The False Principle of Ameen Okarvi Regarding Declaring Hadith as Authentic or Weak
Source: Monthly al-Hadith, Hazro
Ameen Okarvi’s Invalid Principle on Declaring Hadith as Authentic or Weak
Master Ameen Okarvi, a debater from the Deobandi school, had a peculiar habit: continually asking questions of others while ignoring his own inconsistencies.
Ameen Okarvi would often challenge the Ahl al-Hadith (Ahl al-Sunnah) by saying: “When you declare a hadith to be authentic or weak, prove it directly from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.”
Clearly, this is a misguided question. It is raised against the Ahl al-Hadith because they firmly adhere to the two principles:
"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger."
In fact, this concept is rooted in the hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said:
“O people! I have left among you two things. If you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.”
Firstly, even the Deobandi scholars accept this hadith and include it in their writings, as seen in:
“Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have conveyed all matters of religion to the servants in the Qur’an and Hadith. Any new addition in the religion is an innovation (bidʿah) and is a major sin.”
(Bahishtī Zewar, Part 1, p. 31, Chapter on Beliefs, Point 22)
Clarification of the Ahl al-Hadith Principles
Hāfiẓ Zubair ʿAlī Zaʾī (حفظه الله) quoted Hāfiẓ ʿAbdullāh Ghāzīpūrī (رحمه الله):
“Note that the fundamental principle of our religion is only to follow the Book and Sunnah. No one should assume that Ahl al-Hadith reject the consensus of the Ummah or analogical reasoning (qiyās). Since both are proven from the Book and Sunnah, accepting them is included in following the Book and Sunnah.”
(al-Hadith Hazro 4; al-Hadith 52, p. 15; al-Qawl al-Matīn, p. 17)
On the other hand, Deobandi Mufti Rashīd Aḥmad Ludhiyānvī wrote:
“For the muqallid, the statement of the imām is authoritative, not the four proofs.”
(Irshād al-Qārī, p. 412)
The “four proofs” refer to the Qur’an, Sunnah, consensus (ijmāʿ), and qiyās. Rashīd Aḥmad Ludhiyānvī further stated:
“For the muqallid, only the statement of the imām is authoritative.”
(Irshād al-Qārī, p. 288)
Ameen Okarvi’s Contradiction and His Own Admissions
After making this demand to the Ahl al-Hadith, Ameen Okarvi’s own words reveal contradictions within the Deobandi framework itself. Okarvi writes that when a Deobandi asked him how to determine whether a hadith is authentic or weak, he responded that “non-muqallidīn (Ahl al-Hadith) have no right to declare any hadith as authentic or weak because they only accept what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have declared.” He also argued that unless Allah and His Messenger ﷺ directly declared a hadith as authentic or weak, it cannot be classified as such.
However, ironically, Ameen Okarvi himself acknowledges that:
“Just as the scholars of usūl (principles) declare hadith to be authentic or weak by established criteria, they also determine which statements are reliable and which are not.”
(Fatūḥāt Ṣafdar, 2/176)
Thus, Okarvi admits that it is indeed the scholars of hadith who assess narrations—not Allah and His Messenger ﷺ directly—while paradoxically denying this same right to the Ahl al-Hadith.
Refutation from Deobandi Scholars’ Own Statements
Sarfarāz Ṣafdar Deobandi wrote:
“In the field of hadith, reliance is placed upon the experts of hadith—those who are recognized imams of jarḥ (criticism) and taʿdīl (accreditation).”
(Rāh-e-Sunnat, p. 287; al-Hadith Hazro 58, p. 22)
Sarfarāz Ṣafdar further stated:
“Although Imām Muḥammad ibn ʿĀbidīn Shāmī was highly ranked in fiqh, in hadith and its transmission, only the words of the muḥaddithīn are accepted.”
(Bāb-e-Jannat, p. 25)
Practical Examples Proving Okarvi’s Principle is False
✿ Example ①: The Six Fasts of Shawwāl
Many Deobandi scholars consider this hadith authentic and promote its virtue in their works, e.g.:
Yet, Deobandi scholar Zaru’lī Khān wrote an entire book arguing that these fasts are disliked (Aḥsan al-Maqāl fī Karāhiyat Ṣawm Sitta Shawwāl). This contradiction exposes the invalidity of Okarvi’s principle.
