10. THE IMPLICATIONS OF HADITH FOR ISLAM
10.1
The meaning of Hadith and Sunnah
According
to the Qur'an, hadith means 'story', 'news', 'report' or 'narration' and
it is used in the Qur'an a number of times in these senses. In practice, the
word hadith, to most people calling themselves Muslim, means the
reported sayings and practices of the Prophet. The operative word here is
'reported'. The Hadith literature was collected by word of mouth, about 250
years after the death of the Prophet. The Hadiths – as the Hadith literature is
commonly called – can be classified roughly in four categories:
1. What the Prophet said.
2. What the Prophet did.
3. What the Prophet silently approved
of, in others.
4. Hadiths which give descriptions of
what the Prophet was like.
On
the question of sunnah:
Sunnah
according
to the Hadith
means the laws that have been derived from the Hadith literature based on the
reported teachings and practices of the Prophet. In total contrast, according
to the Qur'an Sunnah means the 'The Law and Practice of Allah which
is immutable or unchangeable.' (48:23) "Wa lun tajida li sunnat
illah tabdila". A few other verses in which the word Sunnah
appears are given below.
(33:62)
[...]never will you find any change in Allah's way [sunnah]!
35:43)
[...]no change will you ever find in Allah's way [sunnah]; yes no
deviation will you ever find in Allah's way [sunnah]
This
contradiction between the Qur'an and the Hadith regarding the question of
sunnah can be resolved easily if we understand the position of the Prophet
vis-à-vis the Qur'an.
The
Qur'an is 'the Word of Allah' which was uttered by the Prophet as it was
conveyed by him to the world under the inspiration of the Revelation. Thus,
in effect, the Qur'an is the 'utterance' or 'the sayings of the Prophet' in a
way which nothing else can claim to be. Given this, any attempt to
distinguish between the two (i.e. between the word of Allah and the sayings of
the Prophet) is impossible. It is
impossible, since the Qur'an is, by common consent, both. It, the Qur'an, is
the point where they (the Word of Allah and the utterance of the Prophet)
beyond doubt, converge. From this understanding, and on this basis, we are
equipped to receive the only logically sustainable explanation of the call in the
Qur'an 'to follow the Prophet'. That
is, we are being asked to follow that which the Prophet is giving us, i.e. the
Qur'an and the teachings it conveys. We must understand that 'to follow the
Prophet', as stated in the Qur'an is an imperative to follow what was inspired
in him through revelation. This exhortation has no connection whatever with
the sayings and practices (the Hadiths) which were attributed to Muhammad by
people some 250 years later, and primarily collected by word of mouth.
The
Hadiths frequently contradict the Qur'an, and that in itself is proof enough
that they have nothing to do with the Prophet. In addition – and to the surprise of many Muslims who use the
term frequently and unthinkingly – the only sunnah that is mentioned in
the Qur'an is Allah's sunnah, and we are told that it never changes.
Allah's sunnah – or way – is fixed and encompasses His Laws and Practices which
apply to all His creation. Such is Allah's sunnah.
10.2
Historical background of Hadiths1
To
understand the background to the development of Hadith literature one must sift
through the history of Islam from about 250 years after the time of our Prophet
for it is towards the end of this period that the Hadith literature was
produced. The problem is that there are many conflicting historical accounts
about what was happening at that time. The picture one gets is more of Muslim
political history than the real history of Islam. From the sheer mass of
contradictory stories one must assume that the real history of Islam for that
period is lost. The thing one may say for certain however is that during the
time of the Prophet and his companions the policy was not to write down hadiths
(i.e. hearsay accounts of what the Prophet said and did). The Qur'an was
written down during the lifetime of the Prophet but 'the Hadith' was never
written down and any attempt to do so was addressed by those who knew the
Prophet, fought alongside him, and upheld his honour. There are two reasons for
this. The first is that such human scribblings would have found their way into
and thus corrupted the Qur'anic scriptures.
The second is that people would have concentrated on 'the Hadith' – i.e.
what the Prophet said – and therefore ignored the Qur'an. Hence, the Prophet
and his companions who ruled for about thirty years after him, made sure that
nothing was written down as far as the Prophet's sayings and practices were
concerned. The surprising thing is that even after the companions (i.e.
after Hazrat Ali's period, which was about 41 Hijra) hadiths as
such were not written down. In fact, during the first century of the Prophet's
era no hadiths were written down whatsoever. Stories circulated by word
of mouth but they were never written down because the view was well known that
the Prophet and the companions did not want anything of the kind to be done,
and so there was a very strong feeling against the writing of any sort of
'Hadith' literature.
Looking
at the written hadiths, the first well-known collection that appeared
was by Malik Ibn Anas (d. 179 A.H.). This was during the first part of the
second century of the Prophet's era. He collected hadiths mainly for
legal purposes as he was only interested in the application of Hadith in law.
His work is known as the Muwatta. He makes references to two small collections
but these were more or less at the beginning of the second century and there is
no trace of them except for his reference.
