“طلوع اسلام” The booklet named emphasized the discussion on doubt and certainty to prove the collection of hadiths unnecessary. Several sub-discussions were also presented in this regard. In the preface of the section on hadith, this question was raised:
“The Claim of the Dawn of Islam”
If you ask any Muslim, he will say that the religion consists of both the Quran and the hadith. There is no doubt that the Quran is the religion because Allah has declared it the code of religion, but is hadith also part of the religion? “طلوع اسلام” says that if hadith were part of the religion, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would have left it to the Ummah in the form of an authentic collection just like the Quran, but that did not happen.
Fallacies and Lies
There are many fallacies and lies in this excerpt, which are explained as follows:
Allah did not designate only the Quran as the code of religion: Allah Almighty has designated “بِمَا أَنْزَلَ الله” (whatever Allah has revealed) as the code of religion
. This includes every type of revelation, whether mentioned in the Quran or not.
Not providing an authentic collection of Hadith: The claim of “طلوع اسلام” that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not give the Ummah any authentic collection of Hadith is false. In fact, during the time of the Messenger ﷺ, the task of writing Hadith was carried out with his permission and encouragement.
Fallacy: It is also a fallacy to say that it was necessary to leave Hadith in the form of an authentic collection for the Ummah so that it could become part of the religion, whereas “بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ” includes every revealed revelation as part of the religion, whether written or oral.
Discussion of Assumption and Certainty
“طلوع اسلام” This claim is reiterated in another way that religion can only be that which is certain, not speculative. In this context, the saying of the hadith scholars that the knowledge of hadith is speculative has been cited. “طلوع اسلام” took advantage of this saying and the ignorance of the common people to declare all hadiths speculative and inferential, which is the main point of contention.
Linguistic Discussion of the Word “Zann”
In the linguistic discussion of the word “ظن”, we refer to Imam Raghib’s “مفردات القرآن”, which “طلوع اسلام” has also recognized as an authentic lexicon. According to Imam Raghib:
Definition of “Zann”
“The conclusion drawn from the signs of something is called ظن. If these signs are strong, they attain the status of knowledge, and if they are weak, they do not go beyond the limits of conjecture or assumption.”
Zann and Knowledge
If the signs are strong and take the form of knowledge, then in the Holy Quran “ظن” is used along with “اَنَّ” or “آن”, as in the following verses:
“الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُّلَاقُوا رَبِّهِمْ”
“Those who believe that they will meet their Lord.”
“قَالَ الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنهُمْ مُلْقُوا اللَّهِ”
“Those people said who believe that they have to appear before Allah.”
“وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ”
“And that person believed that the time of separation has now come.”
In the above verses, the word “ظن” is used in the sense of knowledge and certainty.
Further Explanation by Imam Raghib
Imam Raghib refers to more verses where “ظن” is used in the meanings of knowledge and certainty, but we are not mentioning them here due to length.
When “Zann” means doubt or conjecture
If the signs of “ظن” are weak and it does not attain the status of knowledge, then in the Holy Quran, the words “اِن” or “اِنَّ” are used with it, which indicate lack of certainty. In such verses, words like certainty, knowledge, or truth appear in contrast to “ظن”, such as:
“يَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَهِلِيَّةِ”
“They have false ignorant suspicions about Allah.”
“وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا”
“Zann (conjecture) does not benefit anything compared to the truth.”
“الظَّانِّينَ بِاللَّهِ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ”
“Those who have ill thoughts about Allah.”
“إِن نَّظُنُّ إِلَّا ظَنًّا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُسْتَيْقِنِينَ”
“We only consider it a conjecture, and we do not believe in it.”
“Tulu-e-Islam”‘s lack of honesty
The lack of honesty in the discussion of “طلوع اسلام” is that it only presented those verses where “ظن” means suspicion or conjecture and ignored those verses where “ظن” means knowledge and certainty. Whereas in the Holy Quran, there are more verses where “ظن” has come in the sense of certainty or knowledge, compared to those verses in which “ظن” means suspicion or conjecture.
The meaning of the word “Zann” according to the Hadith scholars
Some hadith scholars have used the term “ظن” for the science of hadith, but they do not mean what “طلوع اسلام” implies. The hadith scholars understood this term in the meanings illuminated by the Holy Quran and according to the commonly used meanings of that time. The hadith scholars have clarified that “ظن” has various degrees, which are less than certainty, but their meaning is by no means doubt or baseless conjecture.
Mutawatir Sunnahs and the Practice of the Ummah
Those hadiths which the Ummah has been practicing continuously since the time of the Companions, such as:
- The number of prayers being five
- The units (rak’ahs) of prayer and the method of performing them
- The principles of Hajj and Zakat
- The laws of marriage and divorce
All these hadiths fall under the practice of the Ummah, which has been transmitted generation after generation without any interruption and are definitive and certain.
