Question Summary:
With reference to Fatwa # 14343, how this hadith and the ayat (referred to further below) can possibly be reconciled?

Question Detail:

With reference to Fatwa # 14343, how this hadith and the ayat (referred to further below) can possibly be reconciled?

Sahih Muslim (Book 039, Number 6707)
Chapter 2: THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION AND THE CREATION OF ADAM (PEACE BE UPON HIM)
Abu Haraira reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) took hold of my hands and said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, created the clay on Saturday and He created the mountains on Sunday and He created the trees on Monday and He created the things entailing labour on Tuesday and created light on Wednesday and lie caused the animals to spread on Thursday and created Adam (peace be upon him) after 'Asr on Friday;the last creation at the last hour of the hours of Friday, i. e. between afternoon and night.

"It is Allah who has created the heavens and the earth and everything between them in six days." (Surah Sajdah Aayat 4)

Secondly, can you please tell me about the authenticity of a hadith in which the sin of an incorrect fatwa lies with the giver of fatwa (and not with the seeker of fatwa who acts upon such a ruling without knowledge). Here is the reference in two different publications. Mishkaat, Hadith No.224, Vol.1, Page 36 from Rahmania and Mishkaat, Page 35 from Qadeemi.

Jazaakullah.

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
1) Commentators suggest the following ways of reconciling this hadith with the verse of the Quran
1.      The verse of the Quran refers to the creation of the heavens and the earth itself whilst the hadith of Muslim refers to the objects which are contained therein.
2.      The verse of the Quran excludes humans, whereas the hadith has included the mention of Adam (A.S).  
3.      The verse of the Quran refers to the basic creation of the  Heavens and the earth, while the hadith refers to the details.
4.      Senior Scholars like Imam Bukhari, Ibn Katheer, Allamah Aloosy etc opine that this hadith is Ma’lool. Hafiz Abul Abaas Al Qurtubi alluded that this hadith is mudhtarab. Other Scholars surmise that this in reality is the statement of Kab Ahbar rather than that of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). By error one of the narrators attributed it to Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).   Hence, no regard would be given to the contradiction  it has with the Quran.( Tafseer Ibn Katheer 2/205 Dar al mufeed, Ruhul ma’ani 4/373 Ilmiyyah, Al Mufhim 7/344 Dar Ibn Al Katheer)  
 
2) The hadith which you referring towards is the following
 
 حدثنا الحسن بن على حدثنا أبو عبد الرحمن المقرئ حدثنا سعيد - يعنى ابن أبى أيوب - عن بكر بن عمرو عن مسلم بن يسار أبى عثمان عن أبى هريرة قال قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « من أفتى ». ح وحدثنا سليمان بن داود أخبرنا ابن وهب حدثنى يحيى بن أيوب عن بكر بن عمرو عن عمرو بن أبى نعيمة عن أبى عثمان الطنبذى - رضيع عبد الملك بن مروان - قال سمعت أبا هريرة يقول قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « من أفتى بغير علم كان إثمه على من أفتاه ». زاد سليمان المهرى فى حديثه « ومن أشار على أخيه بأمر يعلم أن الرشد فى غيره فقد خانه ».وهذا لفظ سليمان.
 
The following Scholars transmitted this hadith with a chain of narrators
1)      Imam Abu Dawood
2)      Imam Ibn Maja
3)      Imam Ad  Darimi
4)      Imam Ahmad
 
All these chains revolve around a narrator, Abu Uthman Muslim bin Yasaar At Tanmbadhy (R.A) with regards to whom Sheikh Ibn Hajar has said
مقبول من الرابعة
This indicates to the hadith being hasan (good and reliable). Furthermore, after mentioning this hadith in his ‘Hidaayah ar ruwaa’, Sheikh Ibn Hajar maintained silence. This again indicates to the hadeeth being hasan as mentioned in the introduction of this kitab
و ما سكت عن بيانه فهو حسن (58 ادارة ابن قيم)
((My silence on any hadith indicates to it being ‘hasan’)
The reliability of this hadith is also eminent from Allama Mundhiri’s silence in his ‘Mukhtasar’. The conclusion is that this hadith is hasan and salih lil ihtijaj (appropriate for substantiation).
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Ismail Moosa,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah