World Dawah Quran & Sunnah through understanding of Salaf
Introduction
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah send His blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his family, and all of his Companions.
To proceed:
It is well known that the enemies of Islam, both past and present, leave no avenue unexplored when attempting to cast doubt upon the religion. They rely at times on weak narrations, at other times on distorting the meanings of Arabic expressions, and at other times on quoting texts out of their proper context.
Among the claims they circulate is an objection raised by some Christians, followed by certain atheists and secularists, concerning the ḥadīth describing the Night of the Jinn. They allege that the narrator’s statement, “They began to ride upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,” carries an obscene meaning, Allah forbid.
This allegation is among the most baseless of claims. It rests upon two fundamentally flawed premises:
- First, relying on a narration that has not been authentically established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
- Second, distorting a well-known Arabic expression whose meaning has been unanimously explained by the scholars in a manner entirely contrary to what they allege.
Accordingly, the response to this misconception rests on two points:
- The narration itself is not authentically established.
- Even if, for the sake of argument, its authenticity were conceded, it contains no indication whatsoever of what the objectors claim. Rather, its wording, its context, and the explanations of the leading authorities in Qur’anic exegesis, Arabic linguistics, and ḥadīth all decisively refute this corrupt interpretation.
First: The Narration Is Not Authentically Attributed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
The first point that must be emphasized is that this objection is founded upon a narration whose authenticity has not been established. No reasonable person should build an accusation against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ upon a report that has not been authentically transmitted from him. It is a well-established principle among the scholars of ḥadīth that evidence is to be drawn only from authentic reports, not from weak or rejected narrations.
This account is narrated from Abd Allāh ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him), but its chain of transmission includes ʿAmr al-Bakkālī, whose narration from Ibn Masʿūd has been shown by the leading ḥadīth scholars to be disconnected.
After citing the narration, Imām al-Bukhārī stated:
It is not known that ʿAmr ever heard from Ibn Masʿūd.
Source: al-Tārīkh al-Awsaṭ, by Imām al-Bukhārī, vol. 2, p. 1072 (Dār al-Rushd ed., ed. Dr. Tayseer ibn Saʿd Abū Ḥumayd).
This statement from al-Bukhārī identifies a clear defect in the chain of transmission. Since it has not been established that ʿAmr al-Bakkālī heard directly from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, the chain is considered disconnected (munqaṭiʿ). A disconnected chain is one of the recognized defects that renders a narration weak according to the scholars of ḥadīth. Consequently, such a report cannot serve as evidence in itself let alone be used as a basis for attacking the honor of the Prophet ﷺ.
This conclusion is further reinforced by what Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ wrote in his critical edition of the Musnad of Imām Aḥmad:
Its chain of transmission is weak. It has not been established that ʿAmr al-Bakkālī heard this ḥadīth from Ibn Masʿūd, for al-Bukhārī said: It is not known that ʿAmr heard from Ibn Masʿūd.
Source: Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ, vol. 6, p. 337.
Nor is the problem confined to the weakness of its chain. The text (matn) of the narration itself was deemed objectionable by the scholars because it contradicts what has been authentically established in the Ṣaḥīḥ.
Imām Muslim narrates from ʿAlqamah, who said:
I asked ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, Did any of you accompany the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the Night of the Jinn?” He replied, “No. Rather, we were with the Messenger of Allah one night when we lost sight of him Then he said, ‘A caller from among the jinn came to me, so I went with him and recited the Qur’an to them.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 450.
This authentic narration explicitly states that Ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) was not present on the Night of the Jinn; indeed, he later expressed that he wished he had been there. By contrast, the narration relied upon by those raising this objection claims that Ibn Masʿūd accompanied the Prophet ﷺ and personally witnessed those events. This is a clear contradiction that further increases the weakness and irregularity of the report.
For this reason, after citing the narration, the ḥadīth master Ibn Kathīr remarked:
It contains a very strange report.
Source: Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, vol. 7, p. 293.
These statements demonstrate that the narration suffers from defects in both its chain and its text. Its chain is disconnected, its content contradicts an authentic report, and leading scholars regarded it as highly irregular.
Accordingly, building an objection against the noble status of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ upon such a narration is anything but fair. Rather, it reveals that the objective is not the sincere pursuit of truth, but the exploitation of anything that might appear to raise a doubt even if it rests upon a weak report that carries no evidentiary value.
Second: Even If We Were to Assume the Narration Is Authentic, It Does Not Indicate What the Objector Claims
At most, one may concede for the sake of argument: suppose the narration is authentic. Does it contain anything that supports the allegation being made?
The answer is no. There is nothing whatsoever in its wording that implies such a meaning. Rather, the objector has imposed upon the text an interpretation that is supported neither by its language, nor by its context, nor by the understanding of any recognized scholar.
