The Hanbali Madhhab and weak ahadith
The Hanafi Madhhab gets a bad rap for using weak ahadith. Many people who are born Hanafi often fall in love with the hadith. Then, they leave the Madhhab. After the muqalliduun (blind followers) have them convinced that they must follow a Madhhab, these ex-Hanafis seem to have this notion that the Hanbali Madhhab is the way to go.
After all Imaam Ahmad did compile the Musnad. The truth is that anyone who reads al-Mughni by Ibn Qudaamah will sadly realize that the Madhhab uses one weak hadith after another.
This page will collect the weak ahadith the Madhhab has used in forming its Fiqh. Anyone who truly wants to follow a Madhhab which uses mostly authentic hadith should look into the Shaafi'i Madhhab. Preferably, one should not bother with just one Madhhab because they all have their fair share of problems whether in using weak ahadiith or having convoluted Usuul, but if someone is adamant, then the Shaafi'i Madhhab is definitely the way to go.
Circumcision
One of the evidences the Hanbali Madhhab uses to declare circumcision for males and females waajib is the following weak hadith:
'Uthaim b. Kulaib reported from his father (Kuthair) on the authority of his grandfather (Kulaib) that he came to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam):
I have embraced Islam. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said to him: Remove from yourself the hair that grew during of unbelief, saying "shave them". He further says that another person (other than the grandfather of 'Uthaim) reported to him that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said to another person who accompanied him: Remove from yourself the hair that grew during the period of unbelief and get yourself circumcised.
Ibn Kathiir declared the hadith weak citing that there is 'inqitaa' in it
Ibn daqiiq declared the hadiith weak citing that there is an unknown narrator in the chain
Ibn al-qattaan said that the chain of this hadiith is weak
ابن القيسراني said that the chain of narrators contains Ibraahiim bin Muhammad who is very weak
Shu'aib al-'arnaa'uut said its chain of narrators is weak
al-'adheem al-'aaabaadi said the hadith is weak
al-mubaarkfuuri said the hadith is weak
الرباعي said that there is a break in the chain of narrators and 'athiim and his father are both unknown
Ibn Hajar al-asqalaani didn't consider the hadith to be authentic
Only Shiekh al-albaani seems to have graded this hadiith authentic.
Recitation at the graves
An interesting extract from al-Mughni of Ibn Qudaamah. You can read it for yourself in the Arabic on Page 422 Volume 2.
He writes:
There is nothing wrong with reciting Qur'aanic Verses at the graves. It has been narrated from Ahmad that he said: When you enter the graveyards, recite Ayah al-Kursii and Suurah al-'ikhlaas three times, then say: Ya Allaah the reward for this is for the inhabitants of the graves.
It has also been narrated from him that he said: Recitation at the grave is a bid'ah.
Abu Bakr said: A group narrated this view from Ahmad. Then he made rujuu from it and declared himself free of it.
And a group has narrated from Ahmad that he forbade Dariiraa from reciting at the grave and said to him: Recitation at the grave is a bid'ah. Thereupon Muhammad bin Qudaamah al-jawharii said to him: O father of Abd Allaah what is your opinion about Mubashir al-Halabii. He replied: I consider him to be reliable.
Muhammad bin Qudaamah said: Mubashir has informed me on the authority of his father that he told him when he is buried that the beginning Verses of Suurah al-Baqarah and the last Verses of the Suurah should be recited at his grave. And he said: I heard Ibn Umar say likewise. Ahmad bin Hanbal said: Return and tell the person to recite.
Then Ibn Qudaamah goes on to use the following two weak ahadiith without mentioning their authenticity. Probably because he knew they were weak as is apparent from his usage of the word ruwiya (it has been narrated). I guess you could argue that since the book was written to be read by Jurists they would have understood he was narrating a weak hadith based on his usage of صيغة التمريض when conveying this ahadiith.
He who enters the graveyards and recites Suurah Yaa Siin, then the torment will be lessened from them (i.e. the inhabitants of the grave) on that day and he will get the reward equal to number burred in the graveyard
He who visits the grave of his parents or of one of them and recites Yaa Siin, he will be forgiven.
Two weak, and according to some, fabricated ahadiith. I guess the next time someone wants to take a jibe at the ahnaaf for this, they should not exercise double standards and also take a jibe at the Hanaabilah.