'" (Tuhfat al-Thalib, Sayyid Muhammad bin al-Husain, pp. 76-77).

To mention the descendants of Ahmad bin Isa, the author of Tuhfat al-Thalib first cites the opinion of Ibn 'Anbah in the book 'Umdat al-Thalib. In 'Umdah, it is written that Ahmad bin Isa has descendants through his son named Muhammad. The author of Tuhfat al-Thalib adds the phrase "wa sakata 'an ghairihi", meaning "And Ibn 'Anbah remained silent regarding other descendants."

With that sentence, the author of Tuhfah intends to suggest that besides Muhammad, there are other names not mentioned by Ibn 'Anbah because he did not explicitly state the total number of Ahmad bin Isa's children. He then says, "I found a ta'liq"—meaning a student's notes in a book during a lesson with a teacher. In that ta'liq, there was a lineage of the Ba Alawi indicating that Ahmad had a son named Abdullah. Without cross-referencing earlier books, that ta'liq was included in his work. From that point, the Ba Alawi clan became famous as descendants of Ahmad bin Isa.

The author suspects that the writer of Tuhfah cited what was written by Habib Ali al-Sakran and had not yet read or did not possess the book as-Syajarah al-Mubarakah written by Ar-Razi in the sixth century, which states that Ahmad bin Isa had only three children: Muhammad, Ali, and Husain. Had he possessed that book, he might not have included the ta'liq in his own work, as it would seem odd if a snippet of notes on a piece of paper contradicted genealogical books written 390 years prior.

ABDULLAH OFFICIALLY BECOMES UBAIDILLAH IN THE 14TH CENTURY AH

In the book Syamsudz Dzahirah by Sheikh Abdurrahman al-Mashur (d. 1320 AH), it is explicitly stated that Abdullah held the title Ubaidillah. The complete quote is as follows:

ذكر اولاد السيد الشهير احمد بن عيسى بن محمد بن علي العريضي بن جعفر الصادق  له من الولد اثنان: محمد وعبدالله ويسمى عبيدالله وكنيته ابو علوي (شمس الظهًيرة:51)

"This is the chapter explaining the children of a famous Sayyid, namely Ahmad bin Isa bin Muhammad bin Ali al-Uraidi bin Ja'far as-Shadiq r.a. He (Ahmad) had two children: Muhammad and Abdullah; and this Abdullah is also named Ubaidillah, and his kunyah (honorific) is Abu Alwi." (Syamsudz Dzahirah: 51)

Sheikh Abdurrahman al-Masyhur explicitly mentions that the name Abdullah is an alias for Ubaidillah. There is a discrepancy between the book Syamsudz Dzahirah and 5th-century texts, which stated that Ahmad had three children: Muhammad, Ali, and Husain. Syamsudz Dzahirah claims Ahmad bin Isa had only two children: Muhammad and Abdullah. It omits the names Ali and Husain while introducing the name Abdullah. As previously mentioned, the name Abdullah was first brought up by Sheikh al-Jundi (d. 730 AH) and was later interpreted by Habib Ali al-Sakran as being synonymous with Ubaid. Prior to this, the name Abdullah was never mentioned as a child of Ahmad bin Isa by genealogical authors in the 5th, 6th, or 7th centuries. Meanwhile, the name Ubaidillah was first mentioned by Habib Ali al-Sakran (d. 895 AH).

In the book an-Nafhah, it is stated that Ahmad bin Isa had a son named Abdullah, and Abdullah had a son named Abul Jadid, who would later descend into Abu Alwi at the 8th generation, forming the Bani Abi Alwi. Conversely, the book Tuhfatuttalib claims Abdullah directly had a son named Alwi, who would become the patriarch of the Bani Alawi. Syamsudz Dzahirah attempts to reconcile these two accounts by stating that Abdullah had a son named Alwi—who held the titles Abu Alwi and Abul Jadid—and even adds a third name, Bashri. Thus, he is credited with three children. The source of this additional information remains unknown (wallahu a'lam).

From this, we can conclude how complex the affiliation of the Ba Alawi as descendants of Ahmad bin Isa truly is. Not only was Ubaidillah unrecorded as a child of Ahmad bin Isa for 550 years, but when the name finally appeared, it did so with significant weaknesses. These weaknesses stem from several factors:

  • First, the name Abdullah appeared at the end of the 8th century without references, seemingly out of nowhere.
  • Second, when it appeared in the book al-Burqoh in the 9th century, the author admitted to interpreting the name Abdullah as Ubaid.
  • Third, when Syamsudz Dzahirah concluded that Abdullah was Ubaidillah, it failed to specify which Abdullah it referred to: the one with the son Abul Jadid (as in an-Nafhah) or the one with the son Alwi (as in Tuhfatuttalib).