The narration itself explicitly identifies those who gathered around the Prophet ﷺ as jinn, not human beings. It states:
Then he mentioned a group resembling the Zutt. They wore no clothing, yet I could not see their private parts. They were tall and lean. Then they came and began to yarkabūna (ride upon/surround) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, while the Prophet of Allah ﷺ began reciting to them.
Source: Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad, vol. 6, pp. 332–334.
Anyone who reflects upon the wording of the narration will see that it describes a delegation of jinn who came to listen to the Qur’an. This is confirmed by its concluding statement: The Prophet of Allah ﷺ began reciting to them. That is plainly the purpose of their gathering, not the obscene interpretation imagined by those promoting this objection.
Moreover, the narration itself records that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd said:
I could not see their private parts.
In another version, it reads:
I saw neither any nakedness nor any clothing.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth no. 2861; al-Mubārakfūrī, Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, vol. 8, p. 127.
Al-Mubārakfūrī explained this expression as follows:
That is, I did not see any of them with their private parts exposed, nor did I see them wearing any clothing.
Source: Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, vol. 8, p. 127.
Thus, the narration is describing a group of jinn—not human beings—and it contains nothing whatsoever to support the act imagined by the objector. Such an interpretation is simply the result of misreading the text and distorting its intended meaning.
Third: The Meaning of the Statement, “They Began to Yarkabūna (Ride Upon/surround) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ”
This is the very foundation of the objection. In reality, it is a linguistic misconception before it is a ḥadīth-related one.
The objector claims that the expression “yarkabūna” (“they rode upon”) can only bear an obscene meaning. This is among the most baseless of assertions, for the Arabs employed the root r-k-b (ركب) in a wide variety of senses. It is by no means restricted to the meaning imagined by the objector.
Indeed, the Qur’an itself explains the intended meaning.
Allah says concerning the jinn:
And when the Servant of Allah stood invoking Him, they almost became masses crowded upon him.(Qur’an 72:19)
Imām al-Baghawī explained this verse as follows:
That is, they climbed over one another and crowded together out of eagerness to listen to the Qur’an.
Source: Tafsīr al-Baghawī, vol. 8, p. 243.
Likewise, Imām al-Ṭabarī narrated from a number of the early scholars (Salaf) in their explanation of this verse:
They nearly climbed over the Messenger of Allah when they heard the Qur’an.
Source: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, vol. 23, p. 343.
Similarly, Abū Ḥayyān wrote:
Libadan means groups or multitudes, the singular being libdah, and its meaning is that they climbed over one another.
Source: Tuḥfat al-Arīb bimā fī al-Qurʾān min Gharīb, p. 276.
Thus, the leading authorities of Qur’anic exegesis explain one another, unanimously interpreting rukūb (“riding” or “climbing upon”) here as crowding together and pressing closely, not as the indecent meaning alleged by those raising this objection.
This interpretation is further confirmed by the version narrated by al-Bayhaqī, which explicitly explains the wording and leaves no room for misunderstanding. In it, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
Then he went forward to them, and they crowded around him
Source: Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah, by al-Bayhaqī, vol. 2, p. 232 (Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah ed.). (8)
This narration uses the phrase “they crowded around him”, thereby explaining the wording found in the first narration: “They began to yarkabūna the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” It is a well-established principle among the scholars that different narrations clarify one another. It is therefore impermissible to ignore the explanatory narration and instead impose upon the more general wording an interpretation that contradicts it.
Accordingly, al-Sindī wrote in his commentary:
(They yarkabūna him), meaning: they crowded around him and drew close to him.
Source: Ḥāshiyat al-Sindī ʿalā Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad, vol. 8, p. 243.
Likewise, the editors of Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad commented:
Yarkabūnahu means that they crowded around him and drew near to him.
Source: Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad, vol. 6, p. 337. (9)
These are the explanations of the scholars of ḥadīth, Qur’anic exegesis, and Arabic linguistics. They are all in agreement on a single meaning: the jinn pressed closely around the Prophet ﷺ out of eagerness to hear the Qur’an. The narration contains nothing whatsoever to suggest the indecent interpretation advanced by the objectors.
Fourth: The Objector’s Interpretation Is Linguistically Invalid
Even if we were to accept the objector’s method of interpreting words, it would lead to conclusions so absurd that no reasonable person would accept them.
The Arabs did not use the verb rakiba (ركب) in only one sense. Rather, they employed it in numerous meanings depending upon the context. One says, “He rode/rakiba the sea,” “Grief overcame/rakiba him,” or “Debt overwhelmed/rakiba him.” No native speaker of Arabic understands any of these expressions in the obscene sense alleged by those advancing this objection.
The same applies here. The narration itself, the parallel narrations, and the explanations of the leading scholars of Qur’anic exegesis and ḥadīth all demonstrate that the intended meaning is crowding together and gathering closely. How, then, can one abandon the explanations of the authorities in Arabic and ḥadīth in favor of an interpretation that none of them ever advanced?
