Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
The Scholarly Biography of Imam Tirmidhi ‘may Allah have mercy on him’ (Part 15)
Arguments of the Hadith Deniers and Their Answers:
Argument 1: The verse «وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ» (“And We have made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who is a thinker?”) is presented by the Hadith deniers as an argument that the Quran is very easy to understand and that there’s no need for the teaching and explanation of someone like the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to understand or act upon it. They cite this verse to support their claim that the Quran is sufficient without the Sunnah.
Answer: To address this argument, it should be clarified that the Holy Quran has two parts:
1. General themes: These include encouraging piety, reminding of the Day of Judgment, and advising reliance on Allah, which are generally easy for the public to understand and act upon.
2. Rules and regulations: These require detailed explanation. The aforementioned verse primarily pertains to the first part of the Quran; the adverb “for remembrance” suggests facilitation of remembrance and admonition. Had the intent been to facilitate understanding of complex rules, this adverb would not have been included. Furthermore, instead of the phrase “Is there anyone who is a thinker?”, a clearer phrase such as “Is there anyone who is a mujtahid?” or “Is there anyone who can deduce?” would better indicate the purpose of deducing and ijtihad in the rules. Additionally, numerous verses of the Quran, including «وَ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ» (“And We have sent down to you the Reminder that you make clear to the people what We have sent down to them”), illustrate that explaining the Quran is one of the responsibilities of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Argument 2: The deniers of the hadith argue that the use of the term “Bayenat” in some Quranic verses indicates that the Quran is entirely clear and understandable, requiring no further explanation.
Answer: While this assertion has merit, it is important to note that “Bayenat” refers specifically to areas such as religious beliefs and principles, including monotheism, prophethood, and resurrection. These concepts are generally comprehensible to most people from a rational and intrinsic standpoint and do not necessitate further explanation. However, practical and religious rulings—such as the details of prayer, fasting, zakat, etc.—require elaboration. This is especially pertinent as the Quran does not specify the exact procedures for worship or detail other rulings; thus, it is essential that these be clarified through the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Argument 3: The verse «إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ» (“Indeed, I am only a human being like you”) is cited by those who reject the hadith, claiming it indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is merely a human and that only the recited Quran (the Book of Allah) is obligatory to follow, while the Prophet’s guidance is not.
Answer: This argument derives from the isolation of the verse from its context. This verse responds to the polytheists who requested miracles, perceiving the Prophet (peace be upon him) as an ordinary man. Allah reminds the Prophet (peace be upon him) that while he is a human like others, his distinguishing characteristic is receiving revelation. Therefore, the reference to “like you” pertains only to his incapacity to perform miracles without Allah’s will, not to invalidate the authority of his words as a prophet. Moreover, the same verse implicitly emphasizes revelation as a significant trait of the Prophet (peace be upon him), encompassing both the recited (the Quran) and unrecited (the Sunnah).
Argument 4: The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) actions and divine reprimand; the deniers of the hadith reference instances like the ransoming of the captives of Badr, followed by divine admonition of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), asserting that these instances demonstrate that some of the Prophet’s decisions were incorrect, and that Allah had cautioned him. Therefore, they claim, the Prophet’s decisions may not always be followed.
Answer: This argument necessitates more careful consideration. In such events, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made decisions based on his Ijtihad, which seemed appropriate given the circumstances. Nonetheless, when Allah alerted the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) through revelation, the Companions did not criticize him. This indicates that all the Companions adhered to the Prophet’s decisions, notwithstanding any subsequent adjustments; thus, these events serve to reinforce the authority and elevated status of the Prophet (peace be upon him) rather than undermine it.
Argument 5: The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade “tabeez” of date palms. Deniers of the hadith refer to the incident in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed his Sahaba to cease the “tabeez” of date palms, citing that no desired outcome was achieved. They argue that in such cases, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “You are the most knowledgeable about the affairs of your world,” implying that he should not be followed in worldly matters.
Answer: In response, it should be clarified that the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) guidance encompasses two forms:
1. Religious guidance: Facilitated by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a “messenger” and a source of revelation.
2. Advisory guidance: Offered by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) regarding worldly matters such as agriculture, trade, etc., on an advisory basis, without an obligation to follow. The phrase “You are the most knowledgeable about the affairs of your world” pertains to this context, indicating that in worldly matters requiring expertise, Muslims are encouraged to consider the opinions of experts. Hence, this category of guidance is distinct from religious and jurisprudential matters in which following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is obligatory.
Finally, the arguments put forth by the hadith deniers are effectively countered by both Quranic and rational evidence. This clearly demonstrates that the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) hold validity and authority as complementary and explanatory to the Holy Quran, as well as serving as a legal foundation for Muslims.
Continues…
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