An-Nafhah does not list Alwi as a child of Abdullah, and Tuhfatuttalib does not list Abul Jadid as a child of Abdullah. They were only unified as siblings under Abdullah in Syamsudz Dzahirah.

The unification of Alwi and Abul Jadid as sons of Abdullah leaves a lingering problem, as an-Nafhah identifies the Bani Abi Alawi through the lineage of Abul Jadid. Meanwhile, the Ba Alawi we know today follow the lineage of Alwi, yet the name Alwi bin Abdullah is not mentioned in an-Nafhah as a child of Abdullah. 

THE BA ALAWİ LINEAGE LACKS SYUHROH AND ISTIFADOH [1]

When we know that a certain woman is our mother, how do we know this to be true, given that we did not see with our own eyes the moment she gave birth to us? We know it from others—from our family, our neighbors, and others; this is the simple meaning of syuhroh wal istifadoh.

Syuhroh wal istifadoh (or at-tasamu’, hearing from mouth to mouth) is an Islamically recognized method for determining several matters of jurisprudence (fiqh), including lineage (nasab). The four schools of thought (madzhab) agree that the theory of syuhroh wal istifadoh can be applied as evidence (hujjah) to determine or negate a lineage. Prophet Muhammad SAW utilized syuhroh wal istifadoh when he believed that Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib was his foster brother through Tsuwaibah, even though the Prophet did not personally witness Hamzah nursing from Tsuwaibah, as Hamzah had nursed two years before the Prophet did.

Syuhroh is not necessarily istifadoh. For example:

    Abu Bakar originated from the Quraysh tribe. This is famously known (mashur) by everyone in Mecca, other Arab tribes, and throughout the Islamic world. This is both Syuhroh (famous) and Istifadoh (widespread).

    Ibnu Jauzi (d. 597) also originated from the Quraysh. This fact is known by scholars but not by everyone. This is Syuhroh but not istifadoh.

If there is a sayyid or syarif in our village who is famously known as such because he was born to a syarif, and his grandfather was also known as a syarif, we can accept him as one. In this sense, if we testify that he is a syarif, our testimony is not considered a lie. But is this sufficient proof that he is an authentic syarif? Not yet. It still requires another condition: the syuhroh wal istifadoh must exist in every generation back to the recognized ancestor.

If someone claims to be a descendant of Prophet Muhammad SAW, it must be famously known in every generation that they are a descendant—not just in their own time, but in the time of their father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and so on. How can we know this?

The way to know is through syuhroh wal istifadoh during their lifetime. This starts with their fame as a descendant of the Prophet, followed by testimony that they are the grandchild of a grandfather known to be a descendant. If there are no longer any living witnesses for previous generations, then the testimony of genealogical books (kitab nasab) is required.

If there is no testimony from such books for all those names, then syuhroh wal istifadoh applies. However, if, for example, a 5th-century genealogical book lists Ahmad and his children but does not mention Ubaidillah as his son, then the theory of syuhroh wal istifadoh cannot be used for Ubaidillah. He is rejected because there is bayyinah (clear evidence)—namely, the testimony of a contemporary book stating that Ubaidillah was not Ahmad's son.

Imam Ar-Ruyani (d. 502) mentions in the book Bahrul Madzhab the opinion of Imam Shafi'i regarding the requirements of syuhroh wal istifadoh as follows:

 فهذه شرائط أربع طول الزمان وانتسابه إلي ذلك النسب ونسب غًيره إاياه وعدم الدافع وعدم الأدلة التي هي سبب البينة حتى تجوز الشهادة على النسب

 "...so these are the four conditions (for establishing lineage): consistency throughout the ages; being attributed to a lineage that others are also attributed to; the absence of any rejectors; and the absence of evidence that constitutes a bayyinah (clear proof) that could testify against that lineage." (Bahrul Madzhab: 14/134, al-Maktabah al-Shamilah).

Ibnu Hajar Al-Asqalani stated:

ان النسب مما يثبت بالاستفاضة الا ان يثبت ما يخالفه

    "Verily, lineage is among the matters that can be established through the method of istifadoh, unless something has been authenticated that contradicts it." (al-Jawab al-Jalil: 47)

The lineage of the Ba Alawi habibs cannot be said to have reached the level of syuhroh wal istifadoh, because its fame (syuhroh) only spans from the present back to the 9th century AH. Previously, in the 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, and 4th centuries, this family was neither syuhroh nor istifadoh. There is no mention of Ubaidillah as the son of Ahmad from the time he lived—starting in the 4th century—until the 9th century AH.

