The scholars from past continued to praise the people of hadith. Imam Ash-Shafee said: “if I see a person among the people of hadith, as if I saw a companion of the Prophet –peace be upon him”. Shafee said this because this person resembles the companion of the Prophet in the job of conveying the hadith. Also Ash-Shafee said: “The people of Hadith did preserved, so they owe from us gratitude for their perseverance”.
Praise and Introduction
Praise be to Allah who created the Heaven and Earth, and made Darkness and Light, but still the infidels prefer other alternatives. He who know all that happened in the past, and what is happening now, and what would happen in future. He who when wants something says “Be” and it becomes. He who creates whatever He wants, and then chooses among the creation, other have no choice of preference. Exalted be the Lord and above be He of all the shirk which the Mushreken (polytheists) make. He is Allah, and He has no associates, and He alone deserves all praise now and later, He possesses the judgment and all will return to Him. Various categories of evidence point to His Godhood. The perfectness of His creatures reveals His vast knowledge.The diversity of His creatures reveals His vast power. The diversity of affairs shows the wisdom in His style of action. His mercy on His slaves produced uncountable bounties which only the Lord of Heavens can enumerate. His wisdom teaches us to praise His in all situations. The slaves can never tribute due praise to Him, rather He is as He praised Himself with His names and qualities. He enjoys the attributes of perfection which no one else enjoys. He is the Quddus and Salam who stays above from resembling others in perfection, or attaching any sort of shortcoming. Be He exalted and Be He above what the wrong doers say by great sublimity. He who created the Heaven and Earth and took no child nor any associates in His Kingdom, and created everything and assigned defined measure for everything. He sent messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allâh after the (coming of) Messengers. And Allâh is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise. Bearing good news of whatever a soul desires for the followers, and warning those who disobey of curse, deprivation and great torment. They were commanded to invite the creation to worship Him alone, with sincerity, even if the polytheists dislike that. As Allah said:يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ (51) وَإِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاتَّقُونِ (52)O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Taiyibât (all kinds of Halâl (lawful) foods (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits, etc.), and do righteous deeds. Verily! I am Well-Acquainted with what you do. And verily! This, your religion (of Islâmic Monotheism), is one religion, and I am your Lord, so keep your duty to Me. [al-Mumenoun: 51,52]And made for every messenger a way and a shariah (governing rules), so their followers might take a straight path and seek no deviation. And He ended the caravan of messengers through Muhammad –peace be upon him- the best among the past and the future, and the chosen among the creature, the bearer of glad tides, the Warner, the witness, the bright light. He through him taken the mankind out of darkness towards light, and through him He guided them to the path that leads to the Most praiseworthy and honourable. That it Allah who posses all that is in the Heaven and the Earth, and woe to the infidels for the waiting punishment they would face. He sent him (Muhammad) with the best of guidance and shariah, and by him all plots of infidels were ruined. He was revealed the best among divine books which presided over previous divine books. And He made his Ummah (nation, followrs) the best ummah ever emerged for mankind, they enjoy good and prevent wrong, and they are firm believer on Allah, they are equivalent to seventy nations among them they are the best. He (Muhammad) is witness over them, and they (his ummah) are witness over the rest of the mankind in this world and the hereafter. It is so because of His countless overt and covert bounties. He protected them from making consolidated wrong decision, because there will come no prophet after them to correct the decision. He completed the religion for them, and completed His blessings on them, and satisfied that Islam would be their religion. He made this Islam govern over religions through victory and sovereignty, and through argument and reasoning. He made among them many scholars who are heir of prophets, and acting their job in preaching the revealed Book. Also among them in the victorious group who would remain on truth and would never get affected by those who oppose them or neglect them till the day of reckoning. Also, He preserved for them the Book, as Allah said:إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ (9)Verily We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'ân) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption). [al-Hijr: 9]So, no corruption would creep into this Book as it happened to Torah or Gospel. And He characterized them by the art of narration and chain convey of hadith which would enable brilliant scholars to distinguish the true from false. He made this knowledge to be propagated from one generation to other through just scholars, who would take out the alteration of the extremists, and the addition of the wrong-doers, and the interpretation of the ignorant, so the blessings of Allah would continue, and the light will be known from darkness, and through them the religion of Allah would be made alive, so the best among the creation are those who are the best followers of this noble Prophet, as Allah said:لَقَدْ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ (128)Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allâh, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire); for the believers (he peace be upon him is) full of pity, kind, and merciful. [at-Tawbah: 128]And I bear witness that the is no true God except Allah with no association, the Lord of the Universe, and God of the Messengers, and the King of the Day of Reckoning. And I bear witness that Prophet Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, He sent him to the entire mankind at a time when they were submerged in deviation and ignorance. So, this Prophet continued to preach the religion and exercise effort to guide the mankind and struggle against the infidels and hypocrites. He continued to do so, till the sun of faith has risen, and the night of falsehood retreated, and the army of the Most Merciful was victorious, and the army of Satan defeated, and the light of Furqan manifested, and the recitation of Quran became popular, and the voice of Adhan declared, and the dwellers of valleys and countries were enlightened with the light of Allah. And the argument of Allah reached the ear of mankind and Jinn, when the preacher among the son of Ma’d ibn Adnan –peace be upon him- stood with his duty. Blessings of Allah be on him and his righteous followers.
