This excerpt is taken from the book Ahl-e-Hadith Aik Sifati Naam by Muhaddith al-Asr Sheikh Zubair Ali Zaee, may Allah have mercy on him.
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على رسوله الأمين، أما بعد:
The correct creed of the noble Muhadditheen and those who follow the understanding of the pious predecessors without blind imitation, adhering to the Book and Sunnah, is called and characterized as: Ahl-e-Hadith. According to Ahl-e-Hadith, the Holy Quran, authentic Ahadith (على فهم السلف الصالحين), and Ijma‘ (consensus) of Shariah are proofs (Hujjat). They are also called Shariah proofs (Adillah Shari‘ah). From the Shariah proofs, the permissibility of Ijtihad is established, and there are several types of Ijtihad:
① Deriving rulings from the general and implied meanings of the Book and Sunnah
② Deriving rulings from the practices of the pious predecessors
③ Qiyas (analogical reasoning) that does not contradict the Shariah proofs
④ Masalih Mursalah (consideration of public interest), etc.
According to Ahl-e-Hadith, Ijtihad is permissible; therefore, after deriving rulings from the three Shariah proofs, it is also permissible to act upon a fourth proof, provided it does not contradict the Book, Sunnah, Ijma‘, and the practices of the pious predecessors. In other words, according to Ahl-e-Hadith, the four proofs (Adillah Arba‘ah) with the above meaning are considered Hujjat (authoritative).
Warning: Ijtihad is temporary and time-bound, therefore it cannot be given the status of permanent law, nor can the ijtihad of one person be considered permanently and necessarily binding on another person. After this preface, answers to some objections and misconceptions about Ahl al-Hadith are presented:
Objection No. 1:
According to Ahl al-Hadith, there are only two sources of Shariah evidence:
① Quran
② Hadith
There is no third source of evidence.
Answer:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: [لا يجمع الله أمتي على ضلالة أبداً]
Allah will never gather my Ummah upon misguidance.
Reference: (Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim:1/116, Hadith 399, and its chain is authentic)
From this hadith, the authority of the consensus (Ijma') of the Ummah is established.
Reference: (See Monthly Al-Hadith:1, p.4, June 2004)
Hafiz Abdullah Ghazi Puri, a muhaddith, may Allah have mercy on him (died 1337 AH), states:
No one should think that Ahl al-Hadith deny the consensus of the Ummah and legal analogy (Qiyas). Because when both are established from the Book and Sunnah, then accepting the Book and Sunnah means accepting them.
Reference: (Ibraa' Ahl al-Hadith wal-Quran: p.32)
It is understood that according to Ahl al-Hadith, the consensus of the Ummah (if established) is a Shariah proof. For this reason, the monthly magazine Al-Hadith almost always writes on its cover, "The superiority of the Quran, Hadith, and consensus." It should also be remembered that according to Ahl al-Hadith, Ijtihad is permissible, as mentioned in the introduction. والحمدلله
Objection Number 2:
According to Ahl al-Hadith, every person has the right to try to understand the Quran and Hadith according to their personal understanding rather than the understanding of the pious predecessors (Salaf al-Salih).
Answer:
This objection is completely wrong. On the contrary, Hafiz Abdullah Ropari, may Allah have mercy on him (died 1384 AH), states: In summary, we only know one thing, which is that it is not permissible to oppose the Salaf.
Reference: (Fatawa Ahl al-Hadith: Vol. 1, p. 111)
It is understood that according to Ahl al-Hadith, the Quran and Hadith should be understood according to the understanding of the pious predecessors, and personal individual understanding should be rejected in comparison to the understanding of the Salaf. For this reason, the last title on almost every issue of the monthly Al-Hadith is written as "Promotion of the agreed understanding of the pious predecessors."
Objection Number 3:
According to Ahl al-Hadith, only Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are authoritative. They do not accept other books of Hadith.
Answer:
This objection is also false, because according to Ahl al-Hadith, authentic hadiths are authoritative whether they are in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim or in Sunan Abi Dawood, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa'i, Sunan Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, and other Hadith books that contain authentic and good narrations with reliable chains. All our books, including the monthly Al-Hadith Hazro, testify that we use evidence not only from the two Sahihs but also from authentic narrations in other Hadith books.