The
next important collection is by Hanbal in the third century. There is a gap
between his writings and those of Malik's, during which there was a tremendous
number of hadiths in circulation, not in writing, only by word of mouth,
among which there had accrued many clearly false ones. So the question arose:
how to distinguish the good hadiths from the bad? Ahmed bin Hanbal
resolved this to his own satisfaction by apparently tracing each hadith
right up to the source (i.e. right up to the period when the Prophet was alive)
and each hadith accordingly was called a Masnad (i.e. a Tradition
which is traceable). His writings are known as the Masnad of Ahmad bin
Hanbal. He collected about 30,000 hadiths but they are not arranged in
any proper order.
The
next important collection was in the third century, by Bukhari, who died in 257
A.H. He collected 7275 hadiths out of some 600,000 which he is supposed
to have gathered. His collection is also known as Sahih Hadith i.e.
Correct Hadith. He was the first to arrange hadiths in chapters, and the
chapters were divided according to the subject matter. His work contains
material on historical, ethical, theological, legal and various other aspects.
A contemporary of Bukhari was Muslim who died in 261 A.H. He collected 4348 hadiths
out of some 300,000. His hadiths are not arranged in the same way as
Bukhari's. His intention was to purify the hadiths that were available,
in other words he put stress more on the purity rather than collecting a large
quantity of hadiths. His collections are also known as Sahih
Hadith. It must be stressed that many
Muslims regard these two Hadiths (Bukhari and Muslim) so highly that in a case
of contradiction with the Qur'an the Hadith overrides the Qur'an in their
judgement. There are four other collections which were written more-or-less
towards the end of the third century Hijra and these are by Abu Daud (d.
275), Ibn Maja (d. 303), Al-Tirmidi (d. 279), and Al-Nasai (d. 303). They deal
almost entirely with legal traditions (i.e. with what is permitted and what is
forbidden); and so do not give information on religious or theological
subjects. These six collections together are known as Sahih Satta or the
six correct hadiths, of which Bukhari and Muslim are regarded as most
important, the other four occupying second place.
The
Hadith collection went through a selection procedure in which the
following conditions were used for the acceptance of a hadith.
1. Continuity of the chain (Isnad)
of transmitters. The chain of transmitters had to be unbroken in order for a hadith
to be acceptable.
2. The integrity of the transmitters.
The integrity of transmitters was established in terms of their outward
observance of Islam.
3. Soundness of memory of the
transmitters. It had to be verified through the biographical sciences of Hadith
that each transmitter had a sound memory.
4. Conformity of the hadith
with other hadith. It was important that the hadith conform with
similar hadiths on the same topic.
5. The absence of defects in the
hadith. A defect is defined as a hidden defect in the hadith which
can only be detected after thorough investigation.
Considering
the five points in turn one can see a glaring omission i.e. there is no
mention of the rejection of a hadith on the basis of its contradiction with
the Qur'an. Effectively, it means that the Hadith can override the Qur'an,
or in other words the Hadith is more important than the Qur'an.
Let me
now examine the above five criteria. In the first case, Bukhari is supposed to
have travelled widely to establish the names of the various persons in the
chain, right up to the Prophet's time. If a hadith was to be good then
the chain of transmitters had to be unbroken and one had to be able to find all
the links. But how did the links come about when no hadiths were committed to writing during the first
century!
A lot
of research has been done on the Hadiths, especially by Western historians
(orientalists) in an attempt to recover history from the Hadiths. They almost unanimously find that one can
recover some history of the second and the third century but almost nothing of
the first. The logical conclusion given these findings is that the 'links'
which spread over the eight generations succeeding the death of Muhammad were
concocted. Therefore, the so-called 'science of isnad' – the touchstone
of a hadith's authenticity – has the tremendous flaws in it.
How,
then, can we go on giving credence to something that was not written down and yet
which, some 250 years after the fact, Bukhari supposedly managed to trace back
to its source (i.e. the Prophet) by establishing all the links in a chain which
cannot possibly have been genuinely reconstructed!
The
second and the third criteria to which Bukhari decided to subject his work
sought to establish that the transmitters were honest persons in terms of their
outward observance of Islam, and that each had a sound memory. This he did by
apparently collecting the biography of each of the transmitters. How he managed
to do this without written records, bridging a gap of about eight generations,
and simultaneously establishing not only biographical data but also a
compelling analysis of the mental faculties of his subjects defies belief! An
example is called for: in a large number of hadiths Abu Huraira is taken
as the last link in the chain of narration. He was not – even according to
Bukhari's extraordinary method of compilation – assigned a good memory,
however. But even this unnecessary
inconvenience was not a problem for Bukhari who found an explanation:
Bukhari
(4:841)
Narated Abu Huraira: I said, "O Allah's Apostle! I hear many
narrations from you but I forget them." He said, "Spread your
covering sheet." I spread my sheet and he moved both his hands as if
scooping something and emptied it in the sheet and said, "Wrap it." I
wrapped it round my body, and since then I have never forgotten a single
hadith.
Most
ingenious, I'm sure you will agree!
The
fourth criterion is overall agreement within Hadith as a whole. It means that
any one hadith should comply with similar hadiths which give the
same sort of story and that this should
be seen as a basis for accepting it as authentic. In modern parlance, it means that the various stories should 'hang
together', that one account should not conflict with another, and if there is
no conflict, we should assume that the story is, therefore, true. The intelligent and attentive reader who
takes the time to read a moderate number of even so-called sahih hadith on
any subject will not need to go far before he finds a distinct failing on even
this count.
