This excerpt is taken from the book of Muhaddith al-Asr Sheikh Zubair Ali Zaee, may Allah have mercy on him, Ahl-e-Hadith Aik Sifati Naam.
Question: It is presented that [جماعت المسلمین] (registered) uses this (upcoming) hadith of Bukhari and Muslim in their favor, whereas we differ from their understanding and inference in this regard. Kindly enlighten us with the understanding and inference of __ARABIC_1.
The hadith under discussion is in ARABIC_2__
Reference: Hadith number 1978
[قال: تلزم جماعة المسلمين و إمامهم، قلت: فإن لم يكن لهم جماعة ولا إمام؟ قال: فاعتزل تلك الفرق كلها و لو أن تعض بأصل شجرة حتى يدركك الموت و أنت على ذلك] (ج3 ص776) صحیح مسلم، کتاب الامارة باب وجوب ملازمة جماعة المسلمين عند ظهور الفتن و في كل حال۔ (ج5 ص137)Respected! In this context, please provide complete guidance regarding the three centuries (Qurūn-e-Thalātha) on the basis that [جماعت المسلمین] (registered)
① considers everyone misguided and themselves completely correct.
② In several of their books, for example: (1)
Reference: Dawat-e-Islam (pp. 47-48)
lists 34 religious groups,(2)
Reference: Dawat-e-Fikr-o-Nazar (p. 49)
lists 33 religious groups, and
Reference: Lamhah Fikriya (p. 42)
etc. lists 33 religious groups, in which they try to create the impression that since these (groups) are not affiliated with [جماعت المسلمین] (registered), therefore they are misguided.③ The absolute mention of political parties in this is also not free from any danger.
Please kindly spare some of your valuable time for special guidance.
Answer: There is no doubt that the Quran and authentic Hadith are proof, and it is established that the consensus of the Ummah is also proof from the Quran and Hadith. Therefore, the legal evidences are three:
[1] The Glorious Quran
[2] Authentic and good Hadiths in their own right, raised (Marfoo’)
[3] Consensus of the Ummah
From the noble verse سبیل المومنین and other evidences, the following two important principles are also established:
(1) Only that meaning of the Book and Sunnah is valid which is agreed upon or established without dispute from the pious predecessors (for example, the Companions, the Followers, the Followers of the Followers, the Muhaddithin, the scholars of religion, and the commentators of Hadith with sound creed).
(2) Ijtihad, for example, reasoning from the traces of the pious predecessors.
After this introduction, regarding the Hadith narrated by Sayyiduna Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him): [تلزم جماعة المسلمين و إمامهم] "Hold fast to the Muslim community and their Imam," it is stated that here جماعت المسلمین refers to the Caliphate of the Muslims and امامہم refers to خليفتهم (i.e., the Caliph of the Muslims). There are two evidences for this explanation:
[1] It is narrated with the chain of narration from Sabi’ bin Khalid Al-Yashkari (may Allah have mercy on him) (a trustworthy Tabi’i) that Sayyiduna Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [فإن لم تجد يومئذ خليفة فاهرب حتى تموت] "Then if you do not find any Caliph in those days, then flee until you die."
Reference: (Sunan Abi Dawood: 4247, and its chain is Hasan, Musnad Abi Awana: 4/420, Hadith 7168 included)
The brief authentication of the narrators of this hadith is as follows:
(1) Sabi’ bin Khalid Al-Yashkuri, may Allah have mercy on him:
He was declared trustworthy and authentic in hadith by Ibn Hibban, Imam Ajli, Hakim, Abu Awana, and Dhahabi. Therefore, after this strong authentication, it is wrong to call him unknown or concealed.
(2) Sakhr bin Badr Al-Ajli, may Allah have mercy on him:
He was declared trustworthy and authentic in hadith by Ibn Hibban and Abu Awana, and after this authentication, it is wrong for Sheikh Albani to call him unknown.
(3) Abu Al-Tayyah Yazid bin Humaid, may Allah have mercy on him:
He was a narrator of Sahihain and the four Sunan and was trustworthy and reliable.
(4) Abdul Warith bin Saeed, may Allah have mercy on him:
He was a narrator of Sahihain and the four Sunan and was trustworthy and reliable.
(5) Musaddad bin Masrahid, may Allah have mercy on him:
He was a narrator of Sahih al-Bukhari and others and was a trustworthy Hafiz.
It is established that this chain is Hasan Lidhatihi (good in itself), and the narration of Qatadah (a trustworthy mudallis) from Nasr bin Asim from Sabi’ bin Khalid is a supporting narration for the hadith of Sakhr bin Badr, which according to Masood Ahmad BSC’s "Usool al-Hadith" is authentic up to Sabi’ bin Khalid, may Allah have mercy on him.
Reference: (See Sunan Abi Dawood: 4244 and Sahih al-Hakim: 4/432-433 and it agrees with Dhahabi)
From this Hasan (and authentic according to Masoodiyah’s principles) narration, it is established that in the hadith of Sayyiduna Hudhayfah, the Imam means the Caliph, and remember that a hadith explains another hadith.
[2] Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani said in the explanation of __ARABIC_12: ARABIC_13__
(Qadi) Baydawi (died 685 AH) said: Its meaning is that if there is no Caliph on earth, then you separate yourselves and be patient with the hardships of the time. The indication of gnawing the root of the tree means to endure calamities.
