Author: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amini
Authentic Hadith is Deen (Religion), and adhering to authentic Hadith is the hallmark of Ahl al-Hadith, as follows:
Kitab al-Tamyeez by Imam Muslim: p. 218
Kitab al-Tawheed by Ibn Khuzaymah: 2/533
Sahih Ibn Hibban, under Hadith: 1112
He also states:
"The mercy of Allah, the Exalted, be upon the one who conveys an authentic Hadith from the Prophet (ﷺ) to the Ummah of Muhammad (ﷺ)."
Sahih Ibn Hibban, under Hadith: 67
Al-Intisar Li Ashab al-Hadith by al-Sam'ani: p. 55-56
Majmoo’ al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah: 1/250
Fadl Ilm al-Salaf Ala al-Khalaf by Ibn Rajab: p. 57
The foundation of the Ahl al-Hadith school is the Quran, authentic Hadiths, the consensus of the Ummah, and the understanding of the Salaf (predecessors). There is not a single issue in the Ahl al-Hadith school that is based on a weak Hadith. The burden of proof is on the claimant! It is important to remember that an individual's independent reasoning (Ijtihad) does not constitute the Ahl al-Hadith school.
Authentic Hadith is Deen (Religion), and adhering to authentic Hadith is the hallmark of Ahl al-Hadith, as follows:
Imam Muslim (رحمه الله) states:
"May Allah have mercy on you. Know that the science of Hadith and understanding its reasons for authenticity or weakness is exclusively for Ahl al-Hadith, as they are the preservers of people’s narrations and the only ones who truly know them. This is because the basis upon which they rely for their religions are the Sunnah and traditions transmitted from generation to generation, from the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) to our present time."Kitab al-Tamyeez by Imam Muslim: p. 218
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (رحمه الله) writes:
"If Allah grants me the ability, I will clarify its defects so that some students of Hadith do not get deceived by it and mix the authentic with the non-established reports. I have often warned that I do not consider it permissible to deceive the students of knowledge by arguing with weak reports, and I fear my Creator if I deceive the students of knowledge by using weak reports as evidence, even if they support my school of thought."Kitab al-Tawheed by Ibn Khuzaymah: 2/533
Imam Ibn Hibban (رحمه الله) states:
"We do not consider it permissible to use non-authentic reports as evidence, even if they support our school of thought. We only rely on the teachings derived from authentic reports, even if they contradict the statements of our Imams."Sahih Ibn Hibban, under Hadith: 1112
He also states:
"The mercy of Allah, the Exalted, be upon the one who conveys an authentic Hadith from the Prophet (ﷺ) to the Ummah of Muhammad (ﷺ)."
Sahih Ibn Hibban, under Hadith: 67
Imam Abu al-Muzaffar al-Sam'ani (رحمه الله) says:
"Every innovator presents the saying of a Tabi’i (follower) against the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) or presents a weak Mursal Hadith against a strong connected Hadith. Based on this, the followers of the Sunnah are distinguished from others, as the follower of the Sunnah does not refrain from following the strongest of the Sunnah and the most just and pious witnesses. In contrast, the innovator is like a drowning person who clings to any weak or strong straw."Al-Intisar Li Ashab al-Hadith by al-Sam'ani: p. 55-56
Shaykh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) states:
"It is not permissible to rely on weak Hadiths which are neither authentic nor good in Shariah."Majmoo’ al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah: 1/250
Hafiz Ibn Rajab (رحمه الله) writes:
"The Imams and jurists of Ahl al-Hadith follow the authentic Hadith wherever it is found if it is practiced by the Companions and those after them, or by a group among them. As for that which they have agreed to abandon, it is not permissible to act upon it, because they only abandoned it knowing that it should not be acted upon."Fadl Ilm al-Salaf Ala al-Khalaf by Ibn Rajab: p. 57
The foundation of the Ahl al-Hadith school is the Quran, authentic Hadiths, the consensus of the Ummah, and the understanding of the Salaf (predecessors). There is not a single issue in the Ahl al-Hadith school that is based on a weak Hadith. The burden of proof is on the claimant! It is important to remember that an individual's independent reasoning (Ijtihad) does not constitute the Ahl al-Hadith school.