The Trial of Denying Hadith: A Scholarly Refutation of Azizullah Bohio’s Misguided Thoughts

Initial Introduction

(1) Background of the Author

The esteemed author is a great preacher and da’i and a lover of knowledge. He is the Deputy Chief Administrator of Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith Sindh and is passionate about defending the truth. The present article is a part of this series.

(2) Background of the Writing

When a person named Azizullah Bohio gave rise to the fitna of “Denial of Hadith,” the author responded to his objections and defended the Hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in a comprehensive manner. This response, spanning several hundred pages, has now appeared in the form of a voluminous book. Since this writing is in the Sindhi language and many people are unfamiliar with Sindhi, at our request, the esteemed author himself has translated it into Urdu, adorning the pages of Ishaat-ul-Hadith.

الحمد لله رب العلمين والصلوة والسلام على رسوله الأمين ، أما بعد:

Objections of Azizullah Bohio

Azizullah Bohio, objecting to the Shariah status of “Hadith,” writes: “To the devout who are troubled by my words and to the pious Muslims who love Islam, I request, appeal, and beseech that they go and ask the esteemed scholars whether the Holy Quran needs others for its interpretation and explanation? The Lord Almighty has called the Quran تبيَانًا لِكُلّ شَيْءٍ the one that explains everything clearly. Introducing the Quran, the Lord says: هُوَ الَّذِي انْزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَبَ مُفَصَّلا

meaning the Lord has sent you a detailed book. In Surah Dukhan, verse 58, Allah Almighty says: فَإِنَّمَا يَشَرْنُهُ بِلِسَانِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ meaning We have made the Quran easy in your language so that they may take admonition. Yet, the scholars went beyond the Quran and, to establish the principles of religion, declared the fabricated hadiths of the Persian Imams as the essence of religion and made non-Quranic matters from them part of the religion. These scholars have also declared consensus (Ijma) as the essence of religion, for which they have no authentic reference.”

Summary of the Quran and the Statement of the Prophetic Sunnah ﷺ

It should be known that the Holy Quran is the speech of Allah Almighty and is uncreated. The fundamental commandments of the religion of Islam have been briefly stated by Allah Almighty in the Holy Quran. The complete details of these commandments and their practical example were explained and demonstrated by our Master Muhammad ﷺ, which in the world of knowledge is called Sunnah or Hadith. Allah Almighty, describing the standard and status of the speech of His beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, says:

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ، إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

“And he does not speak from his own desire. It is only a revelation revealed.”

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَا تَكُن لِّلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا ‎

“Indeed, We have sent down to you the Book in truth so that you may judge between the people by that which Allah has shown you. And do not be an advocate for the deceitful.”
From the aforementioned blessed verses of the Holy Quran, it is clearly understood that the Noble Prophet ﷺ never expressed any personal desire or wish in any matter or command of religion, rather whatever he said and did was according to the teaching of divine revelation. Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has not only revealed the Holy Quran to you but has also taken upon Himself the responsibility to preserve it in your blessed heart and to explain its meaning and purpose. Allah the Exalted says:

إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ ‎، ‏ فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ ، ‏ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ ‏

“Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation. So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation. Then upon Us is its clarification [to you].”

وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And We have sent down to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.”

Practical Evidence and Preservation of Hadith

From the two mentioned verses, it is understood that all the commands of religion revealed by Allah in the Holy Quran have their meanings, interpretations, and practical examples explained by Allah through Jibra’il (Gabriel) to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah had strictly bound His Prophet (peace be upon him) to explain these commands to his Ummah exactly as they were explained to him. Obviously, if a command is explained in one’s own words, it will differ from the original and may even exceed the original in meaning. Here, people are also warned to refer only and solely to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to understand the commands of the Holy Quran. Those who speak only of the Quran, we ask them: What will you call the verbal and practical explanation and clarification of the commands of religion that the Master of the Quran, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), gave in obedience to Allah’s command, and in what form is it present with us today? From the first revelation to the last, no companion memorized the detailed explanation and interpretation of the Quran given by the Prophet (peace be upon him)? Among the vast number of companions, no one transmitted that interpretation and explanation? If this is taken seriously, then how can the Quranic command:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَلْنَا الذِكرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحفِظُونَ

“We have sent down the Reminder (Quran), and We will surely guard it.”
be understood as true, that the Quran is preserved but the explanation and clarification given by the Master of the Quran is lost? When Allah has taken the responsibility of protecting the Quran, then the responsibility of its explanation is also entrusted to Him. Allah has fulfilled His promise.
From بسم اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ اَلحَمْدُ لِله to والناس, not only is the Holy Quran preserved and protected, but its explanation and clarification given by the Master of the Quran, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), is preserved in verbal, practical, and narrated Hadith form and will remain preserved until the Day of Judgment. ان شاء الله
It should be kept in mind that no person in any era can understand the commands, terms, and words mentioned in the Holy Quran unless he refers to the Master of Revelation, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). If someone tries to understand the Quran by dictionary, his intellect, or personal opinion, misguidance will be his destiny. Even in the era when the Quran was being revealed and the Master of the Quran, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was present, those who spoke, understood, and wrote Arabic could not understand the commands of the Holy Quran. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) that he heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) say:

خُذُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةٍ: مِنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَبَدَاً بِهِ

“Learn the Quran from four (men): Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him),” and then he began with their names.
From this blessed Hadith, it is understood that Allah had granted Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) great knowledge and understanding of the Holy Quran. Let us read an incident from the blessed life of this knowledgeable person. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him):

لَمَّا نَزَلَت: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ لَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ يظلم

شَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وَقَالُوا: أَيُّنا لا يَظْلِمُ نَفْسَهُ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: لَيْسَ هُوَ كَمَا تَظُنُّونَ، إِنَّمَا هُوَ كَمَا قَالَ لقَمَانُ لِابْنِهِ: يُبْنَى لَا تُشْرِكْ بِاللهِ ، إِنَّ الشَّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

When the verse was revealed: “Those who believe and do not mix their faith with injustice,” the companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah be pleased with them) were troubled and said: Who among us has not committed injustice? Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “This injustice is not what you think, but it means shirk (associating partners with Allah), as Luqman (peace be upon him) said to his son: ‘O my son! Do not associate partners with Allah; indeed, shirk is a great injustice.'”

