thus, five of the major ḥadīth scholars have explicitly declared this ḥadīth authentic, which is supported by the scholarly ḥadīth criticism as previously established. I am not aware of anyone who disagreed with them whose knowledge and expertise in this field is considered, except for Yaḥyá ibn Saʿīd al-Qaṭṭān in his earlier statement. You have already seen the responses of the two ḥadīth scholars, al-Dhahabī and al-ʿAsqalānī, to him, so we will not repeat it. However, the esteemed judge Abū Bakr ibn al-ʿArabī, may Allāh have mercy on him, mentioned in his book "al-ʿAwāṣim min al-Qawāṣim" a statement that apparently indicates he denies this ḥadīth and does so with great emphasis. He said in "ʿĀṣimah" (p. 161): "As for what you mentioned about the testimony at the water of al-Ḥawʾab, you have engaged in the greatest of battles by mentioning it. None of what you mentioned occurred, nor did the Prophet ﷺ say that ḥadīth, nor did that conversation take place, nor did anyone testify with their testimony. Their testimony has been written with this falsehood, and you will be questioned." By his statement "the testimony," he refers to what he previously mentioned in "Qāṣimah" (p. 148): "They came to the water of al-Ḥawʾab, and its dogs barked. ʿĀʾishah asked, and it was said to her: This is the water of al-Ḥawʾab. She turned her camel away from it because she had heard the Prophet ﷺ say: 'Which of you will be the owner of the camel with the long neck, at whom the dogs of al-Ḥawʾab will bark?' Ṭalḥah and al-Zubayr testified that this was not the water of al-Ḥawʾab, along with fifty men with them. It was the first false testimony circulated in Islam." I say: Although we agree with him in denying the authenticity of that testimony, as it is something from which Allāh protected His Companions ﷺ, especially those among them who were of the ten promised Paradise, like Ṭalḥah and al-Zubayr, we reject his statement "nor did the Prophet ﷺ say that ḥadīth"! How could he say this when it has been authentically reported from him ﷺ through a sound isnād in several sources from the well-known books of sunnah among the scholars?
فهؤلاء خمسة من كبار أئمة الحديث صرحوا بصحة هذا الحديث، وذلك ما يدل عليه النقد العلمي الحديثي كما سبق تحقيقه، ولا أعلم أحدا خالفهم ممن يعتد بعلمهم ومعرفتهم في هذا الميدان سوى يحيى بن سعيد القطان في كلمته المتقدمة، وقد عرفت جواب الحافظين الذهبي والعسقلاني عليه، فلا نعيده. إلا أن العلامة القاضي أبا بكر بن العربي رحمه الله تعالى جاء في كتابه "العواصم من القواصم"، كلام قد يدل ظاهره أنه يذهب إلى إنكار هذا الحديث ويبالغ في ذلك أشد المبالغة، فقال في "عاصمة" (ص ١٦١): "وأما الذي ذكرتم من الشهادة على ماء الحوأب، فقد بؤتم في ذكرها بأعظم حرب، ما كان شيء مما ذكرتم، ولا قال النبي ﷺ ذلك الحديث، ولا جرى ذلك الكلام، ولا شهد أحد بشهادتهم، وقد كتبت شهادتهم بهذا الباطل، وسوف تسألون". ويشير بقوله "الشهادة" إلى ما كان ذكره من قبل في "قاصمة" (ص ١٤٨): "فجاؤا إلى ماء الحوأب، ونبحت كلابه، فسألت عائشة؟ فقيل لها: هذا ماء الحوأب، فردت خطامها عنه، وذلك لما سمعت النبي ﷺ يقول: "أيتكن صاحبة الجمل الأدبب التي تنبحها كلاب الحوأب، فشهد طلحة والزبير أنه ليس هذا ماء الحوأب، وخمسون رجلا إليهم، وكانت أول شهادة زور دارت في الإسلام". قلت: ونحن وإن كنا نوافقه على إنكار ثبوت تلك الشهادة، فإنها مما صان الله﵎ أصحابه ﷺ منها، لاسيما من كان منهم من العشرة المبشرين بالجنة كطلحة والزبير، فإننا ننكر عليه قوله "ولا قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ذلك الحديث"! كيف وهو قد ثبت عنه ﷺ بالسند الصحيح في عدة مصادر من كتب السنة المعروفة عند أهل العلم؟!