Mutawatir Hadiths
Some hadiths relate not to practice but to belief, such as:
“إِنَّمَا الأعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ” “Actions are judged by intentions.”
“مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا…” “Whoever deliberately attributes something to me falsely, his abode is Hell.”
These ahadith are mutawatir and provide certain knowledge.
Precious and Famous Hadith
Precious Hadith: A hadith whose narrators are two at every level and are just and precise.
Famous Hadith: A hadith whose narrators are more than two at every level.
Such ahadith provide dominant conjecture, meaning this is a high degree of knowledge.
Gharib Hadith
Gharib Hadith: A hadith which has only one narrator at some level. Aziz, Mashhoor, and Gharib are three types of solitary reports, and for these ahadith, the muhaddithin have used the word “ظنی علم”. But here too, “ظن” does not mean doubt but dominant conjecture.
Explanation of Conjecture and Knowledge
The hadith scholars have also used the term “علم” along with “ظن”, which does not mean doubt or suspicion. The hadith scholars examined every hadith considering the principles of narration and understanding, then clearly expressed their opinion whether the hadith is authentic, good, weak, or fabricated.
“The Rise of Islam” Objection
One objection by “طلوع اسلام” is why the classification of hadiths is done, for example, authentic, good, weak, etc. The hadith scholars have clarified that from the perspective of acceptance, there are only two types of hadiths: accepted and rejected. This indicates the breadth and scholarly depth of the science of hadith.
Types of Accepted Hadith
The following are the types of accepted hadith:
- Mutawatir
- Mashhoor
- Aziz
- Ghareeb
- Sahih
- Hasan
- Muhkam
- Mahfuz
- Maruf
- Mursal al-Sahabi
Types of Rejected Hadith
The following are the types of rejected hadith:
- Mawdu
- Matrook
- Daif
- Mutarab
- Shadh
- Munkar
- Mu’allaal
- Mu’azzal
- Munaqit
Difference of Intellects
It is true that the process of criticism and scrutiny of hadiths should continue, but this right belongs only to experts. It is not correct to grant this right to everyone, because rejecting hadiths solely based on reason without expertise in the science of hadith is not proper. The muhaddithin have examined hadiths according to the principles of narration and understanding, and declaring hadiths invalid without their efforts is mere ignorance.
Foundations of Religion on Predominant Assumptions
Review of the Objections of “Tulu-e-Islam”
“طلوع اسلام” has raised several objections regarding hadiths and their status, which need to be reconsidered:
- If hadiths were part of the religion, then why did the Prophet ﷺ not leave an authentic collection of hadiths for the Ummah like the Quran?
- Certainty (definitive knowledge) is obtained from the Quran, whereas hadiths provide only speculative knowledge, and speculation cannot be part of religion.
- Certainty is obtained from mutawatir (consecutive) reports, but no such mutawatir report exists.
- Due to the meaning-based transmission, alteration of words is certain; therefore, the texts of hadiths are also speculative.
- The process of criticism and authentication is also speculative because it relates to human inner qualities, which cannot be known with certainty.
The Nature of Speculation: Can Speculation be Religion?
“طلوع اسلام” has tried to give the public the impression that speculation merely means doubt and suspicion, but the muhaddithin have taken “ظن” to mean useful knowledge from indications, i.e., “dominant conjecture,” and this meaning is also proven from the Holy Quran.
Reasoning from the Quran: Dominant Conjecture and Religion
Testimony is a speculative matter, but the Quran has accepted it as a reliable basis in religion. For example:
“يَأْيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوْا شَهَدَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ…”
“O you who have believed, when death approaches one of you, take witnesses among yourselves as just.”
“فَجَزَاء مِثْلُ مَا قَتَلَ مِنَ النَّعَمِ…”
“For the expiation of hunting, let two just persons from among you determine the animal.”
These verses prove that testimony based on strong conjecture is valid in the Quran and can be the basis for religious decisions.
Results of Actions and Conjecture
Whatever religious deeds we perform, we cannot be certain whether their results will be accepted by Allah or not. As stated in the Quran:
“تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ…”
“They call upon their Lord with fear and hope.”
Here, both fear and hope are matters of conjecture, yet they are still part of the religion.
Opinions of the Imams of Rijal and Maulana Maududi
Maulana Maududi, while appreciating the knowledge and research of the Muhaddithin, said:
“The work of the Muhaddithin was indeed great, but since they were human, human weaknesses could be included in their research.”
Maulana Maududi’s admission that there can be human weaknesses in Isma al-Rijal and Jarh wa Ta’dil does not deny that beneficial knowledge is obtained from these sciences. His research has been accepted as dominant probability, and under this, later hadith scholars opened the door for further investigation.
