This excerpt is taken from the book compiled by Hakim Ajmal Khan Sahib "Recognize Jamaat-e-Islami" .
Reason and Insight in Hadith Criticism: A Research Study in the Light of the Methodology of the Muhaddithin
Insight and Understanding:
Maulana Shibli Rahmatullah Alaih, in
Reference: ''Seerat-un-Noman"
, severely criticized the methodology of the Muhaddithin (scholars of Hadith), and supported the methodology of the jurists of Kufa Rahmatullah Alaih on the grounds that if they were alive today, they might not even approve of this modern style of advocacy. Maulana did not deny Hadith but gave such importance to reason in the name of understanding and jurisprudence that it almost caused harm close to denial of Hadith and the path of the Imams of Hadith, and except for a few scholars, this ailment is found in almost all participants of the Nida. It is common in this circle to err in thinking that the Imams of Hadith were not jurists; the principles laid down for criticism of Hadith have ignored the concept of understanding (Dirayah). According to the principles of Dirayah, criticism was made by the jurists, and even now everyone has the right to criticize Hadith from this point of view, to keep what they like and throw what they dislike into the basket of rejection. انا للہ۔Then the meaning of Dirayah was explained so broadly that it could lead to the massacre of Hadith. In
Reference: "Seerat-un-Noman"
, Maulana says:"By Dirayah is meant that when an event is narrated, it should be considered in light of the nature of human beings, the characteristics of the time, the conditions of the person to whom it is attributed, and other rational indications."
"Nature" here is the translation of "fitrah." Sir Syed also held the view that nothing contrary to nature can be accepted.
In this, the meaning of Dirayah has been made so free that there is no restriction on it. What is the limit of the requirement of nature? And what is the standard of this requirement? And who determines the rational indications, and how? If the characteristics of the time can be an obstacle in the way of the texts, then even the crime of Parvez should be reconsidered.
Neither Qazi Isa bin Aban gave such wide powers to reason, nor did the Mu'tazila have such courage. This is like giving a touchstone to an illiterate and a sword to a madman, who will do as they please, Allah protect the religion.
❀ Before proceeding further, it seems appropriate to hear the meaning of Dirayah from the language of the scholars so that the difference between today's Dirayah and the old Dirayah can be made clear.
["العلم بدراية الحديث هو علم باحث عن المعنى المفهوم من الفاظ الحديث وعن المراد منها مبنيا على قواعد العربية وضوابط الشريعة ومطابقا لاحوال النبي ﷺ"]
Muftah-us-Sa'adah and Misbah-us-Siyada Tashkibri Zadah Sahib consider Kashf-uz-Zunun, Usool-ul-Hadith, and Dirayah-ul-Hadith as one and the same discipline
Reference: (p.366 vol.1).
In Dirayah-ul-Hadith, the meaning and intention of Hadith are discussed according to Arabic grammar, the rules of Shariah, and the circumstances of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.
Reference: Abjad-ul-Uloom: p.436 vol.2, also
❀ There is a big difference between this Dirayah and the Dirayah that is currently being sold in our markets. The technical term Dirayah involves knowledge and insight. The Dirayah in our markets involves mental wandering and confusion. Such irregularity and wandering should not be allowed in Shariah in general and Hadith in particular. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (may Allah have mercy on him) was shaken by this Dirayah and equated halal and haram. He considered both to be halal.
Maulana Islahi and Maulana Maududi's school of thought is similar to the school of thought of Maulana Shibli and Sir Syed. These gentlemen are also secret lovers of jurisprudence and insight, but they do not reveal what they mean by insight. When Maulana Shibli initiated the discussion on insight, the Ahl al-Hadith scholars pursued him in such a way that no aspect of this discussion remained untouched. They fully clarified the services of the jurists and hadith scholars. In the works of Maulana Abdul Aziz Aslam Abadi's Husn al-Bayan, Maulana Abu Yahya Shahjahanpuri's Al-Irshad, and Maulana Abdus Salam Mubarakpuri's Seerat al-Bukhari, this topic was so thoroughly examined that no one dared to write in detail on it thereafter.
❀ Maududi Sahib used the term "wisdom," made insight vague, and did not specify what he meant by insight or which principles the jurists had established regarding it. However, while criticizing the hadith scholars, he stated:
"They (the hadith scholars) at most used to say that the authenticity of this hadith is the prevailing assumption; moreover, this prevailing assumption was based on the narration, not on insight. Their viewpoint was mostly traditionalist; jurisprudence was not their main subject. Etc."
Reference: Maslak-e-I'tidal: p.319
❀ Maulana Islahi, may Allah protect him, tries to keep the position of hadith criticism even more open, observe:
"The critic of hadith must be so high in morals and credibility that he has not made religiosity his pastime; he is qualified to critique and comment on hadith. This position cannot be held by every seminary graduate or office clerk."
