The Mufti of Yemen Nullifies the Ba'alawi Lineage
Book title: Indonesia Ulema Challenge Spurious Lineage: KH. Imaduddin Utsman al-Bantani's Refutation of the Book by Hanif Alatas et al
Title of Original / Indonesian version: Ulama Nusantara Menggugat Nasab Palsu: Jawaban KH. Imaduddin Utsman al-Bantani terhadap Buku Hanif Alatas dkk
Penulis/Author: KH. Imaduddin Utsman Al-Bantani, pengasuh pesantren Nahdlatul Ulum, Banten
Cetakan pertama/First Edition: November 2024
Publisher: Lakeisha 2024
15,6 cm X 23 cm, 691 Pages
ISBN : 978-623-119-469-5
Bidang studi: Sejarah Baalawi, sejarah Nabi, ilmu nasab, sejarah Islam, genealogi, garis keturunan, filologi/manuskrip, Tes DNA
Publisher of English version: Al-Khoirot Research and Publication
Fields of study: Ba'alawi history, history of the Prophet, science of lineage, Islamic history, genealogy, bloodline / lineage, philology/manuscripts, DNA testing
Table of Contents
- The Mufti of Yemen Nullifies the Ba'alawi Lineage
- International Naqabah Does Not Recognize the Ba'alwi Lineage
- Sheikh Al-Turbani Nullifies the Ba'alwi Lineage
- The Conclusion that the Ba'alwi Lineage is Nullified is a Thesis
- Plagiarizing the Thoughts of Orientalists and Non-Aswaja Figures
- Lacking Competence in the Science of Genealogy
- Back to Book Indonesian Scholar Proves The Falsity of The Ba 'Alawi Lineage Connecting to the Prophet Muhammad
The Mufti of Yemen Nullifies the Ba'alwi Lineage
Hanif considers it important for someone to make an assessment validating or nullifying a lineage without conducting research. For the author, it is unimportant whether the Mufti of Yemen validates or nullifies the Ba'alwi lineage, because the news regarding the Mufti of Yemen nullifying the Ba'alwi lineage—found in one of the online newspapers from Yemen—was devoid of any proof whatsoever.
When the author brought up that news, it was merely to state that the view that the Ba'alwi lineage is invalid does not originate solely from the author's own research; rather, many other scholars worldwide also nullify the Ba'alwi lineage, among whom is the Mufti of Yemen, according to the report in that online media. Should the Mufti of Yemen subsequently validate the Ba'alwi lineage, the author stands ready to debate the Mufti of Yemen, because the proofs demonstrating the severed nature of the Ba'alwi lineage held by the author are, in the author's view, more precise than the various writings of global scholars who have nullified the lineage.
International Naqabah Does Not Recognize the Ba'alwi Lineage
Hanif creates a framing that the author is campaigning that the International Naqabah does not recognize the Ba'alwi lineage. On the contrary, the author is among those who do not base their research of the Ba'alwi lineage on the opinions of Naqabah administrators. Why? Because within the Naqabah, each family possesses a code of ethics to only manage its own family affairs and not interfere in the affairs of other families, let alone go as far as nullifying the lineage of another family.
The primary foundation of lineage research consists of genealogical books, not the opinions of a naqabah organization. Then, to test the historicity of each researched name, historical books are added.
In their book, Hanif et al. display several signatures of validation from a Naqabah or individuals without any evidence that can be held accountable. In the principles of genealogy, such signatures carry no meaning whatsoever in helping to validate a lineage that is clearly void, such as the Ba'alwi lineage. Sheikh Khalil bin Ibrahim mentioned a rule:
لا عبرة بكثرة التواقع ان لم يكن النسب صحيحا فكثرة التواقيع لا تصحح خطأ والتوقيع حجة على من وقع لا حجة على غيره
"There is no value in a large number of signatures if the lineage is not authentic. A multitude of signatures does not correct an error. A signature is a proof against the one who signed it, not a proof against anyone else."