Religious Status of Zann
The word “ظن” used by the hadith scholars does not mean mere conjecture or doubt, but rather “knowledge reached through human investigation.” The Quranic verse:
“لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا”
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear.”
This verse clarifies that humans are expected to investigate and decide according to their capacity, and decisions based on dominant probability can be part of religion.
Conclusion
The objection of “طلوع اسلام” that speculation cannot be religion is an attempt to mislead the public. The scholars of Hadith have accepted speculation as knowledge reaching the level of certainty, and the Quran has also accepted dominant speculation as a basis for religious rulings. Therefore, dominant speculation can be part of religion, and it is wrong to consider Hadith only as historical.
Argument from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stated an important principle:
“إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ، وَإِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَى…”
“You bring your disputes to me; it may be that someone is more skillful in presenting evidence and I judge in his favor, but if he takes his brother’s unjust right, he will carry a piece of fire.”
From this Hadith, we learn some important points:
- Possibility of falsehood in witnesses’ statements: The court decides based on these statements, although there is a possibility of falsehood in the witnesses’ statements.
- Possibility of error in the judge’s decision: Even if the judge decides honestly, there remains a possibility of error in the decision based on the falsehood of the witnesses.
- Decision is enforced despite error: Despite the fact that someone may obtain an unlawful right through false statements in court, the decision is still enforced, and this process is part of the administration of religion.
Question
- Are such Islamic courts, which decide under divine law, part of the religion or not?
- Should judicial decisions be abandoned due to the possibility of doubt? Certainly not, because these courts operate under obedience to God even on the basis of doubt, and the one who takes an unlawful decision will receive punishment in the Hereafter.
Reasoning from religious practices
Suppose you forget in prayer whether you have performed three or four units. In this case, your dominant assumption will guide you. You will act according to the prevailing doubt and perform the prostration of forgetfulness. This is exactly the religion, even though it is not based on certainty.
Hadith: “دَعَ مَا يُرِيبُكَ إِلَى مَا لَا يُرِيبُكَ”
“Leave that which causes doubt and choose that which does not cause doubt.”
This hadith proves that if the intention is pure and the dominant assumption prevails, then even if there is an error in ijtihad, there is no harm in religion.
Review of the “Rise of Islam” Theory
“طلوع اسلام” claims that only the laws present in the Quran are immutable, and the rest of the laws will be formulated according to the requirements of the “مرکز ملت” era. Now the question is:
- Basis of the laws of Markaz-e-Millat: Will the laws made by Markaz-e-Millat be based on certainty? Will there be no influence of human weaknesses and personal inclinations there?
- Speculative and estimated laws: If the laws of Markaz-e-Millat are also based on speculation, will they be part of religion? Whereas nothing except the Quran is definitive?
Reasoning from the routines of everyday life
All matters of the world, whether religious or worldly, operate on speculation. For example:
- A merchant is not certain that a trade will be profitable; he works on hope.
- A king hopes for victory in war, although defeat is also possible.
- A farmer cultivates the land, but his basis is not certainty but hope.
This prevailing speculation is called “ظن” by the Muhaddithin, and it is an essential part of human practical life, whether the matter is religious or worldly.
Summary of the article
The objections raised by “طلوع اسلام” regarding hadiths and conjecture are actually attempts to mislead the public. The principles and rules established by the muhaddithin and scholars in the investigation of hadiths were not based on doubt or uncertainty but on dominant conjecture, which is a form of useful knowledge and assumption that human intellect and understanding bring as close as possible to certainty.
The Status of Hadiths and Conjecture
The muhaddithin used the term ظن as “dominant conjecture,” which is not a substitute for certain knowledge but can be relied upon in practical life. Even in the Holy Quran, testimonies and judicial decisions are based on ظن because human knowledge is limited. Nevertheless, these decisions are considered part of the religion.
Religion Based on Conjecture
Whether it is the judicial system or daily religious matters such as mistakes in prayer, decisions based on ظنِ غالب are made, and these decisions are part of the religion. Although absolute certainty is not attained, still they are followed under obedience to Allah.
“The Theory of the Rise of Islam”
The claim of “طلوع اسلام” that all laws except the Quran are speculative and uncertain, and cannot be part of the religion, itself reveals the weakness of their own theory. They claim that “مرکز ملت” will make laws according to the demands of the time, but the basis of these laws will also not be certainty but ظن.
The Role of Speculation in General Matters
All worldly affairs run on the basis of ظن, whether it is trade, agriculture, or governance. No person has complete certainty in every matter, rather life is lived on ظن and hope. This same reality applies to religious matters as well.
Conclusion
ظن, when based on evidence and taking the form of strong presumption, can become a part of religion. The classification of hadiths by muhaddithin and fuqaha under ظنِ غالب is a natural human process, which Islam has accepted. Along with certainty, ظنِ غالب also holds an important place in religion and it falls within the scope of obedience to Allah.
