This excerpt is taken from the book "Hujjat al-Hadith" by Fazilat al-Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri .
[1] Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates:
That the Holy Prophet ﷺ said during his illness of death: ائتوني بكتاب أكتب لكم كتابا لا تضلوا بعده. "Bring me something to write, so that I may write for you after which you will not go astray."
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 114, Sahih Muslim: 1637)
[2] Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
That the Yemeni companion Abu Sha’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) requested to write the sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage, so the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: اكتبوا لأبي شاه. "Write it for Abu Sha’ah."
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 2434, Sahih Muslim: 1355)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) (774 AH) writes:
[في الصحيحين وغيرهما، مما ثبت تواتره بالوقائع المتعددة، أنه بعث كتبه صلى الله عليه وسلم يدعو إلى الله ملوك الآفاق، وطوائف بني آدم من عربهم وعجمهم، كتابيهم وأميهم، امتثالا لأمر الله له بذلك]
"In Bukhari and Muslim and other books, numerous events are established with mutawatir (continuous) chains that the Holy Prophet ﷺ, by the command of Allah Almighty, sent letters to kings, literate and illiterate Arabs and non-Arabs inviting them to Allah."
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 26/2, Salamah)
[3] Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
ما من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أحد أكثر حديثا عنه مني، إلا ما كان من عبد الله بن عمرو، فإنه كان يكتب ولا أكتب.
"No companion of the Prophet had more hadiths than me, except Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما who used to write hadiths, I did not write."
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 113)
[4] Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As رضي الله عنهما narrates:
That I used to write down whatever I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with the intention of memorization and preservation, but every Quraishi (Companion) forbade me from doing so. They said that you write down every word of the Prophet ﷺ, while he ﷺ is a human being who speaks in states of anger, wrath, and pleasure. I stopped writing hadith and mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so he ﷺ pointed with his blessed finger towards his blessed mouth and said: اكتب فوالذي نفسي بيده ما يخرج منه إلا حق.
"Write down the hadith. By the One in Whose hand is my soul! Only the truth comes out of this mouth."
Reference: (Musnad Imam Ahmad: 162/2, Sunan Abi Dawood: 3646, Sunan al-Darimi: 490, Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim: 105/1-106, and its chain is authentic, and it was narrated by Ahmad: 207/2, Al-Bazzar: 2470, Abu Zur’ah al-Dimashqi in his history: 1516, Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi in Al-Sahaba: 1472, Ibn Abd al-Barr in Jami’ Bayan al-‘Ilm wa Fadlih: 84/1-85, and its chain is good, Al-Khatib in Al-Taqyeed: 80, and its chain is good)
[5] Our master Sahl bin Hunzalah رضي الله عنه narrates:
إن عيينة، والأقرع سألا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم شيئا، فأمر معاوية أن يكتب به لهما، ففعل وختمها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وأمر بدفعه إليهما، فأما عيينة فقال: ما فيه؟ قال: فيه الذي أمرت به، فقبله، وعقده في عمامته.
"Aina bin Husn and Aqra bin Habis رضي الله عنهما asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for something. He ﷺ ordered Sayyiduna Muawiyah رضي الله عنه to write that their request be fulfilled. Sayyiduna Muawiyah رضي الله عنه wrote it down, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stamped the letter and said: Give it to them. Aina bin Husn رضي الله عنه asked (Muawiyah!) what is written in the letter? Sayyiduna Muawiyah رضي الله عنه said: Exactly what I was commanded. Aina رضي الله عنه kissed the letter and tied it in his turban."
Reference: (Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 180/4, Sunan Abi Dawood: 1229, and its chain is authentic)
❀ This hadith has been declared "Sahih" by Imam Ibn Khuzaymah رحمه الله
Reference: (2391)
and Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله
Reference: (3394)
.❀ As for Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri رضي الله عنه's narration that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا تكتبوا عني، ومن كتب عني غير القرآن فليمحه، وحدثوا عني، ولا حرج. "Do not write down my words; whoever has written anything from me other than the Quran should erase it. However, they may write down the Hadith I narrate; there is no harm in that."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 3004)
❀ Regarding this Hadith, scholars have different opinions. Some have declared it abrogated, while others say that the prohibition was due to the fear of confusion if the Quran and Hadith were written together or in the same place. Therefore, as a precaution, writing the Quran and Hadith together was prohibited.