Reference: Tarjuman: Vol.45 No.2 p.148
❀ Then he says that the chains of transmission of the elders, the acquisition of formal sciences, and the education of madrasas do not grant this importance to be able to criticize hadith, rather:
"In my view, the best and most excellent testimony of a person's knowledge and virtue is his own achievements and his religious services."
In principle, the importance of achievements is not denied, but Maulana did not perceive the dangers of this criterion. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Inayatullah Khan al-Mashriqi, Parvez, and others consider the right to criticize and the authority to accept or reject hadith based on achievements alone. By ignoring formal sciences and the chains of transmission of the elders, you have avoided some objections, but you have taken upon yourself the responsibility of another calamity due to the generality of achievements and services. These wayward individuals will spread "achievements and services" in such a way that it will be difficult for the public to avoid their grasp. It would not be appropriate to save Maududi Sahib and put the entire discipline in trouble. [حفظت شيئاً وغابت عنك اشياء] The criterion has become "achievements and services." Their nature always changes every ten or five years.
Services and Achievements:
If services and achievements are to be considered the criterion for criticism of Hadith, then there should be some restriction on them. In our recent times, Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan, may Allah have mercy on him, Maulana Abdul Hayy Lakhnawi, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Maulvi Ahmad Raza Sahib are famous in terms of writing and authorship; will all of them be given the right to criticize Hadith? The achievements and services of Syed Ahmad Khan (may Allah have mercy on him), Maulana Syed Nazir Hussain Sahib (may Allah have mercy on him), and Nanotvi (may Allah have mercy on him) in teaching and education are known to the world, but after which services and achievements will the right to criticize be given?
If understanding and achievements are made open and free, it will be a prelude to the denial of Hadith. Maulana Maududi and your approach will open the way to such chaos and vagabondage in the criticism of Hadith, the harm of which will be no less than the denial of Hadith. This chaos should not be estimated from a few educated persons who keep running around you, nor from a few Hadith scholars who, due to organizational restrictions, are forced to keep their beaks shut and cannot openly express their opinions due to organizational interests. It should be estimated from the common people who read your literature in all parts of the country. When they hear from the leadership that the Imams of Hadith were deprived of the principle of understanding, that their viewpoint was narrative, not jurisprudential, when they learn that the chains of transmission of the elders and the education of the madrasas do not produce the capability to criticize Hadith, then what opinion will they form in their minds about the Imams and religious education? When they hear from your mouth a cautious and narrow definition of Sunnah, when they hear the duty of the news of individuals as conjecture, how much will their good opinion about this source be hurt? After coming into the leadership circle, your responsibilities have become far greater than those of a "sectarian clerk," so think carefully about what you say.
Not every understanding leads to mastery in the science of Hadith, nor can every achievement and service make a person familiar with the temperament of the Prophet. Only those people can be suitable for this whose daily occupation is Hadith, whose precious times are spent in the pursuit of [قال اللہ و قال الرسول]. Leaders neither recognize diamonds nor stones.
Temperament Analysis and Astrology:
Maulana Maududi, in the sect of moderation, diminished the status of the principles of Hadith and their rules by calling them speculative and the result of human efforts, and relied on the criticism of Hadith based on the "system of religion," "temperament analysis," and "the setting of a diamond." Then, by calling it subjective, he made Hadith and its criticism so unprincipled that every reckless person could speak arrogantly on this poor art, and Maulana Islahy further opened it up by making achievements and services the standard. This openness was neither in the sect of Qazi Isa bin Aban nor among the later jurists. Its "setting" partly resembles that of the Mu'tazila and partly the naturalism of Sir Syed. The poor Ahl al-Hadith, who were dissatisfied with the later jurists and Qazi Isa bin Aban, how could they be satisfied with your critical generosity? All your efforts were so that you could be safe from speculation, but where you are present at this time, there is nothing but speculation. Speculative understanding, speculative analogy, speculative cause, its rejection and reflection are speculative, temperament analysis is mere speculation, and the setting of a diamond is speculative. The principled art of the Muhaddithin did not survive in your view because it is a human effort that cannot go beyond its natural limits. But "understanding," "the system of religion," and "the temperament of Shariah," analogy and its causes, these too must be the results of human efforts. By strictly avoiding speculation, you came under the shadow of subjective and unprincipled speculation. In the search for the sect of moderation, you fell victim to extremism. [ولتنظر نفس ما قدمت لغد]
Certainty and Conjecture in Hadith:
In the view of the Imams of Hadith, certainty is obtained from the Noble Quran and mutawatir ahadith, and the number of mutawatir ahadith reaches into the thousands. The counts of verbal mutawatir, semantic mutawatir, and practical mutawatir are abundantly present in the books of Sunnah, but mutawatir is not found in all branches of religion; rather, one must resort to ahad (single) reports for that. The knowledge obtained from ahad reports has been described by some scholars as speculative (zann). In other words, the knowledge obtained at the level below mutawatir is technically called zann. Zann is found in all fields of life. The benefit of religious acts is speculative, the business of the world and its outcomes are speculative, curses are speculative, the indication of words is speculative, the determination of the Qibla is sometimes done on the basis of zann. The zann on which the entire life depends cannot be ignored by either Shariah or custom and tradition. The Holy Quran has considered this zann as authentic and has established rulings upon it. Our Master Musa (peace be upon him) migrated from Egypt on the basis of speculative information; he reached the same place in Egypt on the information of a girl where he stayed for a long time; on the return journey, he saw the Mount Sinai on the basis of a zann and was honored with prophethood. Our Master Ibrahim (peace be upon him) stayed in Palestine merely on hope, and similarly, on the basis of conjecture, he was commanded to settle our Master Ismail (peace be upon him) with Lady Hajar (may Allah be pleased with her) in the wilderness of Hijaz. Our Master Yusuf (peace be upon him) was released from prison as a reward for the interpretation of a dream, and in view of its speculative consequences, he was honored with governance. On the basis of single information, our Master Yaqub (peace be upon him) prepared for the journey to Egypt from Canaan. Our Master Musa (peace be upon him) chose a settled life on the assumption that the Children of Israel would find rest at some time. In short, the Wise Quran has narrated single reports and speculative information with such reliance as if it contains certainty and conviction.
❀ Izz ibn Abdus Salam has clearly written at the beginning of
Reference: Al-Qawaid al-Kubra
that the affairs of this world and the Hereafter largely depend on zann; therefore, although the Ummah uses the term zann, they have given ahad and speculative matters the same importance in religion as should be given to an authentic matter. After understanding this technical meaning of zann, it is wrong to think that there is no scope for zann in Shariah; this is merely a misconception. Rather, it is also wrong to call or consider speculative matters "unproven." It can be said that the status of speculative matters is after mutawatir, or that technical zann cannot contradict mutawatir.The Art of Hadith and Reason:
It is also not correct to say that understanding was not given importance in the criticism of hadith, or that the viewpoint of the muhaddithin was traditionalist and not jurisprudential. Rather, as far as the status of reason and understanding is concerned, it was fully respected. The difference in the way of thinking between Ahl al-Hadith and the jurists does not at all mean that the Imams of Hadith were unaware of jurisprudence; differences also exist among the jurists of Iraq themselves. From Allama Dubusi’s Tasis al-Nazar, it is clear that there are fundamental differences among the jurists, may Allah have mercy on them. All this is the result of different ways of thinking; neither are the jurists devoid of hadith knowledge nor are the Imams of Hadith unaware of jurisprudence. The reason for the difference is only the difference in the way of thinking, and no one was unaware of understanding and the spark of insight, may Allah have vast mercy on them.
❀ Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates from his Shaykh Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him:
[قال وقد تدبرت ما امكنني من ادلة الشرع فما رأيت قياساً صحيحاً يخالف حديثاً صحيحاً كما ان المعقول الصحيح لا يخالف المنقول الصحيح بل متى رأيت قياساً يخالف اثرا فلا بد من ضعف احدهما الخ]
As far as possible, I have considered the Shariah evidences. I have not found correct analogy to be against an authentic hadith, just as sound reason is never against authentic transmission. When analogy contradicts an effect, one of them is certainly weak, but distinguishing between correct and incorrect analogy is not easy.
Reference: I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in: p4 vol2
A similar explicitness has also been transmitted from Imam Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, and Shah Waliullah, may Allah have mercy on him, which is being overlooked due to length. This also shows that analogy and reason are not the same thing; analogy can also be against reason. Therefore, it is absolutely wrong to consider the principles of jurisprudence as rational principles. These principles represent a particular way of thinking, which Shah Sahib has explained in Hujjatullah, Insaf, Aqd al-Jadeed, etc. Hence, understanding the principles of jurisprudence as principles of rationality is a lack of understanding and simplicity.
❀ Ibn Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[ما احسن قول القائل اذا رأيت الحديث يباين المعقول او يخالف المنقول او يناقض الاصول فاعلم انه موضوع] How excellent is the statement of that person who said: When you find a hadith contrary to sound reason, opposed to established narrations, or conflicting with agreed principles, then know that it is fabricated.