Objection Number 4:
Ahl al-Hadith do not practice Taqlid (blind following).
Answer:
Yes! Ahl al-Hadith do not practice Taqlid, because there is no proof of the permissibility or obligation of Taqlid in the Quran, Hadith, or consensus, nor is Taqlid established from the practices of the pious predecessors. Rather, Sayyiduna Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [وأما زلة عالم فإن اهتدى فلا تقلدوه دينكم]
As for the issue of a scholar's error, even if he is rightly guided, do not follow him in your religion.
Reference: (Kitab al-Zuhd by Imam Waki': Vol. 1, p. 300, Hadith 71, and its chain is Hasan; The issue of Taqlid in religion: p. 36)
The esteemed Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, prohibited following oneself or others blindly.
Reference: (Kitab al-Um, Mukhtasar al-Muzani: p.1, Mas'alah-e-Taqleed fi Deen: p.38)
The famous scholar of Ahl al-Sunnah, Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, states that this (blind following) innovation emerged in the fourth century (Hijri).
Reference: (I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in: vol. 2, p.208, Mas'alah-e-Taqleed fi Deen: p.32)
It is evident that success in both worlds is assured only by acting upon the Book and Sunnah and avoiding innovations.
Objection Number 5:
Waheed al-Zaman Haiderabadi wrote this, Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan wrote that, Noor al-Hasan wrote this, and Batalvi wrote that.
Answer:
Whether it is Waheed al-Zaman Sahib, Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan Sahib, Noor al-Hasan, or Batalvi Sahib, none of them are among the senior scholars of Ahl al-Hadith, and even if they were, Ahl al-Hadith are not followers of their elders blindly.
Waheed al-Zaman Sahib was outdated.
Reference: (See Monthly al-Hadith Hazro: 23, pp.36-40)
Master Amin Okara Deobandi Taqlidi has acknowledged that the Ahl al-Hadith scholars and the public have unanimously rejected the books of Waheed al-Zaman and others as incorrect.
Reference: (Research on the Issue of Taqlid: p.6)
Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Deobandi liked Waheed al-Zaman's translation of (Sahih Bukhari).
Reference: (See Fazl al-Bari: Vol. 1, p.23, by Muhammad Yahya Siddiqi Deobandi)
Waheed al-Zaman considered Taqlid obligatory for the public. [
Reference: See Nazl al-Abrar (p.7) published by Aal-e-Deoband Lahore
Therefore, justice demands that all references of Waheed al-Zaman should be presented against Aal-e-Deoband and Aal-e-Taqlid. Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan Sahib (who did not practice Taqlid) was Hanafi.
Reference: (Ma'asir Siddiqi: Part Four, p.1, see Hadith and Ahl al-Hadith: p.84)
Noor al-Hasan is unknown, and the books attributed to him are not considered reliable by Ahl al-Hadith; rather, all these books are rejected because they contain non-Mufti and abnormal issues.
Muhammad Hussain Batalvi, may Allah have mercy on him, was an Ahl al-Hadith scholar but not among the senior scholars; rather, he was an ordinary scholar who was the first to issue a fatwa of disbelief against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. His book 'Al-Iqtisad' is among the rejected books. Ahl al-Hadith existed on earth centuries before the birth of Batalvi Sahib. For example,
Reference: (see Monthly Al-Hadith: 29, pages 13 to 33)
In summary, presenting these scholars and other minor scholars as references against Ahl al-Hadith is a great injustice. If anything is to be presented against Ahl al-Hadith, then present references from the Holy Quran, authentic Hadith, consensus, and the pious predecessors such as the Companions, trustworthy Tabi‘in, trustworthy Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, and senior Muhaddithin; otherwise, you will receive a crushing reply.
ان شاء اللہ
Warning: According to Ahl al-Hadith, any statement that is explicitly opposed to the Quran, Hadith, and consensus is rejected, no matter how highly ranked the person who states or writes it may be.
Objection Number 6:
Mufti Abdul Hadi Deobandi and others have written that "It is a historical fact that the non-Muqallid (those who call themselves Ahl al-Hadith) did not exist before the British era."
