Question:
Is the Hadith about Waraqa ibn Nawfal Authentic?
Answer:
Let us understand who Waraqa ibn Nawfal was. He lived during the time of the Prophetﷺ ﷺ.
He was a relative of Khadijah (RA) — specifically her cousin.
Before Islam, there were some people who rejected idol worship and were searching for the true religion. They were called Hanifs.
For example, people like Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl rejected the practices of shirk and searched for the true path. Waraqa ibn Nawfal was also one of those people. He rejected idol worship and began searching seriously for the true understanding of God. Because of this spiritual search, he travelled from place to place seeking knowledge.
Eventually he became connected with Christian teachings. He found that their scriptures contained some truth compared to the idol worship around him. So, he accepted Christianity and began reading the Injil (Gospel) in its original language.
This information about him appears in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith number 3.
The First Revelation and Waraqa
When the first revelation came to the Prophetﷺ ﷺ in the cave of Hira, he returned home trembling. He said: “Cover me! Cover me!”; Khadijah (Mother of Believers) wrapped him in a cloth.
After hearing what happened, Khadijah (RA) decided to take him to Waraqa ibn Nawfal, because he was knowledgeable in religious matters.
She thought he might be able to explain what had happened. When they described the incident to Waraqa, he listened carefully.
Then he said: This is the Namus that came to Musa (Moses). Among the Jews, the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) was referred to as Namus.
Waraqa said: “The same messenger who came to Moses has now come to you.”
He also warned the Prophetﷺ ﷺ: When you begin preaching this message to people, they will react very strongly against you. They will oppose you severely. If I live long enough to see that day, I will stand firmly by your side and support you.
However, Waraqa passed away shortly after this. Did Waraqa Believe in the Prophetﷺ?
Now think carefully. Waraqa accepted that the Prophetﷺ ﷺ had truly received revelation.
He acknowledged that the angel who came was Jibreel. He accepted that Muhammad ﷺ had become a Messenger of Allahﷻ. Therefore, from that perspective, he affirmed the Prophetﷺ’s Prophetﷺhood.
Some scholars therefore say he was a believer (Mu’min). Some scholars have even listed him among the first companions (Sahaba).
Others may not include him among the companions because he passed away very early, but there is no disagreement that he accepted the Prophetﷺ ﷺ. So, it is reasonable to consider him a Muslim believer.
Weak Narrations About Him Being in Paradise
However, there are some incorrect narrations that claim he was seen in Paradise through a dream. One story says that Khadijah (RA) asked the Prophetﷺ ﷺ about Waraqa after his death.
She asked: “What happened to Waraqa?”
The Prophetﷺ ﷺ supposedly replied: “I saw him in a dream wearing white garments.”
Then he said: “If he had been among the people of Hell, his clothing would not have been white.
Since he was wearing white, it indicates that he is among the people of Paradise.”
This narration appears in Musnad Ahmad. But the problem is in its chain of narration. One of the narrators in this hadith is Ibn Lahi’ah. The scholars of hadith have unanimously declared him weak. Therefore, this narration cannot be accepted as authentic evidence.
The Same Report in Sunan Tirmidhi
The same report also appears in Sunan Tirmidhi (Hadith 2288). In that version, the narration again says that Khadijah asked about Waraqa.
She asked the Prophetﷺ ﷺ: “He believed in you before you became widely known. Where is he now?”
The Prophetﷺ ﷺ supposedly replied that he saw him in a dream wearing white clothes. But Imam Tirmidhi himself comments on this narration.
Under the hadith he writes a note explaining that one of the narrators: Uthman ibn Abd al-Rahman , who is not considered reliable by the scholars of hadith. Because of that, the narration is not authentic. So Tirmidhi himself declares the report weak.
Therefore, the narration collapses.
The Version in Al-Hakim
Another version of the same narration appears in the book of Al-Hakim.
Al-Hakim considered it authentic.But the same weak narrator Uthman ibn Abd al-Rahman appears in that chain as well. Scholars unanimously agree that he is weak.Therefore Al-Hakim’s authentication here is incorrect. In fact, the famous hadith scholar Al-Dhahabi, who wrote explanatory notes on Al-Hakim’s book, commented on this.
He wrote that this narrator is “Matruk.” What does Matruk mean?
It means a narrator whose reports are abandoned because he is suspected of lying. If a narration contains such a narrator, it cannot be considered reliable. Therefore, that narration is also rejected.
Narrations in Tarikh Dimashq
Another version appears in Tarikh Dimashq. In that narration, the narrator is Al-Zuhri. But Al-Zuhri lived in a later generation. He could not have personally heard the conversation between the Prophetﷺ ﷺ and Khadijah.
Therefore, the chain is disconnected. So that narration is also unreliable. Another version contains Urwah ibn Zubayr as narrator. But he too was not present during the conversation. So that version is also weak.
What Is Actually Authentic
The authentic narration we rely on is the one recorded in Sahih Bukhari.
It appears in several places:
- Bukhari 3
- Bukhari 3392
- Bukhari 4953
- Bukhari 6982
In those narrations, Waraqa says to the Prophetﷺ ﷺ:“You are indeed the Messenger of Allahﷻ.”
He warns him that when he begins preaching his message, the people will react harshly.
He also says: “If I live long enough, I will stand firmly beside you and support you.”
But shortly after saying this, Waraqa passed away. Therefore, based on these authentic narrations, we can say: He was a righteous man who recognized the truth.
From this perspective, it is acceptable to describe him as a good believer.