The Holy Quran is the Word of Allah and His attribute. To understand the meaning and significance of every verse and every word, one must refer to the Master of the Quran, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In fact, to know the meaning and interpretation of words present in authentic Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is also needed. A long Hadith narrated from Amir al-Mu’minin Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), famous as “Hadith Jibril,” contains these words:

فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِحْسَانِ ، قَالَ: أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَّمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ

Then he asked, “Tell me what is Ihsan (excellence)?” He said: “Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then surely He sees you.”

The two examples mentioned describe the era when the souls of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Maulvi Abdullah Chakralvi, Maulvi Chiragh Ali, Maulvi Aslam Jira Japuri, Chaudhry Ghulam Ahmad Parvez, Maulvi Ahmad Deen Amritsari, Maulvi Muhibb al-Haq Azimabadi, Tamanna Amadi, Qamar Deen Qamar, Niaz Fathpuri, Syed Maqbool Ahmad, Allama Mashriqi, Hashmat Ali Lahori, Master Muhammad Ramzan Gujarati, Syed Rafiuddin Multani, Shibli Nomani, Hamiduddin Farahi, Amin Ahsan Islahi, Abu al-Ala Maududi, Mahmood Ahmad Abbasi, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, and Azizullah Bohio, etc., were in the realm of spirits. Among the great companions (may Allah be pleased with them), there were many great scholars and jurists, yet they could not understand the meaning of divine revelation.
They became distressed and came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and mentioned their difficulty. He gave them such an easy answer in the light of divine revelation that they became satisfied and gave a message for those who would come later: Whenever you face any scholarly confusion in life, do not despair; refer to the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and your scholarly difficulty will be resolved. This incident proves that even the greatest scholars may face difficulty in understanding, explaining, and acting upon the Holy Quran. The incident of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) contains the advice that if anyone in any era faces difficulty in understanding any part of the Holy Quran, he should follow the method of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and refer to the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) rather than following his personal opinion or thought. Allah, the Exalted, has also commanded:

فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللهِ وَالرَّسُولِ

“So if you differ in anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger.”
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى قَدْ تَرَكْتُ فِيكُمُ مَا إِنِ اعْتَصَمْتُم بِهِ فَلَنْ تَضِلُّوا أَبَدًا كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةَ نَبِيه صلى الله عليه وسلم ……..

“O people! I am leaving among you two things; if you hold fast to them, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah (the Holy Quran) and the Sunnah of His Prophet (Hadith).”

Since the beginning of the blessed chain of Prophets and Messengers until the Seal of the Prophets, Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace be upon him), all the Prophets and Messengers had the responsibility to explain and clarify the revelation sent down by Allah. Allah Almighty says:

وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرِ أَنْ تُكَلِمَهُ اللهُ إِلَّا وَحْيا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَائِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحَى بِاِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ عَلَى حَكِيمٌ

“And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil or by sending a messenger to reveal by His permission whatever He wills. Indeed, He is Most High, Most Wise.”
Like other Prophets, Allah also sent down with His last Prophet, Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace be upon him), not only the Holy Quran but also that which explains it. Allah says:

وَاَنْزَلَ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ

“And Allah has sent down upon you the Book and wisdom.”

وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَى فِي بُيُوتِكُنَ مِنْ أَيْتِ اللهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ

“And remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom (the sayings of the Sunnah).”

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِينَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ أَيْتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الكتب وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَللٍ مُّبِينِ

“He it is Who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error.”
In the above-mentioned blessed verses, along with the Book of Allah, i.e., the Holy Quran, حكمة is mentioned. What is meant by wisdom? Some sayings of the Salaf and Khalaf are presented regarding this. The famous Muhaddith Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

فَذَكَرَ اللهُ الْكِتَابَ ، وَهُوَ الْقُرْآنُ وَ ذَكَرَ الْحِكْمَةَ ، فَسَمِعْتُ مَنْ أَرْضَى مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بِالْقُرْآن يَقُولُ: الْحِكْمَةُ سُنَّةٌ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ….

“Allah (Exalted) mentioned the Book in this verse, which is the Quran, and the حكمة mentioned, I heard from those knowledgeable in the Quran whom I like (due to their knowledge and practice) that حكمة means the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).”

The famous mufassir Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:

وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ: يَعْنِى الْقُرْآنُ ، وَالْحِكْمَةَ: يَعْنِي السُّنَّةُ

Allama Muhammad bin Ali al-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:

وَالْحِكْمَةُ: السُّنَّة النَّبِوِي مَعَ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ

Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Nasir as-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:

وَالْحِكْمَةُ إِمَّا السُّنَّةَ الَّتِي قَدْ قَالَ فِيهَا بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ: إِنَّ السُّنَّةَ تنزل عَلَيْهِ كَمَا يَنْزِلُ الْقُرْآنَ

Hazrat Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“To follow the command of the Quran and Hadith, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘I am leaving among you something; if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray: one is the Book of Allah, i.e., the Quran, and the other is the Sunnah of the Prophet, i.e., the Hadith.'”

Respected readers are presented with some sayings of the Salaf and Khalaf scholars from which it is understood that Allah Almighty sent down with His beloved Prophet Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace be upon him) not only the Holy Quran but also something similar called Hikmah (wisdom), Sunnah, and Hadith. The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and its importance and necessity are known from the fact that the era in which Muhammad (peace be upon him) came as a Prophet was an era of ignorance, disbelief, and polytheism. The whole of humanity was engulfed in misguidance from head to toe. See

. Approximately six centuries had passed from the ascension of Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him) to the revelation upon Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace be upon him). Due to his invitation and following the Quran and Hadith, ignorance, misguidance, and bad deeds gradually began to diminish. A time came when Allah was pleased with the group that followed the Quran and Hadith, and He revealed this:

رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ

“Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.”

“The baseless claim of fabricated hadiths by the Imams of Persia”

Aziz Allah Bohio has described the great treasury of Ahadith as a fabrication of the Imams of Persia.