Reference: Tadreeb Sharh Taqreeb: p.100
❀ Abu Bakr Tayyib said:
A sign of fabrication is that it goes against reason and cannot be justified, and a hadith that contradicts sense and observation will also be fabricated. If it contradicts the Quran and the mutawatir Sunnah, it will also be fabricated. The same ruling applies if it contradicts consensus.
Reference: Tadreeb al-Rawi: p.99
Sakhawi has said something similar in Fath al-Mughith.❀ The points drawn attention to in the articles of Maulana Islahai and Maulana Maududi regarding the criticism of hadith are far behind the perspective of the muhaddithin. Which fool told you that the muhaddithin ignored the principles of 'dirayah' or that their viewpoint was only 'akhbari'? I say with full certainty that the jurists of Iraq have never formulated any principle of fabrication in the light of reason. This is a dream of Maulana Shibli (may Allah have mercy on him) and Maulana Maududi which has no interpretation. It is an imagination that has no connection with reality. Whatever exists today regarding the criticism of hadith, whether rational or transmitted, from the perspective of narration or 'dirayah', is all due to the efforts of the Imams of hadith. This is not my opinion; a few years ago Maulana Abdul Jabbar Umarpuri, Maulana Muhammad Hussain Batalvi, Maulana Abdul Aziz Rahimabadi, Maulana Abdus Salam Mubarakpuri, declared this openly. It is our misfortune that their followers and adherents see and know all this but are compelled to remain silent. [انا للہ وانا الیہ راجعون]
The efforts of the Imams of Iraq in principles and analogy are worthy of great praise; their discoveries have received acclaim in scholarly circles. But it is known that these are not principles of reason but the byproducts of a particular way of thinking whose irrationality is also acknowledged in the circles of Jamaat-e-Islami. Recently, a profound article by Maulana Islahai on the ownership of zakat was published, in which the Hanafi school was openly and harshly criticized. Maulana Maududi also made very candid criticism on some jurisprudential issues in his magazine Pardah. This view is accepted in our and your circles, so it is not appropriate to waste your time in this discussion.
The Original Dispute:
The debate is not whether intellect and insight have a role in the understanding and criticism of Hadith according to the scholars of Hadith; the entire religion addresses the wise. The debate is whether every claimant of intellect should be allowed to start examining the Book and Sunnah according to the measure of his own intellect and reject any ruling that does not meet this standard, or label it as bias in sources and disdain it with contempt. Should intellect and insight be permitted to carry out this massacre of Ahadith and Sunnah? The Imams and the preservers of Hadith, as well as today's guilty ones among the Ahl al-Hadith, oppose this and will continue to do so ان شاء اللہ. Variations in the expression of words and manipulation in styles of discourse cannot change the facts. There is a clear and open difference between the way of thinking of modern leadership and that of the Ahl al-Hadith; one should think thoroughly before taking a step and not be afraid of scrutinizing modern ideas. Issues are resolved through investigation, discussion, and reasoning, not through abuse. In my opinion, the views of Maulana Maududi and Maulana Islah are not only against the school of Ahl al-Hadith but are against all the Imams of Hadith. These views contain the hidden germs of today's modern Mu'tazila and Jahmiyyah.
Final Request:
Maulana has answered the questioner point by point. I have taken up the necessary discussions and tried to clarify according to the needs of my sect. Some things could have been said about points 6-7, but I have ignored them. There is exaggeration in the praise of Jamaat-e-Islami; it is party propaganda and leniency, and Maulana has the right to it. This is the way of Hazrati Dawat and leniency, and in some parts, Maulana Mawdudi Sahib’s love and mention of his virtues, his knowledge, method, and courage are advertised. Although there is much exaggeration and mixture in it, this is the inevitable result of attachment to any poetry, and Maulana has full right to it. After making the necessary remarks on the main topic, these things are outside my subject. [اللهم ارنا الحق حقاً وارزقنا اتباعه وارنا الباطل باطلاً وارزقنا اجتنابه]
Ending these remarks here, I apologize for the lengthy ear fatigue. Despite extreme brevity, the remarks have become quite long, and I consider it my duty to repeat that I have full respect for both elders. But I have tried to clarify my sect; if any word is against your dignity, I sincerely apologize for it. But it is difficult for me to sacrifice my sect for any expediency. And as for my love for Layla, there is no repentance.
On the Muslims of India!
The favors of Hazrat Shah Waliullah Dehlvi will never be forgotten by the world:
He was the first to publish the translation of the Holy Quran.
He promoted Hadith in this dark era when no one even knew the name of Hadith.
Thousands of people embraced Islam due to his piety and fear of God.
Undoubtedly, he was the best example of a practicing scholar.
Hayat-e-Wali
It is the detailed life of the sacred personality in which your ancestors, your teachers, the two holy sanctuaries, and the complete circumstances of later life are recorded. This book can also prove to be an effective means of developing piety in you.
