✍ Written by: Muhammad Zubair Sadiq Abadi
In contemporary times, some Deobandis, while discussing with Ahl al-Ḥadīth (i.e., Ahl al-Sunnah), often label them as “non-muqallid” (those who do not blindly follow a madhhab). They also claim that the title “Ahl al-Ḥadīth” applies only to the muḥaddithūn (scholars of ḥadīth), and not to the present-day people, and thus, it is impermissible to refer to modern adherents of this methodology as Ahl al-Ḥadīth.
In refutation of such Deobandis, below are various statements from prominent Deobandi scholars, evidencing that they themselves have accepted the usage of the term “Ahl al-Ḥadīth” beyond just the muḥaddithūn—including common followers and modern adherents of this way.
“I am Qādirī and Ḥanafī. The Ahl al-Ḥadīth are neither Qādirī nor Ḥanafī, yet they have been praying in our mosque for 40 years. I consider them to be upon the truth.”
(Malfūẓāt Ṭayyibāt, p. 115 | alt. ed. p. 126)
“Around the 2nd or 3rd century Hijri, due to differing views in subsidiary issues, five schools emerged among the Ahl al-Ḥaqq: the four madhāhib and the Ahl al-Ḥadīth. From that time until today, the truth is considered to lie within these five.”
(Aḥsan al-Fatāwā, vol. 1, p. 316; “Maududi Sahib and the Destruction of Islam”, p. 20)
“In one debate between Hazrat [Anwar Shah] and an Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholar, the scholar asked: ‘Are you a muqallid of Abū Ḥanīfah?’ He replied: ‘No, I am a mujtahid myself and act upon my own ijtihād.’”
(20 Great Muslims, p. 383)
He also mentions another event:
“Mawlānā Muḥammad Ḥusayn Baṭālwī (from Ahl al-Ḥadīth) once engaged in conversation...”
(Ibid, p. 385)
“In my youth, I undertook much research. I wrote letters to Qādiyānīs, innovators—and similarly, to the Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Taqrīr Bukhārī, p. 59)
Citing ʿAbd al-Ḥayy Lakhnawī:
“The dispute between the Ḥanafīs and Ahl al-Ḥadīth intensified, leading to debates, arguments, and even physical conflict.”
(Īḍāḥ al-Adillah maʿ Ḥāshiyah Jadīdah, p. 31)
“Mawlānā ʿInāyatullāh Shāh even appointed Mawlānā Okāṛwī to debate with the Ahl al-Ḥadīth and personally presided over the debate.”
(Futūḥāt, vol. 3, p. 443)
“In our view, this book is beneficial not only for every Ḥanafī imām and preacher but also, in general, for the public, and even for non-biased members of the Ahl al-Ḥadīth, by Allah’s will.”
(Namāz Masnūn, p. 18)
“For example, the well-known Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholar Mawlānā Muḥammad Ismāʿīl Salafī رحمه الله.”
(Taqleed ki Sharʿī Ḥaysiyat, p. 146)
“The issue of reciting Fātiḥah behind the imām is a famous dispute. Imām Shāfiʿī considers it obligatory, and the Ahl al-Ḥadīth act upon this view.”
(Āp ke Masāʾil, vol. 2, p. 207)
“Despite our differences, I consider Deobandis and Ahl al-Ḥadīth all to be within Islam.”
(Ḥayāt Ṭayyibah, p. 169; Monthly Ḍarb-e-Ḥaqq, Issue 30, p. 11)
“We respectfully request the Ahl al-Ḥadīth public to reflect on these facts...”
(Chhupe Rāz, part 4, p. 2)
“The Ahl al-Ḥadīth public must be wondering...”
(Ibid, p. 3)
“The Barelwi scholar ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Chishtī reported that Mawlānā ʿAbd al-Sattār Khān Niyāzī attended the funeral of the famous Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholar Mawlānā Sayyid Muḥammad Dāwūd Ghaznawī.”
(Muṭālaʿah Barailwiyyat, vol. 4, p. 387)
“All the Ṣaḥābah were Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Ḥaqīqat al-Fiqh, vol. 2, p. 228)
“Indeed, all the Ṣaḥābah were Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Ijtihād aur Taqleed, p. 48)
“Ahl al-Sunnah includes the Shāfiʿī, Ḥanbalī, Mālikī, Ḥanafī—and Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(ʿAqāʾid al-Islām, p. 3)
This book was favored by Muḥammad Qāsim Nānawtwī, as noted on p. 264.
“Yes, Ahl al-Ḥadīth are Muslims and part of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah.”
(Kifāyat al-Muftī, vol. 1, p. 325; Answer #370)
“Discussions on Ḥanafī–Ahl al-Ḥadīth differences were a regular part of my father’s teaching and writing. He regarded them as subsidiary matters, unlike the principled dispute between Deobandis and Barelwis.”