✿ Example ②: The Hadith on Mudarabah (Sharecropping)
Muḥammad Taqī ʿUthmānī acknowledged that although Imām Abū Ḥanīfah considered it invalid, later Ḥanafī scholars declared it valid based on hadith.
(Taqlīd kī Sharʿī Ḥaisiyat, p. 108)
Again, Okarvi’s principle cannot accommodate these conflicting views within his own tradition.
✿ Example ③: The Hadith on ʿAqīqah
Gh ulām Rasūl Saʿīdī Barelwī admitted that ʿAqīqah’s virtues are supported by authentic hadiths, even if the Ḥanafī imams did not practice it.
(Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1/43)
✿ Example ④: Cooling the Head During Fasting
Abd al-Shakūr Lakhnawī recorded that even though Imām Abū Ḥanīfah considered it disliked, Deobandi scholars accepted its authenticity and permitted it.
(ʿIlm al-Fiqh, p. 436)
✿ Example ⑤: Every Intoxicant is Ḥarām
Muḥammad Taqī ʿUthmānī documented that later Ḥanafī scholars rejected Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s view and followed the authentic hadiths that every intoxicant is prohibited.
(Taqlīd kī Sharʿī Ḥaisiyat, pp. 107-108)
Conclusion
All these examples—drawn from Deobandi texts and scholars—demonstrate that Ameen Okarvi’s principle is false, contradictory, and even rejected by his own Deobandi authorities. Ironically, Ameen Okarvi himself admitted in Fatūḥāt Ṣafdar that determining hadith authenticity is the work of hadith scholars, not directly the Prophet ﷺ. This thoroughly invalidates his supposed demand that only Allah and His Messenger ﷺ can declare a hadith to be authentic or weak.
Thus, it is clear that Ameen Okarvi created a baseless principle, contradicting both the scholarly tradition of hadith sciences and even his own Deobandi elders. May Allah guide those who sincerely seek the truth and protect them from false claims that mislead from the path of sound knowledge.
Source: Monthly al-Hadith, Hazro
Ameen Okarvi’s Invalid Principle on Declaring Hadith as Authentic or Weak
Master Ameen Okarvi, a debater from the Deobandi school, had a peculiar habit: continually asking questions of others while ignoring his own inconsistencies.
Ameen Okarvi would often challenge the Ahl al-Hadith (Ahl al-Sunnah) by saying: “When you declare a hadith to be authentic or weak, prove it directly from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.”
Clearly, this is a misguided question. It is raised against the Ahl al-Hadith because they firmly adhere to the two principles:
"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger."
In fact, this concept is rooted in the hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said:
“O people! I have left among you two things. If you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.”
Firstly, even the Deobandi scholars accept this hadith and include it in their writings, as seen in:
- Tajalliyāt Ṣafdar (Vol. 6, p. 49)
- Sarfarāz Ṣafdar’s Rāh-e-Sunnat (p. 25)
- ʿUmar Qureshi’s ʿĀdilāna Dafāʿ (p. 62), a work endorsed by 20-25 Deobandi scholars
- Muḥammad Ilyās Fayṣal Deobandi’s Namāz-e-Payghambar ﷺ (p. 28)
“Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have conveyed all matters of religion to the servants in the Qur’an and Hadith. Any new addition in the religion is an innovation (bidʿah) and is a major sin.”
(Bahishtī Zewar, Part 1, p. 31, Chapter on Beliefs, Point 22)
Clarification of the Ahl al-Hadith Principles
Hāfiẓ Zubair ʿAlī Zaʾī (حفظه الله) quoted Hāfiẓ ʿAbdullāh Ghāzīpūrī (رحمه الله):
“Note that the fundamental principle of our religion is only to follow the Book and Sunnah. No one should assume that Ahl al-Hadith reject the consensus of the Ummah or analogical reasoning (qiyās). Since both are proven from the Book and Sunnah, accepting them is included in following the Book and Sunnah.”
(al-Hadith Hazro 4; al-Hadith 52, p. 15; al-Qawl al-Matīn, p. 17)
On the other hand, Deobandi Mufti Rashīd Aḥmad Ludhiyānvī wrote:
“For the muqallid, the statement of the imām is authoritative, not the four proofs.”
(Irshād al-Qārī, p. 412)
The “four proofs” refer to the Qur’an, Sunnah, consensus (ijmāʿ), and qiyās. Rashīd Aḥmad Ludhiyānvī further stated:
“For the muqallid, only the statement of the imām is authoritative.”
