The Background and Impact of Hadith Denial in the Indian SubcontinentAuthored by: Dr. Raza Abdullah Pasha ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ Western Influence and Attempts to Alter Islam
Following the political and ideological dominance of Western powers over the Indian subcontinent, a segment of the Muslim community emerged that became deeply influenced by Western culture and thought. They believed that progress was only possible through imitation of Western values and ideologies.
However, many Islamic injunctions stood as obstacles in their path. Consequently, this group pursued a path of distortion in order to mold Islam to fit Western ideals. Denying Hadith became a central strategy in this agenda, since without Hadith, it became easier to reinterpret Islamic teachings according to their own desires.
❖ Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Religious Reform or Western Subjugation?
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was heavily influenced by Western ideologies and was determined to reconcile Qur’anic teachings with modern scientific and materialistic theories.
- He excluded consensus (ijmāʿ), analogical reasoning (qiyās), and Hadith from the foundational principles of Islam.
- In his Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, he either rejected or radically reinterpreted subjects such as angels, miracles, jinn, Paradise, and Hell, in direct conflict with traditional Islamic beliefs.
(Ḥayāt-e-Jāwīd by Maulānā Alṭāf Ḥusayn Ḥālī, Vol. 1, p. 231)
Maulānā Abul Ḥasan ʿAlī Nadwī commented that Sir Syed’s interpretation of the Qur’an provoked strong reactions in religious and scholarly circles, as it contradicted the consensus of the Ummah and the established principles of Arabic linguistics.
(Islāmiyyat o Maghribiyyat kī Kashmakash, p. 99)
❖ Sir Syed’s Followers: Maulvi Chiragh Ali, Syed Ameer Ali, and Others
◈ Maulvi Chiragh Ali:
- He regarded the Qur’an as only a book of moral guidance, devoid of any political or social system.
- He considered Islamic law to be customary rules and labeled Hadiths as fabricated and unreliable.
(Proposed Political, Legal and Social Reforms in the Ottoman Empire, Bombay, 1883, pp. 10–12)
◈ Syed Ameer Ali:
- He described miracles, angels, Paradise, and Hell as poetic imagination or remnants of Zoroastrian, Talmudic, and Sabian traditions.
- His renowned book The Spirit of Islam left a significant impression in both Western and Muslim circles.
(Rūḥ-e-Islām, p. 152)
❖ Ghulam Ahmad Parwez: An Organized Movement of Hadith Rejection
Ghulam Ahmad Parwez expanded Sir Syed’s ideas and produced systematic literature rejecting the authority of Hadith.
- In his Tafsīr Mafhūm al-Qurʾān and other writings, he declared Hadith completely unreliable.
- According to him, Islam is based solely on the Qur’an, and accepting Hadith is akin to “adding to the religion.”
(Maqām-e-Ḥadīth, Vol. 1, p. 421)
As a result, he redefined core religious practices such as ṣalāh (prayer), ṣawm (fasting), and other acts of worship.
(Qurʾānī Faislay, p. 424)
❖ Other Prominent Figures and the Hadith Rejection Movement
◈ Abdullah Chakralvi:
He was the first person in the subcontinent to lay the foundations of Hadith rejection and established the sect Ahl al-Qurʾān.
(Ḥujjiyyat-e-Ḥadīth aur Ittibāʿ-e-Rasūl ﷺ, Maulānā Thanā’ullāh Amritsarī, p. 1)
◈ Aslam Jairajpuri:
A professor at Sir Syed’s university and a fierce critic of Hadith, he wrote on Islamic history and Qur’anic interpretation, but his views were deeply rooted in Hadith denial.
◈ Niaz Fatehpuri:
A noted literary figure who, due to his rejection of Hadith, blamed all the ills of the Muslim community on Hadith. Eventually, he even denied the divine origin of the Qur’an.
(Man Yazdān, Vol. 1, p. 405)
◈ Dr. Ghulam Jilani Barq:
Initially prominent in Hadith denial, he later repented, acknowledged the importance of Hadith, and sought forgiveness.
❖ Consequences of Hadith Denial
- The denial of Hadith strips Islam of its complete structure, for the Qur’an and Hadith are inseparably linked.
- After rejecting Hadith, these individuals went on to distort the meanings of Qur’anic verses to suit their own ideologies.
❖ The End Result: From Hadith Rejection to Atheism
Most proponents of Hadith denial presented a distorted form of Islam that was impractical and irrational.
Many individuals, such as Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, spent their entire lives trying to reshape religion based on personal reasoning, but their followers often gravitated toward atheism as a result.
❖ Conclusion
The Hadith rejection movement in the subcontinent was born out of a fascination with Western ideologies and a failed attempt to modify the core beliefs of Islam to fit modern theories.
This movement rendered Islam impractical and incoherent, and many of its advocates either turned to atheism or eventually returned to the true and original teachings of Islam after recognizing their errors.
