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What is the answer to people who deny Ahadith?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

Assalaamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh,Respected Ulema, 

    I recently spoke with a Muslim woman who states she only acts upon what is in the Quran. If an action is not in the Quran, she is not willing to act upon it until or unless she feels Allah’s guidance to do so. As an example: She is not reciting tashahhud in her salaat because she says it is not in the Quran. She also feels that to say ” As-salamu ‘alayka ay-yuhan-nabiy-yu warahma tullahi wa barakatuhu.” while in salaat is a shirk.     

    She and her like minded friend have started a Quran study group in the locality. Unable to read Arabic, they read English translations  and sometimes they may give their opinions about what was read.   We have new converts in our locality  who could easily be influenced by this fitnah. Those who are not necessarily  well grounded in their knowledge of Deen could also be influenced. 

    The Rebuttal to those who accept Quran but reject Hadith will be greatly appreciated. Please guide me to any books, articles, posts etc. which could also prepare one to deal with these type deviants.   Jazakallahu khair,wa alaikum Salaam,  Umm Muhammad Yasin

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

 You state the woman claims she will only act upon the Quraan. You also state she does not know Arabic. How then will she exactly know what is in the Quraan when she does not know Arabic.Infact she will not be able to practise on the Quraan itself without understanding Arabic.

Furthermore, in order to understand Quraan she will have to follow Hadith.

In essence, “Hadith” refers to an act done, word spoken or a confirmation given by Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi wa sallam).{1[i]} “Hadith” has been accepted as a source of Islamic law, after the Quran. Its status has remained undisputed throughout the centuries aside from some individuals who have separated themselves from the mainstream of the Muslim population.{2} Its authority is evident from the Quran. The Quran repeatedly reminds the believers to follow Rasulullah (sallallaahu Alaihi wa sallam).

In order to fulfil the injunctions of the Quran, one is required to accept the authority of Hadith. If one denies the authority of Hadith, it is impossible for him to fulfil and carry out the injunctions of the Quran, for example, we are commanded in the Quran to perform salaah. But the Quran does not explain the methodology of salaah. The Hadith explains to us the methodology of salaah. If one had to rely simply on following the Quran, and not the hadith, he would not know the methodology of salaah. Therefore, we are required to follow both, the Quran and Hadith. The Sahaba, Tabi’een and all the pious predecessors were staunch follows of Rasulullah (sallallaahu Alaihi wa sallam)    

Hereunder are a few verses proving the authority of Hadith:

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

Translation:

“And obey Allah and the Messenger so that you may be shown mercy”

Surah Aale-Imraan/Verse 132

وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ

Translation:

“And whoever obeys Allah and his messenger, Allah shall admit him in the gardens underneath which rivers flow”

Surah An-Nisa/Verse13                                                                                

وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُبِينًا

Translation:

“And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has gone astray into manifest error”

Surah Al-Ahzab/Verse 36

Refer to the following Hadeeth :{ 3}

عَنِ الْمِقْدَامِ بْنِ مَعْدِيكَرِبَ الْكِنْدِيِّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ “‏ يُوشِكُ الرَّجُلُ مُتَّكِئًا عَلَى أَرِيكَتِهِ يُحَدَّثُ بِحَدِيثٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِي فَيَقُولُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ حَلاَلٍ اسْتَحْلَلْنَاهُ وَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ حَرَامٍ حَرَّمْنَاهُ ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ مَا حَرَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ مِثْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Translation;

 Hadhrat Miqdam bin Ma’dikarib Al-Kindi Radhiyallahu-Anhu narrated that:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Soon there will come a time that a man will be reclining on his pillow, and when one of my Ahadith is narrated he will say: ‘The Book of Allah is (sufficient) between us and you. Whatever it states is permissible, we will take as permissible, and whatever it states is forbidden, we will take as forbidden.’ Verily, whatever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has forbidden is like that which Allah has forbidden (Ibn Majah 1/9 Darul Risalatul-Ilmiyyah)

Refer to the following Hadeeth:

عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ “‏ لاَ أُلْفِيَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ مُتَّكِئًا عَلَى أَرِيكَتِهِ يَأْتِيهِ الأَمْرُ مِمَّا أَمَرْتُ بِهِ أَوْ نَهَيْتُ عَنْهُ فَيَقُولُ لاَ أَدْرِي مَا وَجَدْنَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ اتَّبَعْنَاهُ {4}

Translation:

It was narrated from Hadhrat Ubaidullah bin Abu Rafi from his father, Radhiyallahu-Anhum that:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “I do not want to find anyone of you reclining on his pillow, and when bad news comes to him of something that I have commanded or forbidden, he says, ‘I do not know, whatever we find in the Book of Allah, we will follow.” (Ibn Majah 1/10 Darul Risalatul-Ilmiyyah)

The Muhadditheen (experts in Hadith) have dedicated their lives in the various sciences of Hadith in order to preserve the authenticity of Ahadith. You may read more on the subject matter from a book “Authority of Sunnah” by Mufti Taqi Uthmani Saheb.

In brief, a person who claims to follow only the Quraan without following Ahadith is in fact not following the Quraan.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Ridwaan Ibn Khalid Esmail (Kasak)

Student Darul Iftaa

Katete, Zambia


Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.


[i] {1}اصولیین کے نزدیک حدیٹ کی تعریف  یے ھے  اقوال  رسول الله  صلي الله على و سلم و أفعاله اس تعريف مين تقرر بهي داخل هے

محدثين كے نزدیک حدیث کی تعریف یے ھے اقوال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم و أفعاله و احواله

درس ترميذى 1/18 مكتبه دار العلوم كراچی

{2}امت محمدیہ علی صاحبھا  الصلوۃ و السلام اس پر اجماع ھے کے حدیث قران کریم کے  بعد دین کا دوسرا ماخز ھے

درس ترمزی1/25 مکتبہ دار العلوم کراچی

{3}حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي الْحَسَنُ بْنُ جَابِرٍ، عَنِ الْمِقْدَامِ بْنِ مَعْدِيكَرِبَ الْكِنْدِيِّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ “‏ يُوشِكُ الرَّجُلُ مُتَّكِئًا عَلَى أَرِيكَتِهِ يُحَدَّثُ بِحَدِيثٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِي فَيَقُولُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ حَلاَلٍ اسْتَحْلَلْنَاهُ وَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ حَرَامٍ حَرَّمْنَاهُ ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ مَا حَرَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ مِثْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ

{4}حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْجَهْضَمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، فِي بَيْتِهِ أَنَا سَأَلْتُهُ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ، ثُمَّ مَرَّ فِي الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ أَوْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ “‏ لاَ أُلْفِيَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ مُتَّكِئًا عَلَى أَرِيكَتِهِ يَأْتِيهِ الأَمْرُ مِمَّا أَمَرْتُ بِهِ أَوْ نَهَيْتُ عَنْهُ فَيَقُولُ لاَ أَدْرِي مَا وَجَدْنَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ اتَّبَعْنَاهُ ‏”‏

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ “‏ لاَ تَمْنَعُوا إِمَاءَ اللَّهِ أَنْ يُصَلِّينَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ابْنٌ لَهُ إِنَّا لَنَمْنَعُهُنَّ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ فَغَضِبَ غَضَبًا شَدِيدًا وَقَالَ إِنِّي أُحَدِّثُكَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وَإِنَّكَ تَقُولُ إِنَّا لَنَمْنَعُهُنَّ ‏.‏

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.