Author: Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
The Command of Allah the Almighty:
"Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah."
[An-Nisa: 80]
This and other verses prove that it is obligatory to obey the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم).
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) that people in Quba (Medina) were offering the Fajr prayer when a person came and said: "Tonight, the Quran has been revealed to the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) and he has been commanded to face the Kaaba in prayer." Hence, all the worshippers, who were facing towards Sham, turned towards the Kaaba during the prayer.
[Muwatta Imam Malik, narration of Ibn Qasim with my verification: 277, and its chain is authentic, narration of Yahya bin Yahya 1/195, Hadith 460, Sahih Bukhari: 403, Sahih Muslim: 526]
It is evident that the Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم اجمعین) considered a single authentic report (Khabar Wahid) as proof in matters of belief as well.
The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) sent a letter to Heraclius, the Christian king, inviting him to Islam. This letter was sent through Sayyiduna Dihya al-Kalbi (رضی اللہ عنہ). See:
[Sahih Bukhari: 7]
This shows that an authentic single report (Khabar Wahid) is not speculative but rather certain, definitive, and serves as proof.
Hafiz Ibn al-Salah al-Shahrazuri writes:"All the Hadiths in Sahihain (Bukhari and Muslim), narrated with 'Hadathana,' are definitively authentic because the Ummah, by consensus, is infallible from error. Therefore, what the Ummah has deemed authentic is obligatory to act upon (and believe in), and it is necessary that these narrations are indeed authentic. Despite mentioning Imam Nawawi’s differing view, Ibn Kathir (رحمہ اللہ) states: 'This derivation is good... I am with Ibn al-Salah on this issue; what he said and guided towards is correct, and Allah knows best.'"
[Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith with Sheikh al-Albani’s verification, vol. 1, p. 125-126]
Ibn Kathir (رحمہ اللہ) further states:"Later, I found our teacher Allama Ibn Taymiyyah’s statement, which includes: 'The Hadith which has been accepted by the consensus of the Ummah is definitively authentic. This is transmitted by groups of scholars such as Qadi Abdul Wahab al-Maliki, Sheikh Abu Hamid al-Isfara’ini, Qadi Abu Tayyib al-Tahari, Sheikh Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi among the Shafi’is, Abu Abdullah al-Hasan ibn Hamid al-Baghdadi among the Hanbalis, Abu Ya'la ibn al-Farra, Abu al-Khattab, Ibn al-Zaghuni, and other scholars like Shams al-A’imma al-Sarakhsi among the Hanafis. Ibn Taymiyyah stated:
'This is also the view of the majority of the Ash'ari theologians, like Abu Ishaq al-Isfara’ini and Ibn Furak, and it is the view of all the Hadith scholars and their followers among the Salaf al-Salih.' Ibn al-Salah had derived this view and concurred with these Imams."
[Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith, vol. 1, p. 127-128]
Imam Shafi’i (رحمہ اللہ) says regarding any Hadith proven from the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم):"It is not permissible to abandon it."
[Manaqib al-Shafi’i by al-Bayhaqi, vol. 1, p. 483, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Shafi’i (رحمہ اللہ) used to say:
"Whenever a Sahih Hadith is narrated to me from the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) and I do not act upon it, and the community does not accept it, then bear witness that my mind has departed."
[Manaqib al-Shafi’i, vol. 1, p. 474, and its chain is authentic]
It is evident that according to Imam Shafi’i, a person who does not act upon a Sahih Hadith is considered insane.
Imam Shafi’i deemed accepting a single authentic report (Khabar Wahid) as obligatory. See:
[Jama’ al-‘Ilm by Shafi’i, p. 8, section: 1]
Imam Shafi’i (رحمہ اللہ) said to Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (رحمہ اللہ):
"You know more about authentic Hadith than us, so if a Hadith is authentic, inform me so that I may act upon it, whether it is from Kufa, Basra, or Sham."
[Hilyat al-Awliya 9/170, and its chain is authentic, Hadith: 25, p. 32]
It is evident that whether an authentic Hadith is in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, or in the Sunan al-Arba’a and Musnad Ahmad, or in any credible and authentic book in the world, it is obligatory to believe in and act upon it. Rejecting it by calling it speculative, a single report, doubtful, against reason, or against the Quran, etc., is false, rejected, and misguided.
Imam Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (رحمہ اللہ), said:
"Whoever rejects the (authentic) Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) is on the brink of destruction (misguided)."
[Manaqib Ahmad, p. 182, and its chain is Hasan, Hadith: 26, p. 28]
When an authentic Hadith was narrated to Imam Malik (رحمہ اللہ), he said:
"This Hadith is Hasan, I have never heard it before." After that, Imam Malik used to give fatwas according to that Hadith.
[Taqdimat al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, vol. 1, p. 31-32, and its chain is Hasan]
The Hanafi scholars state about Imam Abu Hanifa (رحمہ اللہ) that the authentic Hadith was his Madhhab. Abdul Hayy Lakhnawi writes:"Regarding single reports, the four Imams have said it is permissible."
[Ghayth al-Ghamam, p. 277]
It is evident that after the compilation of Hadith, according to the principles of Hadith, accepting an authentic narration in matters of faith, beliefs, attributes, and rulings is obligatory.