The
Islamic clergy expends great energy trying to account for these inconsistencies
and contradictions. Their answers to
your common-sense observations may involve various choices of words, yet the
thrust can broadly be summarised thus: in order to understand the Hadith you
have to be very learned. There seem to
be contradictions in the Hadith to you because you are not learned. They – the clergy – are learned. Therefore, they do not see
contradictions. When you are learned
like them you, too, will not see contradictions. Until you are as learned as
they you cannot contend with them on this (or any) subject. The fact that you
fail to perceive any of this only testifies to your own ignorance.
It
should be noted that we have been discussing the sahih, or so-called
authentic Hadith. There are other grades of hadith which are viewed with
varying degrees of suspicion even by those who accept the 'sahih'. We do
not trouble ourselves with them here for obvious reasons.
It is
interesting to note that practically no Hadiths were written down during the
reign of the Ummayads. Their rule lasted from 41 A.H. to 132 A.H. and they had
embraced Islam after the Prophet conquered Mecca. The Abbasids who are
descended from the Prophet's uncle came to power after the Ummayads. Their rule
lasted up to 656 A.H. and it was under their regime that the Hadiths were
written and the various schools of law established. It was the Abbasids who
encouraged the writing of Hadiths – especially those which were favourable to
their plans and rule.
10.3.
Ways the Hadith contradicts the Qur'an2
One can
quote several hundred hadiths which not only contradict the Qur'an but
also clearly do damage to the Prophet's good name. From Bukhari there is a
selection below of some typical hadiths on various topics in order to
give an overall impression of what we mean. The Qur'anic verses are given
alongside so that the reader can judge for himself whether or not the Hadiths
contradict the Qur'anic verses as is claimed here.
The
first item selected is on stoning for adultery or fornication. The Qura'nic law on this is absolutely
clear. The Qur'an makes no distinction between adultery and fornication. The
Arabic word for adultery or fornication is zina. Adultery, according to
the English dictionary, is sex outside marriage, whereas fornication is when
the persons concerned are not married. English law, thus, makes a distinction
between the two. Qur'anic law does not. The Qur'an actually makes this law very
clear. The punishment for proven cases is 100 lashes. Also, in the case of
married people, four witnesses are required before the case can be adjudged
proven. This clause is often misused, because the fact remains that it would be
almost impossible to find four witnesses unless, for example, someone in power,
for personal reasons, bribed people to stand as witnesses. Finally, in order
not to punish the innocent, the Qur'anic law gives the opportunity to the man
or the woman to deny the crime in the name of Allah. That is, they have to take
an oath in the name of Allah that they are not guilty. In such a case, the
court must leave the punishment to Allah. Our human courts cannot punish them.
The Qur'an is very clear on this. And yet we find the so-called Islamic states
stoning people to death on the strength of a ruling drawn from what the Hadith
has to say, and not judging cases according to the Qur'anic law. They bury the
woman up to the neck and then kill her by stoning her on her head. The man is
buried up to the waist and then stoned. It is a barbarous practice and the West
gives it a lot of publicity to denigrate Islam. Sadly, Bukhari has a large
number of hadiths to support this act and the ruling shows the Prophet
in a very bad light. Unfortunately, most of us do not know what the Qur'an has
to say on this matter. Here is a straightforward case where the Qur'anic law
is absolutely clear. And yet we ignore
the Qur'an completely and accept the Hadith unquestioningly.
Why are
we not, then, following the Qur'an? In
fact, when one reads these hadiths, one gets the feeling that there must
have been some kind of concerted plan
at work. Dr. Abdul Wadud, in his book Conspiracies against the Qur'an, explores
this question. He gives the following explanation: the Arabs defeated the
Persians completely in war but the Persians were far more advanced in knowledge
and writing than the Arabs. Therefore, they used their superiority in writing
to corrupt Islam from the inside. Obviously, true Islam cannot be corrupted
because the Qur'an is there, and as long as we follow the Qur'an there is no
problem. But how to make people deviate from the Qur'an? The answer: by
creating another, additional body of writing, which ascribes un-Qur'anic acts to the Prophet, and then persuading
people that following this body of writing amounts to a Muslim life.
We find
this approach has been most effective. In fact, we see that once the name of
the Prophet is invoked we just accept as the truth whatever is said and follow
it blindly. So where is our support for the claim of conspiracy? The
circumstantial evidence – either not known or simply ignored by the mass of
Muslims – is compelling. If we take the
writers of the six main collections of hadith: Bukhari, Muslim, Abu
Daud, Ibn Maja, Al-Tirmidi, and Al-Nasai they all have one vital feature in
common. They were all born within the
Persian Empire.
In
addition to these, we should mention the well-known historian Tabari who died
in 311A.H., a period very close to when the Hadith were written. Tabari wrote
30 volumes of tafsir (commentary) on the Qur'an, based on the Hadith.