CONCLUSION

Based on the scientific data mentioned above, the author concludes:

  1. The affiliation of the Ba Alawi habib family to Prophet Muhammad SAW only began in the 9th century Hijri, specifically when Habib Ali al-Sakran interpreted the name "Abdullah" found in al-Jundi's book (d. 732 AH) as being the same individual as Ubaid, the ancestor of the Ba Alawi. Thus, this affiliation emerged 550 years after the death of Ahmad bin Isa. For the preceding 550 years, no genealogical book mentioned Ubaidillah as a child of Ahmad bin Isa.
  2. The "Abdullah" mentioned by al-Jundi (d. 732 AH) in the book al-Suluk as the son of Ahmad bin Isa suffers from a broken narrative spanning 387 years from the time of Ahmad bin Isa's death. Furthermore, the existence of Abdullah as a son of Ahmad bin Isa is refuted because older texts—specifically al-Syajarah al-Mubarakah by Imam al-Fakhrurrazi—explicitly state that Ahmad bin Isa had only three children: Muhammad, Ali, and Husain.
  3. The lineage of the Ba Alawi habibs is severed for a period of 550 years. By scientific standards, it is extremely difficult to affirm that the Ba Alawi habibs are authentically descended from the Great Prophet Muhammad SAW. From the perspective of genealogical record-keeping, this lineage is munqati’ (broken); from the perspective of lineage verification, it falls into the category of mardud al-nasab (rejected lineage).

As a flawed human being with many shortcomings, the author is certainly open to receiving input from various parties regarding the deficiencies in this book. Wallahu a'lamu bi haqiqatil hal (And Allah knows best the true state of affairs). 

References

  1. Sirr Silsilat al-Alawiyah, Maktabah al-Khaidariyah, hlm. 49.
  2. Sirr Silsilat al-Alawiyah, hlm. 49.
  3. Tahdzib al-Ansab, hlm. 175-176 secara ringkas. 
  4. Tahdzib al-Ansab, hlm. 177-176
  5. Lisan al-Mizan, Maktabah Syamilah, hlm. 5/366 
  6. al-Imam Ahmad al-Muhajir, Muhammad Dhiya' Syihab, hlm. 47.
  7. Al-Majdi fi Ansab al-Talibin, al-Umri, Maktabah Ayatullah Uzma al-Mara'syi, 1422, hlm. 377  
  8. Muntaqilah al-Talibiyah, al-Haidariyah, hlm. 160
  9. Al-Syajarah al-Mubarakah, hlm. 111
  10. Al-Fakhri fi ansaabitholibin, Sayid Azizuddin Abu Tholib Ismail bin Husain al-Mawarzi, Tahqiq sayid Mahdi ar-Roja'i, h. 30
  11. Al-Ashili fi Ansab al-Talibin, al-Taqtaqi, Tahqiq Sayid Mahdi al-Raja'i, hlm.212
  12. Al-Tsabat al-Mushon, hlm. 83-84
  13. Al-Suluk, Maktabah Syamilah, hlm.2/136-137
  14. Umdat al-Thalib fi Ansab Al Abi Thalib, Ibnu Inabah, hlm. 225. 
  15. Al-Nafha al-Anbariya fi Ansab Khair al-Bariyah, Muhammad Kazhim, hlm. 25
  16. Tsabat adalah istilah ulama untuk kitab yang mencakup  kumpulan sanad dan guru
  17. Al-Burqah al-Mutsiqah, hlm. 150
  18. Al-Burqah al-Mutsiqah, hlm. 150-151
  19. Al-Burqah al-Mutsiqah, hlm. 151
  20. Al-Suluk, Maktabah Syamilah, hlm.2/136-137
  21. Al-Suluk, Maktabah Syamilah, hlm.2/463
  22. Al-Suluk, Maktabah Syamilah, hlm.2/463
  23. Syams al-Zhahirah, hlm. 78 
  24. Syams al-Zhahirah, hlm. 77
  25. Al-Suluk, Maktabah Syamilah, hlm.2/463
  26. Syams al-Zhahirah, hlm. 70
  27. Tuhfatuttolib, Sayid Muhammad bin al-Husain, h. 76-77
  28. At-Tobaqotul Kubro: 1/87
  29. Bahrul Mazhab, hlm. 14/124, Maktabah Syamilah
  30. al Jawab al Jalil an Hukmi Baladil Khalil, hlm. 47 

Note from Translator

[1]  Shuhrah (fame) and istifadah (widespread transmission) are both jurisprudential and linguistic terms describing the spread or conveyance of news or a matter among people until it reaches the level of being common knowledge. These methods are primarily used to establish lineage (nasab), marriage, and endowments (waqf), or other matters where personal direct evidence is difficult to produce. Istifadoh refers to the spreading and expansion of news (derived from the concept of water overflowing), and it is sometimes considered a higher rank than shuhrah because it implies that the information is circulating among a great many people.

Tags: English, Sejarah
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