Some people object that mutawatir hadiths do not exist; at most, one hadith: مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ
Translation: Whoever deliberately lies about me, let him prepare his place in Hell. Is called mutawatir, or is it only said about seventeen hadiths that they are mutawatir? Therefore, if a large group does not narrate a matter, it is quite possible that it is a false or incorrect statement, because people's natures and temperaments differ.
Similarly, this objection is also raised that there is no agreed-upon standard for mutawatir hadiths; what number is considered valid for mutawatir? Then if one group gives such a report that provides certain knowledge, the report of another group could be contrary to it!
Also, scholars say that the report of mutawatir provides the benefit of knowledge; if that is so, then the Jews and Christians should accept the report that Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام was crucified! Various doubts are raised regarding mutawatir ahadith.
First Point
To say that mutawatir ahadith do not exist at all, or are very few in number, is not correct because scholars have written proper books in which mutawatir ahadith have been collected. For example:
◄ Al-Azhar al-Mutanathirah fi al-Akhbar al-Mutawatirah, by Allama Suyuti, may Allah have mercy on him.
◄ Al-Lala'i al-Mutanathirah fi al-Ahadith al-Mutawatirah, by Ibn Tulun al-Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him.
◄ Laqit al-Lala'i al-Mutanathirah fi al-Ahadith al-Mutawatirah, by Allama Murtada al-Zabidi, may Allah have mercy on him.
In this regard, it should also be kept in mind that there are two types of mutawatir.
➊ Verbally mutawatir, whose entire text is established through mutawatir, such as مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ
➋ Semantically mutawatir, where the words are not verbally mutawatir but the issue is established through so many hadiths that the number reaches the level of mutawatir, such as the issue of raising hands during supplication, which is established by so many hadiths that reach the level of mutawatir. Similarly, the hadiths about intercession, the pond of Kawthar, water flowing from the fingers of the Prophet ﷺ, and the hadiths about seeing Allah Almighty on the Day of Judgment—all these are semantically mutawatir.
Second point
Regarding how many should be designated so that certainty is achieved by their agreement and their report is called mutawatir, scholars have different opinions. However, the prevailing view is that no specific number should be fixed; rather, it should be said that the number from which certain knowledge is obtained, considering the conditions and abundance of the narrators, is the one that is valid. For example, it may happen that, taking into account the qualities of the narrators and other matters, the narration of a group of ten is called mutawatir, while on the other hand, the total number of those reporting is twenty, but after examining the conditions of the narrators and other matters, this abundance is not considered significant.
For more, see:
Reference: Majmoo' Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah (18/48), Tadrib al-Rawi (2/177)
Third Point
It can be observed that a large number of people gather to report a matter despite having different natures. Therefore, it is not correct to consider the difference in people's nature as evidence of error. Do we not see that events occurring in daily life quickly become widespread around the world? An incident happens in a certain area, and a person from that area reports it, and then this information spreads worldwide through news and media channels, and everyone accepts this news. Despite the fact that these people are in different countries and have different natures and temperaments, these contemporary observations make it even easier to understand the concept of continuous transmission of news rather than considering it objectionable.
And it is also necessary to understand that the narrators of the hadith did not express their personal opinions or analysis, but rather conveyed the blessed hadiths of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم exactly as they heard them. Therefore, the narrators' nature or temperament has no relation to the matter of narrating hadith.
Fourth Point
The belief of the Jews and Christians regarding the killing or crucifixion of our master Jesus cannot be called mutawatir because:
➊ In ancient Jewish sources, there is not even a mention of a person named Messiah, let alone something that can be considered as mutawatir (mass-transmitted).
➋ The Christian belief regarding the crucifixion has itself been controversial among Christian sects and still is, and in every era, opposition to it has come from within their own sects. Many sects also agree that this is one of Paul's inventions.
➌ The Gospel of Barnabas, which is considered to be relatively free from distortion, denies this belief.
➍ From the incident of Jesus Christ appearing to a woman in the Gospel of John, chapter
Reference: (20)
, it appears that Jesus' crucifixion became doubtful to them. And this is what the Holy Quran has said about them:وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ
Translation: Although they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear so to them (the Messiah).
➎ The evidential status of the arguments of Jewish and Christian doctrines and the details of their contradictions can be seen in the book: "Izhar-ul-Haq" by Rahmatullah Kairanvi, from which it becomes clear that due to these contradictions, it is based on falsehood rather than being considered as having continuous transmission.