Reference: (Fath al-Bari: 13/36 with reference to Maktabah Shamila)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar narrated from Muhammad bin Jarir bin Yazid Al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him (died 310 AH): [والصواب أن المراد من الخبر لزوم الجماعة الذين في طاعة من اجتمعوا على تأميره فمن نكث بيعته خرج عن الجماعة ، قال : و في الحديث أنه متى لم يكن للناس إمام فافترق الناس أحزابًا فلا يتبع أحدًا في الفرقة و يعتزل الجميع إن استطاع ذلك]
And the correct understanding is that this hadith means it is obligatory to hold on to the group that gathers under the leadership of this (Imam), so whoever breaks his pledge is outside the group. He said: And the hadith also means that if the people do not have an Imam (consensus leader) and have formed parties, then during the time of disagreement, one should not follow any one party, and if possible, stay separate from all parties.
Reference: (Fath al-Bari: 13/36 Shamila)
The commentator of Sahih al-Bukhari, Allama Ali bin Khalaf bin Abdul Malik Ibn Battal Al-Qurtubi (died 449 AH), said: [و فيه حجة لجماعة الفقهاء في وجوب لزوم جماعة المسلمين و ترك القيام على أئمة الجور]
And in this (hadith) is the proof of the group of jurists that it is necessary to hold on to the Muslim group and not to rebel against oppressive rulers.
Reference: (Sharh Sahih Bukhari Ibn Battal: 10/33 Shamila)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in the explanation of a part of this hadith: [وهو كناية عن لزوم جماعة المسلمين و طاعة سلاطينهم ولو عصوا]
And this indicates that the Muslim group must be held on to and obedience to Muslim rulers should be maintained, even if they commit disobedience.
Reference: (Fath al-Bari: 13/36 Shamila)
From the explanations of the hadith commentators (Ibn Jarir Tabari, Qadi Baydawi, Ibn Battal, and Hafiz Ibn Hajar), which reflect the understanding of the pious predecessors, it is established that the mentioned hadith
[تلزم جماعة المسلمين و إمامهم] does not mean the current groups and parties (for example, Masood Ahmad BSC’s registered Jamaat al-Muslimeen) but rather the unanimous caliphate and the consensus Caliph of the Muslims.
In a hadith it is mentioned: [من مات و ليس له إمام مات ميتة جاهلية] Whoever dies without having an Imam (Caliph) dies the death of Jahiliyyah (ignorance).
Reference: (Sahih Ibn Hibban: 10/434 H4573 and it is a Hasan hadith)
In the explanation of this hadith, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said to one of his students: Do you know who the Imam is in this hadith? (The Imam is) the one upon whom all Muslims have consensus and everyone says that this is the Imam (Caliph).
So this is the meaning of this hadith.
Reference: (As’ilat Ibn Hani: 2011, Tahqiqi Maqalat: 1/403)
From this explanation, it is also established that ،،و إمامهم،، means that Imam (Caliph) upon whose caliphate all Muslims have consensus, and if there is already disagreement about someone, then he is not meant in this hadith. Therefore, it is wrong, false, and a great fraud for the Masoodiyah sect (registered Jamaat al-Muslimeen) to take their self-invented and newly added sectarian meaning from this hadith.
Ask these people if any trustworthy and truthful Imam, Muhaddith, commentator, or scholar from the era of the best generations, the era of hadith compilation, and the era of hadith commentators (from the first to the ninth century AH) ever used this hadith to argue that Jamaat al-Muslimeen is not meant by the caliphate and Imam in this hadith, but rather a paper-registered group and its paper-registered powerless leader is meant? If there is any evidence, present it; otherwise, do not mislead the general Muslim public.
Reference: For more details, see the respected Abu Jaber Abdullah Damanwi, may Allah preserve him, book: "Al-Firqah Al-Jadidah"
Abu Tahir Barakat al-Hawzi al-Wasiti said: I debated with Abu al-Hasan (Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Tayyib) al-Maghazili (died 483 AH) regarding the superiority of Malik and Shafi'i. Since I followed the Shafi'i school, I declared Shafi'i superior, and since he followed the Maliki school, he declared Malik (ibn Anas) superior. Then we both appointed Abu Muslim (Umar ibn Ali ibn Ahmad ibn al-Laith) al-Laithi al-Bukhari (died 466 AH or 468 AH) as the deciding arbitrator (judge), and he declared Shafi'i superior. Abu al-Hasan became angry and said: Perhaps you are on the madhhab of that (Imam Shafi'i)? He (Imam Abu Muslim al-Laithi al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him) said:
[نحن ـ أصحاب الحديث ـ الناس على مذاهبنا فلسنا على مذهب أحد ولو كنّا ننتسب إلى مذهب أحد لقيل: أنتم تضعون له الأحاديث]
We are the people of hadith; people follow our madhhabs, but we do not follow anyone's madhhab. And if we were affiliated with any one madhhab, it would be said that you fabricate hadiths for that (madhhab).
Reference: (Sawalāt al-Hafiz al-Salafi li Khamees al-Hawzi: p.118, no.113)
It is understood that the people of hadith (Ahl al-Hadith) were not followers of any taqlidi madhhab such as Shafi'ism or Malikism, but rather they acted upon the Quran and Hadith. Even after this great reference, if anyone claims that the people of hadith were followers of Shafi'ism, Malikism, etc., (!) then that person should have their mental faculties examined.
Note: Imam Abu Muslim al-Laithi was trustworthy. See my book
Reference: Al-Fath al-Mubeen fi Tahqiq Tabaqat al-Mudallisīn: (p.58, no.3/90) and Siyar A'lam al-Nubala (18/408)
