Author: Ahmad Shoaib Ghaznavi
Deniers of Hadith and Their Modern Objections (Part Four)
Doubts Raised by Hadith Deniers and Responses to Them:
The Hadith deniers, in their efforts to undermine the Sunnah and destroy the trust of Muslims in it, have raised various doubts. Below is one of the most significant of these doubts along with its response:
First Doubt:
The Prophet’s mission (peace be upon him) was solely to convey the Qur’an. Therefore, obeying him as a Messenger is not obligatory. Hadith is not considered revelation, and there is no need for Hadith in understanding the Qur’an.
Response:
1.Allah the Almighty states in the Qur’an: (وَما كانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ وَحْياً أَوْ مِنْ وَراءِ حِجابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولاً) Translation: “It is not fitting for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger [i.e., an angel] to reveal by His permission what He wills.”
This verse makes it clear that revelation is distinct from the sending of a messenger—indicating that Hadith is a form of non-recited revelation (wahy ghayr matluw) conveyed by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
2.The Qur’an frequently commands: (أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ)– Translation: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger.”
Also, it strongly warns against opposing the Prophet: (وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى… نُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا) Translation: “And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him… We shall cast him into Hell—and what an evil destination!”
3.The dreams of the Prophets (peace be upon them) are considered binding in the Qur’an, even though dreams are not recited revelations. Thus, by even greater reasoning, the conscious speech of the Prophet (peace be upon him) must also be authoritative.
4.Many Prophets (peace be upon them) were sent without a divine scripture. If their words were not binding, then their prophethood would be rendered purposeless.
Second Doubt:
The instructions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are binding, but the Hadiths that have reached us are unreliable; therefore, we are not obliged to accept them.
Response:
This view is entirely baseless and false. Claiming that Hadiths are authoritative, but have been transmitted by unreliable individuals, is logically inconsistent. The reasons for rejecting this claim are as follows:
•The Hadiths have been transmitted to us through the same channels as the Qur’an. If these transmitters are deemed unreliable, then the Qur’an itself would also be suspect.
Hadith deniers argue that Allah has guaranteed the preservation of the Qur’an in the verse:
(إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ) – Translation: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, we will be its guardian.”
But they claim no such guarantee exists for Hadith.
•Firstly, this verse itself has reached us through the same transmitters who narrated Hadith. If they are untrustworthy, how can we be certain that this verse is genuinely from Allah?
•Secondly, this verse does not only guarantee the literal preservation of the Qur’an but also the preservation of its meanings, which are elaborated upon in the Hadith.
•If someone argues that the Qur’an’s authenticity is proven through its miraculous nature and eloquence—qualities not found in Hadith—it must be noted that our knowledge of the Qur’an’s miraculous nature also comes through the same transmitters. Is it not possible, by their claim, that these qualities were exaggerated by the transmitters?
•Furthermore, the miraculous Ness of the Qur’an is proven by the inability of anyone to produce anything like it, a fact established through transmitted reports.
•If it is accepted that acting upon Hadith is obligatory, it naturally follows that Allah has arranged for its preservation until the Day of Judgment. Otherwise, it would be contradictory that Allah would require adherence to Hadith without ensuring its preservation—contradicting the verse:
(لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا) – Translation: “Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
3.The Hadith deniers claim that solitary reports (Akhbar Al-Ahad) are speculative, and that following conjecture is prohibited in the Qur’an: (إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا) Translation: “They follow nothing but conjecture, and conjecture avails nothing against the truth.”
However, in the Arabic language, the term Zann has three meanings: assumption, dominant probability, and deductive certainty. In many verses of the Qur’an, Zann means certainty, such as:
1.(الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو رَبِّهِمْ)
2.(قَالَ الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو اللَّهِ)
3.(وَظَنَّ دَاوُدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ)
Thus, in the Qur’an, Zann does not always mean speculation. In the verse prohibiting following conjecture, the meaning is clearly baseless assumption, not strong presumption.