(Monthly al-Sharīʿah, Gujranwala, March 2010, p. 4)
When some Deobandis observed that great muḥaddithūn like Imām al-Bukhārī considered the saved sect (Ṭāʾifah Manṣūrah) to be “Ahl al-Ḥadīth,” they tried to claim this title for themselves too.
Imām al-Bukhārī said:
يعني أهل الحديث
“That is: Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Masʾalat al-Iḥtijāj bi’l-Shāfiʿī by al-Khaṭīb, p. 7 | Taqrīrāt of Ḥāfiẓ Zubair ʿAlī Zai, vol. 1, p. 161)
Therefore, even Deobandis began using the term for themselves and the Ṣaḥābah:
“It is clear that the true claimants to the title Ahl al-Ḥadīth are the Ḥanafīs—not the non-muqallid.”
(Ḥadīth aur Ahl al-Ḥadīth, p. 88)
“The Ḥanafīs are the true Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Sayf Ḥanafī, p. 125)
“In my view, those with practical adherence today are both Ahl al-Ḥadīth and Ahl al-Taqleed, and they are the true Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah.”
(Sharīʿat yā Jahālat, p. 173–174 – Authenticated by Muḥammad Zakariyya Tablīghī, 21 Jan 2013)
These clear references prove that, according to Deobandi scholars themselves, the term “Ahl al-Ḥadīth” applies not only to muḥaddithūn but also to their followers and present-day practitioners. Hence, restricting the term only to early muḥaddithūn is baseless and contrary to their own elders’ writings.
❖ Do Ahl al-Ḥadīth Only Refer to the Scholars of Ḥadīth?
In contemporary times, some Deobandis, while discussing with Ahl al-Ḥadīth (i.e., Ahl al-Sunnah), often label them as “non-muqallid” (those who do not blindly follow a madhhab). They also claim that the title “Ahl al-Ḥadīth” applies only to the muḥaddithūn (scholars of ḥadīth), and not to the present-day people, and thus, it is impermissible to refer to modern adherents of this methodology as Ahl al-Ḥadīth.
In refutation of such Deobandis, below are various statements from prominent Deobandi scholars, evidencing that they themselves have accepted the usage of the term “Ahl al-Ḥadīth” beyond just the muḥaddithūn—including common followers and modern adherents of this way.
❖ Testimonies from Deobandi Scholars
✿ 1. Ahmad Ali Lahori Deobandi – “Imam al-Awliya” and “Shaykh al-Tafsīr” of Deoband:
“I am Qādirī and Ḥanafī. The Ahl al-Ḥadīth are neither Qādirī nor Ḥanafī, yet they have been praying in our mosque for 40 years. I consider them to be upon the truth.”
(Malfūẓāt Ṭayyibāt, p. 115 | alt. ed. p. 126)✿ 2. Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludhianvi Deobandi:
“Around the 2nd or 3rd century Hijri, due to differing views in subsidiary issues, five schools emerged among the Ahl al-Ḥaqq: the four madhāhib and the Ahl al-Ḥadīth. From that time until today, the truth is considered to lie within these five.”
(Aḥsan al-Fatāwā, vol. 1, p. 316; “Maududi Sahib and the Destruction of Islam”, p. 20)✿ 3. ʿAbd al-Rashīd Arshad Deobandi, narrating a debate involving Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi:
“In one debate between Hazrat [Anwar Shah] and an Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholar, the scholar asked: ‘Are you a muqallid of Abū Ḥanīfah?’ He replied: ‘No, I am a mujtahid myself and act upon my own ijtihād.’”
(20 Great Muslims, p. 383)He also mentions another event:
“Mawlānā Muḥammad Ḥusayn Baṭālwī (from Ahl al-Ḥadīth) once engaged in conversation...”
(Ibid, p. 385)✿ 4. Shaykh al-Ḥadīth Muḥammad Zakariyya Tablīghī:
“In my youth, I undertook much research. I wrote letters to Qādiyānīs, innovators—and similarly, to the Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Taqrīr Bukhārī, p. 59)✿ 5. Mufti Saʿīd Ahmad Pālanpūrī:
Citing ʿAbd al-Ḥayy Lakhnawī:
“The dispute between the Ḥanafīs and Ahl al-Ḥadīth intensified, leading to debates, arguments, and even physical conflict.”
(Īḍāḥ al-Adillah maʿ Ḥāshiyah Jadīdah, p. 31)✿ 6. Maḥmūd ʿĀlam Okāṛwī Deobandi:
“Mawlānā ʿInāyatullāh Shāh even appointed Mawlānā Okāṛwī to debate with the Ahl al-Ḥadīth and personally presided over the debate.”
(Futūḥāt, vol. 3, p. 443)✿ 7. Mufti Muḥammad Anwar, commenting on the book of Ṣūfī ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd Swātī:
“In our view, this book is beneficial not only for every Ḥanafī imām and preacher but also, in general, for the public, and even for non-biased members of the Ahl al-Ḥadīth, by Allah’s will.”