Sheikh Al-Turbani Nullifies the Ba'alwi Lineage
Hanif Alatas et al. state that the author's writing asserting that Sheikh Al-Turbani nullifies the Ba'alwi lineage is a hoax, when in reality it is a fact. That Sheikh Al-Turbani subsequently retracted his opinion is a separate matter. What is interesting is that Hanif et al. obtained the news of Sheikh al-Turbani's retraction solely based on a communication on Facebook.
Once again, the author states that the conclusion regarding the nullity of the Ba'alwi lineage—which is already final—is not something the author relies on anyone else to be responsible for; the author personally and scientifically answers for the conclusion that this Ba'alwi lineage is a fabricated lineage. Along with that, the author’s quotes or readings of the opinions of past scholars concerning the Ba'alwi lineage are used by the author as research sources to arrive at a perfect conclusion.
The Conclusion that the Ba'alwi Lineage is Nullified is a Thesis
Hanif challenges the author for calling the conclusion that the Ba'alwi lineage is nullified a "thesis". According to Hanif, a thesis only means a scientific work written as a final assignment for a higher education institution. Certainly, what Hanif stated reflects that he has not traveled widely enough in the world of philosophy, particularly regarding Hegel's Dialectic theory.
A thesis is the starting point in the Hegelian Dialectical process, representing a specific idea or view within a context. In an academic context, a thesis symbolizes a concept put forward by an individual or group as a foundation for further understanding. Every research project or theory begins with a thesis, reflecting the current understanding of a specific subject. Up to this point, hopefully, Hanif et al. have understood what is meant by a thesis.
Plagiarizing the Thoughts of Orientalists and Non-Aswaja Figures
Plagiarizing Orientalist Thought to Nullify the Ba'alwi Lineage
Hanif accuses the author of plagiarizing the thoughts of orientalists in nullifying the Ba'alwi lineage, even though it has been proven in the author's previous explanations that the author's method in nullifying the Ba'alwi lineage is by utilizing the methods of the Science of Genealogy (Ilmu Nasab).
The methods for validating a lineage found in genealogical science books such as Rasa'il fi 'Ilm al-Ansab number seven; out of those seven methods, all of them dictate that the Ba'alwi lineage is void.
First: The Method of Shuhrah wal-Istifadhah (Renown and Widespread Notoriety). Using this first method, the Ba'alwi lineage is void because Shuhrah (popularity) requires a condition, namely "Adam al-Mu'aridh" (the absence of conflicting proof). Meanwhile, the book claiming the Ba'alwi to be descendants of the Prophet in the 9th century AH conflicts with a genealogy book from the 6th century AH, namely the book Al-Shajarah al-Mubarakah, which states that the children of Ahmad bin Isa numbered only three: Muhammad, Ali, and Husain. There was no child of Ahmad bin Isa named Ubaid, Ubaidullah, or Abdullah.
The expert in genealogy, Sheikh Husain bin Haidar al-Hashemi, in his book Rasa'il fi 'Ilm al-Ansab, stated:
الطريق الأول : اسْتِفَاضَة النسب وشهرته في بلده ، شهرة تثمر علماً ، واستفاضة بين بين عددٍ عدد من النَّاسِ يقع العلم يخبرهم أو الفن القوي ، ويؤمن توافقهم على الكذب ، مع عدم المعارض
"The first path: is through istifadhatun-nasab (the widespread diffusion of a lineage) and shuhratun-nasab (the renown of a lineage) in one's town—a renown that yields certain knowledge, and a diffusion among a number of people such that certainty occurs through their reports or a powerful presumption, and where they are safe from colluding to lie, accompanied by the absence of any conflicting proof."Second: The Method of Genealogical Books. Using the method of genealogical books, the Ba'alwi lineage is void because genealogical books can only be used to validate a lineage on the condition that a genealogy book must not contradict the contents of a prior genealogy book. Meanwhile, the genealogical books validating the Ba'alwi only appeared in the 9th and 10th centuries AH, contradicting previous books.