We ask Aziz Allah Bohio and his associates that since you believe in deriving every matter’s proof solely from the Holy Quran, then kindly tell us from which Surah and which verse of the Quran did you learn this? The truth is that this matter is nowhere present in any of the 114 Surahs of the Holy Quran; therefore, it is a great lie and a baseless accusation. Contrary to this slander, when we ask the Wise Quran, we find that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, Himself has described the speech of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, in the Holy Quran by the blessed word “Hadith.” The Almighty’s command is:

وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ النَّبِيُّ إِلَى بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ حَدِيثًا

“And remember when the Prophet spoke to some of his wives a private word.”
The Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), also named his speech as Hadith. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he asked: O Messenger of Allah! Who will be most deserving of your intercession on the Day of Judgment? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied:

لَقَد ظَنَنْتُ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ أَنْ لَا يَسْأَلُنِى عَنْ هَذَا الحَدِيثِ أَحَدٌ أَوَّلُ مِنْكَ لِمَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ حِرْصِكَ عَلَى الحَدِيثِ

“O Abu Hurairah! I was certain that no one would ask me about this Hadith before you, because I saw your eagerness regarding the Hadith.”

Allah calls the speech of His beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) Hadith, and the Prophet himself names his speech Hadith, yet Aziz Allah Bohio and his followers say that “Hadith is fabricated by the Imams of Persia.”
Any Muslim who has a heart in his chest and even a particle of love for Muhammad (peace be upon him) and affection for his Hadith and Sunnah will surely feel the stench and poison in Bohio’s words. Such people’s tongues and pens show uniformity. At the time of the Quran’s revelation, the Jews, Christians, and polytheists were not willing to accept that the Quran is the Word of Allah. They called the Wise Quran stories of past peoples, open magic, the speech of soothsayers, poetry of poets, and human speech. Contrary to these baseless accusations, the Quran maintained the honor of being the Word of Allah. These Jews, Christians, and polytheists, after tiring, admitted defeat that they could not compete with the Quran. Then, instead of ending this movement, they changed its direction. They prepared a secret conspiracy and handed it over to so-called Muslims and worshippers of the belly to propagate that Hadith is not divine revelation. Then they found a few such people who agreed with them; as a result of this sacrifice and bargain of conscience, they received certificates of intellectuals and philosophers and ample financial benefits for personal needs. The task that the enemies of religion could not accomplish, they are determined to do by making these so-called Muslims. The renowned scholar Maulana Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri (may Allah have mercy on him) has refuted such people in detail.
Honorable readers, some of these facts are presented here. He writes:
“Let us first see whether the collectors of these collections of Ahadith were Iranian or not? In the first era of narrators of Hadith, the foremost names are Ibn Shihab Zuhri, Saeed bin Al-Musayyib, Urwah bin Zubair, and Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on them all). All of these belong to the most honorable Arab tribe of Quraysh, and the latter is known as the fifth rightly guided Caliph in Islamic history. Similarly, among the first era compilers of Hadith, Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) is foremost, followed by Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him), and then Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him). The collections of these three Imams are the most accepted and popular throughout the Ummah. These three are purely of Arab descent. Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) is from the tribe of Dhi Asbah, Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) from the most honorable branch of Quraysh, Banu Hashim, and Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) from the tribe of Shayban. These Banu Shayban are the same whose sword, Khara Shaghaf, had given a humiliating defeat to the Persian army of Khosrow Parvez in the Battle of Dhi Far before the rise of the Sun of Islam, and who not only showed steadfastness during the Ridda (apostasy) wars instigated by Persian conspiracies in the time of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) but also played a decisive role in crushing this fitnah from Eastern Arabia, thereby significantly strengthening the Arab Islamic Caliphate. Then, the sword of Shahbaz Musanna bin Haritha Shaybani opened the door of victory over Iran for the caravan of Hijaz.
Finally, can you tell what kind of Iranian conspiracy was this whose reins were in the hands of Arabs? Whose patron was an Arab Caliph? And for whose success such prominent Arab personalities sacrificed their lives, some of whose tribes were famously hostile to Iran worldwide? Can any sane person accept such foul tales even for a moment? The truth is that today, the authors of the Hadith books prevalent and accepted in the Ummah, except for a few, were Arabs. Below, we provide a list of such Arab Muhaddithin so that the truth becomes clear.
Aziz Allah Bohio has called the Sahih Ahadith present in صحيح بخاري ، صحيح مسلم ، سنن الترمذي ، سنن أبى داود ، سنن النسائي ، سنن ابن ماجه ، مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل ، صحيح ابن خزيمة ، صحيح ابن حبان ، السنن الكبرىٰ للبيهقي ، السنن الكبرىٰ للنسائي ، سنن الدارقطني ، المستدرك للحاكم ، سنن الدارمي ، مؤطا إمام مالك ، مسند أبى عوانة ، المعجم الكبير ، المعجم الصغير ، المعجم الاوسط للطبراني ، مجمع الزوائد ، مصنف ابن أبى شيبة ، مصنف عبد الرزاق ، مسند بزار ، مسند أبى يعلٰى الموصلي ، شرح مشكل الآثار للطحاوي اور الأحاديث المختارة للضياء المقدسي وغيره “non-Quranic matters and a conspiracy of the Imams of Persia.” He has repeatedly chanted the slogans of Tafakkur (reflection) on the Quran, understanding the Quran, and the philosophy of the Quran in his writings. We present here some excerpts from his book

so that readers may become acquainted with his “Quranic understanding.” He writes:
I humbly request the readers to primarily keep their eyes on the Wise Quran for guidance for the future and coming times. How the traces of our glorious past have been destroyed, how Persian historians have reversed and badly defamed us, how historians and Muhaddithin fabricated thousands of false Ahadith about disputes and quarrels among the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) — I will also present the confirmations of these revelations from Iranian intellectuals themselves. But in between, I say that I am neither Sunni nor Shia nor of any other sect; may Allah keep me alive as a Quranic Muslim and grant me death as such. And the renowned twentieth-century Iranian historian Hussain Kazemzadeh writes in his book “The Spirit of Iran in Historical Periods” that the great Roman priest Cardinal Thomas Mill in the eleventh century AD wrote about them that these conspirators kept pigeons in Samarkand, Kufa, and Medina for communication and correspondence, using them to send and receive letters.”

“I will give a somewhat detailed introduction to two books and only list the names of others. The first book is a diary of a person famous because of the story of Karbala, but in reality, he was the governor of Spain during the time of the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman bin Abdul Malik and Umar bin Abdul Aziz. Hur bin Abdul Rahman wrote his diary in Arabic, which about two hundred years later came into the hands of a Spanish officer named Simon Ashbilia, who translated the broken and dilapidated parts of this diary into Spanish. From this translated book, an Englishman named Dennis Montgomery wrote in 1910 that
This diary, written under the name “Tadhkirah Hur bin Abdul Rahman,” consists of about three hundred pages.”