Reference: (Nafs ke Pujari: p.1)
Answer:
There are two types of people called Ahl al-Hadith:
The true-believing (trustworthy and truthful) noble Muhaddithin who do not believe in blind imitation.
The common people among the noble Muhaddithin who have correct belief and act upon the Book and Sunnah without imitation. Both these groups have existed in every era from the best of generations until today.
First Evidence:
There is no explicit proof from the Companions of the Prophet for personal imitation or non-personal imitation; rather, Sayyiduna Muadh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [و أما زلة عالم فإن اهتدى فلا تقلدوه دينكم]
As for the mistake of a scholar, (listen) even if he is on the straight path, do not imitate him in your religion.
Reference: (Kitab al-Zuhd by Imam Waki’: Vol.1, p.300, Hadith 71, and its chain is Hasan; The Issue of Imitation in Religion: p.35)
Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [لا تقلدوا دينكم الرجال] Do not imitate people in your religion.
Reference: (Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: Vol.2, p.10, and its chain is Sahih; also see The Issue of Imitation in Religion: p.35)
None of the Companions opposed him, therefore it is proven that there is consensus among the noble Companions that imitation (taqlid) is forbidden, and it is also understood that all the Companions were Ahl al-Hadith. It should be noted that those who oppose and deny this consensus and present 'arguments' do not include the word imitation (taqlid) among them.
Second Argument:
The famous and venerable Tabi'i Imam Shu'bi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Hold firmly to the hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that these people narrate to you, and throw away whatever they say from their own opinion (contrary to the Book and Sunnah) onto the heap of rubbish.
Reference: (Musnad al-Darimi: Vol. 1, p. 67, Hadith 206, with authentic chain; The Issue of Imitation in Religion: p. 37)
When someone presented the statement of Sa'id ibn Jubayr, may Allah have mercy on him, before Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, he said: What will you do with the statement of Sa'id in comparison to the hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?
Reference: (Al-Ahkam by Ibn Hazm: Vol. 6, p. 293, with authentic chain; The Issue of Imitation in Religion: p. 38)
There is no justification or obligation to follow any one of the Tabi‘in, therefore, from these statements and others, it is clear that there is consensus among the Tabi‘in on the prohibition of taqlid (blind following), and this is clear evidence that all trustworthy and sound-in-creed Tabi‘in were Ahl al-Hadith.
Third Evidence:
Taba‘ Tabi‘i, Hukm ibn ‘Utaybah said: You may accept or reject the words of every person among you except the Prophet ﷺ.
Reference: (Al-Ahkam by Ibn Hazm: Vol. 6, p. 293, and its chain is authentic)
Among the Taba‘ Tabi‘in, there is no evidence from any trustworthy Taba‘ Tabi‘i for personal taqlid or non-personal taqlid, therefore there is also consensus on this that all trustworthy and sound-in-creed Taba‘ Tabi‘in were Ahl al-Hadith.
Fourth Evidence:
A group among the followers of the Taba‘ Tabi‘in forbade taqlid, for example, Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, forbade his own and others’ taqlid.
Reference: See Kitab al-Umm (Mukhtasar al-Muzani: p. 1)
Imam al-Shafi‘i said: And do not follow me.
Reference: (Adab al-Shafi‘i wa Manaqibuhu by Ibn Abi Hatim: p. 51, and its chain is Hasan)
Imam Ahmad said: Do not follow even one of them in your religion.
Reference: (Masa'il Abi Dawood: p.277)
In an authentic hadith, it is mentioned that the group of Mansurah (the true group of Ahl al-Haqq) will always prevail on the truth. In its explanation, Imam Bukhari states: meaning, this refers to Ahl al-Hadith.
Reference: (Mas'alah al-Ihtijaj bil-Shafi'i lil-Khatib: p.47 and its chain is authentic)
Imam Qutaibah bin Saeed said: If you see a person who loves Ahl al-Hadith, then that person is following the Sunnah (practicing it).