More remarkably still, the Qur’an itself employs this very usage in the verse:
And when the Servant of Allah stood invoking Him, they almost became masses crowded upon him.(Qur’an 72:19)
As previously shown, the exegetes explained this verse by saying that the jinn climbed over one another, that is, they crowded together out of eagerness to hear the Qur’an. Consequently, anyone who insists that the expression “they began to yarkabūna” can only bear an obscene meaning would be compelled to interpret this Qur’anic verse in the same manner. Yet neither Muslim nor Christian has ever maintained such an interpretation. This absurd implication exposes the invalidity of the premise upon which the objection is built.
It therefore becomes clear that the problem does not lie in the wording of the narration itself, but rather in the objector’s misunderstanding or deliberate distortion of the Arabic language.
Fifth: Islam Is Among the Strictest Religions in Condemning This Immorality
One of the most astonishing aspects of this objection is that it attributes to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ an act that the very religion he brought condemns in the strongest possible terms.
Imām al-Dhahabī wrote:
Sodomy is more heinous and more reprehensible than fornication… The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Execute the one who commits the act and the one to whom it is done.’ He also said: ‘May Allah curse the one who commits the deed of the people of Lot.’ The Muslims have unanimously agreed that engaging in sodomy is among the major sins that Allah has forbidden.
Source: al-Kabāʾir, by Imām al-Dhahabī, p. 81 (Dār Ibn Kathīr, Damascus–Beirut ed., ed. Muḥyī al-Dīn Mastū). (10)
How, then, could it be imagined that such an act would be attributed to the Prophet ﷺ when the very law he conveyed declares it among the gravest of sins, curses its perpetrator, and when the Muslims are unanimous regarding its prohibition?
This is one of the clearest contradictions imaginable, and it could only be advanced by someone unfamiliar with the most basic principles of Islam.
Conclusion
From the foregoing discussion, it becomes clear that this objection rests on no sound scholarly foundation. Rather, it is built upon two obvious errors.
The first is reliance upon a weak narration one whose chain of transmission was criticized by the leading ḥadīth scholars due to its discontinuity, whose contents contradict what is authentically established in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, and whose wording was regarded as highly irregular by the great ḥadīth authorities.
The second is the distortion of a well-known Arabic expression by assigning to it a meaning that was never adopted by the scholars of the Arabic language, the Qur’anic exegetes, or the commentators on ḥadīth. On the contrary, the parallel narrations explicitly clarify the intended meaning by stating, “They crowded around him.” Likewise, al-Sindī and the editors of Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad explained the phrase as referring to crowding around the Prophet ﷺ and drawing close to him. The exegetes also interpreted Allah’s statement, “They almost became masses crowded upon him” (Qur’an 72:19), as describing the jinn pressing together in their eagerness to hear the Qur’an.
Nothing therefore remains of this objection except a bare assertion one that is supported neither by an authentic chain of transmission, nor by the Arabic language, nor by the understanding of the salaf .
An Additional Point of Refutation from the Bible
By the same reasoning, the objector’s interpretation would create serious difficulties for the Bible itself. The Scriptures repeatedly use the language of “riding” in figurative and honorable senses that no reasonable reader understands literally or obscenely. For example:
There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you, and on the clouds in his majesty. (Deuteronomy 33:26)
Likewise, the Psalms declare:
Sing to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song to Him who rides through the deserts; His name is the LORD.” (Psalm 68:4)
The prophetic books also describe the Lord as riding upon the cherubim:
He rode on a cherub and flew; He came swiftly on the wings of the wind. (Psalm 18:10; cf. 2 Samuel 22:11)
No Christian understands these passages to imply anything shameful. Rather, they recognize that the verb to ride is employed according to the context and carries various meanings. If, however, one insists that every occurrence of “ride” must bear the obscene meaning alleged in the objection to the ḥadīth, then the same principle would produce absurd and blasphemous implications for these biblical texts as well.
This demonstrates that the objection is not based upon the language itself, but upon the arbitrary imposition of a meaning that neither the context nor the recognized usage of the language supports.
A Word of Advice to Muslims
When confronted with an objection of this nature, a Muslim should neither become unsettled nor hastily concede its validity. Many contemporary misconceptions are built upon weak narrations, truncated quotations, passages removed from their proper context, or words whose meanings have been deliberately distorted.
The proper course is to refer such matters to the scholars, to gather together all the relevant texts on the subject, and to understand the words of the Prophet ﷺ and the Arabic language itself through the explanations of the leading authorities in ḥadīth, Arabic linguistics, and Qur’anic exegesis, rather than through the speculations of those who seek to cast doubt upon Islam.
Falsehood is not strengthened by the noise of those who promote it. Rather, it gains traction only when people become ignorant of the principles of sacred knowledge and take their religion from isolated objections instead of from the explanations of the firmly grounded scholars.
And Allah knows best.
