This excerpt is taken from the book by Fazilat-ul-Sheikh Abdul Salam Rustami From Denial of Hadith to Denial of Quran.
Tenth Doubt: Hadiths are speculative
Tulu-e-Islam has strongly emphasized that religion is something certain, and the only certain thing is the Quran, while hadiths are speculative; therefore, speculation cannot be religion. One of Parvez Sahib’s many writings is as follows:
“You will certainly agree on one thing regarding religion, that is, religion can only be what is certain, not speculative or inferential.”
Reference: Maqam-e-Hadith, p. 3
Tulu-e-Islam uses the word speculation (Zann) only in the sense of doubt and suspicion, misleading common Muslims into thinking that hadiths are speculative and speculation cannot be religion; therefore, hadiths are not authoritative. There are a few important matters that require attention here:
1. The literal meaning of speculation (Zann) and certainty (Yaqeen)
2. The use of the word Zann in the Quran
3. The foundation of religion on dominant speculation
We will briefly discuss these three matters separately, which will remove this doubt.
The literal meaning of speculation (Zann) and certainty (Yaqeen)
❀ Yaqeen (Certainty): It is the belief that is attained after doubt is removed through reasoning. That is why it is not used in the attributes of Allah Almighty. Imam Raghib states: Yaqeen is a quality of knowledge that surpasses recognition and understanding. He said: ”سكون الفهم مع ثبات الحكم “ the tranquility of understanding with firmness and strength of judgment.
Reference: Mufradat al-Quran: 1180/2, Tafsir al-Khazin: 4/3
In the Holy Quran, regarding belief, Yaqeen is mentioned both affirmatively and negatively, and it is mentioned twice in contrast to Zann (speculation). Allah Almighty says:
مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا
“They have no certain knowledge of it, they follow only conjecture, and surely conjecture avails nothing against the truth.”
Reference: (4-An-Nisa:157)
Allah Almighty said:
إِن نَّظُنُّ إِلَّا ظَنًّا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُسْتَيْقِنِينَ ﴿٣٢﴾
“We only have a slight suspicion about it, and we have no certainty.”
Reference: (45-Al-Jathiyah:32)
❀ Zann (Speculation) Imam Raghib wrote about Zann: “Zann is the name of that which is derived from signs, and when these signs are strong, it leads to knowledge (certainty), and when these signs are very weak, the result does not go beyond the level of doubt, meaning in this case Zann is synonymous with doubt. When Zann is strong or considered strong, then أَنَّ and ا أن مخففة من المثقلة are used, and when it is weak, then أَنْ is used, which is specific to nonexistent things, whether in speech or action.”
Reference: Mufradat al-Quran: 657/2
Imam Raghib then presented various Quranic verses as examples, proving from this discussion that Zann sometimes means doubt and sometimes means certainty. And what the hadith scholars have said that the hadiths are Zanni (speculative) also means certainty, not doubt.
Use of the word Zann in the Holy Quran
The word Zann (ظن) is mentioned 69 times in the Holy Quran in various meanings and different forms. Some meanings and their usage are as follows:
❀ Zann meaning certainty: Allah Almighty said:
الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو رَبِّهِمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
“Those who believe that they will meet their Lord, and indeed they believe that they will return to Him.”
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:46)
إِنِّي ظَنَنْتُ أَنِّي مُلَاقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ
“I was certain that I would meet my reckoning.”
Reference: (69-Al-Haqqah:20)
And similarly, all those verses in which after the root of Zann أن مشدده or أن مخففه من المشدده is used, because these are used for emphasis. So this is evidence that Zann is used in the sense of certainty.
❀ Zann meaning assumption: When no decision can be made about something, it is called the stage of doubt, and when a state arises in the heart that one side is preferred, then in this case the preferred side is called Zann and the rejected side is called Wahm. In common usage, it is called the dominant assumption, as it is said:
إِنْ ظَنَّا أَنْ يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّهِ
“If they (the husband and wife) assume that they will uphold the limits of Allah.”
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:230)
Here Zann is not in the sense of certainty because a person does not have certain knowledge about his future, and this dominant assumption is applied as knowledge. As Allah Almighty narrated the speech of the brothers of Yusuf (peace be upon him):
وَمَا شَهِدْنَا إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حَافِظِينَ
“We gave testimony according to our knowledge, and we had no knowledge of the unseen.”
Reference: (12-Yusuf:81)
That is, we obtained knowledge through signs, and through signs, in reality, dominant Zann is obtained. Therefore, they said that we gave testimony according to our knowledge (dominant Zann) while we were not aware of the actual reality.
❀ Zann meaning involuntary thought: Allah Almighty said:
فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ نَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ
“So he (Yunus, peace be upon him) thought (involuntarily) that We would not be able to do anything to him.”
Reference: (21-Al-Anbiya:87)
وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كُذِبُوا
“And they (involuntarily) thought that they were denied.”