Later on, he wrote a history of Islam in 13 volumes based on his tafsir
derived from the same Hadith. Therefore, his tafsir rests on hadith,
as does his history. The Qur'an, too,
is drawn through the prism of the hadiths. Thus, all his books derive their credentials from the Qur'an, but
they are not based on the Qur'an. They
are based on the Hadith – a spurious, later body of work. Today, no-one dares
challenge Tabari in any of his views, since that would amount to challenging
the Hadith which, in the minds of the simple Muslims, have been accepted as
factual accounts of the Prophet's utterances. Tabari's work has become one of
the main reference works used by Muslims who use it without ever questioning
its authenticity.
Below
are listed some important issues, with the relevant Qur'anic verses, to show
how the Hadiths clearly contradict the Qur'an.
Selection
no. 1: punishment for adultery
The
punishment of stoning to death for adultery has its origin in the Old
Testament. This law has been copied by all the six collectors of hadith
who stress their claims that the Prophet practiced it. To counter this
argument, we will first look at what the Qur'an has to say, followed by its
contradiction in Bukhari.
The
Quranic verses:
(24: 2) The
adulterer and the adulteress, scourge ye each of them (with) a hundred stripes.
And let not pity for the twain withhold you from obedience to Allah, if ye
believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of believers witness their
punishment.
(24:5-9)
Those who accuse honourable women but bring not four witnesses, scourge them
with eighty stripes and never (afterward) accept their testimony – they indeed
are evil-doers. Save those who afterward repent and make amends (For such) lo!
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. As for those who accuse their wives but have no
witnesses except themselves: let the testimony of one of them be four
testimonies, (swearing) by Allah that he is of those who speak the truth; And a
fifth, invoking the curse of Allah on him if he is of those who lie. And it
shall avert punishment from her if she bear witness before Allah four times
that the thing he saith is indeed false. And a fifth time that the wrath of
Allah be upon her if he speaketh the truth.
Bukhari
(ref: 8.816) Narrated Ibn Abbas:
Umar said, "I am afraid that after a long time has passed,
people may say, 'We do not find the verse of rajam (stoning to death) in
the Holy Book,' and consequently they may go astray by leaving an obligation
that Allah has revealed. Lo! I confirm that the penalty of rajam be
inflicted on him who commits illegal intercourse if he is already married and
the crime is proved by witnesses or pregnancy or confession." Sufyan
added, "I have memorised this narration in this way". Umar added
"Surely Allah's messenger carried out the penalty of Rajam, and so
did we after him."
Bukhari
(Ref: 3.885) Narrated Abu Huraira and Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani:
A Bedouin came to Allah's messenger and said, "O Allah's
Messenger! I ask you by Allah to judge my case according to Allah's Laws".
His opponent, who was more learned than he, said, "Yes, judge between us
according to Allah's Laws, and allow me to speak." Allah's Messenger said,
"Speak." He said, "My son was working as a labourer for this man
and he committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife. The people told me
that it was obligatory that my son should be stoned to death, so in lieu of
that I ransomed my son by paying one hundred sheep and a slave-girl. Then I
asked the religious scholars about it. They informed me that my son must be
lashed one hundred times, and be exiled for one year, and the wife of this
(man) must be stoned to death." Allah's Messenger said, "By Him in
whose hands my soul is, I shall judge between you according to Allah's Laws.
The slave-girl and the sheep are to be returned to you, your son is to receive
a hundred lashes and be exiled for one year. You, Unais go to the wife of this
man and if she confesses her guilt, stone her to death." Unais went to the
woman next morning and she confessed. Allah's Messenger ordered that she be
stoned to death.
Both
of these hadiths disregard the Qur'anic verses altogether. The verses I quoted from the
Qur'an show how in the eyes of true Islamic Law the treatment given to women is
absolutely equal to that for men. The Qur'anic judgement also makes it possible
for the innocent to escape punishment despite the contrary testimony of
others.
Selection
no. 2
The
following hadiths are some of the examples of the extremely adverse
comments supposedly made by the Prophet against women. They totally contradict his character, as
well as the spirit of the Qur'an.
Bukhari
(ref: 1.301) narrated AbuSa 'id Al-Kudri:
Once, Allah's Messenger went out of the Musalla (to offer prayer)
of Id-al-Adha. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give
alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you
(women)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Messenger?" He
replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have
not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you." The
women asked, "O Allah's Messenger! What is deficient in our intelligence
and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to
the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said,
"This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman
can neither pray nor fast during the menses?" The women replied in the
affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."
Bukhari
(7.030) narrated Abdullah bin Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "Evil omen is in the woman, the house
and the horse."
One can
quote many verses from the Qur'an to refute the above statements. Examples are:
2:223; 4:19; 16:97; 33:35 and 48:5,6. The Qur'an does not denigrate women in
any way, but the Hadith literature contains woman-degrading hadiths
which portray the woman as naturally crooked and beyond reform, more evil than
man, of lower intelligence, and a hindrance to prayers – grouped together with
dogs and asses – (ref: Bukhari 1.490, Muslim 1032, 1034, Abu Daud 703).
