Jesus AS traveled
Many non-Ahmadis deny the hadith about Jesus fleeing from the country to save his faith; they say the narrator Sufyan bin waki is daif, which is why the hadith is rejected.
قال احب شئ الى الله الغرباء قيل اى شئ الغرباء قال الذين يفرّون بدينهم و يجتمعون الى عيس ابن مريم The Holy Prophet saw stated: “The people most favored in the sight of God are the Ghareeb. When asked, what was meant by the term Ghareeb, he saw replied, ‘ They are the people who, like Jesus, the Messiah, have to flee from their country to save them faith?” (Kanz-ul Ummal, Volume 6, Page 51)
AHMAD BIN HANBAL.
The book al-Jamia fi al-`Ilal wa Ma’rifat al-Rijal was compiled by Ahmad bin Hanbal’s son after his demise in which he narrates the grading of Ahmad bin Hanbal about Sufyan bin waki.
He was asked about Sufyan bin waki’, ten days or less before he died, write about him? He said; I know nothing but good.
al-Jamia fi al-`Ilal wa Ma’rifat al-Rijal pg no 197
The above quote shows Ahmad bin Hanbal who knew about Sufyan bin waki and considered him truthful.
Similarly, we also see his son. Quoting this hadith in the book called al Zuhd by Ahmad bin Hanbal, it was compiled by his son named Abdullah.
al Zuhd pg no 123
Abdullah told us, Sufyan bin Waki’ told us, Abdullah Raja’ told us, on the authority of Ibn Juraij, on the authority of Ibn Abi Malikah, on the authority of Abdullah bin Amr, he said: The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said: The most beloved thing to God is the strangers before and among the strangers. Isa ibn, peace be upon him, said Abu Abd al-Rahman, I heard Sufyan ibn Waki’ say: I hope that Ahmad ibn Hanbal will be one of them.
This shows, according to Ahmad Bin Hanbal and his son Abdullah this riwayah was sahih since the narrator in the narration is considered truthful, and the riwayah is even mentioned in the book.
Imam Ibn shaheen
In his book kitab tarikh isma’a al-thiqat (كتاب تاريخ أسماء الثقات)
Graded him as sudooq
kitab tarikh isma’a al-thiqat
IBN Hibban
In his book Kitab Al-Majruhin (كتاب المجروحين)
Sudooq and virtuous old sheikh
Kitab Al-Majruhin pg no 455,456
Imam Bukhari RH
if somebody still doubts the authenticity of this narration and chooses to be ignorant. In that case, there is another chain of the same hadith also mentioned by Imam Bukhari RH in his book Tarikh ul Bukhari.
٢٢٠٦ – سليم بن هرمز عن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاصي قال : أحب شيء إلى الله الغرباء ، قيل : يا أبا محمد ! من الغرباء ؟ قال : فرارون بدينهم يجتمعون إلى عيسى بن مريم يوم القيامة ـ قاله لنا عبد الله بن يوسف عن محمد بن مسلم عن عثمان بن عبد الله بن أوس عن سليم ، و قالز أبو عاصم عن عبد الله بن مسلم أخبرنا عمى سليم بن هرمز من أبي هريرة : أوصافي النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بثلاث ، و روی يعلى و عبيد الله ابنا مسلم عن أبيهـا عن معاوية عن النبي صلى الله عليه * و سلم : من يرد الله به خيرا ينتهه في الدين •
also it is graded as sahih in kitabul fitan
This proves that this narration is authentic since there are two different chains the criticism on Sufyan bin waki is that he is afflicted with papers, but this shows he wasn’t afflicted here since there is another chain as well with similar hadith, which is quoted above and it is graded sahih.