(Irshād al-Qārī, p. 288)
Ameen Okarvi’s Contradiction and His Own Admissions
After making this demand to the Ahl al-Hadith, Ameen Okarvi’s own words reveal contradictions within the Deobandi framework itself. Okarvi writes that when a Deobandi asked him how to determine whether a hadith is authentic or weak, he responded that “non-muqallidīn (Ahl al-Hadith) have no right to declare any hadith as authentic or weak because they only accept what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have declared.” He also argued that unless Allah and His Messenger ﷺ directly declared a hadith as authentic or weak, it cannot be classified as such.
However, ironically, Ameen Okarvi himself acknowledges that:
“Just as the scholars of usūl (principles) declare hadith to be authentic or weak by established criteria, they also determine which statements are reliable and which are not.”
(Fatūḥāt Ṣafdar, 2/176)
Thus, Okarvi admits that it is indeed the scholars of hadith who assess narrations—not Allah and His Messenger ﷺ directly—while paradoxically denying this same right to the Ahl al-Hadith.
Refutation from Deobandi Scholars’ Own Statements
Sarfarāz Ṣafdar Deobandi wrote:
“In the field of hadith, reliance is placed upon the experts of hadith—those who are recognized imams of jarḥ (criticism) and taʿdīl (accreditation).”
(Rāh-e-Sunnat, p. 287; al-Hadith Hazro 58, p. 22)
Sarfarāz Ṣafdar further stated:
“Although Imām Muḥammad ibn ʿĀbidīn Shāmī was highly ranked in fiqh, in hadith and its transmission, only the words of the muḥaddithīn are accepted.”
(Bāb-e-Jannat, p. 25)
Practical Examples Proving Okarvi’s Principle is False
✿ Example ①: The Six Fasts of Shawwāl
Many Deobandi scholars consider this hadith authentic and promote its virtue in their works, e.g.:
- Bahishtī Zewar, Part 3, p. 251, Issue 13
- Muḥammad Ibrāhīm Ṣādiqābādī’s Chār Sau Ahamm Masāʾil, p. 192
Yet, Deobandi scholar Zaru’lī Khān wrote an entire book arguing that these fasts are disliked (Aḥsan al-Maqāl fī Karāhiyat Ṣawm Sitta Shawwāl). This contradiction exposes the invalidity of Okarvi’s principle.
✿ Example ②: The Hadith on Mudarabah (Sharecropping)
Muḥammad Taqī ʿUthmānī acknowledged that although Imām Abū Ḥanīfah considered it invalid, later Ḥanafī scholars declared it valid based on hadith.
(Taqlīd kī Sharʿī Ḥaisiyat, p. 108)
Again, Okarvi’s principle cannot accommodate these conflicting views within his own tradition.
✿ Example ③: The Hadith on ʿAqīqah
Gh ulām Rasūl Saʿīdī Barelwī admitted that ʿAqīqah’s virtues are supported by authentic hadiths, even if the Ḥanafī imams did not practice it.
(Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1/43)
✿ Example ④: Cooling the Head During Fasting
Abd al-Shakūr Lakhnawī recorded that even though Imām Abū Ḥanīfah considered it disliked, Deobandi scholars accepted its authenticity and permitted it.
(ʿIlm al-Fiqh, p. 436)
✿ Example ⑤: Every Intoxicant is Ḥarām
Muḥammad Taqī ʿUthmānī documented that later Ḥanafī scholars rejected Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s view and followed the authentic hadiths that every intoxicant is prohibited.
(Taqlīd kī Sharʿī Ḥaisiyat, pp. 107-108)
Conclusion
All these examples—drawn from Deobandi texts and scholars—demonstrate that Ameen Okarvi’s principle is false, contradictory, and even rejected by his own Deobandi authorities. Ironically, Ameen Okarvi himself admitted in Fatūḥāt Ṣafdar that determining hadith authenticity is the work of hadith scholars, not directly the Prophet ﷺ. This thoroughly invalidates his supposed demand that only Allah and His Messenger ﷺ can declare a hadith to be authentic or weak.
Thus, it is clear that Ameen Okarvi created a baseless principle, contradicting both the scholarly tradition of hadith sciences and even his own Deobandi elders. May Allah guide those who sincerely seek the truth and protect them from false claims that mislead from the path of sound knowledge.
