Salafi Research Institute SRI
Compiled, Translated & Annotated
Abu Hibban & Abu Khuzaimah Ansaari
This is a series of articles on the Modern Mu’tazilites.
READ PART 2 HERE
Negligent Comprehension or Corrupt Understanding
However there is a huge contradiction in their principles because Amin Ahsan Islahi includes the practice of the companions and the Muslim Ummah- as part of tawatur amali or ta’amul al-Ummah as the Sunnah but the actions of the companions and the Muslim Ummah do not constitute divine revelation so how can they be included in the Sunnah because divine revelation ceased after the demise of the Messenger of Allah Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam.
There are clear evidences in the Quran which overwhelmingly indicate this meaning, for example,
“Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination It is not but a revelation revealed,” [Surah al-Najm:3-4]
and the hadith,
“beware I have been given the book (ie Quran) and something similar to it.” [Abu Dawud; [no.4604]
There is a similar report which mentions,
“I have bene given the Quran and something similar to it.” [Musnad Ahmad [4:130], Sahih Ibn Hibban [no.2]
The earlier or the mutaqadimin scholars were also of this position ie the Salaf, Hassan bin A’tiyyah said that Jibra’il would descend on the Messenger of Allah Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam with the Sunnah just as he would descend with the Quran. [Sunan Darimi; [2:149 no.599]
They say the hadith is the written element of the Sunnah and since it is not established or proven from tawatur amali it remains as khabar al-Ahad (lone or singular reports) which are Dhanni uncertain and do not give the benefit of knowledge and are therefore unreliable.
This is yet another contradiction because the scholars of the past have mentioned there is Ijma ie consensus which can be understood as tawatur amali for at least one generation of Muslims to accept and act upon Khabar al-Ahad.
Mu’tazili Contradiction: Khabar al-Ahad Was Accepted as Tawatur Amali
Imam Abu Khattab ibn Dahiyyah [633H] said,
“All the people of knowledge from amongst the Ahl al-Hadith and the people of jurisprudence of all the countries are unanimously agreed in accepting the authentic Khabar al-Ahad, taking evidence from them is obligatory. It is mandatory to act upon them when it established they are not abrogated by any other authentic hadith or via ijma; which has been the position of all the people from the time of the companions to the scholars of this era, except the people of innovation who opposed this and they have no status anyway.”[Ada Ma Wajab Min BayanWadh’a al-Wadha’ayn Fi Rajab [pp.119-120]
They then surmise from this the impermissibility of using such ahadith in understanding the Quran, nor can such reports be used to abrogate or specify a general ruling of the Quran especially if they contradict the meaning and understanding of the Quran or from the lexicological point of view.
They say the fundamental understanding of the Quran is via its language, its construction and order and by parts of the Quran explaining other parts and therefore if Khabar al-Ahad reports contradict this and a resolve or reconciliation is not achievable the reports which are via Khabar al-Ahad will be rejected and denied.
Amin Ahsan Islahi, considered one of the modern rationalists who was instrumental in opening the doors to hadith rejection; considered every principle or rule derived from hadith to oppose and contradict the Quran and he unwilling to reconcile between the two.
[Amin Ahsan Islahi’s, Tadabbur Quran [Introduction: vol1.], Mubadi Tadabbur Quran [pp.52, 169], Mubadi Tadabbur Hadith [pp.19, 28, 38, 41]
The Quraniyun, as they often refer to themselves as, say the Quran is sufficient alone for our understanding of Islam and this is also because some of them have developed a rudimentary understanding of the Arabic language and thus paved a route into a powerful doubt that we must understand the Quran based on the Arabic language.
The Different Forms of the Quraniyun
Shaikh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani [1420H] said,
“A group of people who have rudimentary knowledge of the Arabic language have risen and began to interpret and explain the Quran according to their intellects and desires; they formulated a new way. They have fabricated a few principles in explaining the Book of Allah and spend day and night propagating them. If this is not answered intellectually and scholastically a number of people with less knowledge might fall prey to this abominable affair. A group of people who were instrumental in propagating this fitnah over 50 years ago referred to themselves as Quraniyun…” [Lecture: Masjid Bani Hashim on the 18th of Jumada al-Akhira 1410H / 29 December 1989]
Shaikh al-Albani goes onto say that these people have created a new wave of discord under the banner of modern thinking and these people do not claim that they only follow the Quran but on the apparent they call with both the Quran and Sunnah. However when one reads their writings or understands between the lines with some insight and a level of scrutiny one realises their false principles in deviating, rejecting and abandoning the Prophetic Sunnah.
More to follow from Shaikh al-Albani from his various works inshaAllah. The hadith rejectors are effectively orphaned in their understanding and cannot trace their history with their understanding more than 100 years from one of their churchfather, Abdullah Chakralwi