Observe what is said in the book Nihayatul Muhtaj, Volume 8, p. 319, by Imam Ramli:
"And it is permissible for him to testify by tasamu' (hearsay/common notoriety) when there is no conflicting evidence stronger than the tasamu', such as the denial of the person to whom the lineage is attributed, or the presence of a tha'n (disparagement) by someone against that lineage. It is true by law that tasamu' falls away in the presence of denial and disparagement, but according to the strong opinion, it is required that the disparagement is not accompanied by signs of lying from the person conveying it."It is clear that the method of the Nassabah (genealogy experts) and jurisprudence experts nullifies the Ba'alwi lineage through the method of Shuhrah wal-Istifadhah, because the renown of the Ba'alwi is rejected by the 6th-century AH genealogy book, Al-Shajarah al-Mubarakah.
Sheikh Khalil Ibrahim in the book Al-Muqaddimat fi 'Ilm al-Ansab:
شروط اعتماد الرقعة ١ ان لا تكون مخالفة للأصول
"The conditions for relying on a genealogy book as a reference: first, it must not differ from the foundational source books."
In the book Ushulu 'Ilmi al-Nasab wa al-Mufadhalah Bain al-Ansab by Fuad bin Abduh bin Abil Gaits al-Jaizani, it is said:
ولا يمكننا الحديث عن النسب القديم بناءاً على ما ورد في الكتب الحديثة المستندة إلى كلام غير منطقى أو على الذاكرة الشعبية فقط
"And it is impossible for us to speak of an ancient lineage based on what has appeared in modern books that rely on illogical speech or on popular folk memory alone."Thus, it is clear that the main books relied upon by the Ba'alwi—Al-Burqat al-Musyiqah, Al-Jauhar al-Syafaf, and Al-Nafhah al-Anbariyah, all of which date to the 9th century AH—cannot be used to validate the Ba'alwi lineage because they contradict an older genealogy book, namely Al-Shajarah al-Mubarakah from the 6th century AH.
Third: The Method of Shahadah / Al-Bayyinah al-Syar'iyyah (Legal Testimony/Evidence). This testimony of two witnesses can be carried out for the testimony of people living today. It cannot be done for an Ubaid who lived a thousand years ago. Sheikh Khalil Ibrahim stated concerning Al-Bayyinah al-Syar'iyyah in his book Muqaddimat fi 'Ilmi al-Ansab:
أقول : إن هذا الأمر ليس في ثبوت نسب القبائل بل يعمل به في إلحاق نسب طفل بأبيه
"I say: Verily, this matter (legal testimony) is not for establishing the lineage of tribes; rather, it is applied in attributing the lineage of a child to his father." (Muqaddimat, 62).Therefore, according to genealogy experts, this method of two witnesses cannot be used to validate Ubaid as a child of Ahmad.
Fourth: The Method of Ikrar (Acknowledgment). According to Sheikh Khalil Ibrahim in the book Muqaddimat, this method of i'tiraf (recognition) and iqrar likewise cannot validate a distant lineage like that of Ubaid. It is used only for the lineage of a person living today:
أقول: إن هذا الامر لا يخص نسب القبائل بل هو يخص النسب الفردي المشكوك في صحته فعندما يقر ويعترف الأب بأبوته لهذا الطفل أو الولد يلحق به وبنسبه
"I say: Verily, this matter does not pertain to the lineage of tribes; rather, it pertains to an individual lineage whose authenticity is doubted. Thus, when a father acknowledges and recognizes his paternity of this infant or boy, the child is attached to him and to his lineage."Fifth: The Method of I'tiraf (Recognition).
الطريق الخامس : أن يعترف رجل عاقل ويُقر ، أن فلاناً يكون ابنه، ويكون المدعي ممن يولد مثله لمثل الدعي ، وانتفت الموانع
"The fifth path: is that a sane man recognizes and acknowledges that so-and-so is his son, provided that the claimant is of an age where one like him could father one like the claimant, and all impediments are absent."