Reference: (Sharaf Ashab al-Hadith lil-Khatib: p.134, hadith 143 and its chain is authentic)
Imam Ahmad bin Sinan al-Wasiti said: There is no innovator in the world who does not harbor enmity towards Ahl al-Hadith.
Reference: (Ma'rifat 'Ulum al-Hadith lil-Hakim: p.4 and its chain is authentic)
Reference: (For further references see Monthly Al-Hadith Hazro: 29, pp. 13 to 33)
It is understood that all those with correct creed and trustworthy followers of the Tabi‘in were Ahl al-Hadith and did not follow blind imitation; rather, they also prevented others from following blind imitation.
Fifth Proof:
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote that (Imams) Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaymah, Abu Ya'la, Al-Bazzar, and others were on the creed of Ahl al-Hadith; they were neither followers who adhered to a specific scholar nor were they absolute Mujtahids.
Reference: (Majmoo' al-Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah: Vol. 20, p. 40)
It is understood that all the authentic creed and trustworthy great Muhaddithin did not practice Taqlid (blind following), rather they were Ahl al-Hadith. Nowadays, some people claim that Taqlid is obligatory on non-Mujtahids. The above statement of Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah refutes their claim because the mentioned great Muhaddithin, according to Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah, were neither absolute Mujtahids nor did they practice Taqlid.
It should be noted that the fact that these esteemed Muhaddithin were not Mujtahids is the point under consideration. See:
Reference: (The Issue of Taqlid in Religion: p. 51)
Sixth Proof:
Imam Qasim ibn Muhammad al-Qurtubi (died 276 AH), who passed away in the late third century AH, wrote a book refuting Taqlid titled 'Al-Iydah fi al-Radd 'ala al-Muqallidin'.
Reference: (Siyar A'lam al-Nubala: Vol. 13, p. 329, no. 150)
Seventh Proof:
The true Imam Abu Bakr Abdullah bin Abi Dawood Al-Sijistani (died 316 AH) of the fourth century Hijri said: And do not be among those people who play with their religion, otherwise you will end up criticizing the Ahl al-Hadith.
Reference: (Kitab al-Shari'ah by Al-Ajri: p.975 and its chain is authentic)
Eighth Proof:
In the fifth century Hijri, Hafiz Ibn Hazm Zahiri Andalusi raised his voice that Taqlid (blind imitation) is forbidden.
Reference: (Al-Nubdhah al-Kafiyah fi Ahkam Usul al-Din: p.70)
Ninth Proof:
Hafiz Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah declared: And this innovation of (Taqlid) arose in the fourth century, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ condemned with his (sacred) tongue.
Reference: (I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in: vol. 2 p.208)
Hafiz Ibn Qayyim said in his famous poem ’’نونیہ‘‘: O you who harbor enmity towards the Ahl al-Hadith and insult them! You have been given the "good news" of making friendship with Satan.
Reference: (Al-Kafiyah al-Shafiyah: p.199)
Tenth Proof:
Abu Mansur Abdul Qahir bin Tahir bin Muhammad al-Tamimi al-Baghdadi (died 429 AH) of the fifth century Hijri said in his book: [في ثغور الروم والجزيرة وثغور الشام وثغور آذربيجان وباب الأبواب كلهم على مذهب أهل الحديث من أهل السنة]
Rome, the island, Sham, Azerbaijan, and all the people on the borders of Bab al-Abwab follow the religion of Ahl al-Hadith among Ahl al-Sunnah.
Reference: (Usool al-Deen: p.317)
From the aforementioned (and other) evidences, it is clearly established that Ahl al-Hadith are Ahl al-Sunnah and have existed from the time of the Holy Prophet ﷺ until every era. والحمدلله
Evidence number 1:
Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludhianvi Deobandi wrote: Around the second and third century Hijri, due to differences of opinion in resolving subsidiary and minor issues among the people of truth, five schools of thought were established, i.e., the four madhhabs and Ahl al-Hadith. From that time until today, the truth has been considered dependent on these five methods.
Reference: (Ahsan al-Fatawa: Vol.1 p.316, Maududi Sahib and the Destruction of Islam: p.20)
From this Deobandi admission, it is understood that Ahl al-Hadith have been present on the earth since 101 Hijri and 201 Hijri.