Being Obedient to Allah and Messenger
Slaves of Allah would never reach happiness, and will not gain salvation on the day of judgment except through following the Prophet, as Allah said: وَمَن يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ (13)وَمَن يَعْصِ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ (14)and whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) will be admitted to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), to abide therein, and that will be the great success. And whosoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment. [an-Nisa’: 13,14]So, obedience to Allah and Messenger is the ingredient of happiness, and the source of salvation. Allah has created the creation to worship Him, as Allah said:وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (56)And I created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me . [ad-Dhariyat: 56], this worship is through obedience to Him and His messenger. Thus, no true worship except if it was an obligation or recommended, and outside that are deviation.
On the Danger of Innovation in the Matter of Religion
This is why the Prophet –peace be upon him- said: “ Those who perform any act of worship not sanctioned by us is rejected” [Bukhari & Muslim], And also in the Hadith of Erbadh ibn Sariah which is in books of Sunan and Tirmidhi branded it as authentic: “Those who would live after me would observe so many disputes (in matters of religion), so adhere to my way (Sunnah) and the way stipulated by the rightly guided (four) Caliphs, cling to them and hold fast biting to them with molar teeth, and never go for innovation (in the matter of religion), because every innovation will lead to astray”. Also in the authentic hadith by Muslim, the Prophet used to say in the opening of his sermons: “The best words are the words of Allah, and the best way to life is the one of Muhammad, and the worst of matters are those which are innovated, and every innovation (Bidah) is astray”.
Being Obedient to Messenger in Quran
Indeed, Allah has mentioned the obedience to Messenger and following him in around forty places in Quran. Like for example,مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَHe who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) has indeed obeyed Allâh, [an-Nisa:80]وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا (64)فَلاَ وَرَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىَ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَجِدُواْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيمًا (65)We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allâh's Leave. If they (hypocrites), when they had been unjust to themselves, had come to you (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) and begged Allâh's Forgiveness, and the Messenger had begged forgiveness for them: indeed, they would have found Allâh All-Forgiving (One Who accepts repentance), Most Merciful. But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission. [an-Nisa: 64,65]قُلْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ (32)Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) "Obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him))" But if they turn away, then Allâh does not like the disbelievers. [aal-Imran: 32]قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (31)Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him) to mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [aal-Imran:31]So, Allah tied the Love of Allah by His slaves with the obedience to Prophet, and He made the obedience to Prophet a cause of Allah’s Love towards His slaves. Allah has said:وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَكِن جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ نَّشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِنَاAnd thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) Ruh (a Revelation, and a Mercy) of Our Command. You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made it (this Qur'ân) a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will. [ash-Shuraa:52]So, whatever Allah reveals to His Messenger are the source of guidance, as this revelation was the source of guidance to the Messenger himself, as Allah said:قُلْ إِن ضَلَلْتُ فَإِنَّمَا أَضِلُّ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَإِنِ اهْتَدَيْتُ فَبِمَا يُوحِي إِلَيَّ رَبِّيSay: "If (even) I go astray, I shall stray only to my own loss. But if I remain guided, it is because of the Revelation of my Lord to me. [Saba’:50]قَدْ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ قَدْ جَاءكُم مِّنَ اللّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ (15)يَهْدِي بِهِ اللّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلاَمِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنِ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ (16)Now has come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture and passing over (i.e. leaving out without explaining) much. Indeed, there has come to you from Allâh a light (Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ) and a plain Book (this Qur'ân). Wherewith Allâh guides all those who seek His Good Pleasure to ways of peace, and He brings them out of darkness by His Will unto light and guides them to a Straight Way (Islâmic Monotheism). [al-Maedah:15,16]
Muhammad as a Bounty to Mankind
Through Muhammad –peace be upon him- we came to distinguish the Kufr from Imaan, the winning from loosing, the guidance from deviation, the salvation from damnation, the right from wrong, the people of Jannah from the people of hellfire, the righteous from the wrong-doers, and the path of the blessed ones among the prophets, believers, martyrs and the righteous, from the path of those on whom Allah’s wrath been spelled, and those deviated. So, a soul is need of what has been revealed to Muhammad, more that the need of food and drink. For absent of food or drink will lead to worldly death, and the absent of the former will lead to (eternal) torment.