Selection
no. 3
To
approach women during their menses, for sexual purposes, is forbidden in the
Qur'an. It is impossible to imagine that the Prophet was unaware of this
injunction in the Qur'an and yet Bukhari, it appears, has been able to unearth
the most intimate private affairs of the Prophet. He claims the authority of Hazrat Aisha in order to make it look
authentic.
Bukhari
(ref: 1.298); narrated Aisha:
The Prophet and I used to take a bath from a single pot while we
were junub [the unclean state after sexual intercourse]. During the
menses, he used to order me to put on an izar (dress worn below the
waist) and used to fondle me. While in itikaf (see note below) he used
to bring his head near me and I would wash it while I used to be in periods
(menses).
Note:
itikaf is seclusion in a mosque for the purpose of worshipping
Allah.
Bukhari
(Ref: 1.299) Narrated Abdur Rahman bin Al-Aswad:
Aisha said: "Whenever Allah's Messenger wanted to fondle
anyone during her periods (menses), he used to order her to put on an izar
and start fondling her." Aisha added "None of you could control his
sexual desires as the Prophet."
Contrast
this with specific Qur'anic injunction:
(2:222) They
question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is a vulnerable
condition, so let women alone at such times and go not unto them till they are
cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go unto them as Allah
hath enjoined upon you.
Selection No. 4
Here
are a few typical examples of hadiths which show aspects of character
ascribed to the Prophet that are totally irrational. These also strengthen the
above-mentioned conspiracy theory, as all the irrefutable historical evidence
on the Prophet's nature contradict the spirit of such narrations.
Bukhari
(ref: 7.590), narrated Anas:
The climate of Medina did not suit some people, so the Prophet
ordered them to proceed along with his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink
their milk and urine (as medicine). So they proceded along with the shepherd
i.e. the camels, and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became
healthy. Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. When the news
reached the Prophet (pbuh) he sent some people in their pursuit. When they were
brought, he cut their hands and feet and their eyes were branded with heated
pieces of iron.
Bukhari
(ref: 7.252/253/254) narrated Um Salama and Um Atiyya:
A woman was bereaved of her husband and her relatives worried
about her eyes (which were diseased). They came to Allah's Messenger and asked
him to allow them to treat her eyes with kohl (antimony eye powder), but he
said, "[...]nay, she cannot use kohl till four months and ten days have
elapsed."
Bukhari (Ref: 9.130) Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah's Messenger used to visit Um Haram bint Milhan and she was
the wife of Ubada bin As-Samit. One day the Prophet visited her and she
provided him with food and started looking for lice in his head. Then Allah's
Messenger slept and afterwards woke up smiling[...]
It is
difficult to imagine anyone capable of such rank treachery and stupidity that
depicted in the first two hadiths – let alone ascribe such a cruel
nature to our Prophet! It is difficult,
also, to imagine a situation where someone else's wife would be looking for
lice on the Prophet's head on one if his supposed regular trips to see her,
particularly as the Qur'an enjoins believing men and women to lower their gaze
and be modest, an injunction which would seem to preclude such a suggestive
intimacy.
Selection
no. 5
One of
the commonest beliefs is that Hadith (particularly Vol. 6 of Bukhari –
which give various information on when and under what circumstances parts of
the Qur'an were supposed to have been revealed) is essential in order to understand the Qur'an. This is misleading on
many grounds.
Firstly,
the number of verses covered by Bukhari are insignificant compared to the total
number of Qur'anic verses. Therefore, if this assertion were correct, how then
would we understand and follow the other verses not explained by Bukhari? Secondly, the explanations put forward are
generally absurd. An incident or a
story is narrated around an occurrence which – Bukhari would have it – resulted
in the selected Qur'anic verse being revealed. In most cases the incident or
story is absurd and one often gets the impression that the revelation of verses
was a haphazard affair, owing more to mere accident and whim, than to the Will
of Allah. The following Qur'anic verses and their hadith 'explanation'
illustrate this point.
(11:114)
Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night.
Lo! Good deeds annul ill deeds. This is a reminder for the mindful.
Bukhari
(ref: 6.209), narrated Ibn Masud:
A man kissed
a woman and then came to Allah's Messenger and told him that. So this Divine Inspiration was revealed to
the Prophet:
(11:114)
And offer prayers perfectly at the two ends of the day, and in some hours of
the night. Verily the good deeds remove the evil deeds (small sins). This is
reminder for the mindful.
The man
said, "Is this information for me only?" The Prophet said, "It
is for all those of my followers who encounter a similar situation."
Bukhari
(Ref: 6.203) Narrated Muhammad bin 'Abbad bin Ja'far that he heard Ibn 'Abbas
reciting from the Qur'an:
(11:5) "No
doubt! They fold up their breasts."
and asked him about its explanation. He said "Some people
used to hide themselves while answering the call of nature in an open space
lest they be exposed to the sky, and also when they had sexual relations with
their wives in an open space lest they be exposed to the sky, so the above
revelation was sent down regarding them."
Selection no. 6
Islam,
from the very beginning directed people to cultivate science. The application of this precept brought with
it the prodigious strides in science during the great era of Islamic
civilisation, from which the West, too, benefited hugely – although its
literature almost entirely ignores the fact. Today, thanks to scientific
knowledge, great progress has been made in the interpretation of many
previously misunderstood verses in the Qur'an. Verse 36 of Sura 38 is a prime
example.
