حضرت ثعلبہ بن حاطبؓ سے منسوب روایتِ طلبِ مال کا ازسرِ نو تحقیقی جائزہ:اسنادی اور تاریخی تنقیدی مطالعہ

Relationship Reassessing the Wealth Supplication Narrative Attributed to Thalabah bin Hatib:An Isnād-Based and Historical Critical Study

Abstract

The Companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ constitute the most authoritative foundation of Islamic history and Prophetic biography (Sīrah), as their beliefs, conduct, and practices represent the primary reference for understanding and implementing Islamic law. Owing to this central position, narratives concerning the Companions have profound doctrinal and historiographical implications. Among the most frequently cited yet highly problematic reports is the narrative attributed to Thalabah bin Hatib, which alleges that he requested the Prophet ﷺ to supplicate for an increase in wealth and subsequently became negligent in fulfilling religious obligations, particularly zakāh and congregational prayer. Some works of tafsīr, ḥadīth, and sīrah further claim that Qurʾānic verses describing a promise-breaking hypocrite were revealed in reference to him. This attribution, however, is historically and critically flawed. The individual mentioned in these verses was Thalabah bin Abī Hatib, a known hypocrite, whereas Thalabah bin Hatib al-Anṣārī was a distinguished Badri Companion who attained martyrdom at the Battle of Uḥud. This article undertakes a critical reassessment of the disputed narrative through an analytical framework grounded in the principles of isnād criticism and al-jarḥ wa al-taʿdīl. It examines the transmission chains, evaluates the reliability of the narrators, and highlights internal textual inconsistencies and historical contradictions. The study demonstrates that the narrative is weak and unreliable and that its attribution to a revered Companion contradicts established historical evidence and foundational principles such as the ʿadālat al-ṣaḥābah. The article concludes by emphasizing the necessity of methodological rigor in handling reports related to the Companions and recommends that references to this incident correctly identify Thalabah bin Abī Hatib rather than Thalabah bin Hatib al-Anṣārī.