Unraveling the Scientific Scandal of Ba’alwi History AND Genealogy

The Ba'alwi clan, originating from Tarim, Hadramaut, Yemen, claims to be descendants of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, through Ahmad bin 'Isa bin Muhammad al-Naqib bin 'Ali al-'Uraidi bin Ja'far al-Sadiq bin Muhammad al-Baqir bin 'Ali Zainal 'Abdidin bin Husain bin Fatimah bint Muhammad. They authored numerous books to support this claim, starting in the ninth-century Hijriah. In these works, they endeavor to establish a connection between their ancestor named 'Ubaidillah and the genealogy of the Prophet Muhammad's family by asserting that Ubaidillah was one of the sons of Ahmad bin 'Isa. Furthermore, they have constructed a historical narrative around the character of Ubaidillah and his lineage, embellished with extraordinary tales. Regrettably, this claim is riddled with intrigue and scientific scandals that lack substantiation from reliable sources. This article aims to demonstrate that these assertions have no historical basis in contemporary or proximate sources and have been scientifically refuted. For instance, internal Ba'alwi sources purporting Ahmad bin 'Isa's Hijrah (migration) lack primary sources. Adding the epithet "Al-muhajir" (the migrant) to Ahmad's name appears contrived. External sources closer to Ahmad bin 'Isa suggest he resided in a village in Medina named "Surya." Moreover, the names of other individuals from the Ba'alwi lineage are conspicuously absent from the writings on the lineage of Prophet Muhammad.