“For reading the facts properly, the books we recommend to read to see the other side of the historical record are: Hujjatullah Ali Mousavi’s book ‘Mizan al-Faris,’ the personal diary of the Andalusian governor Hur bin Abdul Rahman ‘Tadhkirah Hur bin Abdul Rahman,’ Niaz Ahmad’s book ‘Riwayat Afk’ to understand Imam Zuhri, all books of Allama Tamanna Amadi, Dr. Taha Hussein’s book ‘Fitnat al-Kubra,’ Yaquut Hamawi’s book ‘Aja’ib al-Tarikh,’ Allama Habib ur Rahman Kandhlawi’s book ‘Madhhabi Dastanain aur un ki Haqiqat,’ Dr. Shabbir Ahmad’s book ‘Islam ke Mujrim aur Karbala ki Haqiqat.'”

Consensus of the Ummah and Its Authority

Muhaddith of the era Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai, may Allah have mercy on him, has quoted the statements of numerous scholars regarding the authority of the consensus of the Ummah in light of the mentioned verse of Surah An-Nisa

, which we present before the readers:

➊ Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Musa bin Muhammad Al-Shatibi wrote:

ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَامَّةَ الْعُلَمَاءِ اسْتَدَلُّوا بِهَا عَلى كَونِ الْإِجْمَاعِ وَ أَنَّ مُخَالِفَهُ عَاصِ وَ عَلَى أَنَّ الْاِبْتِدَاعَ فِي الدِّينِ مَنْمُومٌ

Then the general scholars deduced from this verse that consensus is authoritative and whoever opposes it is sinful, and it was also argued that introducing innovation in religion is blameworthy.

➋ Burhanuddin Ibrahim bin Umar Al-Baqa’i wrote in the explanation and interpretation of this verse:

وَهَذِهِ الآيَةُ دَالَّةٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الإِجْمَاعَ حُجَّةٌ

And this verse is evidence that consensus is authoritative.

➌ Hanafi jurist Abu al-Laith Nasr bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim as-Samarqandi

wrote in the interpretation of the mentioned verse:

وَ فِي الآيَةِ دَلِيلٌ: أَنَّ الْإِجْمَاعَ حُجَّةٌ لأَنَّ مَنْ خَالَفَ الْإِجْمَاعَ فَقَدْ خَالَفَ سَبِيْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

And the verse is evidence that consensus is authoritative, because whoever opposes consensus opposes the path of the believers.

➍ Qadi Abdullah bin Umar al-Baydawi said in the explanation of this verse:

وَالآيَةُ تَدُلُّ عَلى حُرْمَةِ مُخَالِفَةِ الإِجْمَاع

And the verse indicates that opposing consensus is forbidden.

Allah Almighty says: وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ آنَابَ إِلَى

“And follow the way of him who turns to Me.”
The famous mufassir Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, writes in the interpretation of this verse:

يَعْنِي الْمُؤْمِنِين

Meaning, follow the path of all the believers.

This blessed verse is also evidence of the authority of the consensus of the Ummah.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَا يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ أَبَدًا وَيَدُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْجَمَاعَةِ

“Allah will never gather my Ummah upon error, and the hand of Allah is upon the Jama’ah (group).”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

ثَلَاثٌ لَا يُغِلُّ عَلَيْهِنَّ قَلْبُ مُسْلِمٍ: إِخْلَاصُ العَمَلِ لِلَّهِ، وَمُنَاصَحَةُ أَئِمَّةِ المُسْلِمِينَ ، وَلْزُومُ جَمَاعَتِهِمْ ، فَإِنَّ الدَّعْوَةَ تُحِيطُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ

“There are three things about which the heart of a Muslim is not deceived (i.e., these three qualities exist in a Muslim’s heart): purity of action, the well-wishing of Muslim rulers, and remaining with the Muslim group, because the supplication surrounds those behind them.”

Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, said about such hadiths:

وَأَمْرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ بِلُزُومِ جَمَاعَةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِمَّا يُحْتَجَّ بِهِ فِي أَنَّ إِجْمَاعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ . إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَازِم

And the command of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to hold firmly to the Jama’ah of Muslims is among the evidences that, God willing, the consensus of Muslims is obligatory (proof).

Abrogation in Religion and Gradual Changes in Commands

In every era, the commands of Shariah have changed from time to time. This process has continued in religion as well. Several such incidents are mentioned in the Holy Quran and the noble Hadiths.
Allah Almighty says:
➊ وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ

“And do not marry women whom your fathers have married, except what has already passed.”
➋ It is also stated: وَاَنْ تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ

“And do not marry two sisters simultaneously (this is also forbidden), except what has already passed.”
➌ In the early days of Islam, if a fasting Muslim fell asleep before breaking the fast at Iftar time, then he could neither eat nor have intercourse with his wife; it was permissible for him. Later, leniency was introduced in both these rulings.

➍ Rafi’ ibn Khadij (RA) narrates:

قَدِمَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ ، وَهُمْ يَأْبُرُونَ النَّخْلَ ، يَقُولُونَ يُلَقَّحُونَ النَّخْلَ ، فَقَالَ: مَا تَصْنَعُونَ؟ قَالُوا: كُنَّا نَصْنَعُهُ ، قَالَ: لَعَلَّكُمْ لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا كَانَ خَيْرًا فَتَرَكُوهُ ، فَنَفَضَتْ أَوْ فَنَقَصَتْ، قَالَ فَذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ، إِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ دِينِكُمْ فَخُذُوا بِهِ ، وَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ رَأْبِي ، فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ

When the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) came to Medina, the people there used to graft palm trees; they called it “gabhah.” He asked, “What are you doing?” They said, “We have been doing this.” He said, “If you do not do this, it might be better.” Then they stopped grafting, and as a result, the palm yield decreased. The narrator said: Then this matter was mentioned to the Noble Prophet (PBUH) again, and he said, “I am also a human being. When I convey to you a matter of religion, hold firmly to it, and when I say something from my own opinion, remember that I am only a human.”