Evidence number 2:
The author of Tafseer Haqqani, Abdul Haq Haqqani Dehlavi, said: And Ahl al-Sunnah are Shafi'i, Hanbali, Maliki, Hanafi, and Ahl al-Hadith are also included among them.
Reference: (Haqqani Aqaaid al-Islam: p.3)
This book is favored by Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi. See:
Reference: (Haqqani Aqaid al-Islam ka Aakhir: p.264)
Argument Number 3:
According to the above reference, Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi Deobandi also considered Ahl al-Hadith to be Ahl al-Sunnah, and regarding Ahl al-Sunnah, Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
[ومن أهل السنة والجماعة مذهب قديم معروف قبل أن يخلق الله أبا حنيفة ومالكاً والشافعي وأحمد فإنه مذهب الصحابة]
And before the birth of Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi'i, and Ahmad, there was an ancient and famous sect among Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah; indeed, this sect is that of the Companions.
Reference: (Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah: Vol. 1 p. 256 Published by Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah Beirut)
From this reference, it is understood that Ahl al-Hadith are Ahl al-Sunnah and existed on the face of the earth before the existence of the four madhahib. والحمدلله
Argument Number 4:
Mufti Kifayatullah Dehlawi Deobandi, while answering a question, writes: Yes, Ahl al-Hadith are Muslims and are included within Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah. It is correct to marry from among them. Mere abandonment of taqlid (imitation) does not affect one's Islam, nor does it expel one from Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
Reference: (Kifayat al-Mufti: Vol. 1 p. 325 Answer: 370)
Argument Number 5:
Ashraf Ali Thanwi Deobandi wrote:
Although it has been narrated with consensus that, except for the four schools of thought, it is not permissible to establish a fifth newly invented school, meaning that it is not permissible to act upon an issue that goes against all four schools, as the truth lies within these four, yet there is no evidence for this because the people of apparent (Zahir) have existed in every era, and it is not the case that all the people of apparent were misguided and remained separate from this consensus. Secondly, even if consensus is established, there has never been consensus on personal imitation.
Reference: (Tazkirat al-Rashid: Vol 1, p. 131)
The claim of liars like Mufti Abdul Hadi and others that "the existence of Ahl al-Hadith did not exist before the British era" is completely false and invalid. It has been proven through references from the scholars of truth and the admissions and statements of the imitators that the existence of Ahl al-Hadith, who do not follow imitation, has been present from the blessed first century Hijri until every era. On the other hand, the existence of Deobandi and imitator sects emerged in various periods after the blessed era of Khayr al-Qurun had passed; for example, the foundation of the Deobandi school was laid in 1867 during the British era.
Ashraf Ali Thanvi Deobandi was asked that if you come to power, how will you treat the English? He replied:
Keep them subdued because when God gives power, they will be kept subdued, but at the same time, they will be treated with great comfort and ease because they have brought us comfort. This is also the teaching of Islam, and such a teaching is not found in any other religion in the world.
Reference: (Malfoozat Hakim al-Ummah: Vol 6, p. 55, Malfooz: 107)
It is clear that the English had brought much comfort to the Deobandis. When an Englishman inspected the Darul Uloom Deoband, he expressed very good thoughts about this madrasa and wrote: This madrasa is not against the government but is in favor of the government, helping and supporting the government.
Reference: (Muhammad Ahsan Nanotvi by Muhammad Ayub Qadri: p. 217, Fakhr al-Ulama: p. 60)
This is an important reference about the English government’s favorable (supporting and agreeing), helping (assisting), and cooperating madrasa, which the Deobandis themselves wrote and no one has denied.
Objection Number 7:
Mufti Abdul Hadi Deobandi and others say that all the Muhaddithin were followers (Muqallid).
Answer:
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote about the Muhaddithin (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, etc.) centuries before the birth of Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi, the founder of Madrasa Deoband, which was established during the British era: [فهم على مذهب أهل الحديث ليسوا مقلدين لواحد بعينه من العلماء ولا هم من الأئمة المجتهدين على الإطلاق]
So they were on the creed of Ahl al-Hadith, they were not followers (Muqallid) who imitate a particular scholar, nor were they absolute Mujtahids.
