No one has seen
God. He is not normally known except through the Messengers He sends.
Religions, therefore, exist because people believe the Messengers. They are the
manifestation of Allah and His representatives on earth. A person enters into
Islam by the confession of Faith, the Shahadah. This states:-
“There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah.”
This may be
interpreted as meaning that the first self-evident assumption we have to make
is that Reality exists, and the second is that consciousness exists without
which we cannot be aware of reality. In particular it refers to the greater
reality of which we are normally aware only a small part, because our capacity
for awareness is limited. The Messenger is, therefore, described as a Lamp
through which the Light of Allah shines.
“O Prophet! Surely We have sent you as a
witness, and as a bearer of good news and as a Warner, and as one inviting to
Allah by His permission, and as a light-giving lamp.” 33:45-46
Owing to sin and
the consequent expulsion of man from Paradise,
he has lost contact with God and the divine spirit within him (59:19). He
therefore, lacks inner guidance which consciousness, conscience and will should
provide. But God in His Mercy sends Messengers to guide man. These are those
who still retain contact with the Spirit and with God (95:4-6). The Prophet is
in complete submission to Allah and has the task of conveying the revelation he
receives. Belief in these revelations is, therefore, connected with belief in
the Prophet - the two go together. The message or Word of God remains remote
unless demonstrated in the life of a human messenger. That is why we are
required to make no distinction in purpose between God and the Messengers
(4:150-151).
The mission of
the Prophet Muhammad, as that of other Prophets, was the transmission,
explanation, demonstration and application of the Quran.
"O Messenger! Deliver what has been
revealed to you from your Sustainer; and if you do it not, then you have not
delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah
will not guide the unbelieving people." 5:67
"And We have revealed the Book to you
which has the clear explanation of everything, and a guidance and mercy and
good news for those who submit." 16:89
"Surely We have revealed the Book to you
with the truth that you may judge between people by means of that which Allah
has shown you; and be not an advocate on behalf of the treacherous." 4:105
"And We have revealed to you the Book with
the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian over it,
therefore judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow
their low desires (to turn away) from the truth that has come to you;"
5:48
Therefore: -
"Whoso obeys the Messenger he has obeyed
Allah; and he who turns away - We have not sent thee as a warder over
them." 4:80
"Verily, you have in the Messenger of
Allah an excellent example for him who hopes in Allah and the Last Day and
remembers Allah much. " 33:21
" Thus have We sent amongst you an apostle
of yourselves, to recite to you Our signs, to purify you and teach you the Book
and Wisdom, and to teach you what ye did not know; " 2:151 also 62:2,
2:231
"But nay, by thy lord, they will not
believe (in truth) until they make thee judge of what is in dispute between
them and find within themselves no dislike of that which thou decidest, and
submit with full submission." 4:65
"Allah was surely very gracious to the
believers, when He sent amongst them a Messenger from among themselves (or of
their own), who recite to them His revelations, and causes them to grow (or be
purified), and teaches them the Scripture and Wisdom, although they surely were
before his time in manifest error. " 3:164
"We have revealed to you the Reminder that
you may make clear to men what has been revealed to them, and that haply they
may reflect. 16:44
"And We have not revealed to you the Book
except that you may make clear to them that about which they differ, and (as) a
guidance and a mercy for a people who believe." 16:65 The Prophet is to make clear.
"O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey
the Messenger and those in authority amongst you; and if ye dispute (quarrel or
argue) about anything, refer to Allah and the Messenger, if ye (in truth)
believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and fairer in the end."
4:59
Note: The third
authority, Uli-l-Amr, not Ahl-ul-Bayt (the Prophet's family) as some people
think, do not have the right to settle controversies or disagreements
independently, but must follow Allah and the Messenger.
"And when there comes to them a matter of
security or fear they broadcast it; but if they had referred it to the
Messenger and to those in authority amongst them, then those of them who can
think would know it; but were it not for Allah's grace upon you and His mercy
you would have followed Satan, save a few." 4:83
Muslims follow
the Prophet because he is an example of one who had surrendered to Allah
according to the verse :-
"Say: Verily, my worship and my sacrifice,
and my living and my dying belong to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He has no
partner. This I am commanded, and I am foremost of those who surrender (unto
Him)" 6:163-164
The doings and
saying of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) are known as the Sunna and constitute the
third foundation of Islam after Allah and the Quran.
These can be
regarded as the interpretation and application of the Quran for the nature of
the people, the conditions, the times and place in which the Prophet found
himself. They are not, therefore, necessarily universal and eternal truths. But
because he had to deal with people of various degrees of intelligence and
mental and spiritual sophistication, the material in the Sunna also varies, or
it may have several levels of meaning, or the meaning or intent of an item may
not be easily understood.