[1] Allama Khattabi (may Allah have mercy on him) (388 AH) writes:
يشبه أن يكون النهي متقدما وآخر الأمرين الإباحة، وقد قيل: إنه إنما نهي أن يكتب الحديث مع القرآن في صحيفة واحدة لئلا يختلط به ويشتبه على القارئ، فأما أن يكون نفس الكتاب محظورا وتقييد العلم بالخط منهيا عنه فلا.
"It is possible that initially writing down Hadith was prohibited, but later permission was granted. Another opinion is that the prohibition was specifically against writing Hadith on the same page as the Quran, so that the two would not be mixed and cause confusion for the reader. Otherwise, writing or preserving knowledge in written form is neither forbidden nor prohibited."
Reference: (Ma'alim al-Sunan: 184/4)
[2] Allama Qazi Iyaz, may Allah have mercy on him (544 AH), after mentioning the differences regarding the writing of knowledge, writes:
وقع عليه بعد هذا الاتفاق والإجماع من جميع مشايخ العلم وأئمته وناقليه. "Later, there was consensus and agreement among all the elders, imams, and muhaddithin regarding the writing of hadith."
Reference: (الإلماع في معرفة أصول الرواية وتقييد السماع، ص 147)
[3] Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (676 AH), writes:
فيه جواز كتابة الحديث وغيره من العلوم الشرعية لقول أنس لابنه اكتبه، بل هي مستحبة وجاء في الحديث النهي عن كتب الحديث وجاء الإذن فيه، فقيل: كان النهي لمن خيف اتكاله على الكتاب وتفريطه في الحفظ مع تمكنه منه والإذن لمن لا يتمكن من الحفظ، وقيل: كان النهي أولا لما خيف اختلاطه بالقرآن والإذن بعده لما أمن من ذلك وكان بين السلف من الصحابة والتابعين خلاف في جواز كتابة الحديث ثم أجمعت الأمة على جوازها واستحبابها والله أعلم.
"In this narration, the permissibility of writing hadith and other Shariah sciences is established, because our master Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, told his son: write it down—writing hadith is recommended. There are narrations both prohibiting and permitting the writing of hadith. Some say the prohibition of writing hadith was for the person who relied solely on writing hadith but showed negligence in memorizing it despite having the ability. One opinion is that initially the prohibition of writing hadith was to prevent it from being mixed up with the Quran, but later when this concern diminished, writing hadith became permissible. Among the noble Companions and the great Tabi‘in, there was disagreement regarding writing hadith, but later the Ummah reached consensus on its permissibility and recommendation, واللہ اعلم!"
Reference: (شرح صحيح مسلم: 244/1-245)
[4] Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him (748 AH), writes:
الظاهر أن النهي كان أولا لتتوفر هممهم على القرآن وحده، وليمتاز القرآن بالكتابة عما سواه من السنن النبوية، فيؤمن اللبس، فلما زال المحذور واللبس، ووضح أن القرآن لا يشتبه بكلام الناس، أذن في كتابة العلم، والله أعلم.
"It appears correct that the prohibition of writing hadith was initially so that all the efforts of the Companions would be focused solely on learning the Quran, and also so that the Quran in writing would be distinguished from other Prophetic traditions and confusion could be avoided. Therefore, when this concern was removed and it became clear that the Quran would not be confused from people's speech, the permission to write knowledge was granted, واللہ اعلم!"
Reference: (Siyar A'lam al-Nubala: 81/3)
[5] Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him (774 AH), writes:
أدوا القرآن قرآنا، والسنة سنة، لم يلبسوا هذا بهذا؛ ولهذا قال عليه الصلاة والسلام: من كتب عني سوى القرآن فليمحه، أي: لئلا يختلط بالقرآن، وليس معناه ألا يحفظوا السنة ويرووها، والله أعلم.