Reference: (Majmoo' al-Fatawa: vol. 20, p. 40)
Even from this single reference, the falsehood of Abdul Hadi (and his associates) is proven. It should be noted that it has never been proven that any one of the trustworthy and soundly creedal Muhaddithin was a follower (Muqallid). The meaning of the books like Tabaqat al-Hanafiyyah, etc., is by no means that all the people mentioned in those books were followers (Muqallid). A Hanafi scholar (!) said: A follower (Muqallid) makes mistakes and a follower commits ignorance, and every calamity is due to following (Muqallid).
Reference: (Al-Binayah fi Sharh al-Hidayah: vol. 1, p. 317)
Zaili Hanafi (!) said: Therefore, the follower (Muqallid) makes mistakes and the follower commits ignorance.
Reference: (Nasb al-Rayah: Vol 1, p. 219) Also see (The Issue of Taqlid in Religion: pp. 39-46)
Objection No. 8:
The existence of Ahl al-Hadith in India is not found before the British era.
Answer:
The historian of the fourth century Hijri, Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Bishari al-Maqdisi (d. 375 AH), said about the people of Mansura (Sindh):
[مذاهبهم أكثر أصحاب حديث ورأيت القاضي أبا محمد المنصوري داودياً إماماً في مذهبه وله تدريس و تصانيف، قد صنف كتباً عدة حسنةً]
Their sects are such that most of them are companions of Hadith, and I saw Qadi Abu Muhammad Mansuri who was Dawoodi and the Imam of his sect. He was engaged in teaching and writing. He wrote many good books.
Reference: (Ahsan al-Taqasim fi Ma'rifat al-Aqalim: p. 481)
Those who followed the methodology of Dawood bin Ali al-Zahiri were called Zahiris and were distant from Taqlid.
Sheikh Muhammad Fakhr Zair Alah Abadi, may Allah have mercy on him (died 1164 AH corresponding to 1751 AD), who passed away during the reign of Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah bin Nasiruddin Muhammad Shah (reigned 1161 AH corresponding to 1748 AD to 1167 AH corresponding to 1753 AD), who defeated Ahmad Shah Durrani, states that: It is not permissible to follow any particular sect according to the masses; rather, Ijtihad (independent reasoning) is obligatory. Blind imitation (taqlid) is an innovation that arose in the fourth century AH.
Reference: (Risalah Najatiyah Urdu Translator: pp. 41-42)
Sheikh Muhammad Fakhr further states: [لكن أحق مذاهب اهل حديث ست]
However, the creed of Ahl al-Hadith is proven to be more correct than other sects.
Reference: (Risalah Najatiyah: p. 41)
It is clear that Ahl al-Hadith existed in India long before the establishment of the Deoband and Bareilly madrasas; therefore, saying "there is no evidence of the existence of Ahl al-Hadith before the British era" is completely false and invalid.
Reference: Also see response to objection number 6
Objection 9:
Abdul Rahman Panipati says that (the famous Ahl-e-Hadith scholar) Abdul Haq Banarsi used to call Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) an apostate and used to say that the knowledge of the Companions was less than ours. See Panipati's
Reference: Kashf al-Hijab: p.46
. Abdul Khaliq has criticized Abdul Haq Banarsi in
Reference: Tanbih al-Dalilin: p.13
.Answer:
Abdul Rahman Panipati was a strict sectarian follower and a strong opponent of Maulana Abdul Haq Banarsi. Panipati did not present any reference from any book of Maulana Abdul Haq for the mentioned accusation, nor is there any such statement in any of his books. Therefore, Abdul Rahman Panipati, showing bias and opposition, lied about Maulana Abdul Haq Banarsi, may Allah have mercy on him.
Abdul Khaliq Taqleedi was also a member of the group opposing Maulana Abdul Haq.
The fact that Mian Syed Nazir Hussain Dehlvi, may Allah have mercy on him, was his father-in-law does not mean that Abdul Khaliq was correct in belief and truthful. There are many Deobandi fathers-in-law whose sons-in-law are Ahl-e-Hadith! It is known to common people that any baseless and unsubstantiated statement against an opponent is rejected.