The
Qur'an gives an end to the sun's evolution and a destination place. Modern
astronomy has been able to locate it exactly and has called it the Solar Apex.
The verse translated by Dr Bucaille is as follows:3
(36:38) The
Sun runs its course to a settled place. This is the decree of the Almighty, the
Full of Knowledge.
Note that
the words 'settled place' is the translation of the Arabic mustaqarr.
Contrast
this with the supposedly reported interpretation of the verse by the Prophet as
quoted by Bukhari.
Bukhari
(ref: 4.421), narrated Abu Dhar:
The Prophet asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun
goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know
better."
He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates itself
underneath the Throne, and takes the permission to rise again, and it is
permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself
but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on
its course, but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return
whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the
interpretation of the statement of Allah."
(36:38) And
the sun runs its fixed course for a term (decreed). That is the Decree of
(Allah) the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing.
Clearly,
such an interpretation is laughable given even a rudimentary knowledge of the
movements of the sun and earth. Such
unscientific assertions are nowhere to be found in the Qur'an. However, they liberally pepper the Hadith
literature.
Selection
no. 7
There
could be no evidence greater than the Qur'an to show that the companions of the
Prophet were men of firm belief in Allah and men of most exalted position,
whose characters were above reproach. In support of this I quote the following
verses from the Qur'an. The reader will note that the hadiths which
follow the verses directly contradict the Qur'an.
(48:29)
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the
disbelievers and merciful among themselves.
(8:63)
And he has put affection between their hearts. If you had spent all that is on
the earth, you could not have produced that affection, but Allah has done it,
as His Power and Wisdom are boundless.
Now let
us see what Hadith tells about the companions of the Prophet. There are several
hadiths which describe a conflict between Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat
Ali, one of which is as follows.
Bukhari
(ref 5: 546), narrated Aisha:
Hazrat Fatima (daughter of Prophet and wife of Hazrat Ali)
remained alive for 6 months after the death of the Prophet. When she died
Hazrat Ali quietly buried her during the night time and did not inform Hazrat
Abu Bakr about her death. As long as Hazrat Fatima lived, Hazrat Ali was
greatly respected, but after her death Hazrat Ali felt a change in the
behaviour of the people around him. Then he resolved to accept succession to
the Caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr. Thus, he sent a message to Hazrat Abu Bakr,
asking him to come to see him personally but not accompanied by Hazrat Omar.
Hazrat Omar, on the other hand, apprehended danger and did not like that Hazrat
Abu Bakr should go alone. However, Hazrat Abu Bakr was bent upon meeting Hazrat
Ali and thus he went to see him without company. In the above meeting Hazrat
Ali said, "We realise your personal superiority and all that Allah has
bestowed upon you. We are not jealous of the greatness which Allah has given
you. But we do feel that that being near relatives of the Rasool, we are
rightful successors to Khil'afat and our right has been usurped by
tyranny and oppression."
Selection
no. 8
Here we
look at the question of intercession. To believe that anyone can intercede on
our behalf or have our sins forgiven or our wishes fulfilled, implies belief
that Allah has partners. This is polytheism. The Qur'an proclaims that
"All intercession belongs to Allah" (39:44), and that there will be
"no intercession on the Day of Judgement" (2:254). Examples of
verses which corroborate this are as follows: 2:48; 2:123; 6:51,70,94; 7:53;
21:100; 30:13; 36:23; 40:18; 43:86; 74:48.
The
Qur'an acknowledges that in spite of the categorical statements that there will
be no intercession on the Day of Judgement, as given in the verses above, our
human weakness will prompt us to seek the help of living or dead saints and
prophets, to intercede on behalf of our loved ones. The Qur'anic verses 2:255,
10:3, 19:87, 20:109, 21:28 and 34:23 throw some light on this. The implication
of these verses is that intercession will only be effective in cases already
approved by Allah i.e. for those whose own "beliefs and good deeds"
are to receive benefit and reward from Allah anyway. Note also the section
of verse 40:18 which specifically says "no intimate friend nor intercessor
will the wrong-doers have, who could be listened to". When reading
translations of some of the verses one must be careful of relying on the
translations which misinterpret the verses to mean that intercession will be of
no value except by those to whom (i.e. the Prophet) Allah has granted
permission and whose word (of intercession) is acceptable to Allah. For
example, Yusuf Ali comments in his note (no. 2634) to verse 20:109 as follows:
Cf. ii 255 in the verse of the Throne. Here man is in the accusative case governed by tanfa'u, and it is better to construe it as I have done. That is, intercession will benefit no one except those for whom God has granted permission, and whose word (of repentance) is true and sincere, and therefore acceptable to God. Others construe: no intercession will avail, except by those whom God has granted permission, and whose word (of intercession) is acceptable to God.4
Taking
further important examples from the Qur'an we learn that Abraham, Allah's beloved servant, could not intercede
on behalf of his father (9:114). Noah could not intercede on behalf of his son
(11:46). Muhammad could not intercede on behalf of his uncle (111:1-3), or
others (9:80). The Qur'an also asserts in verses 7:188 and 46:9 that the
Prophet possesses no power to benefit or harm anyone.