(February 14, 2007)
The Command of Allah the Almighty:
مَنۡ يُّطِعِ الرَّسُوۡلَ فَقَدۡ اَطَاعَ اللّٰهَ ۚ
"Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah."
[An-Nisa: 80]
This and other verses prove that it is obligatory to obey the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم).
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) that people in Quba (Medina) were offering the Fajr prayer when a person came and said: "Tonight, the Quran has been revealed to the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) and he has been commanded to face the Kaaba in prayer." Hence, all the worshippers, who were facing towards Sham, turned towards the Kaaba during the prayer.
[Muwatta Imam Malik, narration of Ibn Qasim with my verification: 277, and its chain is authentic, narration of Yahya bin Yahya 1/195, Hadith 460, Sahih Bukhari: 403, Sahih Muslim: 526]
It is evident that the Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم اجمعین) considered a single authentic report (Khabar Wahid) as proof in matters of belief as well.
The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) sent a letter to Heraclius, the Christian king, inviting him to Islam. This letter was sent through Sayyiduna Dihya al-Kalbi (رضی اللہ عنہ). See:
[Sahih Bukhari: 7]
This shows that an authentic single report (Khabar Wahid) is not speculative but rather certain, definitive, and serves as proof.
Hafiz Ibn al-Salah al-Shahrazuri writes:"All the Hadiths in Sahihain (Bukhari and Muslim), narrated with 'Hadathana,' are definitively authentic because the Ummah, by consensus, is infallible from error. Therefore, what the Ummah has deemed authentic is obligatory to act upon (and believe in), and it is necessary that these narrations are indeed authentic. Despite mentioning Imam Nawawi’s differing view, Ibn Kathir (رحمہ اللہ) states: 'This derivation is good... I am with Ibn al-Salah on this issue; what he said and guided towards is correct, and Allah knows best.'"
[Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith with Sheikh al-Albani’s verification, vol. 1, p. 125-126]
Ibn Kathir (رحمہ اللہ) further states:"Later, I found our teacher Allama Ibn Taymiyyah’s statement, which includes: 'The Hadith which has been accepted by the consensus of the Ummah is definitively authentic. This is transmitted by groups of scholars such as Qadi Abdul Wahab al-Maliki, Sheikh Abu Hamid al-Isfara’ini, Qadi Abu Tayyib al-Tahari, Sheikh Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi among the Shafi’is, Abu Abdullah al-Hasan ibn Hamid al-Baghdadi among the Hanbalis, Abu Ya'la ibn al-Farra, Abu al-Khattab, Ibn al-Zaghuni, and other scholars like Shams al-A’imma al-Sarakhsi among the Hanafis. Ibn Taymiyyah stated:
'This is also the view of the majority of the Ash'ari theologians, like Abu Ishaq al-Isfara’ini and Ibn Furak, and it is the view of all the Hadith scholars and their followers among the Salaf al-Salih.' Ibn al-Salah had derived this view and concurred with these Imams."
[Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith, vol. 1, p. 127-128]
Imam Shafi’i (رحمہ اللہ) says regarding any Hadith proven from the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم):"It is not permissible to abandon it."
[Manaqib al-Shafi’i by al-Bayhaqi, vol. 1, p. 483, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Shafi’i (رحمہ اللہ) used to say:
"Whenever a Sahih Hadith is narrated to me from the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) and I do not act upon it, and the community does not accept it, then bear witness that my mind has departed."
[Manaqib al-Shafi’i, vol. 1, p. 474, and its chain is authentic]
It is evident that according to Imam Shafi’i, a person who does not act upon a Sahih Hadith is considered insane.
Imam Shafi’i deemed accepting a single authentic report (Khabar Wahid) as obligatory. See:
[Jama’ al-‘Ilm by Shafi’i, p. 8, section: 1]
Imam Shafi’i (رحمہ اللہ) said to Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (رحمہ اللہ):
"You know more about authentic Hadith than us, so if a Hadith is authentic, inform me so that I may act upon it, whether it is from Kufa, Basra, or Sham."
[Hilyat al-Awliya 9/170, and its chain is authentic, Hadith: 25, p. 32]
It is evident that whether an authentic Hadith is in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, or in the Sunan al-Arba’a and Musnad Ahmad, or in any credible and authentic book in the world, it is obligatory to believe in and act upon it. Rejecting it by calling it speculative, a single report, doubtful, against reason, or against the Quran, etc., is false, rejected, and misguided.
Imam Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (رحمہ اللہ), said:
"Whoever rejects the (authentic) Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) is on the brink of destruction (misguided)."
[Manaqib Ahmad, p. 182, and its chain is Hasan, Hadith: 26, p. 28]
When an authentic Hadith was narrated to Imam Malik (رحمہ اللہ), he said:
"This Hadith is Hasan, I have never heard it before." After that, Imam Malik used to give fatwas according to that Hadith.
[Taqdimat al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, vol. 1, p. 31-32, and its chain is Hasan]
The Hanafi scholars state about Imam Abu Hanifa (رحمہ اللہ) that the authentic Hadith was his Madhhab. Abdul Hayy Lakhnawi writes:"Regarding single reports, the four Imams have said it is permissible."
[Ghayth al-Ghamam, p. 277]
It is evident that after the compilation of Hadith, according to the principles of Hadith, accepting an authentic narration in matters of faith, beliefs, attributes, and rulings is obligatory.
(February 14, 2007)