This method of a father's i'tiraf and ikrar toward a child is also, according to Sheikh Khalil Ibrahim, used for those who are still alive, not for someone who passed away thousands of years ago like Ubaid.
Sixth: The Method of Qiyafah (Physiognomy/Lineage Tracking via Physical Resemblance). This method as well can only be performed for people who are alive today to observe the physical resemblance between the two. It cannot be used to validate a distant lineage because we cannot compare Ubaid and Ahmad bin Isa, both of whom passed away a thousand years ago.
Seventh: The Method of Qur'ah (Drawing Lots). Al-Qur'ah (casting lots) is used to validate a lineage based on the Hadith of Zaid bin Arqam, who said:
"I was sitting with the Prophet SAW when a man from the people of Yemen arrived and said: 'Three individuals from the people of Yemen came to Ali KW submitting a legal dispute regarding a child; they had all cohabited with one woman during a single period of purity.' Ali said to two of them, 'Concede the child to this man,' but the two refused with agitation. Then Ali said to another two, 'Concede the child to that man,' but the two refused. Then Ali said to another two, 'Concede the child to that man,' but the two refused. So Ali said, 'You are argumentative partners; I shall cast lots among you. Whosoever's lot is drawn, the child is his, and he must pay two-thirds of the blood money (diyat) to his two companions.' He then cast lots among them and assigned the child to the one whose lot was drawn. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah laughed until his molar teeth became visible." (Narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'i, and Ahmad).
This method of qur'ah cannot be applied to the Ba'alwi lineage either, because this method is executed only when the validating proofs and the negating proofs are equal in strength. Meanwhile, the proof validating the Ba'alwi lineage is extremely weak and falls under the category of a fabricated (maudhu') lineage.
From the seven methods of lineage validation outlined by these genealogy experts, it is already clear who has run afoul of genealogical methods and principles. Those who today still validate the Ba'alwi despite the glaring clarity of their invalidity are the ones who have violated genealogical methods and principles.
Copying Wahhabi Figures in Nullifying the Ba'alwi Lineage
The Ba'alwi frequently state that the author is the only person in this world who nullifies the Ba'alwi lineage. Yet, in this book, Hanif et al. openly admit that many other scholars have already nullified the Ba'alwi lineage. Hanif then accuses the author of copying those scholars in nullifying the Ba'alwi lineage.
Those scholarly figures include Murad Syukri, Audah al-Aqili, and Muqbil al-Wada'i; according to Hanif, all of them are Wahhabi figures. For the author, knowledge can come from anywhere. When an opinion is based on proof (dalil), then that opinion is worthy of being followed. Just as the Ba'alwi clan does not pick and choose whether the scholars supporting the Ba'alwi lineage are from the Shia, such as Mahdi Raja'i, or from the Wahhabis, such as Ibrahim bin Mansur.
What is certain is that the proofs presented by the author for this thesis on the nullity of the Ba'alwi lineage are more precise than those of previous scholars. If you can refute it, please bring forward your proof!
Lacking Competence in the Science of Genealogy
According to Hanif et al., the author lacks competence in the Science of Genealogy (Ilmu Nasab). Below, the author presents various rules (kaidah) used by genealogy experts to nullify the Ba'alwi lineage:
Rule 1:
المصلحة فان ظهرت مصلحة عند المثبت او النافي يترك قوله غالبا، وقد يعمل بنقيض مصلحته في حالات مخصصة، ولا يؤخذ بقوله الا اذا وجد ما يعضده عند غيره ممن ليست لهم مصلحة ولم ينقلوا عن من له مصلحة
"Vested interest (Al-Maslahah): If a vested interest becomes apparent on the part of the validator or the negator of a lineage, their statement is usually discarded. Sometimes, under specific circumstances, action may be taken contrary to their vested interest. Their statement is not accepted unless supporting evidence is found from others who have no vested interest and who did not narrate from anyone with a vested interest."