About Maulana Abdul Haq Banarsi, Abu al-Hasan Nadwi's father, Hakim Abdul Haq (Taqleedi) wrote: [الشيخ العالم المحدث المعمر.. أحد العلماء المشهورين]
Reference: (Nuzhat al-Khawatir: Vol 7, p. 266)
After that, Hakim Abdul Haq wrote some false things in criticism of Maulana Abdul Haq and quoted Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz al-Zainabi saying: [ولم أر بعيني أفضل منه] I have not seen anyone more virtuous than him (Abdul Haq Banarsi).
Reference: (Nuzhat al-Khawatir: Vol 7, p. 267)
The author of Nayl al-Awtar, Muhammad bin Ali al-Shawkani, wrote about his student Abdul Haq Banarsi: [الشيخ العلامة كثر الله فوائده بمنه وكرمه ونفع بمعارفه]
Reference: (Nuzhat al-Khawatir: 7/268)
Sayyid Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ismail al-Amir al-San'ani wrote: [الولد العلامة زينة أهل الإستقامة ذو الطريقة الحميدة والخصال الشريفة المعمورة]
A son, a scholar, an ornament of the people of steadfastness, well-mannered and possessing noble qualities.
Reference: (Nuzhat al-Khawatir: 7/270)
After these praises by the scholars, what significance does the false propaganda by Abdul Rahman Panipati, Abdul Khaliq, and the Taqleedi family against Maulana Abdul Haq Banarsi (died 1276 AH corresponding to 1860 AD) hold?
It should be remembered that the Taqleedi family harbors enmity and anger towards Maulana Banarsi, who died in Mina (Mecca Mukarramah), because he wrote a book against Taqleed titled "__ARABIC_20" and was strongly opposed to Taqleed. ARABIC_21__
Objection Number 10:
Ahl al-Hadith supported the British.
Answer 1857 AD:
When Muslims and non-Muslims fought the War of Independence against the British, the scholars were asked about jihad. The scholars issued a fatwa regarding jihad: [In the stated condition, it is an individual obligation (Fard al-Ayn).]
On this fatwa, the signature of a famous Ahl-e-Hadith scholar, Syed Nazir Hussain Muhaddith Dehlvi (formerly Hanafi and researcher of Ahl-e-Hadith), shines as clear as daylight. See Muhammad Mian Deobandi's
Reference: book "Ulama-e-Hind ka Shandaar Mazi" (Vol. 4, p.179)
and Janbaz Mirza (Deobandi)'s
Reference: book "Angrez ke Baghi Musalman" (p. 293)
.After this fatwa, when the British took control of India, Syed Nazir Hussain was arrested and imprisoned in Rawalpindi jail for one year, while on the other hand, Ashiq Ilahi Meerthi Deobandi wrote about Rashid Ahmad Gangohi and Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi, etc.:
As you gentlemen were the sincere well-wishers of your kind government, so you proved to be well-wishers indeed.
Reference: (Tazkira-tur-Rashid: Vol. 1, p.79)
The elders of those who remained "well-wishers" of the British government all their lives, Fazl-ur-Rahman Ganj Muradabadi said: "What is the use of fighting? I find Khizr (the guide) in the ranks of the British."
Reference: (Hashiyah Sawaneh Qasmi: Vol 2, p.103; Ulema-e-Hind ka Shandaar Mazi: Vol 4, p.280)
It is very strange how Khidr (peace be upon him) (after his death, coming back to life) joined the English army? The claim by the Deobandis that Khidr (peace be upon him) joined the English army is a great lie and fraud in history.
Warning about the 1857 War of Independence: Not a single Deobandi signed the fatwa for the war of independence.
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: [صاحب الحديث عندنا من يستعمل الحديث]
In our view, the true owner of Hadith is the one who acts upon the Hadith.
Reference: (Al-Jami' li Akhlaq al-Rawi wa Adab al-Sami' lil-Khatib: 1/144, Hadith 183, with authentic chain; Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad by Ibn al-Jawzi: p.208 with authentic chain)