"The noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, presented the Quran in the form of the Quran and the Sunnah in the form of the Sunnah, because the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever wrote anything from me other than the Quran should erase it. The purpose of this prohibition was only that the Quran should not be mixed with the hadith; the prohibition was never that the Sunnah should not be preserved or conveyed, واللہ اعلم!"
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 27/1, Ta Salamah)
[6] Hafiz Ibn Milqan, may Allah have mercy on him (804 AH), writes:
لعل الإذن لمن خيف نسيانه، والنهي لمن أمن وخيف اتكاله، أو نهي حين خيف اختلاطه بالقرآن، وأذن حين أمن، ثم إنه زال ذلك الخلاف وأجمعوا على الجواز، ولولا تدوينه لدرس في الأعصار الأخيرة.
"It is possible that the permission to write hadith is for the one who fears forgetting, and the prohibition is for the one who has no fear of forgetting, but then he becomes content with just writing (laziness). Or the prohibition was when there was a fear of confusion between hadith and the Quran, and when this fear was removed, permission was granted. Later, this disagreement also ended, and the scholars reached consensus on writing hadith. If the compilation of hadith had not taken place, then in later times the hadith would have been lost."
Reference: (التوضيح لشرح الجامع الصحيح: 560/3)
[7] Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him (852 AH), writes:
الإجماع انعقد على جواز كتابة العلم بل على استحبابه بل لا يبعد وجوبه على من خشي النسيان ممن يتعين عليه تبليغ العلم.
"There is an established consensus that writing knowledge is permissible, indeed it is recommended; it is not unlikely that for those among the transmitters of knowledge who fear forgetting, writing is obligatory upon them."
Reference: (هدى الساري، ص 204)
[8] Allama San'ani, may Allah have mercy on him (1182 AH), writes:
أما حديث: لا تكتبوا عني شيئا غير القرآن، عند مسلم، فقد أجيب عن التعارض بأن النهي خاص بوقت نزول القرآن خوف لبسه بغيره أو بكتابة غير القرآن معه في شيء واحد فالنهي متقدم والإذن ناسخ عند أمن اللبس.
The hadith in Sahih Muslim: "Do not write anything from me except the Quran." has been explained to mean that the prohibition of writing hadith was specific to the time of the revelation of the Quran, because at that time there was a fear of confusion by writing the Quran alongside other speech or writing non-Quranic material together with the Quran in the same place. Therefore, the prohibition of writing hadith was initially imposed, and later when the fear of confusion was no longer present, the prohibition was abrogated and permission to write was granted.
Reference: (Al-Tanweer Sharh Al-Jami' Al-Sagheer: 98/8)
❀ The writing of hadith existed during the Prophetic era and afterwards as well. However, the compilation did not occur in the way it happened later, because there is a difference between compilation and writing; the widespread publication of a text is called compilation, whereas writing merely means putting it down in writing. Just as the Quran was first written and then compiled, similarly hadith was first written and then compiled.
Secondly, both the Quran and hadith are revelation, preserved with the protection of Allah Almighty. They have reached us through continuous transmission. The way the Quran was preserved, hadith was preserved in the same way. The Quran was written and also preserved in the hearts of the believers; similarly, hadith was written and also preserved in the hearts of the believers. Like the Quran, great care was taken to preserve hadith as well. Hadith was preserved through three sciences: [1] 'Ilal (hidden defects) [2] Rijal (narrators) [3] Usool (principles).
On this basis, it is absolutely incorrect to object that hadith was written later. Firstly, the Quran has not prescribed any rule that something not written is not preserved or authentic. Writing is not the essence; the essence is reading and memorizing. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and other Prophets were unlettered and could not write, so does that mean they were not knowledgeable? Secondly, if hadith is rejected on this basis, it would necessarily imply the rejection of many Prophets who were given only hadith, and that too was not written; no book or scripture was revealed to them.
As Allah Almighty has commanded:
[اِنَّاۤ اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکَ کَمَاۤ اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلٰی نُوۡحٍ وَّ النَّبِیّٖنَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖ] "We have revealed to you, as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him."