Reason Alone is Not Enough
So it is imperative on each soul to exercise utmost effort in seeking the knowledge which has been brought by Muhammad –peace be upon him-, as it is the way to salvation and happiness in the abode of blessings. The way to obtain this knowledge is through what has been related from the predecessors, and the reason alone is not enough. As the eye can not see except when there is a light in front, also the reason can not see the guidance except when the sun of Muhammad’s message rises. This is why preaching the Deen was among the most obligatory act, and to know what was commanded to Muhammad is a wajib (obligation) on all the mankind.
Sunnah (Hadith) is a Revelation From Allah
Allah has sent down Muhammad armed with the Book and Sunnah, and with them He completed His blessings on this Ummah, Allah said:و وَلأُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ (150) كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولاً مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُواْ تَعْلَمُونَ (151)فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ (152)And so that I may complete My Blessings on you and that you may be guided. Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you), We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) of your own, reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur'ân) and purifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'ân) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islâmic laws and Fiqh - jurisprudence), and teaching you that which you used not to know. Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying), I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favors on you) and never be ungrateful to Me. [al-Baqarah: 150-152]لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَIndeed Allâh conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur'ân), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur'ân) and Al-Hikmah (the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) [aal-Imran: 164]وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِ ..remember Allâh's Favors on you (i.e. Islâm), and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Qur'ân) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet's Sunnah - legal ways - Islâmic jurisprudence.) whereby He instructs you..[al-Baqarah: 231]And said about Ibrahimرَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ.. (129)Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allâh answered their invocation by sending Muhammad (peace be upon him)) who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Qur'ân) and Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islâmic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or Prophethood), and purify them. [al-Baqarah:129]وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَى فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا (34)And remember (O you the members of the Prophet's family, the Graces of your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the Verses of Allâh and Al-Hikmah (i.e. Prophet's Sunnah - legal ways, so give your thanks to Allâh and glorify His Praises for this Qur'an and the Sunnah). [al-Ahzab:34]More than one scholar (of Tafsir) said, among them Yahya ibn Kathir, Qatadah and Shafeyi, that Hikmah (in the previous verses) is the Sunnah (hadith of the Prophet), because Allah commanded the wives of the Prophet to remember what used to be recited in their house among the book and Hikmah: the book is Quran, and other recitation which the Prophet used to recite is his sunnah.It was related in a hadith by Abu Rafe, and Abu Thalabah: “Let me not find some of you, comfortably leaning on his sofa, upon hearing one of my commands (in hadith) he says: “between you and us in (only) Quran, whatever halal we find in it we make it halal, and what is Haram in it we consider it Haram”, Let it be known that I was given this Book (Quran) and a similar book as well (hadith)”, in a second version (riwayah): “Indeed, it is (sunnah) like the Book (Quran)”. [Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]Since Quran is characterized by being miraculous by itself and not like the words of other mortals, as Allah saidقُل لَّئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى أَن يَأْتُواْ بِمِثْلِ هَذَا الْقُرْآنِ لاَ يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا (88)Say: "If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur'ân, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another." [al-Isra’:88]And this Quran was carried from one generation to another through huge number of people, so no one ever hoped to change the content or the shape of this Quran, but Satan hoped to corrupt it’s meaning through interpretation, and also Satan hoped to corrupt the Hadith of the Prophet by addition or deletion, which would deviate some of the worshippers. As a counter