(7:188) Say:
For myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to hurt, save that which Allah
willeth. Had I knowledge of the unseen, I should have abundance of wealth, and
adversity would not touch me. I am but a warner, and a bearer of good tidings
unto folk who believe.
(46:9)
Say: I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah), nor know I what will be
done with me or you. I do but follow that which is inspired in me, and I am but
a plain warner.
What
is there, therefore, to make one think that a prophet or a saint will be able
to intercede on our behalf? They will, rather, disown us than intercede on our
behalf:
(35:14)
If ye pray unto them they hear not your prayer, and if they heard they could
not grant it to you. On the Day of Resurrection they will disown association
with you. None can inform you like Him Who is aware.
Similarly,
the verse 25:30 says that Muhammad's plea to Allah on the Day of
Judgement will be: "O my Sustainer! Mine own people make this Qur'an of no
account"-- meaning that we, the people, took no guidance from the Qur'an.
In
contrast, the Hadith literature has succeeded in duping many people into
accepting the concept of intercession. Bukhari and Muslim state
categorically that the Prophet has been given the right of intercession. (Note
the following hadiths: Bukhari: 1.098, 1.331, 5.224, 6.242, 8.563, 8.571;
Muslim: 0389, 0747, 2071, 2516).
Bukhari
(ref: 1.098), narrated Abu Huraira:
I said: "O Allah's Apostle! Who will be the luckiest person,
who will gain your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?" Allah's
Apostle said: "O Abu Huraira! I have thought that none would ask me about
it before you as I know your longing for the (learning of) hadiths. The
luckiest person who will have my intercession on the Day of Resurrection will
be the one who said sincerely from the bottom of his heart "None has the
right to be worshipped but Allah."
Bukhari
(ref: 1.331), narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
The Prophet said, "I have been given five things which were
not given to any one else before me:
1. Allah made me victorious by awe, (by His frightening my
enemies) for a distance of one month's journey.
2. The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place
for praying and a thing to perform tayammum, therefore, any one of my
followers can pray wherever the time of prayer is due.
3. The booty has been made halal (lawful) for me yet it was
not lawful for any one else before me.
4. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of
Resurrection).
5. Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation only but I have
been sent to all mankind.
Bukhari
(ref: 5:224), narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri:
I heard the Prophet when somebody mentioned his uncle (i.e. Abu
Talib), saying, "Perhaps my intercession will be helpful to him on the Day
of Resurrection so that he may be put in a shallow fire reaching only up to his
ankles. His brain will boil from it."
Bukhari
(ref: 6.242), narrated Abdullah Ibn Umar:
On the Day of Resurrection the people will fall on their knees and
every nation will follow their prophet and they will say, "O so-and-so!
Intercede (for us with Allah)," till (the right to) intercession will be
given to the Prophet (Muhammad) and that will be the day when Allah will raise
him to a station of praise and glory.
Bukhari
(ref: 8.571), narrated Imran Bin Hossain:
The Prophet said, "Some people will be taken out of the Fire
through the intercession of Muhammad: they will enter Paradise and will be
called Al-Jahannamiyin (The Hell Fire people)."
Muslim
(ref: 0389), narrated Abu Huraira
The Prophet of Allah said: "There is for every apostle a
prayer which is granted, but every prophet showed haste in his prayer. I have,
however, reserved my prayer for the intercession of my ummah on the Day of
Resurrection, and it would be granted, if Allah so willed, in case of everyone
amongst my ummah provided he dies without associating anything with
Allah.
Muslim
(ref: 2071), narrated Aisha:
Allah's Apostle said: If a company of Muslims numbering one hundred
pray over a dead person, all of them interceding for him, their intercession
for him will be accepted.
Muslim
(0747) narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As:
Allah's messenger said: When you hear the Mu'adhdhin,
repeat what he says, then invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invokes a
blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah: then beg from Allah al-Wasila
for me, which is a rank in Paradise fitting for only one of Allah's Servants,
and I hope that I may be that one. If anyone who asks that I be given the Wasila,
he will be assured of my intercession.
Without
doubt, all these hadiths contradict the Qur'an, and so how could the Prophet possibly have said such things?
10.4
Usefulness of Hadith literature
The two
points quite often raised in support of the Hadiths are:
(1) The Qur'an specifically says in a
number of verses to 'follow the Prophet' and hence the rejection of the Hadiths
will make it impossible to do so.
(2) How is one to pray, as the Qur'an
does not give any details of the prayers?
The
second question will be answered in section 11.2
The
answer for the first question is quite clear: 'Follow the Prophet' means, as
we have already established, to 'follow what came out of the Prophet's mouth',
and this was, of course, the Qur'an.
The Qur'an makes this point very clear in Sura 69, verses 40 to 48:
(69:40-48)
That this is verily the saying of an honoured Messenger; it is not the saying
of a poet: Little is ye believe! Nor is it the saying of a soothsayer: little
is it that ye remember! It is a revelation (Allah's words), from the Lord of
the Worlds. And if he had invented false sayings concerning Us, We assuredly
had taken him by the right hand and then severed his life-artery, and not one
of you could have held Us off from him. But verily this is a Message for those
who ward off evil.
