Question Summary:
Ibrāhīm al-Nakha`ī and transmitting stories of the salaf.

Question Detail:

 
1. Who was Ibraheem an-Nakha'ee?
2. Is this statement from him authentic?
"I am waiting for a messenger to come from my Lord to welcome me to Paradise or the Hell-Fire." When death came to Ibraheem an-Nakha'ee (rahimahullaah) he wept. On being asked the reason he replied, "I am waiting for a messenger to come from my Lord to welcome me to Paradise or the Hell-Fire."

Excerpted out of 'From the Characteristics of the Salaf' by Sheikh Ahmed Fareed and edited by Abu Muntasir ibn Mohar Ali from what I read.
3. Can we quote from what is attributed to the salaf without checking its authenticity as long as it is in compliance with the Qur'aan and Sunnah?
Also is it better to just say "It was narrated someone said" instead of mentioning the name of the salaf when we don't know the authenticity (whether he said it or not) in order to be safe from attributing words to someone who didn't utter them.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
1) Abū `Imrān Ibrāhīm bin Yazīd bin Qays al-Nakha`ī (rahimahullāh) was a prominent tābi`ī who lived during the 1st century of Islam. He was known for his in depth knowledge of fiqh and hadīth, especially pertaining to narrations from 'Abdullāh ibn Mas`ūd (radiyallāhu `anh). His narrations may be found throughout all six major compilations of ahādīth (also known as al-kutub al-sittah).
 
During his life, he was the muftī of Kūfa and had a chance to meet great luminaries of Islam like the mother of the believers `Ā'ishah (radiyallāhu `anhā). Ibrāhīm al-Nakha`ī (rahimahullāh) passed away in the year 96 AH.[1]
 
2) This statement in question has been narrated in Wafayāt al-A`yān[2] and Imam Dhahabī's Siyar A`lām al-Nubalā' in the following words[3]:
 
قِيلَ: إِنَّهُ لَمَّا احْتَضَرَ جَزَعَ جَزَعًا شَدِيدًا، فَقِيلَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: وَأَيُّ خَطَرٍ أَعْظَمُ مِمَّا أَنَا فِيهِ، أَتَوَقَّعُ رَسُولا يرد عَلَيَّ من ربّي، إمّا بِالْجَنَّةِ وَإِمَّا بِالنَّارِ، وَاللَّهِ لَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّها تَلَجْلَجُ فِي حَلْقِي إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.
It is said that when death approached him (i.e. Ibrāhīm al-Nakha`ī) he became very startled. He was asked about this, so he answered: "Which danger is greater than the one I am in? I believe that a messenger is going to come from my lord (who will take me) either to heaven or the hellfire. And I swear by Allāh, I feel that it will stammer in my heart until the Day of Judgment.
 
In regards to its authenticity, we shall elaborate in the next answer.
 
3) In principle, the strict rules of narrating through authentic chains and tentatively choosing each word used to convey that narration is mainly associated with narrations of ahādīth.[4] This does not mean one is completely free in narrating everything he hears without investigating the source of such information as this is against the attributes of a true Muslim[5]. The Messenger of Allāh (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
 
كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ كَذِبًا أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ 
It is enough of a lie for a man to narrate everything he hears.[6]
 
Although, there are no specific rules set out for non-hadīth narrations, Hāfiẓ ibn Kathīr has stated in his Al-Bidāyah w'an-Nihāyah that narrations that neither conflict with Sharī`ah nor are rejected by Sharī`'ah may be transmitted as supporting evidence for something.[7]
 
When narrating such stories, one must keep the following points in mind:
1) One should make sure the story does not conflict with Islamic beliefs and ideologies. Many times there are subtle points that go unnoticed. As such, it is desirable that one first confirms the content of such narrations from reliable `Ulamā'.
2) One should ensure that such narrations are not used to establish any sort of Islamic ruling. At most, one may use such stories to encourage others to do good deeds or promote certain Islamic values.
3) One should find and quote the actual source from where he heard and/or read the narration. For example, if it is a book then one should quote the book. If it is from a person, then one should mention the person's name unless one has looked up the source himself.
4) If the source itself shows that the narration isn't strong, then one should use words that allude to its strength such as "It is narrated..." or "It is said...". This is also why one should check up the actual source himself instead of simply quoting another person.
5) If some aspects of the narration are ambiguous or not fully understood, it should not be narrated. This is to avoid misconception on the issue.
It is important to remember that the points above are only for those narrations that do not have relation to ahādīth (such as the words/actions of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) or āthār (such as rulings issued by the Sahābah or Tābi`īn).
 
In regards to the authenticity of the story in question, we are unable to correctly discern the authenticity of such a story. Moreover, Imam Dhahabī does not quote a chain of narration for the story and he also uses the words "it is said" to point out that the strength of the narration is not strong. Furthermore, the last part of the narration is not fully understood. We therefore advise against narrating the quote.
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Bilal Mohammad
Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net