Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2934
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَلَّى بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ، عَنْ مِصْدَعٍ أَبِي يَحْيَى، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَرَأَ (فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ ) . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَالصَّحِيحُ مَا رُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قِرَاءَتُهُ . وَيُرْوَى أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَعَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِي اخْتَلَفَا فِي قِرَاءَةِ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ وَارْتَفَعَا إِلَى كَعْبِ الأَحْبَارِ فِي ذَلِكَ فَلَوْ كَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ رِوَايَةٌ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَسْتَغْنَى بِرِوَايَتِهِ وَلَمْ يَحْتَجْ إِلَى كَعْبٍ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet recited, ‘In a muddy spring’ (Qur’an 18:86). Abu ‘Isa said this is a gharib hadith, known only through this route. The sounder report is that this was Ibn ‘Abbas’s own recitation. It is related that Ibn ‘Abbas and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As disagreed about the recitation of this verse and referred the matter to Ka‘b al-Ahbar. Had Ibn ‘Abbas possessed a report from the Prophet about it, he would have relied on that report and would not have needed to consult Ka‘b.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report presents ‘fi ‘aynin hami’ah’ (‘in a muddy spring’) as a Prophetic recitation. Abu ‘Isa cautions that the sounder attribution is to Ibn ‘Abbas himself, reasoning that Ibn ‘Abbas and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As consulted Ka‘b al-Ahbar about the verse; if Ibn ‘Abbas had heard a Prophetic explanation, he would have cited it. This concerns the reading ‘muddy’ (hami’ah) in Qur’an 18:86.