This
shows that Allah's request for us to "follow the Prophet" directs us
to follow the Qur'an and practise the teachings of the Qur'an. The Hadiths
attributed to the Prophet are highly
questionable, as discussed before, and therefore do not merit entry into any
sensible discussion on following the Prophet, in any case.
We must
also remember that the Prophet is warned in the Qur'an that he will be punished
if he says anything against the Qur'an (see verse above and 10:15 given later
in this section). And yet the Hadiths, as discussed before, are full of
contradictions against the Qur'an and, therefore, according to the Qur'an, the
Prophet could not possibly have uttered them. Therefore, following the
Hadiths would in reality imply 'to disobey the Prophet instead of obeying him'.
Allah clearly instructs the Prophet to
'Follow what is inspired in him (i.e. the Qur'an)'. And this is
shown clearly in the following verses:
(10:15)
And when our clear revelations are recited unto them, they who look not for the
meeting with Us say: Bring a Lecture other than this, or change it Say (O
Muhammad): It is not for me to change it of my own accord, I only follow that
which is inspired in me. Lo! If I disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an
awful Day.
(6:50)
Say (O Muhammad, to the disbelievers): I say not unto you (that) I possess the
treasures of Allah, nor that I have knowledge of the Unseen; and I say not unto
you: Lo! I am an angel. I follow only that which is inspired in me. Say: Are
the blind man and the seer equal? Will ye not then take thought?
(6:106) Follow
that which is inspired in thee from thy Lord; there is no god save Him; and
turn away from the idolaters.
(7:203) And
when thou bringest not a verse for them they say: Why hast thou not chosen it?
Say: I follow only that which is inspired in me from my Lord. This (Qur'an) is
insight from your Lord, and a guidance and mercy for people that believe.
(10:109)
And (O Muhammed) follow that which is inspired in thee, and forbear until Allah
give judgement. And He is the best of judges.
(33:2)
And follow that which is inspired in thee from thy Lord. Lo! Allah is aware of
what ye do.
(46:9)
Say: I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah), nor know I what will be
done with me or you. I do but follow that which is inspired in me, and I am but
a plain warner.
What
Allah inspires through any prophet is His revelation. For Prophet Muhammad this revelation is undoubtedly contained in
the Qur'an. The
verses above do not support the following of further interpolations, or hearsay
utterances (even if genuine) in any way.
The
following verses are used often in support of the Hadiths. Let us examine:
(3:32)
Say: Obey Allah and the messenger. But if they turn away, lo! Allah loveth not
the disbelievers (in His guidance)
(4:80)
Whoso obeyeth the messenger, obeyeth Allah, and whoso turneth away: We have not
sent thee as a warder over them.
One
must look at these verses in context. They refer to the period when the Prophet
was alive and the question of obedience to him was also obedience to Allah,
because the Prophet was delivering Allah's message to the people. In fact, Allah
asks us in sura 4:49 to "obey also those who are in authority".
The
Prophet is now no longer alive and so we cannot obey him directly as people
obeyed him when he was alive. But by following the Qur'an we in effect obey
Allah, as well as the Prophet, because the Qur'an as a revelation came out of
the Prophet's mouth. Nothing of the sort can be claimed for the Hadiths which
are ascribed to him by people (of the most dubious intentions) who collected
them and attributed them to him some 250 years later.
It must
also be fully understood, that during the lifetime of the Prophet, Muhammad was
both the religious and the political leader of the growing Muslim community. As
such, he was within his rights to formulate subsidiary laws within the
permanent principles laid down by the Qur'an, just as any true Islamic State
would be able to do in order to make the laws reflect the relevant period. Our
main weakness is that in order to show our reverence and obedience to the
Prophet we blindly follow anything that has been quoted as his sayings and
practices, without checking against the Qur'an. Unfortunately, our
so-called political and religious leaders have taken full advantage of this
weakness by fabricating suitable hadiths to keep their own control and
influence over us.
We must
remember that the Qur'an was revealed as a final revelation because the
previous revelations were corrupted by human interference. If we now say in one
breath that we cannot accept the previous revelations because they have been
corrupted by human interference, how can we then say, in the same breath, that
the Hadiths are acceptable even though they are the results of human endeavour
and, without doubt, many of which contradict the Qur'an? The Hadiths can
never be classed as a revelation.
They are simply a collection of 'reported' sayings and practices of the
Prophet in which there is unquestionably some truth. Their importance however
is no more than any book of doubtful historical origin, and should be regarded
as such. To esteem such books equal with the Qur'an and to take their teachings
as 'the sunnah of the Prophet' is to falsify and debase the true meaning
of Islam. The Qur'an is the only book of revelation which has remained intact,
and only by following its teachings can we establish Allah's Deen and
bring about peace and unity for mankind.
References:
1. Development
of Muslim Theology Jurisprudence and
2. Sahih
Al-Bukhari - Volumes 1 to 9, Translated by Dr.
3. The
Bible The Qur'an and Science, by Dr. Maurice Bucaille.
4. The
Holy Qur'an, by Yusuf Ali.
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