Reference: (An-Nisa: 163)
❀ Now the question is, what written revelation was sent down to Noah (peace be upon him) and the prophets after him? They were given Hadith (oral revelation), which was not written. When people did not accept it, they were drowned. Similarly, Pharaoh and his army were drowned because they did not accept the Hadith of Moses (peace be upon him); the Torah was revealed later.
The disbelievers presented fourteen demands to the Noble Prophet ﷺ, one of which was:
[ اَوۡ تَرۡقٰی فِی السَّمَآءِ ؕ وَ لَنۡ نُّؤۡمِنَ لِرُقِیِّکَ حَتّٰی تُنَزِّلَ عَلَیۡنَا کِتٰبًا نَّقۡرَؤُہٗ ؕ] "Or you ascend into the sky; but if you should do so, then indeed, we will not believe in your ascent until you bring down to us a book that we may read."
Reference: (Bani Isra'il: 93)
❀ See the irony that the disbelievers became so stubborn that they demanded from the Prophet of Islam ﷺ to ascend to the sky. They said that even if you ascend to the sky, it will not be a cause for our faith; rather, you should come down from the sky with a book in your hand. We will read this book, and perhaps we will believe in you.
If this demand had been fulfilled, it would have been a great miracle and many people would have believed, but Allah Almighty did not fulfill this demand of the disbelievers because Allah knew that just as the disbelievers demanded the Quran in written form, similarly, there would be objections regarding Hadith that it was not written during the Prophetic era but was written later.
Why was the Quran not revealed in written form? The answer to this objection is the same as our answer regarding Hadith.
Saying that Hadith was written later and therefore is not reliable is merely a pretext.
As Allah Almighty says in response to the polytheists:
[وَ لَوۡ نَزَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡکَ کِتٰبًا فِیۡ قِرۡطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوۡہُ بِاَیۡدِیۡہِمۡ لَقَالَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اِنۡ ہٰذَاۤ اِلَّا سِحۡرٌ مُّبِیۡنٌ] "Even if We had sent down to you a written scripture on paper, the disbelievers would say, 'This is nothing but obvious magic.'"
Reference: (Al-An'am: 7)
❀ So those who object to Hadith, even if it is proven to them that Hadith was written during the Prophetic era, they still will not accept Hadith.
In reality, the book alone cannot provide guidance to humans; for the explanation of the contents, meanings, and interpretations of the book, a teacher is necessary. One who presents the verbal and practical interpretation of this book. Allah’s refusal to fulfill the demands of the disbelievers also indicates that believing in Hadith along with the Quran is essential. If the Hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is not part of the religion, then what is the benefit of his teachings? This way, the Prophethood of the Beloved ﷺ is restricted.
[بَلۡ ہُوَ اٰیٰتٌۢ بَیِّنٰتٌ فِیۡ صُدُوۡرِ الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡعِلۡمَ ؕ وَ مَا یَجۡحَدُ بِاٰیٰتِنَاۤ اِلَّا الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ]
"These are the clear verses of the Quran, preserved in the breasts of those endowed with knowledge. Only the unjust deny Our verses."
Reference: (Al-Ankabut: 49)
❀ Here, the discussion is not about the compilation of the Quran, but about the memorization of the Holy Quran, just as the Quran was preserved in the hearts of the learned and is now also available in written form, similarly, Hadith was also preserved in the hearts of the learned and is now available in written form as well.
During the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the practice of writing Hadith was common. After the Companions, the era of the Muhaddithin (Hadith scholars) began. The Muhaddithin also had their own books from which they narrated Hadith. For example, Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim had their own written books, which they narrated to their students. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim were narrated written Hadith by their teachers; their sheikhs narrated written Hadith to them, and this chain continued upwards. Therefore, most narrators of Hadith had their own books, some in draft form and some in compiled form. Some had a single Hadith written, while others had a collection of numerous narrations.
It is a separate matter that some Muhaddithin narrated to their students from memory, and some narrated from their books. Those who narrated from memory also had books, but they relied on their memory.
The Safiha (written sheet) of Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), known as "Safiha Humam bin Munabbih," contains all the narrations found in the Sahihayn (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim), which Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned with their chains of narration. If one compares the Safiha Humam bin Munabbih and the Hadith of the Sahihayn, not even a single letter or a slight difference can be seen. This is proof of the perfection of the preservation of Hadith. Similarly, the Safiha of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) is known as "Safiha Sadiqa," and all of it is recorded in Musnad Ahmad with the chain of Amr bin Shuayb from his father from his grandfather Abdullah bin Amr, which Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated with his chains.