Reference: (12-Yusuf:110)
❀ Zann meaning falsehood: Zann is used in the sense of lying when it is opposed to the truth. As Allah Almighty said:
وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ
“And they only make conjectures (falsehood).”
Reference: (10-Yunus:24)
وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ إِلَّا ظَنًّا ۚ إِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا
“And most of them follow nothing but conjecture (false arguments), and conjecture (falsehood) can never avail against the truth.”
Reference: (10-Yunus:36)
❀ Zann meaning ijtihad (independent reasoning): Allah Almighty said:
وَظَنَّ دَاوُودُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ
“And Dawud (David, peace be upon him) judged with ijtihad (Zann) when We tested him.”
Reference: (38-Sad:24)
❀ Zann meaning accusation: Allah Almighty said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ
“O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin.”
Reference: (49-Al-Hujurat:12)
The Quranic commentator Imam Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, interpreted Zann here as accusing someone.
The Foundation of Religion on Predominant Assumption
Most religious issues are based on conjecture. To prove this claim, we present some textual and rational arguments. The Holy Quran has based many rulings on testimony, as Allah Almighty has said:
فَاسْتَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْكُمْ
“So take four witnesses from among your men.”
Reference: (4-An-Nisa:15)
وَاسْتَشْهِدُوا شَهِيدَيْنِ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ
“And take two witnesses from among your men.”
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:282)
وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا الشَّهَادَةَ ۚ وَمَنْ يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُ آثِمٌ قَلْبُهُ
“And do not conceal testimony, and whoever conceals it—his heart is indeed sinful.”
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:283)
وَأَشْهِدُوا ذَوَيْ عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا الشَّهَادَةَ لِلَّهِ
“And take two just men from among you as witnesses and bear witness for Allah with justice.”
Reference: (65-At-Talaq:2)
In the above verses, Allah Almighty has commanded appointing witnesses and taking testimony regarding the proof of adultery, financial matters, and marriage and divorce. This testimony benefits from conjecture, and it is the prevailing conjecture that the witness has given correct testimony, but this prevailing conjecture also holds the status of a legal ruling.
Allah Almighty has said:
فَجَزَاءٌ مِثْلُ مَا قَتَلَ مِنَ النَّعَمِ يَحْكُمُ بِهِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ هَدْيًا بَالِغَ الْكَعْبَةِ
“Whoever intentionally hunts in the sacred precincts, the penalty is that he must bring as a sacrifice to the Kaaba an animal of the same kind as the one he hunted, as decided by two just men among you.”
Reference: (5-Al-Ma'idah:95)
Here, it is not testimony but a decision regarding whether an animal is similar to the hunted animal. For this, the decision of two just men is sufficient. This is also a matter of conjecture in which even just men can err, but their decision must be accepted.
Inference from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him
➊ The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
إنكم تختصمون إلى ولعل بعضكم أن يكون ألحن بحجته من بعض فأقضي على نحو ما أسمع فمن قضيت له بحق أخيه شيئا فلا يأخذه فإنما أقطع له قطعة من النار
"You come to me with disputes and cases, and it is possible that one of you is more eloquent in presenting his case, and I judge according to the speech I hear (and that judgment may not be according to the truth). So if I give a right of a brother to someone, do not take it, for I am only cutting a piece of fire for him."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-Ahkam, Chapter: The Imam's Advice to the Disputants, Hadith: 7169
The essence of this hadith is that there is a possibility of falsehood in the testimonies of witnesses, and because of this, the judge's decision may be incorrect. Despite these possibilities, the court may give a wrong judgment in favor of a person, and that judgment is enforced, and this entire process is a matter of obedience to Islamic judiciary. This is also part of the religion and is based on conjecture. The Pervezis also accept this hadith because they also accept courts and their decisions on the same basis, although these are also conjectures.
➋ The Shariah ruling regarding the Qibla is that when a person is doubtful about determining the direction of the Qibla and there is no one to guide him, then he has the option to determine the Qibla in any direction based on the prevailing conjecture and pray facing that direction. If later he finds out that he prayed facing a direction other than the Qibla, then it is not obligatory for him to repeat the prayer, even though this ruling and action were also based on conjecture.
If a worshiper doubts during prayer whether he has prayed two rak'ahs or three, then he should determine the number of rak'ahs based on the prevailing doubt and then complete the prayer accordingly, and finally perform the prostration of forgetfulness. This is also a matter of doubt.
The conclusion is that in all these matters or acts of worship, obedience to Allah and sincerity of intention are the goal. If a mistake occurs due to effort (ijtihad) or forgetfulness, it does not affect the religion. The essence of this entire discussion is that if the hadiths are speculative (dhanni) and the scholars of hadith have applied doubt to them, then this doubt means certain knowledge or prevailing doubt, and at this level, doubt becomes the basis of religion. In the science of the names of narrators (Asma al-Rijal), among the critics and those who assess narrators, there may be a possibility of error or human weakness, but despite these possibilities, the authenticity of these hadiths in religion is not affected.