The Sunna is
found in (a) the Quran because Muhammad (saw) practiced it. (b) the practices
of Muslims in so far as they were instituted by the Prophet (saw) and are
handed down to us unchanged over the centuries. (c) Because of their importance
for religion, Muslims recorded these traditions in great detail and much
research was done by Islamic scholars to establish their genuineness. There is
a complete science devoted to this subject. These records are known as the
Hadith. They are equivalent to the New Testament, which are also records by
third parties. But because the teaching was more important than the history,
the Hadith consist of a collection of separate episodes rather than a
continuous narration. As in the case of previous scriptures they are judged by
the Quran. That which is found to be in conformity with the Quran is accepted
and that which contradicts it is rejected. Other things may not be clear but
not incompatible with the Quran and judgement can be reserved.
However, Islam,
unlike Christianity and other religions, makes a distinction between Allah, the
source, the Word of God and the Prophet, who is a messenger. There is,
therefore, a distinction between that which is revealed to Muhammad (saw) and
that which comes from his own opinions, between what arises in the higher more
objective consciousness which is infallible and what arises in the ordinary
mundane mind which is fallible. The Prophet was a man ("Say: I am only a mortal like you" 18:110) and to
prevent his deification by his followers, as in the case of Jesus, his
fallibility is recorded in the Quran itself (e.g. 80:1-12). This prevents the
distortion of the message by making the messenger into an object of worship.
The Quran, therefore, takes priority over the Sunna.
The Prophet
(saw) is reported to have said: -
"My words do not abrogate Allah's words,
but Allah's words abrogate mine and some of His abrogate others."
"Some of my Sunna abrogate others just as
some parts of the Quran abrogate others."
"I am only a human being, so when I
command you about a thing pertaining to religion, do accept it, and when I
command you about a thing out of my personal opinion, keep it in mind that I am
a human being."
Obviously, the
Prophet gave instructions or made statements according to the needs of the time
and as conditions changed these instructions and statements also changed. Thus
the apparent contradictions in the various reports can be resolved by
understanding them in the context of the conditions to which they relate. Some
of the reports appear to be very naive, simplistic, superstitious and sometimes
even immoral and according to hostile critics, depraved. But it is necessary to
understand that many of the reports about the Prophet are inventions by people
who wished to establish their own importance or cater for their own prejudices
or the interests of a ruler or merchant. Others are in metaphorical language.
Much was reported about things that were overheard without knowing the full
context and circumstances. The Prophet also spoke according to the level of
understanding of his listeners and had to do what he could with the human
material (relatively primitive) at his disposal and in the conditions that he
faced. The Prophet cannot, therefore, be judged only by his words or actions
without considering these other two factors, or from the point of view of other
times and places. This, of course, also means that it is not wisdom to imitate
the Prophet without understanding in these modern days. The religion was
brought to facilitate human development and should not be used to obstruct and
fossilize it.
There are about
65 criteria by which Hadith are judged. Some of these are as follows :-
Each Hadith has
two sections - the text (matn) and the chain of reporters (isnad). The Hadith
are then classified according to (1) Authority - the Prophet, Companion or
Successor. (2) Links whether it is continuous, supported, broken, hurried,
hanging, perplexing. (3) The number of reporters - consecutive, isolated,
scarce, strange, rare, strong or famous. (4) The manner of reporting - "on
the authority of", "he narrated to us", "he informed
us", "I heard". (5) The nature of the text and transmission -
what authority the reporter had, how reliable he was, did the text include
inappropriate or unlikely expressions e.g. vulgarities, contradiction of
Quranic teachings, whether it contains interpolated opinions, or is it a
rendering by the narrator rather than the original. (6) Hidden defects - e.g.
only part of something may have been heard giving a wrong impression or a word
or context was misunderstood. (7) Trustworthiness of reporters, reliability of
memory - sound, good, weak, fabricated. The causes of fabrication were given as
political differences, doctrinal sectarianism, heresies, inventions by
storytellers, ignorance, racial and sectional prejudices, self-interest,
conversion of proverbs. Thus we see that Hadith literature varies greatly in
quality and reliability.
But though this
is far more than was done for the New Testament, we find that there are still
different versions of the same event, and differences of opinion as to the
importance of various Hadith and about which should be accepted. There are many
contradictory Hadith, some even contradict the Quran, some are obscure or
trivial. Very little is said about the meaning, circumstances or context in
which something was said and done, and what the mood or intentions were, what
the explanation for some obscure remarks was, how it was understood by
different people, whether it was clear, ambiguous, literal, metaphorical or
symbolic, whether it was an instruction, statement, example, suggestion,
observation, humorous, a consolation, a rebuke, what level of understanding it
was meant for, what it applied to and whether it had universal application or
was something confined to a certain time, space or people, applied to specific
cases or general ones. But there appears to be an esoteric or little known,
mostly verbal chain of transmission in which the meaning, significance and
application of the hadith are better understood.
There are
several different collections of Hadith, which were written down only many
years after the death of the Prophet and all witnesses. Things get distorted in
proportion to the length of the chain when passed verbally from person to
person, and the quality and piety of the people involved. The chain of
transmission of some Hadith does not contain people of known veracity.
Sectarians have selected, added and subtracted things to suit their own
prejudices or interests, and the sects have their own sets of Hadith, which
differ from those of other sects.
There are about
700,000 Hadith attributed to the Prophet. Of these more than 90% were rejected
by early Muslims as not authentic or doubtful. Malik accepted 500, Hanbal
40,000, Bukhary 7275, Muslim accepted 4000. Each of these collectors accepted
as true sources people whom the others rejected. Muslim is said to have
rejected 434 persons accepted by Bukhari and Bukhari rejected 625 persons accepted
by Muslim. Some reports were accepted from witnesses who had known the Prophet
for only a day or from children as young as 8 years old. Yet it was well known
that there were liars and hypocrites among the people who professed Islam as
the Quran states (9:101-102, 63:1-2) The choice was no doubt also affected by
their own preferences and prejudices. However critics of the various
collections of Hadith are prone to the same failings.
In any case,
since the Hadith contain the interpretations and applications of the Quran for
the particular times when the Prophet lived, they are regarded by some people
as having less relevance in other times and places, particularly our own times
where the conditions of life have changed quite dramatically owing to the development
of science, technology, organization, education and commerce. These have shrunk
the world and made it into a single place where all are much more
inter-dependent. However, they still have value in showing us under what
circumstances some of the Quranic verses were revealed, how they were
understood by the Prophet and his companions, and as examples of how the Quran
could be adapted and applied.
According to a
Hadith, the Prophet left his followers as guidance two things:- the Quran and
his Sunna (the traditions or sayings and doings of the Prophet). Another
variation says that the two things that he left were the Quran and his
descendants, the Ahl-ul-Bayt. This, among other things, gave rise to two
streams of Islam - the Sunnis and the Shiahs. Each has its own separate
collection of Hadith. Some Muslims are not happy with the divisions in Islam
and its imprisonment in tradition while times have changed, leaving Islam
maladapted. They assume that if the importance of the Hadith were to be reduced
then sectarianism would come to an end, Muslims would unite, become free of the
weight that disables them, and once again march forward as in the past. It is
thought by some that the corruption of Islam is the result of increasing
abandonment of the Quran in favour of doubtful Hadith. Indeed, the Quran itself
warns us :-
"Thus have We appointed unto every Prophet
an adversary - devils of humankind and jinn who inspire in one another
plausible discourse through guile. If thy Lord willed they would not do so. So leave
them alone with their devising that the hearts of those who believe not in the
Hereafter may incline thereto, and that they may take pleasure therein, and
that they may earn what they are earning." 6:113-114
"On the day (of Judgment) when the wrong-doer
gnaws his hand he will say: Ah would that I had chosen a way together with the
Messenger! Alas for me! Ah, would that I had never taken such a one for friend!
He verily led me astray from the Reminder (Quran) after it had reached me.
Satan was ever man's deserter in the hour of need. And the Messenger says : O
my Lord! Lo! Mine own folk make this Quran of no account." 25:27-30
"When the hypocrites come unto thee (O
Muhammad) they say: We bear witness that thou art indeed Allah's messenger, and
Allah bears witness that the Hypocrites are lying. They make their faith a
pretext so that they may turn men from the way of Allah. Verily, evil is that
which they are wont to do." 63:1-2
"So judge between them by what Allah has
revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them lest they seduce you
from some part of that which Allah has revealed unto you." 5:49
The above
criticisms gave rise, among other things, to a "Quran only" movement
which reject all Hadith. But the problem is that people would still differ
about the interpretation and application of the Quran, and especially so when
no Hadith offered any guidance. The number of sects could well increase.
Sectarianism, as the verses above indicate, depends also on taking as
authorities Leaders and Books other than Muhammad (saw) and the Quran, not just
different collection of Hadith. This could be regarded as Idolatry or Shirk in
so far as they are not sent by Allah but treated as if they were.
On the other
hand, a consensus may be reached that:- Muslims must use their faculties (Aql);
are allowed to reach different opinions; but that these should be held
tentatively not rigidly because Allah knows best; and that it is He who will
eventually decide; and that they should then settle their affairs by mutual
consultation and agreement as the Quran requires (17:36, 5:48, 3:159, 5:48).
There is also a Hadith that states that an Islamic community (one that adheres
to the Quran) can never reach a wrong consensus. This is because they will ask
for, and obtain, the guidance by Allah himself.
The early
Muslims recorded the outer life of the Prophet in great detail hoping that by
imitating this they could also attain an equivalent inner spiritual state. But
not a great amount is known about the motives behind every action. Therefore,
when histories of his life came to be written we find great variations in the
account by different people because they insist on interpreting his actions
according to their various inclinations and attributing motives from their own
imagination. We have highly admiring accounts as well as very hostile,
denigrating and cynical ones. Some thought that he was no more than a bandit
raiding caravans with an eye for young girls while others thought he was a
master of strategy. Some thought that he should be judged by the mores and
culture which were current in Arabia in his
times and others saw him as introducing revolutionary social and psychological
changes from a system based on personalities and tribal loyalties to one based
on ideas and loyalties to an ideology. He had to deal with indeterminate
transitional times where the old system was being destroyed and the new system
had to be constructed. The whole direction of history had to be changed.
Others see
things at a still more fundamental level - his task was to introduce a
completely new attitude and consciousness, from a subjective to an objective
way of living, a revolution that is not yet complete. From an Islamic point of
view the prophet (saw) was no ordinary man. This is shown by the existence of
the Quran, which is in itself a masterpiece of literature, contains a
sophisticated teaching, new heights, widths and depths of which come to light
from time to time. It is also shown by the great successes against great odds
that the Prophet achieved. This being the case it is unjustifiable presumption
to judge the Prophet by the ordinary standards that apply to ordinary mortals.
Therefore, all judgments, particularly when they go against the moral code
contained in the Quran, are rejected. He was himself an exemplar of the Quran.
Indeed, the Quran itself indicates in 18:61-83 how a person led by Allah
differs from others. There is sufficient evidence in the Hadith to show that
because his task was to raise the level of morality of a relatively primitive
and barbaric people his actions and the actions he allowed were often not to
his own high standards but he often had to compromise in order to accommodate
the level of understanding of his followers. The materials one works with limit
what can be done. Had he insisted on the standards his followers could not
reach or maintain, he would not have had any followers, and no transformation
would then have been possible.
The promise was
to preserve the Quran not the Hadith (17:46). The Quran was to be regarded as
the Prophet's only miracle, though he is reported to have performed several.
Miracles are no proof of the truth of the teaching and give no understanding.
Both the Quran and the Hadith insist that Muhammad (saw) was a human being who
was fallible. Therefore, the Sunna cannot be infallible. On the other hand,
Muhammad (saw) was known to be truthful and trustworthy even before his mission
began, and he was guided and corrected by Allah after his mission began. Allah
speaks to mankind only through prophets (2:213, 12:109, 6:125, 16:2) and we are
to make no distinction between Allah and the Prophets (4:150-151). The Prophet
was in complete Surrender to Allah (6:163-164). Therefore, he did not follow
his own subjective opinions. He is said to have been "The Quran in
Action." His life is an interpretation and application of the Quran. The
Quran itself uses the word "sunna" several times for itself ( e.g.
12:111). The Quran is the best Hadith (39:23). When, therefore, we speak about
the Sunna of Muhammad, this may be regarded as referring to "Quran in
action" to differentiate it from the Quran as a Book or Recitation or as a
theory, thought or teaching. Thus, though all genuine religion is Islam, the
Sunna of Muhammad differs from that of Jesus or Moses.
Some people
point to the following verse as implying that Islam should be based only on the
Quran:-
"And when you recite the Quran We place
between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter a hidden barrier. And we
place upon their hearts veils lest they should understand it, and in their ears
a deafness, and when thou makest mention of thy Lord alone in the Quran, they
turn their backs in aversion." 17:45-46
But this refers
to Allah not the Quran. Allah also sent the Torah and Injil.
The Quran, moreover,
points to nature and the Universe, to human history and to human faculties and
expects us to use these. Obviously we are to learn from these. It tells us to
seek knowledge and follow only that of which we have knowledge, not speculation
and conjecture (17:36, 10:37). The Quran does not, in fact, contain a complete
Legal system, nor an Economic, Political or Cultural system, nor a Cosmology or
other sciences and crafts. It contains a developmental system and requires
human beings to act as vicegerents in the service of Allah using the faculties
given by Him.
There is a
difference between the Quran itself and the interpretation and application of
it. We do not only need the Quran but also someone who interprets and applies
it. Few people can learn only from books - they usually require a teacher also.
Otherwise they may interpret the Quran according to their fantasies and
prejudices and select only that which they like. Because all this is well known
in all fields, we have educational systems with teachers in all countries.
The Quran tells us :-
"O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey
the Messenger and those of you who are in authority; and if you have a dispute
concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the Messenger if you are in truth
believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the
end." 4:59
Notice that if
there is a dispute it should be taken to Allah and the Messenger, but not to
the third kind of authority. We can take it to Allah by studying the Quran and
through meditation and prayer. How do we take it to the Messenger? Obviously by
studying what he had to say on the subject or how he dealt with it. In both
cases we also consult those whom we consider authorities e.g. teachers,
scholars or leaders of religion, Imams, Sheikhs etc.
The people who
consider themselves "Quran only" are in fact following people like
Dr. Khalifa who are a third authority. They form another sect. But the above
verse does not consider this third authority to be qualified to settle
disputes.
It is necessary
to point out that the "Quran only" people are quite right about
following only the Quran. But they are wrong in supposing that if one follows
Muhammad (saw) then this is not following the Quran. To obey the Prophet is to
obey Allah. One could go one step further and say "We surrender only to
Allah. Therefore, we will not follow the Quran. We will only follow what Allah
inspires in us." We will then be free to follow our own fantasies to our
hearts content as certain sects do.
Some people
object even to the inclusion of the second part of the Shahadah, "Muhammad
is the messenger of Allah" in the first Pillar and in prayer, on the
grounds that we should associate nothing with Allah, despite the fact that both
are taught in the Quran. They want the exact words and they do exist in the
Quran - the first part of the Shahadah is found in 47:19, and the second is
found in 48:29
Those who do not
believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah cannot possibly accept the
Quran or vice versa - otherwise they are in self-contradiction. But if they
believe it then they must bear witness to the fact. There cannot be an excuse
for leaving out the second part of the Shahadah, unless they are Jews or
Christians and follow Moses or Jesus. For Muslims: -
"The Prophet is closer to the believers
than their own selves.." 33:6
Leaving out the
second part of the Shahadah in prayer is usually justified on the grounds that
"bearing witness" requires that you must have seen something
externally through your eyes. But it can mean affirming one's faith - one bears
witness to something one has seen internally by insight. It also means that we
live by the instructions, thereby making our life into a witness. If it means
having seen something with the eyes, then we must also admit that we cannot
bear witness that "there is no god but Allah".
Another
objection sometimes raised is that we ought not to associate anything in our
prayers with Allah. Therefore, all mention of Muhammad (saw) in prayer ought to
be removed. But an examination of the wording in Islamic prayer shows that it
is not a prayer TO Muhammad but FOR Muhammad and his people. If this were not
allowed then certainly, one could not pray for oneself or others either.
Another objection arises because of some Christian arguments:- You need to pray
for Muhammad only because he is a sinner and if he is a sinner you cannot
follow him. But the answer to this is that prayer to a large extent is done for
own good. We do not praise God because He needs it. We praise Him because it
produces our own gratitude and joy and reinforces the values that we wish to
cultivate. By praying for Muhammad the Muslim aligns himself with Muhammad and
his followers. He follows Muhammad who was a man with human limitations. A god
cannot be followed and that tops efforts.
Consider the
following verses:-
"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): If you love
Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is
forgiving, Merciful." 3:31
"Verily in the messenger of Allah you have
a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembers
Allah much." 33:21
"Whoso obeys the Messenger obeys Allah,
and whoso turns away: We have not sent thee as a warder over them." 4:80
"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey
the Messenger, and render not your actions vain." 47:33
"And they say: We believe in Allah and the
messenger and we obey; then after that a fraction of them turn away. Such are
not believers. And when they appeal unto Allah and His messenger to judge
between them. lo! a faction of them are averse. But if right had been with them
they would have come unto him willingly. Is there in their hearts a disease, or
have they doubts, or fear they lest Allah and His messenger should wrong them
in judgment? Nay, but such are evil doers. The saying of true believers when
they appeal unto Allah and his messenger to judge between them is only that
they say: We hear and we obey. And such are the successful. He who obeys Allah
and His messenger, and fears Allah, and keeps duty unto Him, such indeed are
the victorious. They swear by Allah solemnly that, if thou order them, they
will go forth. Say: swear not; known obedience is better. Lo! Allah is Informed
of what ye do. Say : Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if ye turn away,
then it is for him to do only that wherewith he has been charged, and for you
to do only that wherewith ye have been charged. If ye obey him, ye will go
right. But the messenger hath no other charge than to convey the message
plainly." 24:47-54
Thus the
Messenger has no powers of compulsion, but only to convey the message of God.
He is Allah's agent, and is obeyed as such. If he was not a representative of
Allah then we would have to reject his entire history. We would have to suppose
that the battles he was engaged in, and all the other political and diplomatic
activities he conducted by which Islam was established had nothing to do with
Allah but proceeded from his own whims.
"By the star when it sets, your comrade
(Muhammad) errs not, nor is deceived, nor does he speak of his own desire. It
is naught save an inspiration that is inspired which One of mighty power has
taught him." 53:1-4
"Establish worship and pay the poor due
and obey the Messenger, that haply you may find mercy." 24:56
"Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger. But if
they turn away, lo! Allah loves not the disbelievers (in His guidance)."
3:32
"And obey Allah and the Messenger, that
you might find mercy." 3:132
"Whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, He
will make him enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow, where such will dwell
for ever. That will be the great success. And whoso disobeys Allah and His
Messenger and transgresses His limits, He will make him enter Fire, where such
will dwell for ever; his will be a shameful doom." 4:13-14
"Whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, they
are with those unto whom Allah has shown favour, of the Prophets, and the
saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they."
4:69
How could a
reader of the Quran have missed the above verses that link Allah with His
messenger.
See also the
following :- 5:92, 8:1,20,24,46, 9:71, 24:52,54, 33:33,66,71, 47:33, 48:17,
49:19, 58:13, 64:12, 69:10, 71:3, 72:23
It is also
necessary to note that the Quran makes a distinction between the Scripture and
Wisdom (2:151,231,269, 3:48,79,164, 4:54,113, 5:110 etc.). Having a Scripture
is not sufficient. The ability to understand and apply it is also essential.
However, it is
true that the Prophet was fallible and made mistakes as the Quran itself
records in 80:1-4. But Allah Himself corrected him. The Quran insists that
Muhammad was a man and so were all other Prophets. The Prophet made a clear
distinction between that which came to him by revelation and that which did
not. His followers knew this, because he often took their advice instead of
insisting on his own ideas when they were not revelations. He was instructed by
Allah to consult others:-
“It was by the mercy of Allah that you did deal
gently with them (O Muhammad), for had you been rough and fierce of heart they
would have dispersed from around you. But pardon them, and ask forgiveness for
them, and consult with them on the conduct of affair. As when you have resolved
a matter, then put your trust in Allah; verily, Allah loves those who trust
(Him).” 3:159
There is, therefore, a distinction between the
Word of God (the Quran) and the words of the Prophet. This distinction makes
Islam unique among religions. It is, probably, the confusion between these two
aspects that led Christians theologians to think of Jesus (as) as both human
and divine. Only the Quran is to be taken as infallible. Though they are
required to accept the guidance of God, human beings must and are required to
live by their own lights also. We also use the opinions of other men, experts
in various fields, as guides even though they are fallible, because they are
more likely to be true than those of people who have no such expertise. The
educational system and the progress of humanity depends on this. The fact that
the Quran is infallible does not mean that its interpretation is infallible
since this is certainly done by man. The interpretation of the Prophet is
likely to be more accurate than that of others. It is for these reasons that
the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is regarded as a better example to humanity than
someone who is thought of as a god and was not involved in human affairs –
someone who was not married and did not concern himself with the economic,
political and cultural affairs of the community.
Muslims take the
Quran as the infallible word of Allah, and accept Muhammad (saw) as a Messenger
of Allah. The reason for this acceptance (if it is not merely an un-examined
assumption) is that a study of the Quran and the life of Muhammad find some
kind of harmony or compatibility with human experiences and inherent human
nature. This must certainly have been the case with the early converts who
cannot be accused of having been mentally conditioned by their traditions.
They, therefore, accept the word of Muhammad (saw) that the Quran is a
revelation from Allah, and the word of the Quran that Muhammad is the best
example. They also take the word of the Quran and Muhammad that he was a human
being who made mistakes, but being a Prophet, was corrected by Allah and
forgiven. They accept the word of the Quran that the Quran (its teachings as
originally delivered - i.e. its meaning 56:77-80) will be preserved. This
promise does not cover the Hadith. The Hadith, though they contain the Sunna of
the Prophet, are variable in quality, reliability and interpretation. One must
be cautious about them but there is no need to reject them all. We know about
the history of the Prophet and the revelation of the Quran from these and some
also illuminate the meaning of the verses of the Quran.
There are many
controversies about the meaning of some verses in the Quran that can only be
settled by reference to Hadith. Take as an example the case of Quranic phrase
"the Seal of the Prophets" (33:40). We have different interpretations
of it. Some say "seal" means last Prophet and no more will come.
Others say it refers to the fact that religion is complete in Islam, as when a
letter is sealed. Others say it is a "seal of approval or authority."
and seal refers to the ring used to make the seal. In this case it refers to
the fact that Muhammad (saw) confirmed the past Prophets and the religion they
taught. Notice that if we interpret the Quran by the Quran then two of the
meanings above are confirmed but the third (the Last Prophet) is neither
confirmed nor denied. So, in order to settle the dispute we do what the Quran
recommends, namely, go to Allah (in prayer or study of the Quran) and the
Prophet (since he is dead, nowadays we consult his Sunna). When we do the
latter we find that several Hadith indicate that the Prophet himself was convinced
that he was the Last Prophet before the return of Jesus and that he had laid
the last stone in the House of religion. He also indicated that Islam would
have inspired reformers from time to time, rather than a series of prophets as
the Jews had.
Again, apart
from the problem of the reliability of the Hadith, there is still some doubt as
to what exactly was meant. Was he referring to Jesus as the word and spirit
from Allah? What was meant by descent? He did seem to indicate that it would be
a man who would reform religion which would have become corrupted, and so
restore Islam. If this is so, how would Muslims in so far as they are adherents
of the corrupted religion, recognize Jesus and Islam? The new claimants to
Prophethood say they are Jesus returned. This does not contradict the Hadith.
Some people
object to the Hadith on the grounds that the Quran states that it is perfectly
clear (26:2, 27:1, 28:2, 36:68, 43:2). Therefore, no other guidance is
required. But this is a naive understanding. In fact, the Quran speaks at
several levels and also in allegories. It is not clear to those who do not read
it correctly, are self-opinionated, have prejudices and a negative attitude to
it rather than a receptive one. (See 2:121, 2:146, 3:7, 17:82). We need only examine
the questions, disputes and numerous, often hostile, opinions of people who
have read the Quran on the Islamic Internet site to see that things are not as
clear as the Quran only people suppose.
"Now has come unto you light from Allah
and a plain scripture whereby Allah guides him who seeks His good pleasure unto
paths of peace. He brings them out of darkness into light by His decree, and
guides them unto a straight path." 5:15-16 Also 3:103
"And We have revealed the Book to you
which has the clear explanation of everything, and a guidance and mercy and
good news for those who submit." 16:89 and 6:115
It makes things
plain only for those who believe and ponder, those whom Allah guides and those
whose ears and eyes and hearts have not been dulled. Sometimes the following
verses are quoted to show that the Quran contains everything: -
"And perfected are the words of your
Sustainer with truth and justice; there is none who can change His words, and
He is the Hearing, the Knowing." (6:115)
".. nothing have we omitted from the
Book." (6:38).
This refers to
the Book in heaven.
"And were every tree that is in the earth
(made into) pens and the sea (to supply it with ink), with seven more seas to
increase it, the words of Allah would not come to an end; surely Allah is
Mighty, Wise." (31:27)
This refers to
Allah's knowledge. If the Quran contained everything then the Prophet would
also have had all knowledge. But this is denied in the Quran (6:50).
"He it is Who hath revealed unto thee
(Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance
of the Book - the others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt
pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking to cause dissension by
seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah and those who
are of sound instruction. Say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord;
but only men of understanding really heed." 3:7
Does this sound
as if everything in the Quran is clear to everyone?
"And when thou recitest the Quran We place
between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter a hidden barrier, and
We place upon their hearts veils lest they should understand it and in their
ears a deafness, and when thou makest mention of thy lord alone in the Quran,
they turn their backs in aversion. We are best aware of what they wish to hear
when they give ear to thee and when they take secret counsel, when the evil
doers say: Ye follow but a man bewitched. See what similitudes they coin for
thee, and thus are all astray, and cannot find a road." 17:45-48
"And verily We have displayed for mankind
in this Quran all kinds of similitudes, but most of mankind refuse aught save
disbelief." 17:89
"Those unto whom We have given the
Scripture, WHO READ IT WITH A RIGHT READING, those believe in it." 2:121
"Will they then not meditate on the Quran,
or are there locks on their hearts?" 47:24
"And when We read it, follow thou the
reading; then lo! Upon us rests the explanation thereof." 75:18-19
There are many
verses which tell us that Allah guides not miscreants e.g. 2:26,258, 5:51 etc.
"And We reveal in the Quran that which is
a healing and a mercy for believers though it increases evil doers in naught
but ruin." 17:82
"But it (the Quran) is clear revelation in
the hearts of those who have knowledge." 29:49
It is clear not
to the ignorant but those who have knowledge and a receptive heart. This, of
course, also applies to the understanding of the verses that mention the
prophet (saw).
Some "Quran
only" people tell us that because 4:150 tells us not to make a difference
between the prophets, therefore, we must not give our allegiance only to
Muhammad (saw). This would be Muhammad worship. The fact, however, is that
there is a difference between Prophets. All prophets are not equal.
“Of these Messengers, We preferred some above
others. Of them are some to whom Allah spake; and We have exalted some of them
by degrees; “ 2:253 Also 17:55
Muslims were
asked to swear allegiance to Muhammad - swearing allegiance to him is swearing
allegiance to God and the Quran, and to the other Prophets sent by God.
(48:10,18 and 3:81). Muhammad (pbuh) was a universal or world prophet (4:79,
7:158, 34:28).
We are not only
told that we should not make a difference between the Prophets (since all are
sent by God) but also not between the Prophets and Allah (4:150-151). Obeying
the Messenger is obeying God (4:80). Thus the argument that we must obey only
the Quran and not the Prophet cannot be upheld. If you obey the Quran then you
must obey the Prophet.
The only point
of argument among Muslims is whether and which Hadith are genuine and what they
mean and to whom they apply. Some Hadith appear to tell us that the Prophet
objected to the writing down of his sayings and doings. He wished to
differentiate between the inspired words (Quran) and his own opinions (hadith)
or perhaps between what was universal and what was only specific to the
situation he was in. We do not know exactly what he meant. It could have
applied to a particular person or episode. It could have been an advice or
order or exception. It is remarkable that the ban on writing should have been
written down instead of all the other hadith being erased. Other Hadith imply
that he had given additional instructions or explanations that were also to be
obeyed and written down. Once the revelation of the Quran was over there was no
danger of confusing the Hadith with the Quran. He also said :-
"Be on your guard about tradition from me
except what you know; for he who lies about me deliberately will certainly come
to his abode in hell."
"I have indeed brought the Quran and
something like it along with it, yet the time is coming when a man replete on
his couch will say: keep to this Quran; what you find in it to be permissible
treat as permissible, and what you find in it to be prohibited treat as
prohibited. But what God's messenger has prohibited is like what God has
prohibited."
There are also
apparent contradictions between Hadith which forbid innovation in religion and
those which approve of good ones. This is mentioned here because it is the
Traditionalists who both base themselves on Hadith and reject all innovation,
while Modernists wish to reject hadith and introduce innovations.
"To proceed: the best discourse is Allah's
Book, the best guidance is that given by Muhammad, and worst things are those
which are novelties. Every innovation is error."
"If anyone establishes a good Sunna in
Islam he will have a reward for it and the equivalent of the reward of those
who act upon it after him without theirs diminishing in any respect. But he who
establishes a bad Sunna in Islam will bear the responsibility of it and the
responsibility of those who act upon it after him without theirs being
diminished in any respect."
Some people
quote those Quranic verses which contain the word "hadith" e.g.
7:185, 31:6, 39:23, 45:6, 52:34, 68:44, 77:50 or "Sunna" e.g. 8:38,
15:13, 17:77, 18:55, 33:38, 33:62, 35:43, 40:85, 48:23. These, some people
suppose, confirm that only the Quran is the correct hadith and Sunna and that
none other should be accepted. This cannot, however, refer to the Sunna of
those who follow the Quran, like Muhammad (saw). The words “sunna” and “hadith”
have a general meaning. And if they are used to refer to the Quran then it does
not follow that they cannot be used to refer to some other thing. If we use the
word “chair” to refer to one object, this does not exclude another. It is also
necessary to reconcile the verses with the other verses in the Quran quoted
above. It is an integral part of sectarianism, indeed, its foundation, to
select some verses and ignore others or to distort the meaning of words in
order to support their own doctrines. Each sect makes a different selection.
In any case it
is illogical to try to prove something from the Hadith if you reject them
because you would have to say that at least that hadith was true and that
others might be also. It is illogical also to deny the Prophet and yet believe
in Allah and the Quran. "Quran only" is an assumption which some
people make first, and then wish to prove by selecting verses and interpreting
them in certain ways.
But note the
following Hadith:-
"In the times in which you are living
anyone who abandons a tenth of what he is commanded will perish; but a time is
coming when anyone who does a tenth of what he is commanded will be safe."
Obviously, not
too much deviation can be allowed in the beginning of a movement otherwise as
time passes the divergence like the arms of an angle become too great. Also,
hopefully once the educational foundations are established greater flexibility
becomes possible. It seems that the change in times was foreseen.
Non-Muslims,
when they read the Hadith, tend to judge them with the values they have
acquired in the modern Western world, which was quite different from the world
in which the Prophet found himself. It is necessary to remember that and also
the following when reading these Hadith:-
(1) That Islam
is about the relationship of man with God.
(2) That the
Prophet had revelations which he dictated to scribes in order to be recorded
and transmitted. He did not do this about the Hadith.
(3) The Hadith
consist of records by third parties about the sayings and doings of the Prophet
and his companions as they dealt with the actual conditions that existed at the
time.
(4) One has to
study these records as one studies history and this requires considerable
scholarship. In particular one cannot judge them according to modern conditions
and ways of thinking, much less by casual and superficial reading.
(5) One could
learn from them something about the conditions of the past and about how the
Prophet applied the Quran but there is no great certainty about them. There are
some sayings of the Prophet, notably the Hadith Qudsi, and some others which
are very illuminating in understanding the verses of the Quran.
(6) There are
things in the Hadith that are embarrassing; some because they are fabrications.
Some are answers to some rather naive, simple and ignorant people (according to
the principle: "Speak to each according to their level of
understanding."). Some are allegorical and not easily understood but given
absurd literal meanings. But mainly because of the prejudices of hostiles, or
the interpretations people give them in the light of the changed values of the
modern age. The difference in attitudes, outlooks and the way language is used
in different cultures and times also causes misunderstanding. We also know
about the tendency to select bits to support whatever the motive happens to be
and this often leads to bizarre and perverse attitudes, ideas and sects.
(7) It is also
necessary to understand that
(a) The Religion
brought by Muhammad (saw) was for all levels of people from the simplest to the
very sophisticated. Religion was to be universalized and no longer confined to
an elitist priest class or a particular tribe. Though Muhammad (saw) had some
close companions to whom the higher aspects of religion were transmitted, they
were not like the 12 Apostles of Jesus (saw) or the disciples of Buddha.
(b) Many of the
people mentioned in the Hadith were spiritually and morally of low quality just
as today. But Hadith also show that some were asking for and accepting
guidance. Religion, as Jesus pointed out, is for sinners, not the perfect.
Those who are perfect do not need it and those who think they are perfect do
not want it. The purpose of religion is to bring improvements. The Quran
introduced changes gradually as, for instance, in the case of forbidding
alcohol. The changes themselves, make the previous stage look primitive just as
in schools the higher classes make the lower classes look primitive.
(c) The mission
of the Prophet was not only a spiritual one as in the case of Jesus (saw) and
Buddha. But he, like Moses (saw), also had to form a nation, which requires
laws, administration and practical actions, not just ideals for people who can
withdraw from life.