Regarding the writing of Hadith, the objection is raised that narrators narrated the meaning (bil-ma'na) and thus changed the words of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. If the Hadith of the Prophet is revelation, then why were the words changed?
The issue of the permissibility or impermissibility of narration bil-ma'na (narration of meaning) is debated among scholars. The prevailing view is that narration bil-ma'na is permissible, provided that there is no change in the meanings and intentions.
Remember that revelation is of two types: one in the form of the Quran and the other in the form of Hadith. The words of the Quran are from Allah, as are the meanings and intentions. Whereas in Hadith, the meanings and concepts are from Allah, but the words are those of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself. In other words, the rulings and Sunnah mentioned in the Hadith are taught by Allah, and there is no room for change in them, but the words in which these rulings and Sunnah are expressed were not revealed by Allah; rather, they are the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Thus, the words of Hadith are not divine revelation, but the meanings and concepts are divine revelation.
Now, if narrators expressed the rulings and Sunnah stated by the Prophet ﷺ in their own words, what is wrong with that? Did the narrators change the revelation? Absolutely not; they only changed the words, which were not revealed by Allah. Moreover, the first person to narrate bil-ma'na was the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself because he expressed Allah’s intent in his own words. Similarly, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the great Tabi‘in (may Allah have mercy on them), and others did the same. Therefore, if narrators are criticized for narration bil-ma'na, would that not be an objection against the noble person of the Prophet ﷺ? Because the Prophet ﷺ expressed Allah’s intent in his own words, and the narrators expressed the meaning narrated by the Prophet ﷺ in their own words. If it were not permissible for the Prophet ﷺ to express Hadith in his own words, and if that were considered a betrayal of Allah or divine revelation,
So you ﷺ had to face this command of Allah Almighty:
[وَ لَوۡ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَیۡنَا بَعۡضَ الۡاَقَاوِیۡلِ]،[لَاَخَذۡنَا مِنۡہُ بِالۡیَمِیۡنِ]،[ثُمَّ لَقَطَعۡنَا مِنۡہُ الۡوَتِیۡنَ] "If they had attributed falsehood to Us, We would have certainly seized them by the right hand and cut off their life artery."
Reference: (Al-Haqqah: 44-46)
❀ When Allah Almighty protected the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, it also means that the practice of transmission by meaning (riwayat bil-ma'na) by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was correct and valid. The same applies to the narrators of Hadith.
When the purpose of Allah Almighty is fulfilled through transmission by meaning, how can there be any alteration or change in the revelation? And how can the narrators of Hadith be disobedient to Allah Almighty and His Messenger? For example, if a person tells his son: "Go and tell the servant that my father is calling." Now if the child goes and says: "My father or papa is calling or reminding you," can anyone say that the child is disobedient to his father because he changed the words his father said? Everyone would say that since the child fulfilled the intended meaning of the father, saying "my father or papa" instead of "my father" does not make him disobedient, because both mean the same. Similarly, where the narrators of Hadith have transmitted by meaning, they have conveyed the intent of Allah and His Messenger correctly. If any narrator made a mistake, the experts in the reasons of Hadith (Ilal al-Hadith) have criticized and clarified the error.
The seven mutawatir Qira'at (recitations) of the Holy Quran are also evidence for the permissibility of transmission by meaning, because the Arabic dialects of the Companions were different, so it was difficult for them to recite in only one dialect. Therefore, Allah Almighty revealed the Quran in seven different Qira'at considering the convenience of the Companions. Some words differ in these Qira'at, but their meaning and intent are the same. Similarly, in transmission by meaning, the intent of Allah Almighty and His Messenger is the same, only the words differ. Therefore, differences in words in transmission by meaning do not imply alteration or change in the revelation.
Transmission by meaning is related to the period of Hadith being written down; after the compilation of Hadith, transmission by meaning is not permissible.