(Namāz Masnūn, p. 18)✿ 8. Shaykh al-Islām Muḥammad Taqī ʿUthmānī Deobandi:
“For example, the well-known Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholar Mawlānā Muḥammad Ismāʿīl Salafī رحمه الله.”
(Taqleed ki Sharʿī Ḥaysiyat, p. 146)✿ 9. Mufti Muḥammad Yūsuf Ludhianvi Deobandi:
“The issue of reciting Fātiḥah behind the imām is a famous dispute. Imām Shāfiʿī considers it obligatory, and the Ahl al-Ḥadīth act upon this view.”
(Āp ke Masāʾil, vol. 2, p. 207)✿ 10. Mawlānā Allāh Yār Khān Deobandi
“Despite our differences, I consider Deobandis and Ahl al-Ḥadīth all to be within Islam.”
(Ḥayāt Ṭayyibah, p. 169; Monthly Ḍarb-e-Ḥaqq, Issue 30, p. 11)❖ Further References
- Mufti Muḥammad ʿUmar Deobandi addressed the Ahl al-Ḥadīth public directly in several places:
“We respectfully request the Ahl al-Ḥadīth public to reflect on these facts...”
(Chhupe Rāz, part 4, p. 2)“The Ahl al-Ḥadīth public must be wondering...”
(Ibid, p. 3)- Khālid Maḥmūd Deobandi (Manchester) mentions:
“The Barelwi scholar ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Chishtī reported that Mawlānā ʿAbd al-Sattār Khān Niyāzī attended the funeral of the famous Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholar Mawlānā Sayyid Muḥammad Dāwūd Ghaznawī.”
(Muṭālaʿah Barailwiyyat, vol. 4, p. 387)- Anwārullāh Fārūqī, a student of Ḥājī Imdādullāh Makkī, said:
“All the Ṣaḥābah were Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Ḥaqīqat al-Fiqh, vol. 2, p. 228)- Muḥammad Idrīs Kāndhlawī Deobandi wrote:
“Indeed, all the Ṣaḥābah were Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Ijtihād aur Taqleed, p. 48)- ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq Ḥaqānī Dehlawī wrote:
“Ahl al-Sunnah includes the Shāfiʿī, Ḥanbalī, Mālikī, Ḥanafī—and Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(ʿAqāʾid al-Islām, p. 3)This book was favored by Muḥammad Qāsim Nānawtwī, as noted on p. 264.
- Mufti Muḥammad Kifāyatullāh Dehlawī answered a question:
“Yes, Ahl al-Ḥadīth are Muslims and part of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah.”
(Kifāyat al-Muftī, vol. 1, p. 325; Answer #370)- Abū ʿAmmār Zāhid al-Rāshidī, son of Sarfraz Khān Ṣafdar, wrote:
“Discussions on Ḥanafī–Ahl al-Ḥadīth differences were a regular part of my father’s teaching and writing. He regarded them as subsidiary matters, unlike the principled dispute between Deobandis and Barelwis.”
(Monthly al-Sharīʿah, Gujranwala, March 2010, p. 4)❖ Have Deobandis Claimed
When some Deobandis observed that great muḥaddithūn like Imām al-Bukhārī considered the saved sect (Ṭāʾifah Manṣūrah) to be “Ahl al-Ḥadīth,” they tried to claim this title for themselves too.
Imām al-Bukhārī said:
يعني أهل الحديث
“That is: Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Masʾalat al-Iḥtijāj bi’l-Shāfiʿī by al-Khaṭīb, p. 7 | Taqrīrāt of Ḥāfiẓ Zubair ʿAlī Zai, vol. 1, p. 161)Therefore, even Deobandis began using the term for themselves and the Ṣaḥābah:
- Anwār Khurshīd Deobandi:
“It is clear that the true claimants to the title Ahl al-Ḥadīth are the Ḥanafīs—not the non-muqallid.”
(Ḥadīth aur Ahl al-Ḥadīth, p. 88)- Amjad Saʿīd Deobandi, in a chapter heading:
“The Ḥanafīs are the true Ahl al-Ḥadīth.”
(Sayf Ḥanafī, p. 125)- Pālan Ḥaqānī Deobandi wrote:
“In my view, those with practical adherence today are both Ahl al-Ḥadīth and Ahl al-Taqleed, and they are the true Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah.”
(Sharīʿat yā Jahālat, p. 173–174 – Authenticated by Muḥammad Zakariyya Tablīghī, 21 Jan 2013)❖ Conclusion
These clear references prove that, according to Deobandi scholars themselves, the term “Ahl al-Ḥadīth” applies not only to muḥaddithūn but also to their followers and present-day practitioners. Hence, restricting the term only to early muḥaddithūn is baseless and contrary to their own elders’ writings.