act, Allah made among the Ummah the talented rightly guided scholars, who were victorious against the army of Satan, and were able to distinguish the false from Truth, and thus preserved the Hadith and interpretation of Quran from alteration. So, the scholars of Islam –who understood the meaning of Quran and Hadith- stood up and protested against the mistakes which has been introduced in the past and present, among these mistakes were the obvious one’s, which no one should be excused for, and among them were the unseen mistakes, which might be a field of Ijtihad (application of one’s judgement) to be done by the known scholars. Also, the scholars of Isnad (continuous chain of narrators of hadith) did perform their part, so they traveled to countries, and they abandoned their beds and comfort, and left their property and children, and spent their money, and had to face with patience all the troubles of journey, and sought not the pleasures of this world, indeed there are lots of stories of such endeavors done by these scholars, which is well known by those who seek their whereabouts. For example, some of them would sleep on sand, and leave the delicious food and drink, and stay away from friends and relatives, and be patient with the pain of a stranger, and face the hardship of travel. Indeed, these hardship is something Allah had made sweet to them, so to preserve His religion, as He made His House (Makkah) a place for mankind to return and a secure place, so mankind would go their from the remotest of lands, and would face all kinds of trouble to reach there, and as He made the fighting and Jihad (with soul and money)beloved to the Mujahedeen (who go for Jihad), all these are part of the wisdom of Allah to preserve this religion and guide the guided one’s, and to make is clear the right path and the true religion which is been sent by His messengers, even if the polytheist dislike.
Friends of Allah
So, whoever was sincere in his deeds and made them for Allah alone, he becomes among the close righteous friends of Allah, and among the people who would enjoy endless bounties of Allah, as Allah said:أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاء اللّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (62) الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ (63) لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَى فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الآخِرَةِ لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ (64)Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those who believed and were fearing Allah. For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. No change is there in the words of Allah. That is what is the great attainment. [Yunus:62-64]The Prophet peace be upon him, explained the Bushara (good tidings) in the previous verse, as of two types:First, the praise received from people.Second, the pleasant dreams about this person which he sees or others see about him. It was said to the Prophet, a person does righteous deeds, and then people start to praise him. Prophet said: “That is the advanced glad tidings for a believer” [Muslim, Ibn Majah,Ahmad by Abu Dhar], and narrated by Ubadah ibn as-Samet, the Prophet –peace be upon him- was asked about the verse “for them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter”, so the Prophet ansewered: “it is a good dream seen by a righteous person, or others dream of him” [Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Hakem]These scholars took the laborious trouble to preserve the Prophetic knowledge from getting corrupted with addition or deletion, they are the among the greatest allies of Allah and among His army. Indeed, they have special priority over other allies of Allah, as Allah said:يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ (11)Allâh will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. [al-Mujadalah: 11]Ibn Abbas said (on the interpretation of the previous verse): Allah will exalt the degree of the people of knowledge among the believers over those who did not seek knowledge. Indeed, the science of Isnad and Riwayah (chain of narrators of hadith) is a unique science which the Ummah of Muhammad –peace be upon him- enjoys. This science is like a ladder to the science of understanding. The people of the Book (Jews, and Christians) do not have this science to authenticate original texts, the same also with the innovators among this Ummah. The Isnad science is for those on whom the blessings of Allah is poured, the people of Islam and Sunnah, it is to distinguish the authentic from fabricated, and the deviated from the well-established. Others, among the innovators and the infidels, have narrated information without Isnad (chained series of narrators), and these information is the basis of their religion, so they do not know the truth from falsehood, nor the right from wrong.
