At-Tahawi mentions another narration attributed to `Abdullah bin `Umar after this mentioning that they learned about iman before the Qur’an, - I did not look into that, while Shaykh al-Albani has graded no. 61 of Ibn Majah from Jundab bin `Abdullah sahih saying the same:

“We were with the Prophet (sall Allahu `alaihi wa sallam) and we were energetic youth, so we learned iman before we learned the Qur’an, then we learned the Qur’an, so we were increased in iman by it.”

In the version al-Mizzi mentioned in Tahdheeb al-Kamaal (the biography of Hammad bin Najeeh), and similar was narrated by al-Bayhaqi, there is the addition: “But you people today learn the Qur’an before you learn iman.” Al-Mizzi attributed that wording to Ibn Majah. Al-Mizzi narrrated it through a route of at-Tabaraani, from Muhammad bin `Abdullah al-Hadhrami, – whom Shaykh al-Albani sadi is a trustworthy Haafiz ( as-Sahihah 1:669) from Muhammad bin `Abdullah bin Numair (one of the narrators of the Two Sahihs and the others), from the same route as Ibn Majah. Al-Bahaqi narrated it from a different route from al-Husain bin al-Huraith, from the same route of Ibn Majah with the addition. In any case, the wording with the version of Ibn Majah we have with us today is only as quoted above for the narration of Jundab, even though this addition recorded by at-Tabarani has a sahih chain of narration too.

Here the point being that with this narration of Jundab, and perhaps others are authentic from other Companions - it is enough that he said “we” in it referring to them - the Companions, may Allah be pleased with him, to help support the other narrations, especially when we know that Ibn `Umar was also a young Companion, etc., while I have not looked into what is said about the chain for his narration.

So Imam at-Tahawhi mention these narrations under the discussion of the hadith: “Ad-deen an-naseehah” upon the part of it: “To His Book”

So he used these narrations to explain the meaning of naseehah to Allah’s Book, and the manners of learning it and treating it.

And from the narration he mentioned of Ibn `Umar, and the narration of Jundab recorded by Ibn Majah, it is clear that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, gave the Qur’an its proper reverence, in that they understood that were they to not act upon it when they learned it, then it would not be for them but against them, and they also learned iman and the Sunnah from the Prophet (sall Allahu `alaihi wa sallam), and that this is required for one’s knowledge of the Qur’an, and memorization of it to be of goodness and benefit.

But here is an important point that Imam at-Tahawhi mentioned: “…Because the people were like that in the beginning of Islam; learning the Qur’an …”

So while it is true that the Qur’an will either be for one or against one on the Day of Resurrection, and, that it will not be for one without iman, and iman includes actions, it is also true that the revelation of the Qur’an is complete before our time, and this is not the same as the time of the Companions, and the Sunnah is organized for us to learn iman more quickly, and after the fact, so upon reflection it should be clear that our case is not exactly the same as theirs in this matter, while the lesson of the topic is also addressed to us in any case. And Allah knows best.

Further Takhreej, part 2

We lived a portion of our time, while iman would come to one of us before the Qur’an, and a surah would be revealed upon Muhammad (sall Allahu `alaihi wa sallam) so we would learn the halal of it and the haram of it, the orders of it and the prohibitions of it, and what one is required to cease from due to it, just as you people learn the Qur’an today. Then I have seen men today; whom the Qur’an reaches them before iman, so he recites what is between its opening to is end, not knowing what it orders nor what it prohibits, nor what is required for him to cease from because of it, so it is scattered like the daqal (dates).”

It was recorded by at-Tahawi as mentioned previously, and al-Bayhaqi via the same route, and Ibn Mandah in Kitab al-Iman, and also others.

At-Tahawi’s chain appears connected after investigating, and authentic;

“Fahd narrated to us, he said: ‘`Ali bin Ma`bad narrated to us, he said: “`Ubaydullah bin `Amr narrated to us from Zaid bin Abi Unaysah from al-Qaasim bin `Awf, he said: ‘I heard `Abdullah bin `Umar saying….”

Fahd is Ibn Sulaiman: He was mentioned in al-Jarh wat-Ta`deel, and Shaykh al-Albani said about him in as-Sahihah 6:640: “Thiqatun thabit (trustworthy and reliable) as said by Ibn Yunus …” He also graded a chain of his sahih in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah (no. 930).

`Ali bin Ma`bad is Ibn Shaddad, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa’i used his narrations according to al-Mizzi, al-Hafiz said he was a trustworthy faqeeh in at-Taqreeb.

`Ubaydullah bin `Amr is Ibn Abi al-Waleed al-Asadi, all of the Six have his narrations, the same with Ibn Abi Unaysah.

Al-Qasim bin `Awf, ash-Shaybani, there is disagreement over him, while he is one of the narrators of Muslim, al-Hafiz said he is truthful with ghareeb narrations. Muslim used him for the hadith of Zaid bin Arqam: “Salat al-Awwaabeen…” - he used him for both of the only two versions he narrated of it in his Sahih, and it was recorded by numerous others.

He reported the hadith about hushoosh according to one of the versions Qatadah narrated, it was recorded by Ibn Majah and an-Nasa’i in al-Kubra. While an-Nasa’i said he was weak.

In Kitab al-Iman, Ibn Mandah recorded this narration of al-Qaasim’s in question, from another route (no. 207 ), from `Ubaydullah from Zayd from al-Qaasim with it. Afterwards he said:

“This chain is sahih according to the rules of Muslim and the Group except for al-Bukhari.”