Israr Ahmad Khan

Muslim scholars deserve appreciation for their invaluable contribution toward preserving the hadith literature’s authenticity. However, much more needs to be done to further strengthen its authenticity. Such great hadith authorities as Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 AH), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH), al-Darimi (d. 255 AH), al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH), Muslim (d. 261 AH), Ibn Majah (d. 273 AH), Abu Da’ud (d. 275 AH), al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH), al-Nasa’I (d. 303 AH), al-Darqutni (d. 385 AH), and al-Bayhaqi (d. 457 AH) did their best to identify original, authentic, and valid versions of the hadiths, mainly through verifying the chain of narrators (sanad). However, they did not check the text (matn) with the same zeal. This remains the case today, even to the extent that scrutinizing the text scrutiny is considered forbidden. While further verification of hadiths is still needed, this “closed door” toward verifying the text’s validity must be opened. The present article represents an attempt to redefine the criteria for checking the texts and then applying these criteria to certain selected hadiths recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.1

The Historical Background

The science of hadith verification can be traced back to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (d. 13 AH), who would not accept a hadith narrated by a single Companion unless another Companion confirmed it. In this way, he sought to avoid the possibility of intentional or unintentional error.2 This approach continued under `Umar ibn al-Khattab (d. 23 AH),3 who once told to Abu Musa that he was extraordinarily careful about narrating hadiths from the Prophet (saw).4 Scholars from among the Companions hesitated to accept hadiths without further verification.5 It seems that they adopted this careful approach due to the explosive situation after `Uthman ibn `Affan’s murder in 35 AH and the ensuing civil war between the troops loyal to `Ali ibn Abu Talib (d. 40 AH) and Mu`awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (d. 60 AH). This situation was exploited by people with vested interests who fabricated hadiths concerning Ali’s legitimacy. 6 The ulama did their best to verify traditions attributed to the Prophet (saw).7

Al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH) selected traditions for his Sahih from approximately 600,000 hadiths8; Muslim (d. 261 AH) selected hadiths for his Sahih from around 300,000 reports.9 Their hadith compilations were followed by many others, all of which have one common feature: they authenticate the hadith by authenticating the chain (sanad ). No hadith work in which the reports were recorded on the basis of text verification in addition to chain authentication can be identified. Scattered comments and observations on certain hadiths from the angle of texts are attributed to some scholars. However, serious efforts are missing from the legacy.

Al-Shafi`i (d. 204 AH) appears to be the first scholar who raised the issue of checking the hadith’s text. Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH) also decreed hadiths unacceptable by looking at their texts. But these two scholars’ contribution is very limited. The former referred to the possibility that a hadith already declared to be authentic from the angle of its chain might be defective if its text appeared to contradict the Prophet’s (saw) overall mission or if it contrasted with other highly authentic traditions reported by extraordinarily respected reporters.10 Ibn al-Jawzi seems to have been inclined to talk about a hadith’s content only after declaring its chain defective. His Al-Mawdu`at bears witness to this approach. He does not seem to be brave enough to declare a report weak or fabricated merely because its content is unusual and contradicts many established standards. Ibn Qayyim (d. 751 AH) also stated categorically in his Al-Manar al-Munif fi al-Sahih wa al-Da`if that certain traditions are unacceptable merely due to some problems in the text. The latest addition to this field is Misfir al-Dumayni’s doctoral thesis “Maqayis Naqd Mutun al-Sunnah.”

Criteria for Checking the Text

Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi (d. 198 AH) opines that identifying a deficiency in the traditions requires life-long experience and inspiration. He looks at a critic of traditions as a jeweler who, on the basis of his expertise and experience, easily differentiates between genuine and non-genuine materials.11 Although this view may not, in essence, be contested, considering one’s inspiration as a standard to determine a hadith’s authenticity is to allow subjectivity to enter the process. There should be clear guidelines and well defined principles on how to check the text’s authenticity. In this case, the objective criteria are the Qur’an, highly authentic traditions, sound reason, established historical facts, and moderation. The following discussion is based on applying these criteria to selected examples.

The Qur’an

People vary from one another in their approaches and viewpoints when deciding about specific matters. Such differences can be sorted out and settled only with the help of universally established standards. In judging a given hadith’s nature, scholars may differ from one another. In such situations, the first criterion to be looked at is the Qur’an, the revealed speech of Allah (as opposed to the thoughts of a human mind). In its own words, the Qur’an is the God-given “criterion” (al-Furqan) that reveals what is right and what is wrong.12 As the Qur’an tells us, Allah revealed two things to the Prophet (saw): the Qur’an and its bayan (interpretation).13 Since his hadiths and Sunnah interpret the Qur’an, his words and practices symbolize the interpretation. Given this, both the Qur’an and the interpretation should compliment, and be in perfect harmony with, each other. If any component of the interpretation (i.e., hadith) conflicts with the Qur’an, it must be rejected as unacceptable, even if it is attributed to the Prophet (saw). The Qur’an not only guides, but also mediates all disputes (4:59).

Qur’an 4:59 exhorts the Muslims to make Allah and His Prophet (saw) the judge of their disputes. Hadith compilations are not free from controversy in terms of their contents. Since the Qur’an represents Allah’s authority, the hadith’s contents can be checked against it. If there is no conflict, the hadith should be declared authentic. If there is an insurmountable conflict, it should be declared unreliable.

‘A_ISHAH_S APPROACH. `A’ishah (d. 57 AH) identified flaws in certain hadiths. Some examples are given below. (Space constraints do not allow many quotations.)

Once the Prophet (saw) said: “One who was called to account (on the Day of Judgment) was punished.”14 `A’ishah found this contrary to Qur’an 84:7-8: “As for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand, he will, in time, be called to account with an easy accounting.” She expressed her concern to the Prophet (saw), who satisfied her by saying: “That is the easy reckoning; but he who was questioned is bound to be doomed.”15

In this account, her concern shows that no hadith should contradict the Qur’an. After the Prophet’s (saw) death, she commanded the Muslims’ respect not only as a “mother of the believers,” but also as a repository of knowledge. People consulted her on many things, particularly on matters related to the Prophet’s (saw) words. For example, someone asked her: “Is Ibn Umar’s report – the Prophet (saw) said: ‘They (the dead) hear what I say’ – true?” She replied that it was not and told him what the Prophet (saw) had really said: (‘They know what I say is true’), and in the end recited “Verily, you cannot make the dead hear” (27:80) and “You cannot make those hear who are in graves” (35:22).16 By quoting the Qur’an, she made it clear that the Prophet (saw) cannot say anything against the Qur’an.

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