On the Virtue of People of Hadith
However, this blessed Ummah and the scholars of it, knew the truth from false with certainty, so they were enlightened and assured as a two eyed man confuses not the arrival of morning. Allah has protected them from agreeing on a wrong in reason or scripture, and commanded them to return to Allah and His messenger when disputing over any matter, as Allah said: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً (59) O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger and those of you who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger, if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. [An-Nisa: 59]Thus, if the scholars of Fiqh reached a consensus among themselves it will be none but the right opinion, and if the scholars of Hadith collectively authenticated a certain Hadith it will be nothing but authentic. These scholars support their verdict with covert and overt proofs which a skilled investigator knows well. Allah grants them the righthood in this matter, as it has been reported in various evidences, and been known from past experiences. It is so because Allah has inscribed Imaan in their breasts and supported them with spirit from Him, when they were true in their adherence to Allah and His Messenger, and true enmity with their opponents. Allah says:You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those – He has decreed within theirhearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. [al-Muadalah: 22]The people who inherited the knowledge of Hadith from the Prophet are the ones who attach most to these fundamentals. They care less to the blame of critics, and they do not turn back upon facing great tribulations, rather they speak the truth even if it goes against the dearest persons to them. They abide by the verse:يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاء لِلّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَى أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقَيرًا فَاللّهُ أَوْلَى بِهِمَا فَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ الْهَوَى أَن تَعْدِلُواْ وَإِن تَلْوُواْ أَوْ تُعْرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا (135)O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allâh, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allâh is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you avoid justice; and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allâh is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do.[An-Nisa:135]Also Allah says:يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ لِلّهِ شُهَدَاء بِالْقِسْطِ وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُواْ اعْدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ (8)O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allâh as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do. [al-Maedah: 8]Indeed, they have showed evidence of such a justice in authenticating and de-authenticating people, which are praiseworthy and was among the causes of preserving this religion, and protecting it from the infliction of the slanders. They are of various grades: among them who stopped at just conveying the hadith, and among them who went further and became skilled at knowing the whereabouts of this hadith, and among them are the experts who knew the meanings and fiqh of the hadiths. The Prophet –peace be upon him- commanded the witnessed to convey to the absent, and made answered dua’ for those who do so, as in the authentic hadith: “convey from me even if it isjust one verse, and relate about Bani Israel (children of Isreal) without hesitation, and those who deliberately speaks lie on me, let him reserve his place in hell-fire” [Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Darami, Ahmad]Also the Prophet said in his speech on the farewell Hajj: “Let the present inform the absent, it might be that an informed is more knowledgeable that the hearer” [Bukhari, Ibn Majah]Also the Prophet said: “Let Allah freshen the face (soul) of a person who hears a hadith from me and conveys it to someone who heard not. A carrier of knowledge might not be knowledgeable. And a carrier of knowledge may carry it to a more knowledgeable. Three matters bear no betrayal by the heart of a Muslim: Sincere action for Allah, advice to the people of authority, adherence to the mainstream Muslim group, for their collective call encompasses them” [Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Darami]In this hadith the Prophet made supplication for those who carry hadith even if he himself was not a scholar, and made duaa for those who preached hadith even if the preached is more knowledgeable than the preacher, it is this freshness which the carriers (preachers) enjoy. This is why Sufyan ibn Oyainah said: “you will never find someone among the people of Hadith without observing a freshness in his face, because of the duaa of the Prophet”.
The scholars from past continued to praise the people of hadith. Imam Ash-Shafee said: “if I see a person among the people of hadith, as if I saw a companion of the Prophet –peace be upon him”. Shafee said this because this person resembles the companion of the Prophet in the job of conveying the hadith. Also Ash-Shafee said: “The people of Hadith did preserved, so they owe from us gratitude for their perseverance”.
Source: Fatawa Ibn Taymiyah, vol 1, page 1Translation: Abdul Baqi
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Indeed, We have sent down for you (O mankind) a Book, (the Qur'ân) in which there is your reminder (and Honor). Will you not then understand? [Quran al-Anbiay (21):10]
The scholars from past continued to praise the people of hadith. Imam Ash-Shafee said: “if I see a person among the people of hadith, as if I saw a companion of the Prophet –peace be upon him”. Shafee said this because this person resembles the companion of the Prophet in the job of conveying the hadith. Also Ash-Shafee said: “The people of Hadith did preserved, so they owe from us gratitude for their perseverance”.