Moreover, in many aspects of Islamic law—and even in daily life—strong presumption (Zann Ghalib) is the basis for action. In fact, human life cannot function without relying on it.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: “Although solitary reports are, by principle, speculative, some of them—especially those supported by corroborative evidence such as chains involving reliable scholars—can produce rational certainty.”
4.Hadith deniers claim that the transmitters of Hadith were unreliable. However, this claim stems from ignorance of the history of Hadith compilation. From the very beginning, Hadith scholars have rigorously scrutinized the narrators and categorized Hadith based on authenticity. Therefore, the claim of unreliability is unfounded.
Third Doubt:
The instructions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were only binding upon his Companions (Sahaba), not upon later generations.
Response:
This idea is so evidently false that it scarcely needs explanation. If this were true, the Prophet’s mission would have been limited to his Companions. Yet, the Qur’an explicitly rejects such a notion:
1.(يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا) Translation: O mankind! Verily, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.”
2.(وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا) Translation: We have not sent you except to all of mankind as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.”
3.(وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ) Translation: We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
4.(تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا) Translation: Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant that he may be a warner to the worlds.”
Moreover, one must ask: Is it possible to understand the Qur’an without the Prophet’s teachings? If there were no need for his teachings, then why was a Messenger even sent? The Companions lived during the Qur’an’s revelation, witnessed the causes of revelation, and lived in the context of revelation. We lack these advantages and are thus in even greater need of the Prophet’s guidance.
Main Themes of Hadith Deniers’ Views:
The ideologies of Hadith deniers, both past and present, revolve around three main points:
1.The Hadiths are not binding upon us.
2.The spiritual protection of the Qur’an is not guaranteed.
3.Solitary reports and speculative narrations are unreliable.
Consequences of Denying Hadith:
Denying Hadith leads to several dangerous consequences, including:
1.Denial of the spiritual preservation of the Qur’an: Ignoring Hadith equates to rejecting Islam’s mechanisms for preserving its legacy.
2.Loss of prophetic teachings: Without Hadith, the legislative sayings and private life of the Prophet remain unknown.
3.Rejection of posthumous obedience to the Prophet: Denying Hadith implies that the Prophet’s guidance ended with his life.
4.Distortion of the Prophet’s role model status: Without Hadith, the full image of the Prophet’s personality and life becomes distorted.
5.Infiltration of public opinion into religious legislation: Denial of Hadith paves the way for unqualified individuals to interfere in deriving religious rulings.
Conclusion:
Despite the constant efforts and massive resources invested by Islam’s enemies throughout history to undermine Hadith, Muslim scholars and intellectuals have consistently defended the Shariah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), ultimately frustrating the opponents. Thus, we declare: “The slogan of ‘Following the Sunnah’ remains firm, and love for the Sunnah is deeply rooted in the hearts of Muslims.”
Continues…
Previous Part
References:
[1]. Surah Ash-Shura, verse 51.
[2]. Surah An-Nisa, verse 159.
[3]. Taqareer Sahih al-Bukhari by Shaykh al-Hadith ‘Allamah Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf Hussainpour, pp. 3–6; see also Uloom al-Qur’an by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, translated by Muhammad Umar ‘Eidi, pp. 28–30, Sheikh al-Islam Publications, Ahmad Jam, 3rd edition, 1389 [AH].
[4]. Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 46.
[5]. Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 249.
[6]. Surah Sad, verse 24.
[7]. Dars-e-Tirmidhi by ‘Allamah Muhammad Taqi Usmani, p. 28.
[8]. Surah Al-A’raf, verse 158.
[9]. Surah Saba, verse 28.
[10]. Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 107.
[11]. Surah Al-Furqan, verse 1.
[12]. Tarjuman al-Sunnah by ‘Allamah Badr-e-Alam Muhajir Madani, p. 324.
