Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Prophet. In this regard, the Holy Prophet said,

“Anyone who attributes false reports to me must certainly find himself a place in Hellfire.”

A deep look at this Prophetic statement shows that the Holy Sunnah, unlike the Holy Qur’an, can be exposed to forgery.

Let us now wonder how `Umar ibn al - Khattab had been so ignorant that he could not appreciate such clear - cut facts and, consequently, claimed matters revealing the absence of differences between the texts of the Holy Qur’an and those of the Holy Sunnah in aspects of eloquence and perspicuity!

In addition, let us wonder how it is possible that none paid attention to the clear - cut question that such confusion leads to disbelief and that one who claims confusion between the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Sunnah must be regarded as belying Almighty Allah’s saying - in the Holy Qur'an,

“And indeed it is a Book of exalted power. No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it: It is sent down by One Full of Wisdom, Worthy of all Praise.” (Holy Qur’an: 41:41 - 42)

“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from distortion).” (Holy Qur’an: 15:9)

It is not unlikely that `Umar ibn al - Khattab, in order to find foundations for his own opinions, had to resort to various justifications, such as the anticipation of confusion between the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah, or that he recalled the manners of peoples of bygone times who dedicated all their efforts to studying the books of their doctors of laws and rabbis and left the Book of their Lord, or that he intended to be sure of the authenticity of the reports ascribed to the Holy Prophet as being within his Sunnah... etc.

Due to such justifications, `Umar ibn al - Khattab reduced the reporting of the Holy Prophet’s traditions and tightened the grip around the throat of anyone who had kept a report from the Holy Prophet.

In any case, as `Umar ibn al - Khattab prohibited the reporting and recording of the Hadith, he violated the unanimous consensus of the Muslims on the acceptability of the single - reporter narration (khabar al - wahid). He also violated the majority of the Sunnite Muslims who believe in the ultimate decency of all the Sahabah.

Moreover, he violated the rational principle of respecting the report of the trustworthy. Such being the case, `Umar ibn al - Khattab, the caliph, caused a large number of the Holy Prophet’s traditions to be lost and aroused suspicions around the principles of the Islamic legislation since the majority of the Sahabah heard, from the Holy Prophet, what many others had not heard; while the caliph’s determination decided the impermissibility of such reports unless a witness and proofs on their having been said by the Holy Prophet would be presented.

Of course, such proofs could not be presented by most of the Sahabah except in a few cases such as that of Abu - Musa al - Ash`ariy, which happened by chance.

From the above, we reach the conclusion that the justifications of `Umar ibn al - Khattab for prohibiting the reporting and recordation of the Hadith have not been sufficiently convincing. We therefore have to search for other justifications, hoping that we may find a persuasive answer!

Notes

1. Mu`ammar ibn Rashid: al - Jami` 11:257; `Abd al - Razzaq: al - Musannaf 11:258 H. 484; al - Madkhal Ila’l - Sunan al - Kubra 1:407; al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy: Taqyid al - `Ilm 49 and `Abd al - Ghaniy Abd al - Khaliq: Hijjiyyat al - Sunnah 395 as quoted from al - Bayhaqiy and Ibn `Abd al - Barr.

2. Al - Muttaqiy al - Hindiy: Kanz al - `Ummal 10:292 H. 29476; Al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy: Taqyid al - `Ilm 35 and Abd al - Ghaniy Abd al - Khaliq: Hijjiyyat al - Sunnah 395.

3. `Abd al - Ghaniy `Abd al - Khaliq: Hijjiyyat al - Sunnah 395.

4. Mishna is the collection of precepts and customs which form the basis of the Talmud and is held to embody the contents of Jewish oral law. Hence, Umar likened the Holy Sunnah that had been recorded by the major Sahabah who received it directly from the mouth of the Holy Prophet to the collections of the Jewish oral laws that were neither revealed to nor said by Prophet Moses. Of course, such likening is aimed at belying and despising the Holy Sunnah that included innumerable Hadiths respecting the Ahl al - Bayt’s merits and true positions as well as the divine commissions that they must succeed the Holy Prophet and must be unconditionally obeyed by all Muslims. (See Abu - Na’im: Dala’il al - Nubuwwah 638, Sayyid Ja`far Murtada al - `Āmiliy: al - Sahih min Sirat al - Nabi al - A’dham 1:59, The Simplified Arabic Encyclopedia: 543 (Talmud), Muhammad Rida al - Jalaliy: Tadwin al - Sunnah al - Sharifah 340 and The Encyclopedia of al - Mawrid 4:199)

5. Ibn Sa`d: al - Tabaqat al - Kubra 1:140.

6. Jalal al - Din al - Suyutiy: al - Durr al - Manthur 4:332; Al - Mubarakfuriy: Tuhfat al - Ahwadhiy fi Sharh Jami` al - Tirmidhiy 8:408; al - Itqan fi `Ulum al - Qur'an 1:162 - 163.

Third Reason: Justifications Of Ibn Qutaybah And Ibn Hajar

Ibn Qutaybah1 and Ibn Hajar,2 as well as other historians,3 have attributed the reason for the prohibition of reporting and recording the Hadith to the matter that most of the Sahabah had not mastered writing.

As faced by criticism and scrutiny, this opinion has proven its inaccuracy. Further, it has been opposed by many objections and refutations, such as that of Mr. Muhammad `Ajjaj al - Khatib who says,

“Having found out that there were more than thirty clerks recording the Revelation for the Holy Prophet and many others were in charge of other clerical affairs, we cannot accede to the opinions of Ibn Qutaybah and Ibn Hajar. Also, we cannot believe in the scarcity of those who could write in that period; therefore, Ibn Hajar’s generalization is unproven.”4

In his book entitled al - Sunnah qabl al - Tadwin (The Holy Sunnah before the recordation), Mr. Muhammad `Ajjaj al - Khatib says,

“In such a deep thesis, we should not submit to the traditional reasons the authors used to use for justifying the refraining form recording the Holy Sunnah. Furthermore, we cannot accept their claim that the paucity of the records of the Holy Sunnah during the Holy Prophet’s lifetime was due to the irregularity of recording in general and the small number of those who were able to write as well as the miswriting that was common at that time.

We should not accept such false claims after we have found out that there were more than thirty clerks recording the Revelation for the Holy Prophet, and many others were in charge of the other clerical affairs.

We should not also agree to the claim of the fewness of people who could write and the miswriting in that era, because we know for certain that there were proficient writers in that period, such as Zayd ibn Thabit and `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn al - `Ās. Supposing we accept the claim of the scarcity and unavailability of the writing tools, how could Muslims record the Holy Qur’an without difficulties?

If they had had the desire to record the Hadith, they would have easily done it in the same way as some individuals had asked the Holy Prophet’s permission to record the Hadith, and he permitted them. Therefore, there must have been other reasons… etc.”5

Dr. Mustafa Al - A`dhamiy has said,

“If we accept the charge that people who lived in the time of the Holy Prophet did not master writing, how can we accept the reports telling that the Holy Qur’an was recorded in that period? We all know that the Sahabah used to record the holy verses as soon as they were revealed. What is the meaning of the Holy Prophet’s instruction, ‘Record not anything about me except the Holy Qur’an?’

Such an instruction would be unnecessary if people in that time could not write. Nevertheless, the previous report itself bears out that they used to record the Holy Qur’an as well as other things. The existence of a big number of clerks who worked for the Holy Prophet violates the aforementioned claim; and the administration of a big state, like that reigned by the Rashidite caliphs,6 required the presence of people mastering writing, arithmetic, and similar basic sciences.

As a result, it is inescapable to admit to the fact that a big number of people, including the Sahabah themselves, could read and write in that time. Furthermore, the Holy Prophet’s educational policy brought forth its initial fruits during his lifetime, and consequently, the fruits must have increased manifold afterwards. On this account, albeit that most of people in the Holy Prophet’s time could not read and write, there were many others who could read and write and could meet the clerical requirements of that time.”7

Aiming at identifying a convincing reason beyond the prohibition of recording the Hadith, Mr. al - Khatib returned to some of the traditional reasons by which he fell upon others, saying,

“The reason beyond the official prohibition of recording the Hadith during the Holy Prophet’s lifetime was not the Muslims’ having been illiterate; rather some of them could read and write and, thus, they recorded the Holy Revelations.

As a matter of fact, there were other reasons, such as the fear that the Holy Qur’an would be confused with the Hadith and that Muslims would engage themselves with the recordation of the Holy Sunnah and consequently would ignore the recording, study, and memorization of the Holy Qur’an.”8

Dr. `Abd al - Khaliq has fallen in the same mistake; refuting the words of Ibn Qutaybah, he says,

“The narration of Abu - Sa`id al - Khidriy seems to be the basic evidence on the prohibition of recording the Hadith. However, the narration confirms that the Holy Prophet permitted the recordation of the Holy Qur’an in the same time as he prohibited the recordation of the Hadith. Providing the reason beyond the prohibition was the fear of miswriting, how did he permitted recording the Holy Qur’an?”9

Mr. Ma`ruf also has his own opinion,

“As a result, it has been proven that writing was not as scarce as described by al - Buladhiriy who says, in Futuh al - Buldan, that only seventeen Qurayshite men could read and write when Islam emerged, and only eleven from the tribes of al - Aws and al - Khazraj could learn from their neighbors. Since the literate persons among people of Quraysh and people of Yathrib (later al - Madinah) were as few as the aforementioned numbers, one could hardly find a single literate person among the people of the other tribes and towns.”10

Ahmad Amin’s opinion has been previously cited.11

Dr. Subhiy al - Salih says,

“As long as the Sahabah, regarding the preservation of the Holy Sunnah, depended upon the hearts of those who had memorized it, not documents, it has been necessary to find another reason rather than the traditional ones to which everybody has referred whenever this topic is concerned.

It is impracticable to accept the claim that the reason beyond the prohibition of recording the Hadith had been the scarcity of the tools of writing during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, because such tools were not as scarce as they described.

However, they might have been one of the factors, and undoubtedly not the one and only factor, which resulted in the negligence of recording the Hadith, because such a factor had not precluded the companions of the Holy Prophet from exerting all efforts for sake of recording the Holy Qur’an entirely on rocks, leaves of date - palm trees, shoulders of animals, and other tools.

Had their psychological motives towards the recordation of the Hadith been as enthusiast and strong as the motives they had had towards the recordation of the Holy Qur’an, they would have certainly found the proper tools.

Rather, they, having followed the instructions of the Holy Prophet as well as their own desires, compiled the Hadith in a way completely different from that used in the compilation of the Holy Qur’an.”12

Sayyid al - Jalaliy, commenting on Ibn Hajar’s opinion, has said,

“It is very odd that a Hadithist, a biographer, and a historian as weighty as Ibn Hajar al - `Asqalaniy had missed such an apparent fact, claiming that the reason beyond the prohibition of recording the Hadith was that people were illiterate!

By such a phrase, it is understandable that Ibn Hajar meant all the people of that time. Taking notice of such a flaw, al - Suyutiy had to put the situation in order and thus say that most of the people in that time could not read and write!”13

From the previous quotations and comments, we realize that the generalization of illiteracy on all of the companions of the Holy Prophet has been unsound, because it is illogical to warn an illiterate against recording! The Holy Prophet’s forged prohibition from recording the Hadith is in itself a proof on the existence of those who could read and write or, more precisely, on the actual occurrence of the recording, otherwise to warn intensely against a nonexistent thing is meaningless.

Explaining the Hadith of ‘Do not write anything from my wording except the Holy Qur'an, and anyone who has written any material must erase it,’ the reviser of the book of ‘Thabt al - Baladiy’, comments,

“The words of this Hadith proves that the Hadith was written down during the lifetime of the Holy Messenger...”14

Notes

1. Abu - Muhammad Abdullah ibn Muslim ibn Qutaybah (died in AH 376): Ta’wil Mukhtalaf al - Hadith 366. For further details, see Shaykh Tahir al - Jaza’iriy: Tawjih al - Nadhar 10.

2. Ahmad ibn `Ali ibn Hajar al - `Asqalaniy (died in AH 852): Huda al - Sari4.

3. Such as al - Dhahbiy, in Siyar A`lam al - Nubala' 18:541; Tadhkirat al - Huffadh 3:1183 (Biography of Abu’l - Walid Sulayman ibn Khalaf al - Bajiy).

4. Muhammad `Ajjaj al - Khatib: Usul al - Hadith wa Ulumuhu wa Mustalahuh 146.

5. Muhammad `Ajjaj al - Khatib: al - Sunnah qabl al - Tadwin 301 - 2.

6. The Rashidite caliphs are respectively Abu - Bakr, `Umar, `Uthman and Imam `Ali who governed the ummah before the sovereignty of the Umayyad rulers.

7. Mustafa al - A`dhamiy: Dirasatun fi’l - Hadith al - Nubawiy, 73.

8. Muhammad `Ajjaj al - Khatib: al - Sunnah qabl al - Tadwin 340.

9. Abd al - Ghaniy Abd al - Khaliq: Hijjiyyat al - Sunnah 430 and 444.

10. Hashim Ma’ruf: Dirasat fi’l - Kafi wa’l - Sahih 14.

11. For more details: see Ahmad Amin: Fajr al - Islam 13 - 4.

12. Subhiy al - Salih: Ulum al - Hadith wa Mustalahuh 6.

13. Sayyid Muhammad Rida al - Jalaliy: Tadwin al - Sunnah al - Sharifah 392 - 3. Al - Suyutiy’s saying has been quoted from his book entitled Tadrib al - Rawi 1:88.

14. Thabt al - Baladiy 77.

Fourth Reason: Justifications Of Abu - Zahw And `Abd Al - Ghaniy

Mr. Abu - Zahw says,

“There was another thing that urged the Holy Prophet to prohibit them from recording the Hadith; it was the maintenance of their talents of memorization! Had they recorded the Hadith, they would have depended upon the records completely and neglected their capacities of memorization. With the elapse of time, such great capacities would certainly vanish.”1

Shaykh `Abd al - Ghaniy says,

“The Holy Prophet prohibited the recordation of the Hadith for fear that they (the Sahabah) would entirely depend upon the records and neglect the memorization, which was their nature and innate disposition and, as a result, their talents would be exposed to weakness.

Therefore, the Holy Prophet’s prohibition was dedicated to those whose memories were too strong to be affected by oblivion.”2

Before the above - mentioned text, Shaykh `Abd al - Ghaniy has said,

“Memorization and recording alternate in the protection of the Shari`ah, yet in most cases one faints when the other grows stronger. On this account, we can understand the causes that incited the Sahabah to urge their disciples to depend upon their memories and neglect their pens; they understood that writing would certainly weaken the talent of memorization, which was in their natures, and as a general rule, human soul always tends to whatever nourishes the nature and avoids whatever opposes or weakens it.”3

Dr. al - Khatib says,

“They refused that the students of Hadith would devote themselves to their records, making them the stores of their knowledge. They also did not want to violate the Sahabah in the question of the compliance with memorization and the complete dependence upon the memory, since to depend upon the records results in the weakening of the memory and the negligence of the memorization.”4

Commenting on the words of Shaykh `Abd al - Ghaniy, Sayyid al - Jalaliy says.

“Except its oratory purpose, the wording is empty of any scientific or conclusive matter. Moreover, it is far away from subjectivity since the main topic of the study is the prohibition of the recording, while the wording is only agreeable to personal desires!

How can an epidemic that affects the memory or the probability of oblivion necessitate the negligence of a major source of the Islamic law, namely the Holy Sunnah, which accordingly was left without verification, documentation, or even recording?”5

In any event, two more points must be added to the critique of this justification:

First: It might have been acceptable if the prohibition of recording the Hadith had been issued by the Holy Prophet. In fact, the false Hadiths of the prohibition were fabricated under certain political circumstances and preceding convictions of definite individuals who insisted on narrowing the reporting and recordation of the Hadith in a restricted zone. Hence, the decision of the prohibition was neither legal nor issued by the Holy Prophet, as will be detailed later on.

Second: Supposing this justification is acceptable, it does not reveal the illegality of recording the Hadith, since to dislike depending upon the records does not indicate its illegality; rather it means to desire not to do it.

Had the process of recording been illegal, some of the Sahabah would not have recorded anything of the Hadith. It has been narrated on the authority of `Ayyad, the judge, that some of the Sahabah used to record the Hadith and that they would erase after memorizing.6

Furthermore, this justification is contradictory to great extent! It is unimaginable to think that a teacher who persistently urges his pupils to learn and safeguard the items of knowledge that they would study - such a teacher will at last instruct his pupils not to record or note down the items of knowledge that they learnt! Indisputably, to record and write down the knowledge is better for preserving it than memorizing it.

An Arabic proverb says, ‘Whatever is recorded will be established, and whatever is memorized will flee.’ What is then the reason beyond the emphasis on the memorization of the Hadith, and what is the reason beyond the claim that the prohibition of recording the Hadith will protect the memory? What is the use of a memorizer’s recollection after his death? Although the angels have been more capable of memorization than man has, Almighty Allah has ordered them to record. Listen to the following holy verse:

“But verily over you (are appointed angels) to protect you; kind and honorable, writing down (your deeds).” (Holy Qur’an: 82:10 - 1)

It may be true that the talent of memory becomes stronger through training just like the sense of hearing for the blind, which is usually stronger than it for the endowed with eyesight, because the earlier use it as a substitute for the sight. The same thing can be said about the illiterate merchant whose memory is usually stronger than that of the literate for the same reason.

Albeit the previous fact is undeniable, it cannot be applied to the Sahabah whom Almighty Allah has chosen for protecting and conveying the religious laws to the next generations. If the reason beyond the prohibition of the recording was to keep the Sahabah’s brilliant memories as strong as they were, we have to find appropriate interpretation for the following narration:

Al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy, al - Bayhaqiy, in Dala’il al - Nubuwwah, and al - Qurtubiy have narrated on the authority of authenticated series of narrators that `Abdullah ibn `Umar said,

“Umar ibn al - Khattab required twelve years to memorize the Surah of al - Baqarah.7 When he did, he slaughtered a sheep on that occasion.”8

Accordingly, we have to condemn Shaykh `Abd al - Ghaniy and Mr. Abu - Zahw as well as the other scholars who have adopted the same opinion, otherwise we have to belie Ibn al - Jawziy, al - Dhahbiy, and al - Qurtubiy as well as the other narrators of the previous report.

As a result, there must have been a reason other than the preservation of the talents of memorization. Such a reason will be exposed in the coming chapters of this book.

In the preface to Taqyid al - `Ilm, Mr. Yusuf al - `Ishsh says,

“The memories of most of people are too weak to load a whole material of a science and safeguard it from waste. Naturally the capacity of memorization is different among people; as it be strong for some people, it will surely be weak for others and, consequently, it will not always help them and keep its material forever.”9

Biographers have listed the names of the Sahabah who used to confuse the narrations by interfering.

The question is thus not as accurate as conceived by some scholars.

Another point must be aroused in this regard; to accept the justifications of Shaykh `Abd al - Ghaniy and Mr. Abu - Zahw who have claimed that the Arabs enjoyed brilliant memories, we must believe that the Holy Sunnah has been dedicated to the Arabs exclusively. History has told that there were many non - Arab Sahabah who also intended to record the Holy Sunnah. Thus, how should the justifiers come back with this fact?

If it had been obligatory to memorize a thing, that thing would certainly have been the Holy Qur’an. And if the brilliant memory and the good memorization required the memorized material not be recorded, why would the memorization of the Holy Qur’an not stop against recording it, taking into consideration that many of the Sahabah did memorize the Holy Qur’an.

What is more is that the memory, which was claimed that the decision of the prohibition from reporting and recording the Hadith would maintain it, could not meet the Muslims’ need for the Holy Prophet’s traditions; therefore, Abu - Bakr ibn Abi - Quhafah, the fist caliph, stated that the Sahabah reported from the Messenger of Allah narrations about the reporting of which they had disagreed. Undoubtedly, lack of memory was one of the active reasons beyond such disagreement.

Having realized the new generation’s urgent need for the religious data and the first generation’s duty to answer, Abu - Bakr used the expression, ‘and if anyone asks you…’ in the decision of the prohibition of recording the Hadith.

In the same speech, Abu - Bakr said, ‘You are reporting about the Messenger of Allah inconsistent narrations.’ From this statement we understand that the reason beyond the inconsistency in the secondary questions was the different reports of the Sahabah,10 meaning that either some of them did forge lies against the Holy Prophet who, having predicted this question, said,

‘After my departure, forging lies against me will increase’;11

or others were exposed to oblivion, inattention, or mistake and as a result, inconsistency in the narration occurred; or the narratives were too contradictory for the well - versed in the religious laws to educe a conclusion.

Imam `Ali ibn Abi - Talib has had a nice explanation regarding the inconsistency in the reports from the Holy Prophet. Later on in this book, this explanation will be cited.

As a conclusion, in order to learn with certainty about a Hadith, one must take precautions in the adoption of a narration; but if the authenticity of a Hadith is doubted, verification must be made so as to discriminate between the forged and the sound.12

But, under any circumstances, it is unacceptable to issue orders of erasing and setting fire to the recorded Hadiths because of a mere, refutable probability. Such being the case, the orders would certainly cause waste and abuse, not precaution and accuracy.

In this connection, it is important to cite that there are many issues confirming the invalidity of the memorizer’s wording, such as the narrations telling the Sahabah’s reporting and accepting narrations and the narrations telling the anticipation of Sa`d ibn Abi - Waqqas and `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud, as well as others, from reporting the Hadith... etc.13

Notes

1. Muhammad Muhammad Abu - Zahw: al - Hadith wa’l - Muhaddithun 123.

2. `Abd al - Ghaniy Abd al - Khaliq: Hijjiyyat al - Sunnah 428. See also al - Suyutiy: Tadrib al - Rawi 150.

3. `Abd al - Ghaniy `Abd al - Khaliq: Hijjiyyat al - Sunnah 405.

4. Muhammad `Ajjaj al - Khatib: al - Sunnah qabl al - Tadwin 333. This opinion has been beforehand said by the following scholars: Al - Sam`aniy in ‘Adab al - Imla’ wa’l - Istimla'' 146, al - Qadi `Ayyad in ‘al - Ilma`’ 149, Ibn al - Athir in ‘Jami` al - Usul’ 1:40, Ibn al - Salah in ‘al - Muqaddimah’ 301 and ‘`Ulum al - Hadith’ 192 and others.

5. Sayyid Muhammad Rida al - Jalaliy: Tadwin al - Sunnah al - Sharifah 370.

6. `Āsim ibn Damarah (as recorded in al - Ramhurmuziy: al - Muhaddith al - Fasil), Khalid al - Hadhdha’ (as recorded in al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy: Taqyid al - `Ilm) and Ubaydah (as recorded in Ibn `Abd al - Barr al - Qurtubiy: Jami` Bayan al - `Ilm wa Fadlih) were among the Sahabah who recorded the Hadith.

7. Chapter 2 (The Cow) of the Holy Qur’an.

8. Ibn Abi’l - Hadid: Sharh Nahj al - Balaghah 12:66, Jalal al - Din al - Suyutiy: al - Durr al - Manthur 1:21, Ibn al - Jawziy: Sirat `Umar 165, al - Qurtubiy: al - Tafsir 1:40 and al - Dhahbiy: Tarikh al - Islam 267.

9. Al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy: Taqyid al - `Ilm 8: Preface by Mr. Yusuf al - `Ishsh.

10. For more details and a clearer explanation of the idea, refer to the author’s book ‘Tarikh al - Hadith al - Nubawiy; al - Mu’aththirat fi `Ahd Abi - Bakr (History of the Hadith; Motives in the Reign of Abu - Bakr)’ 111 - 124.

11. Al - Muhaqqiq al - Hilliy: al - Mu`tabar 1:29. In Sahih al - Bukhariy 1:52 H. 16, it is narrated on the authority of `Ali ibn Abi - Talib that the Holy Prophet’s said, “Do not forge lies against me; for anyone who forges lies against me shall be led to Hellfire.”

12. According to the previously cited narration of Rafi` ibn Khudayj, the Holy Prophet ordered to discriminate between the forged and the sound.

13. Mahmud Abu - Rayyah: Adwa’un `Ala’l - Sunnah al - Muhammadiyyah 55 - 58. These narrations can be read in Sunan Ibn Majah 1:11 H. 25, Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 4:370 H. 19323, 19324...

Fifth Reason: Justifications Of Al - Khatib Al - Baghdadiy And Ibn `Abd Al - Barr

Al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy says,

“The following question may be cited: Why did `Umar reproach and prevent the Sahabah from reporting to the Holy Prophet as intensely as he could?

To answer, he did that so as to sustain the religion and choose the best for Muslims; he anticipated that they would pass over the acts of obedience to Almighty Allah and depend upon the outward significances of the narrations.

Not all the narrations can be understood through their seeming significances and not are their actual meanings feasible for everybody; it happens that a Hadith is reported in its general sense, while to understand it requires proficient deduction and interpretation.

On this account, `Umar anticipated that Hadiths would be misunderstood as their outer significations would be adopted. Furthermore, `Umar’s preventing the Sahabah from reporting has safeguarded the Hadith and warned the others from forgery against the Holy Sunnah.”1

Having quoted the aforementioned essay, Dr. Muhammad 'Ajjaj al - Khatib says,

“In addition to al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy, this opinion has been adopted by Ibn `Abd al - Barr and many other master scholars. I myself, too, adopt the same opinion.”2

Many questions can be aroused against the aforementioned opinion:

Did `Umar ibn al - Khattab care for the religion more than the Holy Prophet?

What was the meaning of such care for the religion while the Holy Prophet answered him who asked his permission to record the Hadith, ‘Feel free to report,’ and ‘Feel free to record?’

Why did the grand Sahabah, such as Abu - Dharr al - Ghifariy about whom the Holy Prophet said, ‘Neither the blue sky nor has the dingy earth ever shaded or carried a speaking creature that is more honest than Abu - Dharr,’3 Ibn Mas`ud and many others - did they not care for the religion in the same degree as `Umar did?

All the incidents of `Umar ibn al - Khattab’s prohibiting the reporting and recordation of the Hadith as well as his arresting of some of the Sahabah, such as Abu - Dharr, Ibn Mas`ud, Abu - Mas`ud and others - all these incidents proves obviously the forgery of the narrations about the Holy Prophet’s having prohibited the reporting and recordation of the Hadith that were ascribed to those Sahabah.

It is illogic that the same Sahabah whom `Umar ibn al - Khattab, as proven by authenticated reports, put under house arrest in al - Madinah because they did not stop reporting to the Holy Prophet, had reported from the Holy Prophet that he prohibited the reporting and recordation of the Hadith.

Had they really heard the Holy Prophet prohibiting the reporting and recording, they would certainly have never reported a single word from him! Likewise, had they reported the decision of the prohibition, `Umar would not have had to gather them to warn against reporting the Hadith.

Moreover, by this justification, `Umar actually poured scorn on the Sahabah and belied Ibn Hajar’s claim that all of them are, divinely, saved from forgery, error, inattention, suspicious, and arrogance!

If the Sahabah recorded the Hadith little by little and out of their own desires, how would it be permissible for `Umar to violate their deeds? If not, how would it be permissible for him to bring to him all their records? This is sufficient evidence on the permissibility to record the Hadith during the Holy Prophet’s lifetime.

How can one imagine that the Holy Prophet did prohibit people from reporting and recording his sayings that comprise clear messages for mankind whereas he had said,

‘May Allah have mercy upon anyone who listens to my saying, understands it, and then conveys it to others.’4

The strangest matter in this regard is the claim that the prohibition of reporting and recording the Hadith is considered maintenance for the religion, while the objection to the decision of the prohibition is in fact the actual maintenance of the religion, because the prohibition causes the loss of many religious rulings as well as the waste of Almighty Allah’s judgments, while the reporting and recordation of the Hadith, although making the Hadith exposed to errors and other discommended things, will surely yield advantageous results for Muslims who, without the Hadith, will plunge in ignorance and lack understanding of the religious laws.

Even if we condescendingly accept that `Umar’s care for the religion incited him to prohibit recording the Sunnah, we will be faced by the problem of `Umar’s repetitive precipitancy in assuming inaccurate situations throughout his life whether before or after Islam.5

Such precipitancy does not comport with his apprehension that ‘they - the Muslims - would pass over the acts of obedience to Almighty Allah and depend upon the outward significances of the narrations,’ in the words of al - Khatib, because `Umar ibn al - Khattab was known of impetuosity and recklessness; therefore, he used to rash in many situations and then feel sorry.

On many occasions, he felt sorry for previous actions, such as the issue of al - Hudaybiyah Truce,6 and that when the Holy Prophet offered prayer for (the dead body of) a hypocrite,7 and that of the prisoners of the Battle of Badr.

For instance, the Holy Prophet, once, was urging al - Hakam ibn Kaysan, who had been presented before him as prisoner, to embrace Islam; but when that took a long time, `Umar intruded saying, ‘O Allah’s Messenger: what for are you talking to this man? He will never become Muslim! I swear it by Allah! Let me behead him so that he will go straightly to Hell!’ Being indifference to `Umar’s statements, the Holy Prophet kept up urging al - Hakam until he embraced Islam.

Commenting on the incident, `Umar said,

“As I saw al - Hakam embrace Islam and become a pious Muslim, I felt sorry for what I had said. I then said to myself, ‘How could I drive myself in a matter about which the Holy Prophet is more knowledgeable than I am! However, I only wanted to provide an advice for sake of Allah and His messenger!

Al - Hakam acted as a pious Muslim and fought for the sake of Allah until he was martyred in the battle of Bi’r Ma’unah; hence, he was honored by the satisfaction of the Holy Prophet and, naturally, Paradise will be his abode.”8

Even during the reign of Abu - Bakr, `Umar had similar injudicious situations; once, a group of the inclined for Islam (al - Mu’allafah Qulubuhum)9 came to and showed him a document in which Abu - Bakr had ordered for them to receive their shares from the alms, but `Umar refused, tore that paper into pieces, spit on it, and threw it at their faces. Having become furious, they returned to Abu - Bakr and asked, ‘Which one of you is the caliph (ruler)? Is it he or you?’ Abu - Bakr answered, ‘He is, if he wants!’10

During his reign, `Umar’s injudicious decisions increased; he once exiled Nasr ibn Hajjaj because his wife raised her voice in his face,11 legalized a divorce that was said three times on the same occasion,12 and decided to strip the gold of the Holy Masjid, but the Sahabah rejected,13 … etc.

From the previous, we conclude that `Umar ibn al - Khattab’s conduct does not support the claim that he had prohibited the reporting and recordation of the Hadith for his care for the religion, since rashness and baseless decision are completely the opposite of precaution and concentration.

Another question must also be cited: What about the other Sahabah who objected to the decision of the prohibition and did report and record the Hadith? Did they not care for the religion? Or did they understand that the carefulness for the religion lied in the opposition of `Umar’s viewpoints? How is it acceptable to claim that `Umar cared for the religion and, thus, issued the decision of the prohibition, while the Sahabah advised him to record the Holy Sunnah?

Neglecting the Sahabah’s opinions, `Umar followed his own view, set fire to the records of the Holy Sunnah, and prohibited the reporting and recordation of the Hadith. As a result, `Umar’s violation of the congruity of the Sahabah has become care for the religion!

The actual care for the religion is to accept and implement the Sahabah’s advice because Almighty Allah has said,

‘…And their rule is to take counsel among themselves, (Holy Qur’an: 42:38)’

and `Umar himself believed in the principal of Shura (taking counsel); therefore, the violation of the Sahabah’s advice is the actual breach of the carefulness for the religion and infringement of the principle of Shura that was strongly adopted by `Umar ibn al - Khattab himself.

From the previous discussions, we can obviously see the weakness of the justifications of al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy and Ibn `Abd al - Barr whose opinions collapsed in the presence of logical critiques. Let us now refer to another justification, hoping we will find a solution for our problem.

Notes

1. Al - Khatib al - Baghdadiy: Sharaf Ashab al - Hadith 97 - 8.

2. Muhammad `Ajjaj al - Khatib: al - Sunnah qabl al - Tadwin 106.

3. Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 2:163 H. 6519; Sunan Ibn Majah 1:55 H. 156; Sunan al - Tirmidhiy 5:669 H. 3801; al - Āhad wa’l - Mathani 2:231 H. 986; al - Bukhariy: al - Kuna 1:23 H. 181. In brief, this famous Hadith shows that Abu - Dharr has never been untruthful.

4. Sunan al - Tirmidhiy 5:34 H. 2658; al - Musnad al - Mustakhraj `Ala Sahih Muslim 1:41 H. 12; Sunan Ibn Majah 1:84 H. 230, 1:85 H. 231, 1:86 H. 236; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 4:80 H. 16784, 4:82 H. 16800.

5. Ahmad ibn Habib al - Baghdadiy: al - Munammaq fi Akhbar Quraysh 130.

6. Sahih al - Bukhariy 2:978 H. 2581, 3:1162 H. 3011, 4:1832, 1785.

7. Ibn Shabbah: Tarikh al - Madinah al - Munawwarah 1:372. on the authority of al - Shi`biy, it has been narrated that `Umar ibn al - Khattab said, “In Islami, I have made an unprecedented flaw...” This ‘flaw’ was that when the Holy Prophet offered the ritual Dead Prayer for `Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the hypocrite, but `Umar objected to him and pulled him from the dress in order to prevent him from offering that prayer. See al - Suyutiy: al - Durr al - Manthur 3:264; al - Muttaqiy al - Hindiy: Kanz al - `Ummal 2:419 H. 4393.

8. Ibn Sa`d: al - Tabaqat al - Kubra 4:137: Biography of al - Hakam ibn Kaysan; al - Khasa'is al - Kubra 2:26; Ibn al - Jawziy: al - Muntadham 3:209.

9. The inclined for Islam are those whose hearts are made to incline to truth by giving them a share in the almsgiving. Their share is determined by Almighty Allah Who says: “Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials (appointed) over them, and those whose hearts are made to incline (to truth) and the (ransoming of) captives and those in debts and in the way of Allah and the wayfarer; an ordinance from Allah; and Allah is knowing, Wise. 9:60”

10. Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Fada'il al - Sahabah 1:292; Muhammad Rashid Rida: Tafsir al - Manar 10:496; Al - Kila`iy al - Andalusiy: Al - Iktifa’ Bima Tadammanahu min Maghazi Rasul Allah wa’l - Thalathah al - Khulafa' 3:90; al - Muttaqiy al - Hindiy: Kanz al - `Ummal 3:914 H. 9151, 12:546 H. 35738; Ibn `Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq 9:196 H. 797.

11. Ibn Sa`d: al - Tabaqat al - Kubra 3:285; Ibn `Abd al - Barr: al - Isti`ab 1:326; Ibn Hajar al - `Asqalaniy: al - Isabah fi Tamyiz al - Sahabah 6:485; al - Sarakhsiy: al - Mabsut 9:45.

12. Sahih Muslim 2:1099 H. 1472; al - Hakim al - Nisapuriy: al - Mustadrak `Ala’l - Sahihayn 2:214 H. 2792 - 2793; al - Musnad al - Mustakhraj `Ala Sahih Muslim 4:153 H. 2472 - 2474; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 1:314 H. 2877; Sunan al - Bayhaqiy al - Kubra 7:336 H. 14749, 14750, 14751.

13. Ibn Hazm: al - Ihkam fi Usul al - Ahkam 2:152, 6:249; Ibn Hajar al - `Asqalaniy: Fath al - Bari fi Sharh Sahih al - Bukhariy 3:456 - 457; Sunan Abi - Dawud 2:215 H. 2031; Sunan Ibn Majah 2:1040 H. 3116; Sunan al - Bayhaqiy al - Kubra 5:159 H. 9511.

Sixth Reason: Justifications Of Some Orientalists

Springer, a German Orientalist, says,

“Not only did `Umar al - Faruq aim at educating the Bedouin Arabs, but also he wished to save their courage and strong religious belief so that they would be the rulers of the world. Writing and expansion of knowledge were not compatible with this aim.”1

Springer’s previous text reveals that the author intended to take advantage of `Umar’s decision of the prohibition of recording the Hadith so as to expose that the spread of Islam depended upon an illiterate power, and that neither writing nor was the expansion of knowledge compatible, in `Umar’s conception, with the Bedouin courage and `Umar’s combative spirituality. If truth be told, Orientalists, all the time, used to disperse false and unproven claims and delusions in their essays, such as the aforementioned one.

Another Orientalist, namely, G. Schacht, has claimed the nonexistence of even a single authenticated Hadith about the Islamic jurisprudence since all of the available ones were invented after the demise of the Holy Prophet for pure religious interests!2

Moreover, Goldtzeher exceeds the limits when he claims that all the narrations regarding the recordings were invented and that all the compilations of Hadith that belong to the first age of Islam were fabricated.3

However, he has issued many such baseless opinions. Muslim authors, too, have adopted such opinions. Isma’il ibn Ad - ham, in his thesis published in AH 1353, claims that all the authenticated Hadiths do not rely upon firm fundamentals and principles; rather they are doubtful and clearly shown as invented.4

For more details about the unsubstantiated opinions of the Orientalists and their answers, we refer the gentle reader to Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Al - A`dhamiy’s book entitled Dirasatun fi’l - Hadith al - Nubawiy (Studies about the Holy Hadith) and Muhammad Abu - Zahw’s book of al - Hadith wa’l - Muhaddithun (The Hadith and Hadithists), as well as many other books comprising refutations of these sayings and fabrications, where this topic is discussed thoroughly. In this place, we see that to shun such unfounded vanities is the best thing to select.

Notes

1. Sayyid Muhammad Rida al - Jalaliy: Tadwin al - Sunnah al - Sharifah 530 as quoted from Imtiyaz Ahmad: Dala'il al - Tawthiq al - Mubakkir Li’l - Sunnah wa’l - Hadith (Significances of the Early Documentation) 230 - 231.

2. Mustafa al - A`dhamiy: Dirasatun fi’l - Hadith al - Nubawiy wa - Tarikhih and G. Schacht: The Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence.

3. In 1890, one of his studies entitled ‘Muhammadanische Studiee’ was published.

4. Mustafa al - A`dhamiy: Dirasatun fi’l - Hadith al - Nubawiy, 27 as quoted from Dr. Mustafa al - Siba`iy: al - Sunnah wa Makanatuha fi’l - Tashriy. Mahmud Abu - Rayyah has recorded that Muhammad Abduh, Dr. Tawfiq Sidqiy, Rashid Rida and many others believe that the Holy Qur’an alone must be followed and the Holy Sunnah must thus be thrown away. (See Mustafa al - A`dhamiy: Dirasatun fi’l - Hadith al - Nubawiy, 26.)