It should be remembered that the Holy Quran is the speech of Allah, and Hadith is the speech of created beings. Certainly, both are revelation, both are religion and proof, denial of both is disbelief, opposition to both is disobedience to Allah Almighty. Denial of Hadith entails denial of the Quran. Therefore, there is no denier of Hadith in the world who fully accepts the Quran as truth. Those who deny Hadith vent their anger by attacking Hadith, and at the same time deviate from Quranic teachings, subjecting the entire Quran to allegorical and metaphorical interpretation. Hence, no denier of Hadith believes in Paradise and Hell; they present their own interpretation of Paradise and Hell. This is evidence that they do not have true faith in the Hereafter.
However, the miracles and distinctions that the Holy Quran possesses are not found in any other speech. That is why the Quran commands reflection (tadabbur). This does not mean that reflection and deep contemplation are not to be done on Hadith; rather, correct reflection and deep study of the Quran is not possible until Hadith is also considered.
Just as the news and prophecies of the Holy Quran are true and correct, similarly the news and prophecies of Hadith are also true, because both are from Allah Almighty.
The authority of Hadith means that all its commands and prohibitions are revealed from Allah Almighty, and there is not the slightest doubt about their truth, just as there is no doubt about the truth of the Holy Quran.
Since both the words and meanings of the Quran are from Allah, the phrase "or as Allah said" is not said about the Divine speech, whereas the meanings of Hadith are from Allah but the words are not, so after Hadith it is possible to say "or as he said."
It should also be kept in mind that every saying and action of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ being revelation means that in matters of religion, every saying and action of his is revelation and it is not permissible to abandon it.
When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came to Madinah, he saw the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, grafting date palms. He forbade them from doing so. The Companions stopped in obedience to his command, but the fruit yield was very low. They complained to the Prophet ﷺ, who said: إنما أنا بشر، إذا أمرتكم بشيء من دينكم فخذوا به، وإذا أمرتكم بشيء من رأيي، فإنما أنا بشر.
"Indeed, I am a human being; when I give you a religious command, follow it strictly, and when I give you a command based on my own opinion (in worldly matters), I am only a human being."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:2362)
He also said:
أنتم أعلم بأمر دنياكم. "You know worldly matters better."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:2363)
He further said:
إني إنما ظننت ظنا، فلا تؤاخذوني بالظن، ولكن إذا حدثتكم عن الله شيئا، فخذوا به، فإني لن أكذب على الله عز وجل.
"This was my assumption, so do not hold me accountable for it, but when I convey something from Allah, then hold firmly to it, for I never lie about Allah."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:2361)
❀ From this, two statuses of the Holy Prophet ﷺ become clear, that he spoke as a prophet and as a human being. Due to human nature, there was a possibility of error. In such matters, the Prophet ﷺ also consulted the Companions. If a mistake occurred, Allah would correct that mistake through revelation, which would also become a revelation.
Just as there is no contradiction in the Quran, similarly, there is no contradiction in the Hadith. Just as apparent contradictions exist in the Quran, similarly, apparent contradictions exist in the Hadith. Just as there is no real contradiction in the Quran, similarly, there is no contradiction between the Quran and Hadith. No Hadith is contrary to the Quran.
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah, may Allah have mercy on him (311 AH), says:
من ادعى من الجهلة أن شيئا من سنن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا ثبت من جهة النقل مخالف لشيء من كتاب الله، فأنا الضامن بتثبيت صحة مذهبنا على ما أبوح به منذ أكثر من أربعين سنة.
"Whoever ignorantly claims that a hadith proven from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ contradicts the Quran, my challenge for forty years has been that our scholars' belief is correct in this regard (that no authentic hadith contradicts the Quran)."
Reference: (Kitab al-Tawheed: 110/1)
❀ There are hundreds of verses in the Holy Quran that appear to contradict each other outwardly. In one place, the inheritance share of brothers is mentioned as one-sixth, and in another place, it is stated as half. The reconciliation here is that in one place, the mention is of full siblings, and in the other verse, it refers to uterine and consanguine siblings. Similarly, contradictions between hadiths or between the Quran and hadith can be resolved. Both the Quran and hadith are revelation; there is no real contradiction between them.