➎ It is narrated from Buraidah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ زِيَارَةِ الْقُبُورِ، فَزُورُوهَا ، وَنَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ لُحُومِ الْأَضَاحِي فَوْقَ ثَلَاثٍ، فَأَمْسِكُوا مَا بَدَا لَكُمْ، وَنَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنِ النَّبِيدِ إِلَّا فِي سِقَاءٍ، فَاشْرَبُوا فِي الاسْقِيَةِ كُلَّهَا ، وَلَا تَشْرَبُوا مُسْكِرًا

“I forbade you from visiting graves, so now visit them for admonition and supplication for the deceased. I forbade you from keeping sacrificial meat for more than three days; now keep it as long as you wish. I forbade you from making Nabidh except in leather containers; now make it in any vessel you like, but it should not be intoxicating.”

➏ It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (RA):

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَنَأْمُرُ بِحَاجَتِنَا ، فَقَدِمْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي ، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ السَّلَامَ ، فَأَخَذَنِي مَا قَدُمَ وَمَا حَدُثَ ، فَلَمَّا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الصَّلَاةَ قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ قَدْ أَحْدَتَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ لَا تَكَلَّمُوا فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ السَّلَامَ

We used to say salam during prayer and also talk about our needs with people. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while he was praying. I greeted him, but he did not respond to my salam. This caused me great sorrow and worries. When the Prophet (PBUH) finished the prayer, he said: “Allah Almighty changes His commands as He wills. Now He has commanded that no talking should be done during prayer.” Then he responded to my salam.

➐ It is narrated from Sayyidna Basrah ibn Ma’bad al-Juhani (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنِّي قَدْ كُنْتُ أَذِنْتُ لَكُمْ فِي الاسْتِمْتَاعِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ حَرَّمَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

“O people! I had permitted you temporary marriage (mut’ah) with women, but now Allah has forbidden it until the Day of Judgment.”

➑ It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) that:

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ أَكْلِ الْحِمَارِ الْأَهْلِيِّ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ، وَكَانَ النَّاسُ احْتَاجُوا إِلَيْهَا

“The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade eating the meat of domesticated donkeys on the day of Khaibar, even though people were in dire need due to severe hunger.”

From the stated evidences, it is clear that all the commands of religion were revealed from the heavens in the form of revelation. If Allah Almighty wished to change any of the revealed commands, He did so through revelation. During the blessed time when revelation was being sent down, neither the owner of the revelation, Muhammad (PBUH), objected to any change or abrogation of a command, nor did the great assembly of the noble companions (RA) refuse to accept such changes. This includes the prohibition of writing down Hadiths. In the early period of Islam, it was forbidden to write the Quran and Hadith together in one place; later, permission was granted for this, some proofs of which are present:

➊ Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
When Allah (the Exalted) granted victory to His Messenger (peace be upon him) over Makkah, he stood before the people, and after praising Allah, he said:

فَلَا يُنفَرُ صَيْدُهَا ، وَلَا يُخْتَلَى شَوْكُهَا، وَلَا تَحِلُّ سَاقِطَتُهَا إِلَّا لِمُنْشِدٍ، وَمَنْ قُتِلَ لَهُ قَتِيلٌ فَهُوَ بِخَيْرِ النَّظَرَينِ، إِمَّا أَنْ يُفْدَى وَإِمَّا أَنْ يُقِيدَ ، فَقَالَ العَبَّاسُ: إِلَّا الإِذْخِرَ ، فَإِنَّا نَجْعَلُهُ لِقُبُورِنَا وَبُيُوتِنَا ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: إِلَّا الإِذْخِرَ فَقَامَ أَبُو شَاهِ – رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ – فَقَالَ: اكْتُبُوا لِي يَارَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: اكْتُبُوا لَّا بِي شَاہ

“The game should neither be disturbed nor its thorns cut, and the fallen fruit here will only be lawful for the one who announces it, and the one whose person has been killed has two options: either to take ransom from the killer or to take life for life.”
Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: But allow cutting of grass because we use it for our graves and homes. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “But cutting of grass is allowed.” Then a man from Yemen named Abu Shah stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), write these things down for me. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Write it down for Abu Shah.”

➋ From Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him), in the incident of sending letters by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to the kings, it is narrated:

ثُمَّ دَعَا بِكِتَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الَّذِى بَعَثَ بِهِ دِحْيَةٌ إِلَى عَظِيمٍ بُصْرَى ، فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى هِرَ قْلَ، فَقَرَأَهُ فَإِذَا فِيهِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرحِيم ، مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى هِرَ قْلَ عَظِيمِ الرُّومِ: سَلَامٌ عَلَى من اتَّبَعَ الهُدَى، أَمَّا بَعْدُ ، فَإِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ بِدِعَايَةِ الإِسْلَامِ ، أَسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ ، يُؤْتِكَ اللَّهُ أَجْرَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ ، فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ فَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ إِثْمَ الْارِيسِيِّينَ

Then they asked for the letter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) which he had sent through Wahita al-Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him) to the governor of Basra. When it was read, it said: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a letter from the servant of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the King of Rome. Peace be upon the one who follows guidance. After this, I invite you to Islam. If you accept Islam, you will be safe and Allah will give you a double reward. But if you turn away from my invitation, then the sin of your subjects will be upon you.

Explanation:

Azizullah Bohio has also mentioned the letters of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and regarding this, he writes at one place:
“The greatest revolutionary Messenger of the universe, who was the first to abolish the feudal society of Hijaz in his lifetime, ended the landlord chieftainship, laid the foundation for overthrowing two great kingdoms of the world, and wrote letters to those kings.”

➌ Imam Wahb bin Munabbih, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates from his brother:

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ: مَا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم أَحَدٌ أَكْثَرَ حَدِيثًا عَنْهُ مِنّي ، إِلَّا مَا كَانَ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَكْتُبُ وَلَا أَكْتُبُ

I heard Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) say that among the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, except for Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both), no one narrated more hadith than me, because he used to write and I did not write.

➍ The statement of Amir al-Mu’minin Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):

مَا كَتَبْنَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَّا القُرْآنَ وَمَا فِي هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ

We wrote nothing from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ except the Quran and what was in this parchment.

What was in this parchment? Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) replied:

العَقْلُ ، وَفَكَاكُ الأَسِيرِ، وَلا يُقْتَلُ مُسْلِمٌ بِكَافِرٍ

The release of debts and prisoners, and that no Muslim should be killed in exchange for a disbeliever.

