Re: Hadith
Critic:-
Hadith are said to be the second source of Islam. But a great many of them seem to be very illogical, superstitious, naive, of low moral content. Some are quite incomprehensible and rather strange to say the least.
Consider the following:-
The Prophet said, "Allah created His creation, and when He had finished it, the womb, got up and caught hold of Allah. Whereupon Allah said, "What is the matter?' It said, 'I seek refuge with you from those who sever the ties of Kith and kin.' Allah replied, 'Will you be satisfied if I bestow My favors on him who keeps your ties, and withhold My favors from him who severs your ties?' On that it said, 'Yes, O my Lord!' Then Allah said, 'That is for you.' "
Abu Huraira added: If you wish, you can recite: "Would you then if you were given the authority. do mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship. (47. 22)
How can A WOMB catch hold of Allah? No this is not Metaphorical. To try to explain it as such is to do what christians do with clearly incorrect and contradictory statements.
Comment:-
Why do you assert that it is not metaphorical. Do you think that the womb literally did and spoke?
As mentioned several times before, the use and understanding of language has changed. No doubt the people whom the Prophet (saw) was speaking to understood what he was saying, but today in a more literal age they do not. Nor do we know all the circumstances around the events narrated.
Nevertheless, the significance of what he was saying above seems fairly clear to me. It is being implied that the physical ties between parents and children are not superficial ones, but have a physical, psychological and spiritual depth. In more modern language, the children are the genetic product of the parents - the foundation of their nature IS derived literally from the parents. This also produces an intimate link between siblings and other relatives. The result of this is that if in thought and behaviour people try to sever these natural links then they damage themselves. The rejection or abuse of mother or father or brother or sister IS a rejection and abuse of oneself quite literally. I am sure a little thought or meditation on the subject will reveal a great amount more.
Critic:-
Here is another Hadith:-
Allah's Apostle, the truthful and truly-inspired, said, "Each one of you collected in the womb of his mother for forty days, and then turns into a clot for an equal period (of forty days) and turns into a piece of flesh for a similar period (of forty days) and then Allah sends an angel and orders him to write four things, i.e., his provision, his age, and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you may do deeds of the people of the Fire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Fire, but then that writing (which Allah has ordered the angel to write) precedes, and he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it. And a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it."
I think this is just wrong, and I think it contradicts another Hadith I saw in another book
Comment:-
It all depends on what the listener can understand.
You are expecting scientific language in a pre-scientific age? How then would the people have understood what the Prophet (saw) was saying?
The significance of the above seems to be that there are stages in the development of the embryo. 5 stages are mentioned. The fourth stage is the one in which those inherent tendencies and faculties develop which influence his behaviour and therefore, his life. But it is only at the fifth stage that the soul or psyche develops. Perhaps a 6th and 7th stage is implied - conscious activities after birth and the results after death.
However, the words of the Prophet were not concerned with impersonal factual information but with affects on the listeners (Truth is really something which people understand and what informs their motives and action. If it has no effect or they misunderstand then it is not truth). There is a warning to be vigilant about inherent tendencies or unconscious impulses which might neutralize conscious efforts.
Critic:-
Here is another Hadith:-
The Prophet said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease."
Most flies feed on excrement and dead animals and rotting food, need I say more.
Comment:-
I cannot say that I understand this one fully, if it is genuine and has not been only partially recorded.
But, it is possible that it implies that wherever there is a disease there is also a cure for it, and wherever there is poison there is an antidote. An infection also produces antibodies and immunity.
I used to live in a flat in a house with three stories. The flat above us was occupied by a couple with two children and the mother was scrupulously clean and would not allow them to play in dirt, but her children were constantly ill. In the flat above her was a couple with 4 children and the mother was not able to keep them clean. The children were constantly dirty, but were seldom ill.
Indeed, it is being discovered now that many diseases are due to the failure of the immune system to develop resistance owing to the excessive obsession with cleanliness, disinfectants and the use of antibiotics etc.
The point to be made is that if the Hadith are genuine then they must have been understood at one time. But this understanding depends on who the Prophet was speaking to, what was their context of experience, knowledge, attitude and conceptual system, what question they had in mind, and how they understood what he was saying. For instance, if a state of balance is being taught then passiveness may be recommended to persons who are too aggressive. But if they are too passive, then greater aggression might be recommended.
It is easy to dismiss things one does not understand. But a little effort might produce valuable insights. Even if this fails one could reserve one's judgment. A negative attitude closes the mind and is destructive. A positive one allows receptivity and learning.
Critic:-
"The Prophet said, "When you hear the crowing of cocks, ask for Allah's Blessings for (their crowing indicates that) they have seen an angel. And when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Refuge with Allah from Satan for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a Satan." Volume 4, Book 54, Number 522: Narrated Abu Huraira:
Do Muslims really believe that roosters crow and donkeys bray because they have seen Satan, or do Muslims interpret these scriptures symbolically?
Comment:-
As in any other faith or walk of life, there are people with various levels of intelligence, attitudes and knowledge. Their interpretations will depend on that.
The cock and the donkey can of course be types of people or types of events.
The cock crows in joy when Day reveals itself but the donkey tends to bray when it is in distress. So the statement is true in almost a literal sense.
But the above Hadith does not need to be taken as a statement, even a symbolical one, but as a reminder and as an instruction.
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