❖ A Scholarly Rebuttal to Orientalist Objections on Imam al-Zuhri ❖
✿ Introduction: Hadith Compilation and Documentation
It is a near-consensus among scholars that the writing and memorization of Hadith began during the Prophetic era. Numerous ṣaḥīfahs (written collections) of the Companions attest to this. However, the formal compilation of Hadith as a structured effort began during the caliphate of ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz (رحمه الله). Among the many scholars who participated in this foundational endeavor, Imam Muḥammad ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī (رحمه الله) stands out with exceptional contributions.
❖ Orientalist Agenda Behind the Attacks
Orientalist critics—most notably Ignác Goldziher—raised baseless objections against Imam al-Zuhrī with the ultimate aim of discrediting Hadith and, by extension, undermining Islam itself. Goldziher’s core claim was that Hadith originated during the Umayyad period as a political tool, alleging that various groups fabricated Hadiths to serve factional interests. He even attributed fabricated reports to Muʿāwiyah (رضي الله عنه) without reliable historical basis.
❖ Analyzing the Key Objections
① Allegation of Umayyad Patronage
Claim: Goldziher claimed that Imam al-Zuhrī was “bought” by the Umayyads and fabricated Hadiths for political purposes—particularly, a narration promoting the virtue of Qubbat al-Ṣakhrah, supposedly at the request of ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān.
Response:
- The Hadith of the three mosques—
"لَا تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلَّا إِلَى ثَلَاثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ..."
is narrated by al-Zuhrī from Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, and it is authenticated in multiple chains across Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, and others. - This Hadith is also transmitted by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī and Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنهما)—not exclusive to al-Zuhrī.
- The claim that al-Zuhrī authored this Hadith for political motivation is academically false and historically inaccurate.
② Allegation Regarding Fabricated Ṣaḥīfah
Claim: Orientalists referenced a story where Ibrāhīm ibn al-Walīd allegedly presented a ḥadīth collection to al-Zuhrī, who approved it without proper scrutiny.
Response:
- The practice of manāwala (handing over written collections with approval) is a recognized and valid Hadith transmission method in the science of ḥadīth.
- There is no trace of this alleged ṣaḥīfah in known Hadith repositories.
- This story lacks authentic isnād and is based on hypothetical assumptions, not on verified scholarly sources.
③ Misquoted Statement on Government Pressure
Claim: Orientalists quote Imam al-Zuhrī saying:
"أَكْرَهْنَا هَؤُلَاءِ الْأُمَرَاءَ عَلَى أَنْ نَكْتُبَ أَحَادِيثَ"
(“These rulers forced us to write Hadiths”), implying political coercion.
Response:
- The context of the statement is critical: al-Zuhrī was initially inclined toward memorization over writing, a common sentiment among early scholars.
- When Caliph ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz insisted on documentation for the preservation of knowledge, al-Zuhrī adapted his approach.
- This shift was based on scholarly prudence, not coercion to fabricate content.
④ Claim: Isnād Began with al-Zuhrī
Claim: The Orientalists claim that isnād (chain of narration) began only after 126 AH, pioneered by al-Zuhrī.
Response:
- Isnād predates al-Zuhrī, dating back to the Companions themselves. The need for isnād intensified after internal conflicts such as the martyrdom of ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه).
- Al-Zuhrī was a pioneer in systematizing isnād, but not its originator.
- Numerous authentic isnāds exist from the Companions and Tābiʿīn, which refutes this assertion entirely.
❖ Imam al-Zuhrī’s Scholarly Contributions
- Compilation of Hadith: Under the command of ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, al-Zuhrī formally compiled Hadiths, making him among the earliest architects of Hadith codification.
- Isnād System: He was a leading figure in establishing isnād as a standardized method for authenticating Hadiths.
- Unique Narrations: Imam Muslim recorded that around 90 Hadiths in his Ṣaḥīḥ are narrated exclusively by al-Zuhrī. (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 3107)
- Exceptional Memory: Known for his extraordinary memorization, he once recited a royal letter word for word after only hearing it twice.
❖ Praise from Contemporaries and Hadith Critics
- Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar: “A jurist and ḥāfiẓ; unanimously revered by Hadith scholars.” (Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb, no. 6296)
- Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: “He is the best in Hadith and the most precise in transmission.”
- Imām Mālik: “There is none like al-Zuhrī.”
- Imām al-Layth ibn Saʿd: “I have never seen a scholar more comprehensive in knowledge.”
- Sufyān al-Thawrī: “He was the greatest scholar of the people of Madinah.”
❖ Piety and Integrity
Al-Zuhrī was not a seeker of worldly gain. It is said about him:
"Dirhams and dīnārs held no value in his eyes; they were like dung." (al-Sunnah wa Makānatuhā fī al-Tashrīʿ al-Islāmī, p. 209)
❖ Clarifying the Qubbat al-Ṣakhrah Fabrication Claim
- Leading historians such as Ibn ʿAsākir, Ṭabarī, Ibn al-Athīr, and Ibn Khaldūn report that Qubbat al-Ṣakhrah was built by al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, not ʿAbd al-Malik.
- The Hadith "Lā tushadd al-riḥāl…" does not mention Qubbat al-Ṣakhrah.
- Thus, the claim that al-Zuhrī fabricated Hadith to promote it is factually and historically baseless.
✿ Conclusion: The Baseless Nature of Orientalist Claims
Imām al-Zuhrī (رحمه الله) was a towering figure in Hadith sciences, a man of integrity, and a foundational contributor to Islamic knowledge preservation. The objections raised by Orientalists are not rooted in genuine academic inquiry but are part of a deliberate agenda to cast doubt on Islamic tradition.
His legacy remains a beacon of sincerity, scholarship, and devotion, untouched by political pressure or material motives. The trust of the Ummah and the praise of great scholars throughout history are a testament to his unshakable credibility and timeless contributions to the preservation of the Sunnah.