➎ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: I used to write down everything I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ so that I could remember it. Some Quraysh stopped me from doing so and said that you write down whatever you hear, although the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is a human being who speaks in states of anger and happiness as well. Therefore, I stopped writing. Then I mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He pointed to his blessed mouth with his finger and said:

اكْتُبُ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ إِلَّا حق

“Write, by the One in Whose hand is my soul! Nothing but the truth comes out of it.”

➏ Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) says:

أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَعَلَّمْتُ لَهُ كِتَابَ يَهُودَ ، وَقَالَ: إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا آمَنُ يَهُودَ عَلَى كِتَابِي فَتَعَلَّمْتُهُ ، فَلَمْ يَمُرَّ بِي إِلَّا نِصْفُ شَهْرٍ حَتَّى حَذَقْتُهُ، فَكُنْتُ أَكْتُبُ لَهُ إِذَا كَتَبَ وَأَقْرَأْ لَهُ، إِذَا كُتِبَ إِلَيْهِ

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded me, so I learned the writing of the Jews. The Prophet ﷺ said: By Allah! I do not trust what I have the Jews write for me.” So I learned their language. Within two weeks, I became very proficient in it. Then whenever the Prophet ﷺ wanted something written, I used to write it, and when any writing came to him, I would read it to him.”

➐ Abu Qabeel Hayy bin Hani al-Ma’afiri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

كُنَّا عِنْدَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِي ، وَسُئِلَ: أَيُّ الْمَدِينَتَيْنِ تُفْتَحُ أَوَّلا: الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةُ أَوْ رُومِيَّةُ؟ فَدَعَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بِصُنْدُوقٍ لَهُ حَلَقٌ، قَالَ: فَأَخْرَجَ مِنْهُ كِتَابًا ، قَالَ: فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ حَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نَكْتُبُ . إِذْ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: أَيُّ الْمَدِينَتَيْنِ تُفْتَحُ أَوَّلا: قُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةُ أَوْ رُومِيَّةٌ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: مَدِينَةُ هِرَ قْلَ تُفْتَحُ أَوَّلًا يَعْنِي قُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةَ

We were with Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) and were asked which city would be conquered first, Constantinople or Rome? Then Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) brought a box with rings. (Abu Qabeel, may Allah have mercy on him, said:) Then he took out a book from it. (The narrator said:) Then Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We used to write with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When the Prophet ﷺ was asked which city would be conquered first, Constantinople or Rome, he said: “The city of Heraclius,” meaning Constantinople.

➑ Narrated from Ma’bad bin Hilal (may Allah have mercy on him):

كُنَّا إِذَا أَكْثَرَنَا عَلَى أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكِ رضی اللہ عنہ أَخْرَجَ إِلَيْنَا مَحَالَا عِنْدَهُ، فَقَالَ: هَذِهِ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم فَكَتَبْتُهَا وَعَرَضْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ

When we insisted more on Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), he would take out his memory book for us and say: These are the hadiths I heard from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, then I wrote them and presented them to him ﷺ.

➒ Narrated from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

اكْتُبُوا لِي مَنْ تَلَفَّظَ بِالإِسْلَامِ مِنَ النَّاسِ ، فَكَتَبْنَا لَهُ أَلْفًا وَخَمْسَ مِائَةِ رَجُلٍ، فَقُلْنَا: نَخَافُ وَنَحْنُ أَلْفٌ وَخَمْسُ مِائَةٍ

“Bring me the names of those who have recited the Kalima of Islam.” So we wrote down the names of one thousand five hundred men and presented them to him. We said: We are afraid, although our number has reached one thousand five hundred.

➓ Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Muslim al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

هَذِهِ نُسْخَةُ كِتَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم الَّذِي كَتَبَهُ فِي الصَّدَقَةِ ، وَهِيَ عند آلُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ، قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ: أَقْرَأَنيهَا سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ . فَوَعَيْتُهَا عَلَى وَجْهِهَا ، وَهِيَ الَّتِي انْتَسَخَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ وَسَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ، فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ

This is a copy of the document that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had written regarding charity (i.e., zakat), and it was kept with the family of Umar bin al-Khattab. Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This document was read to me by Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah have mercy on him), then I memorized it as it was. This is the same document that Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) had narrated from Abdullah bin Abdullah bin Umar and Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah have mercy on them). Then he narrated the hadith.

Azizullah Bohio has presented some authentic evidences regarding the writing of hadith. There were many more evidences on this topic, but due to fear of length, they have not been mentioned. The existence and proof of writing and memorizing hadith during the blessed life of Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ is found. In the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) and later periods, dozens of events with authentic chains are found.

The greatest tragedy of this group is that they try to understand the Holy Quran based on vocabulary and their own intellect, and do not consider the interpretation of the Quran’s commentator, Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is the reason they have gone far away from the straight path. The Holy Quran is the Word of Allah and His attribute; the right to interpret and explain the Holy Quran has been given only to Muhammad (peace be upon him). The interpretation of the Holy Quran by the Prophet (peace be upon him) was also taught by Allah through revelation. Allah Almighty says:
➊ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ ، ‏ فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ ‎، ‏ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ ‎‏

“It is Our responsibility to collect it and to recite it. When We recite it, follow its recitation. Then it is Our responsibility to explain it clearly.”
➋ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And We have sent down to you the Reminder (the Quran) so that you may explain to the people what has been sent down to them, and perhaps they will reflect.”
➌ إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَبَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَيكَ اللهُ

“Indeed, We have sent down to you the Book with the truth so that you may judge between the people by that which Allah has shown you.”
➍ وَرَتَّلْنَهُ تَرْتِيلًا ، وَلَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلِ الَّا جِئْنَكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَاَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا

“And We have revealed the Quran in stages. Whatever example they bring to you, We will bring the truth and the best explanation.”
From the above blessed verses, it is understood that Allah Almighty not only revealed the Holy Quran to Muhammad (peace be upon him) but also explained and clarified it Himself. The trustworthy Gabriel (peace be upon him) conveyed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) exactly what he heard from Allah. Whatever the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard and learned from Gabriel (peace be upon him), Allah preserved it perfectly in his heart. Therefore, the interpretation and practical example of the Quran will only be considered authentic if it is proven correct from Muhammad (peace be upon him). Where Allah Almighty taught His Prophet (peace be upon him) the explanation of every verse of the Quran, He also bound him not to utter a single word based on personal desire or need in this matter, and warned that if he did say something, the outcome would not be good.
Allah Almighty says:

وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ ‎، ‏ لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ ، ‏ ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ ، ‏ فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَاجِزِينَ ‏

“And if he had fabricated about Us some sayings, We would have seized him by the right hand, then cut off his life artery, and no one of you could have held him back.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) left no stone unturned in following Allah’s command; he conveyed the message revealed through revelation to the people, explained the revelation exactly as he heard it, neither adding nor subtracting anything. On many occasions, when people advised him to respond on his own because he did not know the revelation, he did not reply to them himself but responded after the revelation came.
Allah Almighty says:
➊ وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بِآيَةٍ قَالُوا لَوْلَا اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ مِنْ ربي ، هذا بَصَابِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

“And when you do not bring them a sign, they say, ‘Why do you not fabricate one yourself?’ Say, ‘I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. These are clear proofs from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.’”
➋ وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ ۙ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآنٍ غَيْرِ هَٰذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ ۚ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ ۖ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ‎، قُل لَّوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا تَلَوْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَدْرَاكُم بِهِ ۖ فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُرًا مِّن قَبْلِهِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ‎

“And when Our clear verses are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say, ‘Bring another Quran or change it.’ Say, ‘It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed, I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day.’ Say, ‘If Allah had willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. I was among you before it for a long time. Then do you not reason?’”
From the above blessed verses, it is understood that no one in the universe has the right to change any command of Allah, not even the owner of the Quran, Muhammad (peace be upon him). The enemies of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islam, the Quran, and Muslims say implicitly, “Just tell us on your own; how will we know what is revelation and what is your personal opinion?” Allah Almighty has explained the answer to this through revelation. Therefore, vocabulary alone is not sufficient to translate or interpret any verse of the Holy Quran; rather, until the owner of the revelation, Muhammad (peace be upon him), interprets that verse, it will not be considered authentic and reliable.

Practical Incidents

➊ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uday ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him):

لَمَّا نَزَلَت: حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ

عَمَدْتُ إِلَى عِقَالٍ أَسْوَدَ ، وَإِلَى عِقَالٍ أَبْيَضَ ، فَجَعَلْتُهُمَا تَحْتَ وِسَادَتِي ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَنْظُرُ فِي اللَّيْلِ ، فَلا يَسْتَبِينُ لِي ، فَغَدَوْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ، فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ سَوَادُ اللَّيْلِ وَبَيَاضُ النَّهَارِ .

When (this verse was revealed (translation) until it became clear to you the white thread from the black thread, I took a black thread and a white thread and placed both under my pillow and kept looking at them all night but their colors did not become clear to me. When morning came, I presented myself before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and mentioned this to him. He said: It refers to the darkness of the night (false dawn) and the whiteness of the day (true dawn).

➋ It is narrated from Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يُحَاسَبُ إِلَّا هَلَكَ قَالَتْ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جَعَلَنِي اللَّهُ فِدَاءَ كَ ، أَلَيْسَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتْبَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ ، فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا .

قَالَ: ذَاكَ العَرْضُ يُعْرَضُونَ وَمَنْ نُوقِشَ الحِسَابَ هَلَكَ.

Whoever is held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be destroyed. (Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said) I said: O Messenger of Allah! May Allah sacrifice me for you, did Allah Almighty not say: “Then whoever is given his record in his right hand will have an easy account”? He (peace be upon him) said: That is the summons; they will only be presented, and whoever is fully held accountable will be destroyed.

➌ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him):

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ ، أَرَأَيْتَ جَنَّةَ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ ، فَأَيْنَ النَّارُ؟ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: أَرَأَيْتَ هَذَا اللَّيْلَ الَّذِي قَدْ كَانَ ، الْبَسَ عَلَيْكَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ ، ثُمَّ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ ، أَيْنَ جُعِلَ؟ قَالَ: اللهُ أَعْلَمُ ، قَالَ: فَإِنَّ اللهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ

A person came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and asked: O Muhammad! (peace be upon him) If the width of Paradise is equal to the heavens and the earth, then where is Hell? Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Tell me, last night when everything was covered over you, now it is not at all, where has it gone? He said: Allah knows best. He (peace be upon him) said: Similarly, Allah does whatever He wills regarding all matters.

➍ Allah Almighty says:

الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ أُولَٰئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

“Those who will be gathered on their faces to Hell, they are the worst in position and farthest astray in way.”

➎ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):

أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ يُحْشَرُ الكَافِرُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ؟ قَالَ: أَلَيْسَ الَّذِي أَمْشَاهُ عَلَى الرَّجُلَيْنِ فِي الدُّنْيَا قَادِرًا عَلَى أَنْ يُمْشِيَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ. قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: بَلَى وَعِزَّةِ رَبِّنَا .

A person asked: O Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him)! How will the one on the Day of Resurrection be made to walk on his face? He (peace be upon him) said: The One who made him walk on two feet in this world, is He not able to make him walk on his face on the Day of Resurrection? Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: By the honor of our Lord! It will be exactly so.

From the above incidents, it is understood that the Quran should not be understood solely on the basis of language and intellect. Most of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) spoke and understood Arabic. Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was a scholar and jurist but was unable to understand certain parts of the Quran. When she presented her confusion before Muhammad (peace be upon him), he dispelled her concern in the light of the teachings of revelation. The Companions’ (may Allah be pleased with them) turning to the Prophet was, in fact, a lesson, proof, and evidence for future Muslims that if they face any difficulty in understanding the Quran anywhere, they should immediately refer to the books of Hadith and the righteous predecessors; thus their scholarly confusion will be resolved.

Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

إِنَّ أَصَحَ الطُّرُقِ فِي ذَلِكَ أَنْ يُفَسَّرَ الْقُرْآنُ بِالْقُرْآنِ ، فَمَا أُجْمِل فِي مَكَان فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ فُسِّرَ فِي مَوْضِعِ آخَرَ ، فَإِنْ أَعْيَاكَ ذَلِكَ فَعَلَيْكَ بِالسُّنَّةِ فَإِنَّهَا شَارِحَةٌ لِلْقُرْآن وَمُوَضَحَةُ لَهُ

“The most correct way to interpret the Quran is to interpret the Quran by the Quran itself. Wherever there is an ambiguous subject in the Quran, its explanation is found elsewhere, and if you are unable to do this, then the Sunnah, i.e., Hadith, should be used to interpret it, because Hadith is the explanation and interpretation of the Quran and clarifies its meaning.”

Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him), in the interpretation of the Quranic verse:

بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ ۗ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

writes: لتبين للناس ما نزل إليهم . أى من ربهم لعلمك بمعنى ما أنزل الله عليك و حرصك عليه واتباعك له. ولعلمنا بأنك أفضل الخلائق ، وسيد ولد آدم فتفصل لهم ما أجمل وتبين لهم ما أشكل .
Meaning, explain what has been revealed from your Lord. The reason is that you know well the meaning and intent of what Allah has revealed, you are eager for it, and you yourself act upon it. Another reason is that we know that you are the best among all creatures and the leader of all the children of Adam.

Therefore, explain the details of ambiguous places before them and clarify its difficult parts.

The summary of the entire discussion is that Allah’s last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) should be regarded as the possessor of the Quran and the explainer of revelation. The explanations and clarifications he gave regarding the commands of religion should be accepted as true and acted upon as he did. Those who reject Hadith accept the Quran but do not accept this explanation, clarification, and practical example shown by Muhammad (peace be upon him). They do not accept the legal status of the Prophet’s Sunnah, i.e., Hadith, which is the explanation of the Quran. Their translations of the Quran and meanings of Quranic terms are based only on their personal desires. No one else has stumbled as much as they have in translating the Quran and interpreting Islamic terms. Because they understand the Quran solely on the basis of language and intellect, they have suffered losses in Islamic beliefs. In Islamic practices, they have not only separated from Muslims but have gone far away. If seriously considered, it will be found that all the matters mentioned in the Quran and Hadith regarding belief and practice are in complete harmony with sound intellect. What greater madness and insanity can there be than a person trying to judge the commands of religion by his limited intellect and incomplete thinking? May Allah grant us all the ability to sincerely act upon the Quran and Hadith. Ameen.

Scholarly Review of Objections Raised Regarding the Juridical Status of Prayer:

During the blessed era of Imam-e-Kainat Muhammad ﷺ, while Muslims were protected and safe from all kinds of trials, tribulations, and divine punishments, the disbelievers and polytheists were also spared from general punishment. The disbelievers and polytheists had even asked for punishment with their own tongues, but Allah Almighty did not punish them in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ.

Allah Almighty says:

وَإِذْ قَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ اِنْ كَانَ هَذَا هُوَ الْحَقِّ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ فَامْطِرُ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَوِ اثْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ۔ وَمَا كَانَ اللهُ لِيُعَذِّ بَهُم وَاَنْتَ فِيهِم ….. الآية .

“And (remember) when they said, ‘O Allah! If this (Quran) is indeed from You, then rain down stones upon us from the sky or bring upon us a painful punishment.’ But Allah would never punish them while you (O Muhammad) are among them.”

Allah, Glorified and Exalted, fulfilled His promise. Despite the fact that the disbelievers and polytheists caused countless hardships and opposition to Muhammad ﷺ and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), Allah Almighty did not send a general punishment upon them. As soon as the Prophet ﷺ passed away, those trials and tribulations appeared, which the Prophet ﷺ had foretold through divine revelation.

It is narrated from Sayyidina Usama bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him): (Once) the Prophet ﷺ climbed one of the forts of Medina, then said, “What I see, do you also see?” It was said, “No.” He ﷺ said, “I see trials entering your homes like drops of rain.”

The Prophet’s ﷺ prediction proved absolutely true. After his ﷺ death, new trials arose one after another. What the Prophet ﷺ said about the group that denies the legal status of Hadith proved to be exactly correct, as readers have already read on previous pages.

Azizullah Bohio has not only denied the explanatory status of Hadith but has also completely denied the legal status and manner of “Salah” (prayer). His position is that صلوة and “Salah” are different. The five congregational prayers that Muslims perform in mosques are not the صلوة mentioned in the Holy Quran, nor are they the same form and manner of صلوة described in the Quran. Muslims are wasting their time unnecessarily and rubbing their foreheads without any purpose in heat and cold.

Among all the sects of Muslims, one or two sects deny the legal status of Salah, while the rest take صلوة to mean the current “Salah” itself. They accept the legal status of Salah and believe in its reward, and consider abandoning it as disbelief and polytheism. Despite differences in the method, timings, and number of voluntary Rak’ahs, they agree on the five daily prayers and the Rak’ahs of obligatory prayers.

Before Azizullah Bohio, there were some individuals who attempted to sabotage the legal status of “Salah.”

After the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, “Musaylimah al-Kadhdhab” falsely claimed prophethood. Similarly, a Christian woman from the Hawazin tribe, “Sajah bint Tamimah,” belonging to Banu Tamim, was influenced by Musaylimah’s claim and also claimed prophethood. Later, they married each other. This woman set her dowry as the forgiveness of the believers from performing the Isha and Fajr prayers.

Allama Syed Badiuddin Shah Rashdi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in the introduction of a misguided Muslim sect “Al-Dhikrīyah”: “This group is mostly in Makran and Balochistan (province), although some are in other cities as well. The founder of this group, ‘Mullah Muhammad,’ was from Attock city, Punjab province. He also claimed to be the ‘Mahdi,’ wrote a book named ‘Burhan,’ in which he expressed that the ‘Muhammadan Shariah’ has been abrogated and the ‘Mahdawi Shariah’ has come into effect. You are his followers, and Salah, fasting, Hajj, and Qiblah now have no status; all these matters have now been abrogated.”

A person associated with this sect, Nuruddin bin Kamalan Panjguri, writes: (Translation) Whoever performs the Friday and Eid prayers has erred and done a bad deed according to the Mahdi’s Shariah. In reality, no one is a disbeliever, but whoever performs the Friday and Eid prayers is a disbeliever. Performing the five daily prayers is unlawful and a blatant mistake.

At the end of this book, it says: “Tamat tamam shud roye namazi siyah shud”
(The book is finished and the face of the worshiper has turned black)

Following his predecessors, Azizullah Bohio has also openly denied the legal status and manner of Salah. He has blackened dozens of pages in refutation of the legal status of Salah. In his various books such as: “Fiqh al-Quran,” “Ahsan al-Hadith,” “Quran Mahjur,” “Do not follow anyone except the Quran considering him a Wali,” “Are our prayers Quranic صلوٰة,” “صلوٰة and the difference in Salah,” etc., he has exerted every effort and rejected the current Salah. I will present some excerpts from these books and finally offer some observations on this matter.