Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith

Word of Monotheism:

The same belief held by these Imams regarding sending of benediction

on the Prophet, is also held in respect of word of tawhid (No god is there but Allah). Al-Allamah Sa’id ibn Hajji in his treatise: al-Kalam al-muntaqa fima yata’allaq bi kalimat al-taqwa la ilaha illa Allah” says: Concerning its rule, in “Fakihat al-qulab wa al-afwah” (Fruit of hearts and mouths), he said: “The believer, for his part, should mention it once throughout his whole life with the obligation intention.” I do not intend to elaborate further on this point, so as not to digress to that which is out of our topic of discussion.

The faqih traditionist Rashid Rida (may God’s mercy be upon him), in his discussion on traditions of the “ashrat al-sa’ah” (conditions of the hour), said in his Tafsir: 138

“Undoubtedly, most of the traditions were narrated by meaning as is commonly known and agreed by the ulama’. Its evidence can be obviously seen in the difference among narrators of the Sihah regarding the words of the same hadith, even the abridged ones, and the words inserted and foisted into some of these traditions in al-mudrajat, which meaning whatever included in the traditions reported by the narrators. Based on this, each one of them used to narrate according to his comprehension (from the hadith), that which might be mistaken, beside some others interpreting whatever they comprehended with adding some words of his own. Till he said: Is it unusual then to see this amount of confusion and contradiction befalling those traditions reported by meaning according to extent of comprehension of narrators?

When his opinion was sought once about that who said: No more than 12 or 14 traditions were confirmed and proved to be uttered by the Prophet, he replied: 139  This claim is incorrect, and no one has uttered such words. But this or lower than in being among the traditions whose words have successively reached us.

There is no harm to state here an article published for me in al-Risalah Journal, issue No. 957, issued on the fifth of November 1951, as a correction for what is published by Professor Abd al-Salam Harun in al-Jahiz’s book al-Bayan wa al-tabyin, as follows:

Listening to Hadith Not to Songs:

Throughout reading of newspapers, man may come across criticism-instigating things that need to be corrected. But he foregoes them without any consideration, since if he undertakes criticizing or correcting whatever he discovers of errors, in this case he would never find enough time, nor the tranquillity required for doing this job’. Sometimes he may be energetic, taking the initiative to expose every mistake he may find, especially when coming across a matter regarding which it is improper to keep silent or be inattentive.

As an example for this, when I was reading in the 2nd volume of al-Bayan wa al-tabyin of al-Jahiz that was verified and expounded by Abd al-Salam Harun, I came across in page 322 of it the following:

“Ibn Awn said: I came across three men showing strictness toward hearing and three others showing leniency (in regard of maghani – i.e. songs). Those showing leniency are: al-Hasan, al-Shi’bi and al-Nakha’i whereas those showing strictness being: Muhammad ibn Sirin, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Raja’ ibn Hayat. 140

Al-Ustadh Harun has taken hearing in this report to mean hearing of songs! Preferring to use the non-Arab word maghani he found in some copies of usul books, than using it with its neglected pronunciation that was cited in some other copies of usul books. He embarked then on interpreting it according to his surmise in a way unknown to be pleasing or angering the eminent linguists and grammarians!

In explaining the word he said: “Maghani is the plural of maghna – a mimi root of the verb: ghanna – yughanni! (to sing). In the Taymuriyyah version the word al-ma’ani (the meanings) with the obsolete letter (‘ayn) is a misinterpretation, i.e. this word was stated in the version of Koberly Library (maghani), while it was cited in the Taymuriyyah version with the obsolete (muhmalah), which is a misinterpretation (tahrif).

That which is regarded by this man (Harun) as tahrif is verily the correct word, as veracity of the word al-ma’ani (meanings) with the obsolete

‘ayn is confirmed in these two versions, and hearing here is hearing the Prophetic hadith, not hearing the songs!

This statement is set forth by Ibn Awn, due to the fact that conveying hadith of the Messenger of Allah with its genuine words or meaning was a controversial topic among the Companions, which continued and reached the Tabi’un and those succeeding them. Hence, the Companions were divided into two groups: the first permitting narration of hadith by meaning, among whom being Ali, Ibn Abbas and Anas and their followers. And the second one who was represented by Ibn Umar, was forbidding this practice. Concerning the Tabi’an, some of them were so strict in regard of narrating the hadith with its original words, such as Muhammad ibn Sirin, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Raja’ ibn Hayat. Whereas some others were showing leniency in this respect, like al-Hasan, al-Shi’bi and al-Nakha’i. 141  Hence Ibn Awn uttered the above-mentioned statement, that was reported by al-Jahiz, and misunderstood by al-Ustadh Abd al-Salam Harun.

138. In vol. IX, p. 506.

139. Al-Manar journal, vol. XXXIV, p. 260.

140. See p. 77 of this book (Arabic version).

141. Jami' bayan al-'ilm wa fadlih, of Ibn Abd al-Barr, vol. I, p. 80; Tawjih al-nazar, p. 308. Ibn Sirin was told that al-Hasan and al-Shi'bi and al-Nakha'I used to narrate by meaning, when he said: If they narrate in the way they heard (hadith) it would be much better; al-Kifayah of al-Khatib, p. 206.