❀ It should be remembered that issues like general and specific, abrogating and abrogated exist in hadith.
Just as the Quran is a miracle, similarly hadith is also a miracle. There is no equal to the Quran and hadith. When a hadith is weak or fabricated, it is not revelation. This is evidence of the authenticity of hadith that knowledge of its weakness or fabrication has been given. There is not a single weak hadith in the world that Muslims consider as religion; however, the authentication of hadith is related to ijtihad, and the ijtihads of scholars may differ, but this does not affect the authority of hadith. The matter of hadith is settled; if two Imams do not call a clearly weak narrator trustworthy, and two Imams do not call a clearly trustworthy narrator weak, this is clear evidence of the perfect preservation of hadith.
Just as the disbelievers and opponents were against the Quran, similarly they were also against the commands and prohibitions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, and Allah Almighty has given severe warnings for opposing the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
[فَلۡیَحۡذَرِ الَّذِیۡنَ یُخَالِفُوۡنَ عَنۡ اَمۡرِہٖۤ اَنۡ تُصِیۡبَہُمۡ فِتۡنَۃٌ اَوۡ یُصِیۡبَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِیۡمٌ] "Those who disobey the command of the Messenger should fear that a great trial or painful punishment may befall them."
Reference: (An-Nur: 63)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him, died 774 AH) writes:
قوله: فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أي عن أمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وهو سبيله ومنهاجه وطريقته وسنته وشريعته، فتوزن الأقوال والأعمال بأقواله وأعماله، فما وافق ذلك قبل، وما خالفه فهو مردود على قائله وفاعله، كائنا ما كان.
"The command of the Exalted Allah is: فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ
Reference: (An-Nur: 63)
'Those who oppose the command of the Messenger should fear.' Here, the reference is to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and by His command is meant His path, method, way, and Shariah. Thus, the sayings and actions of the Prophet ﷺ are the measure; whatever is in accordance with his sayings and actions will be accepted, and whatever is contrary will be returned upon the one who utters or does it, whoever he may be."
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 6/90)
The command of the Exalted Allah is:
[وَ مَاۤ اٰتٰىکُمُ الرَّسُوۡلُ فَخُذُوۡہُ ٭ وَ مَا نَہٰىکُمۡ عَنۡہُ فَانۡتَہُوۡا ۚ وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ شَدِیۡدُ الۡعِقَابِ]
"Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in punishment."
Reference: (Al-Hashr: 7)
There is life in the Hadith; no one can live without Hadith, even the disbelievers who do not believe in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ act upon Hadith in some way or another.
Sayyiduna Abu Saeed bin Mu’alla رضي الله عنه narrates:
كنت أصلي في المسجد، فدعاني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فلم أجبه، فقلت: يا رسول الله، إني كنت أصلي، فقال: ألم يقل الله: [اسۡتَجِیۡبُوۡا لِلّٰہِ وَ لِلرَّسُوۡلِ اِذَا دَعَاکُمۡ لِمَا یُحۡیِیۡکُمۡ] (الأنفال: 24)
"I was praying in the mosque when the Prophet ﷺ called out, but I could not respond. After the prayer, I said: O Messenger of Allah! I was praying. He said: Did you not hear the command of Allah? 'When Allah and His Messenger call you to that which gives you life, then respond to their call.'"
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 4474)
Miqdam bin Ma’dikarib رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
ألا إني أوتيت الكتاب، ومثله معه.
"Beware! I have been given the Book (Quran) and along with it, its likeness (Hadith) has also been given."
Reference: (Sunan Abi Dawood: 4604, and its chain is Hasan)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir رحمه الله (774 AH) states:
أما الرسول الخاتم للرسالة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم فإنما كان معظم ما آتاه الله وحيا منه إليه منقولا إلى الناس بالتواتر، ففي كل حين هو كما أنزل.
"The Seal of the Messengers, Sayyiduna Muhammad Rasul Allah ﷺ, was granted by Allah the greatest blessing in the form of revelation, which reached the people with continuous transmission and remains in all times exactly as it was revealed."
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 20/1, Salamah)
