Question
Is this incident authentic?
Imam Bayhaqi states in Dalailun Nubuwwah that once Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) invited a man to Islam. He said that he would accept Islam if Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) brought his deceased daughter back to life. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked to be taken to her grave. The man took him to her grave. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) stood at her grave and called her by name. The girl said, “I am present at your service.” Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do you desire to come back into this world” She said, “No by Allah O Rasulullah! I have found Allah to be better for me than my parents and I have found the Hereafter to be better for me than the world.”
Answer
‘Allamah Ibn Hajar Al Haytami (rahimahullah) has referenced this incident to Imam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah). ‘Allamahs Qastallani and Zurqani (rahimahumallah) have referenced this incident to Imam Bayhaqi’s Dalailun Nubuwwah.
(Ashraful Wasail ila Fahmish Shamail, pg. 252, Sharhuz Zurqani ‘Alal Mawahib, vol. 7 pg. 61-62)
However, I have not come across this incident in Dalailun Nubuwwah, nor have I come across the chain of narrators.
Imam Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad Al Mawardi (Demise: 450 A.H) has cited a similar incident without a chain on the authority of Hasan Al Basri (rahimahullah). Qadi ‘Iyad (rahimahullah) has cited a shorter version of this incident also on the authority of Hasan Al Basri (rahimahullah), without citing a chain.
(A’alamun Nubuwwah, pg. 81, ‘ilmiyyah edition, Ash Shifa, vol. 1 pg. 318 and Sharhush Shifa of Mulla ‘Ali Al Qari, vol. 3 pg. 98-99)
I have not seen a chain of narrators for these versions as well.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar