Why is it that Abu Bakr and Ali has to their credit just around 100 hadiths and Abu Hureria who was with the prophet for just around 2 years have narrated approximately 4000 hadiths.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
This
question is regarding the narrators of the Hadiths. Its well known that Abu
Bakr and Ali were with the prophet for almost 23 years after the first
revelation. Why is it that Abu Bakr and Ali has to their credit just around 100
hadiths and Abu Hureria who was with the prophet for just around 2 years have narrated
approximately 4000 hadiths. Does any narration of the sahih hadiths like
Bukhari and Muslim contradict the quran? I have heard and read that quite a few
of the sahih hadith do directly contradict the quran. Is it true? Why we cannot
just rely on the Quran as a source of quidance. Allah has said in the quran
that it is a complete book and that he has not left out anything from it and if
he wanted he could have given a lengthy quran so much so that even if the whole
of the ocean were to be used as a ink, the ocean would dry up but the words of
the lord will never.
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Answer:
Why some hadith
contradict
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Your Question: Why
is it that Abu Bakr and Ali has to their credit just around 100 hadiths and Abu
Hureria who was with the prophet for just around 2 years have narrated
approximately 4000 hadiths.
Dear and beloved brother, it is indeed true and accurate
that companions of the stature and rank of Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) and Hadrat
Ali (r.a.), amongst others, were with the Prophet (saws) since the very
inception of his appointment to the office of Prophethood. In comparison to the number of hadiths
related by the latter companions like Hadrat Abu Hurayrah (r.a.), Hadrat Aisha
(r.a.), Hadrat Anas ibn Maalik (r.a.), or Hadrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (r.a.), their
number is very small indeed.
If one searches for the wisdom behind this fact, one would
realize that the basic teachings of the first thirteen years which Prophet
(saws) spent in Makkah were centered on three topics:
All the above three topics were so central to belief, that
the Lord Most High Himself widely and sufficiently dealt with these three
topics in His Glorious Quran. Also bear
in mind that the Shariah or rites and rituals of worship in Islam, the commands
of obligatory fasting, and zakat, and Hajj, or the laws regarding marriage, and
divorce, or the haraam and the halaal, or the laws concerning wars, or
distribution of war-booty, or inheritance, etc…..the absolute majority of these
Shariah or Laws were revealed in Madinah.
In the Makki period, the Prophet (saws) and his companions
were busy fielding themselves and their deen from the untold atrocities and
tyrannies of the Quraish….and it is only when the nation of Islam was
established in Madinah securely, that the Shariah was revealed and subsequently
implemented, practiced and its nuances and fineries taught by the Messenger of
Allah (saws) to the believers.
In the later Madani period, a number of extremely poor
companions, having absolutely no place to live or go, almost permanently camped
themselves and stayed in the Prophet’s Mosque….and these companions were
recognized as the ‘Ashaab-us-Sufah’, and Hadrat Abu Hurayrah (r.a.) was one
amongst them. These poor homeless
companions stayed day and night in the Prophet’s Mosque and were perpetually in
the company of the Prophet (saws), except when the Prophet (saws) would retire
for the night to his wives. They were
witness to the Shariah being implemented and its nuances explained when the
cases were brought to the Prophet (saws) for judgment, or in their search for
knowledge, they would ask several questions to the Prophet (saws) who would
reply them.
Thus in effect, although the early companions had spent
more years with the Prophet (saws), these companions of the ‘Ashaab-us-Sufa’ probably
had more opportunity to witness the implementation of the Shariah Laws because
of their proximity to the Prophet (saws).
Even after the death of the Prophet (saws), the earliest
companions like Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.), Hadrat Umar (r.a.), Hadrat Uthmaan
(r.a.), Hadrat Ali (r.a.), etc. were kept extremely busy with the
administration, governance, foreign policy, wars, etc. of the newly established
and fast growing Islamic Empire.
But companions of the like of Hadrat Abu Hurayrah (r.a.),
Hadrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (r.a.), and others took a more scholarly approach,
and devoted their time and energy towards the teaching and documenting of the
aspects of the deen; and that is probably why the hadiths related by them are
quoted more often than those by the earlier companions. And Allah Alone Knows Best.
Your Question: Does
any narration of the sahih hadiths like Bukhari and Muslim contradict the
quran? I have heard and read that quite a few of the sahih hadith do directly
contradict the quran. Is it true?
The determination of whether a hadith quoted from the
Noble Prophet (saws) is indeed authentic or not goes through a severe
authentication process regarding its subject matter, the trustworthiness of the
narrators and the sub-narrators, the comparison of the quoted hadith to the
other established hadiths, etc.
One of the absolutely key ‘usools’ or principles used by
the hadith scholars in terming a hadith quoted by someone and attributed to the
Prophet (saws) as authentic is that nothing quoted, done, or endorsed by the
Prophet (saws) can be contradictory to the clear guidance of the Glorious
Quran….for it is absolutely inconceivable that anything the Prophet (saws) did
or said can ever be against the guidance of the Quran.
Thus if there is any hadith attributed to the Prophet
(saws) and is found to be contradictory to the guidance of the Quran, that
hadith will immediately be rejected.
For example if ever there was a hadith quoted which states
that the Revelation of the Glorious Quran started in a month other than
Ramadan, or that Allah Subhanah created a human being prior to Hadrat Adam
(a.s.)….when Allah has clearly made known otherwise in His Glorious Book…the
attribution of these hadiths to the Messenger of Allah (saws) will immediately be
rejected!
Your Question: Why
we cannot just rely on the Quran as a source of quidance. Allah has said in the
quran that it is a complete book and that he has not left out anything from it
Dear and beloved brother in Islam, the Glorious Book of
Guidance in Islam is and will always remain the Holy Quran, and without an iota
of a doubt it is indeed a complete book and the Lord Most High has not left out
anything from His Book regarding the subject issue of guidance.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 185:
Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent
down: this Book is a Perfect Guidance for mankind and consists of clear
Teachings which show the Right Way, and are a Criterion of the Truth and
falsehood.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah
Nahl verse 89:
We have sent down to you this Book, which makes
everything plain, and is a
guidance, blessing and good news to
those who have surrendered themselves entirely.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Ha
Mim As Sajdaah verse 2-4:
This is a Revelation from the
All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful
Allah. A Book whose verses are
well-expounded, an Arabic Quran for the
people who want to understand, and a giver of good news and a warner.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah
Kahf verse 1-3:
All praise is for Allah Alone, Who has sent down this Book to His Servant
(Mohamed (saws), and assigned nothing
crooked to it. This Book says
everything directly, so that he may
warn the people of the severe chastisement of Allah and give good news to the
believers, who do righteous deeds, that they will have an excellent reward.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 99:
We have sent down to you Revelations that
clearly expound the Truth, and none but
the disobedient reject them.
Had the All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord Willed and Pleased and
considered it appropriate, He could have sent His Book down written on paper
and thrust it into the hand of every human being! But the Truth is those who had no intention to be guided would
have still rejected the Truth from Allah Subhanah!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah
Anaam verse 7:
(O Prophet) even if We had sent down to you a
Book written on paper, and even if they
had touched it with their own hands, the disbelievers would have said, “This is nothing but manifest
sorcery!”.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah
Anaam verse 157-158:
Now that a clear proof, a Guidance and Blessing, has come to you
from your Lord, who can be more unjust
than the one who treats Our Revelations as false and turns away from them? We will inflict the severest torment on
those who turn away from Our Revelations because of their aversion. Do the people now await that the angels
should come down before them? Or that
your Lord may Himself come down? Or
that the manifest Signs of your Lord should appear?
Beloved brother, it is the established Sunnah of Allah
Subhanah that He never ever sends His Books of Guidance alone to mankind….but
in His Supreme and Infinite Mercy and Grace towards mankind, The All-Knowing,
All-Wise Lord always appoints a Prophet amongst mankind, so that not only is
His Book recited and taught to mankind in the best manner, but every guidance
and command be exactly and practically implemented as an example in the life of
His appointed and trusted Prophets.
To believe and obey and follow His appointed Prophets
unconditionally is an integral command of the very Book which Allah reveals to
mankind….so much so that Allah Says in His Glorious Book that thus those who
obey, follow and believe in His appointed Prophets, in fact, obey Allah; and
those who refuse to obey and follow His appointed Prophets, in truth deny
Allah!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah
Shuaraa verses 105-108:
105 The people of Noah rejected the Messengers.
106 Behold their brother Noah
said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
107 I am to you a Messenger, worthy of all
trust:
108 So fear Allah and obey me.”
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah
Shuaraa verses 123-126:
123 The `Ad (people) rejected the Messengers.
124 Behold their brother Hud
said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?
125 I am to you a Messenger, worthy of all
trust.
126 So fear Allah and obey me.”
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah
Shuaraa verses 176-179:
176 The Companions of the Wood rejected the Messengers.
177 Behold Shuaib said to them:
"Will ye not fear (Allah)?
178 I am to you a Messenger, worthy of all
trust.
179 So fear Allah and obey me.”
43 Surah Zukhruf verses 63-64:
63 When Jesus came with Clear Signs he said: "Now
have I come to you with Wisdom and in order to make clear to you some of the
(points) on which ye dispute: therefore fear Allah and obey me.
64 Fear Allah; He is my Lord and your Lord: so worship ye Him: this is
a Straight Way."
In the same line of succession, at the time Decreed by the
Lord Most High, He sent His Last and Final Message upon His Last and Final
Messenger, Mohammed ar-Rasool Allah (saws).
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 79-80:
We have sent you (O Mohamed) as a Messenger to
mankind, and Allah’s witness suffices
for this. Whoever obeys the
Messenger, in fact obeys Allah,
and whoever turns away from him, he will be accountable for his
deeds. Anyhow, we have not sent you (O
Mohamed) to be a guardian over them.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale
Imran verse 31-32:
O Prophet,
tell the people, “If you sincerely love Allah, follow me. Then Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for He is All Forgiving, All Merciful.” Also say to them, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” And if, in spite of this, they do
not accept your invitation, warn them
that Allah does not love those, who
refuse to obey Him and His Messenger.
Dear and beloved brother, it is indeed unfortunate that
instead of being thankful and grateful for the infinite Mercy of the Lord in
His appointing a Messenger amongst mankind to explain and implement His
Commands and Guidance…some amongst mankind have objections and reservations in obeying
and following the guidance of the appointed Prophet of Allah Subhanah!!!
Allah
says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 157:
(So, now mercy has been assigned to those alone)
who follow this Messenger (Mohamed (saws)),
the Gentile Prophet, whose
mention they shall find in the Torah and the Gospel with them. He enjoins them to do good and forbids them
from evil; he makes pure things lawful
for them and impure things unlawful; he
relieves them of their burdens and frees them from the shackles (of rites and
rituals) that bound them. For
this reason, those alone who believe in him, support him, succour him, and follow the Light that has been sent down
with him shall attain true ‘success’.
Allah is our witness brother, to accept the guidance of
the Glorious Quran and to reject the guidance of the established teachings of
the Prophet Mohamed (saws) is nothing but absolute, total, complete and
manifest misguidance and tantamount to disbelief in the Sight of Allah
Subhanah.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other
than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led
astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
