Actions that Nullify a Muslim’s Belief

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

http://www.alsalafyoon.com/EnglishPosts/shirk.html

Actions that Nullify a Muslim’s Belief

Knowing the meaning of one’s testimony of faith is necessary but not enough. One should also know the causes that may lead a person to nullify this testimony. In other words, one should know the causes that lead to DISBELIEF in the religion of Islam.

The following are among the more prevalent causes of DISBELIEF in our times.

1) To Associate Others with Allah or “Shirk”
The first cause of disbelief is to commit shirk. Allah said in the Qur’an: “Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him in worship, but He forgives anything else to whomsoever He pleases, and whoever sets up partner with Allah in worship, he has indeed forged a mighty sin.” (4:48)

And He said : “Verily, whosoever associates with Allah anything, for him Allah has forbidden Paradise, and the Fire will be his abode; and the wrongdoers shall have no helpers.” (5:72)

There are four types of Shirk:

  • Shirk through one’s prayers: “And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him only: but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of their worship to others.” (29:65)

“And when harm touches you upon the sea, t hose that you call upon vanish from you except Him. But he brings you safe to land, you turn away. And man is ever ungrateful.” (17:67) see ibn Kathir’s Book of Tafsir as regards to this verse about Ikramah bin Abi Jahl.

  • Shirk through one’s intent in his acts of worship: “Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire and vain are their deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do.” (11:15-16)

They take their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah) and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Mary, while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded (in the Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) to worship none but One (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory is to Him from having the partners they associate (with Him).” (9:31)

  • Shirk through one’s love: “And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others beside Allah s rivals. They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe, love Allah more. If only, those who do wrong could see, when they will see the torment, that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is Severe in punishment.” ( 2:165)

  • Shirk through love of this world above Allah and His messenger: “Say (to them O Muhammad): ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, your possessions that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear may slacken, and dwellings you love, if these are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and to struggle in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about His Command (Punishment). And Allah guides not the people who are al fasiqun (rebellious and disobedient to Allah).’” (9:24)

2) To Deny the Finality of the Prophethood

The second cause of disbelief is denial of finality of Prophethood with the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam. Whoever claims Prophethood or believes the claim of a false prophet has left the fold of Islam. For example, in our time,those who believe the claims of prophethood of Ghulam Ahmad, Elijah Poole, or Rashad Khalifa have left the fold of Islam.

3) To Deny the Binding Nature of the Sunnah

The third cause of disbelief is denial of the Sunnah. For example, those who claim that Islam is only the Qur’an have left the fold of Islam.

4) To Judge by Other than Shari’a

The fourth cause of disbelief is to judge by other than the Shari’a that Allah sent down to the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam. For example, those who believe that the systems and laws devised by men are better than the Shari’a. Likewise, believing that it is permissible to judge by other than the Shari’a even if one does not believe that judgment to be better than that of the Shari’a. Another example is that Islam should be restricted to the private relationship between an individual and His  Lord without entering into the other aspects of life.

**5) To Ridicule Any Aspect of Islam **

The fifth cause of disbelief is to ridicule or make fun of any aspect of Islam, such as women wearing niqab or men having long beards among other things, its rewards or punishments. Allah said: "And if you (O Muhammad) question them, they (the hypocrites) will say: “We were only talking idly and jesting.”

Say(to them o Muhammad), “What, then were you mocking Allah and His Signs and His Messenger. Make no excuse you have disbelieved after you have believed.” (9:65-66)

Whoever ridicules a Muslim woman or man for sticking to and applying the teachings of Islam is a disbeliever. This is regardless of whether it is concerning woman’s hijab or any other matter of the Shari’a. This is based on the following narration from ibn Umar: At a gathering during the Battle of Tabuk, one man said, “I have not see anyone like our Qurin speech 'anic readers who is more desirous of food, more lying and more cowardly when meeting the enemy.” A man said, “You have lied and you are a liar. I shall definitely tell the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about that.” That news was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah and the Qur’an was revealed. Abdullah ibn Umar added, “I saw the man holding on to the bag of the camel of the Messenger of Allah and the dust was striking him while he was saying, 'O Messenger of Allah, we were just joking and playing. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was simply saying the verse of the Qur’an], "Was it Allah, and His Signs and His Messenger you

were mocking? Make no excuse, you have disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you because they were sinners".

So ridiculing believers has been equated with ridiculing Allah, His Signs and His Messenger.

6) To Hate Any Aspect of Islam

The sixth cause of disbelief is to hate any aspect of Islam. Allah said: “That is because they have been averse to what Allah has sent down, so He has made their deeds to fail.” (47:9)7

7) To Perform or to be Pleased with Sorcery

The seventh cause of disbelief is to perform sorcery or to be pleased with the performance of sorcery like bringing a man and a woman to love or hate one another.Allah said: "The devils disbelieved, they teach people sorcery.” (2:102)

8) To Believe that One May Obtain Salvation by Following Other than the Shari’a of the Prophet.

The eighth cause of disbelief is to believe that one may obtain salvation by following other than the religion of Islam. Refusing to call the non-believer, like he Jews and Christians, “kafir”, or to doubt their unbelief, or to say their religion is still correct constitutes disbelief. Allah said: “The true religion with Allah is Islam.” (3:19)

“Whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him and in the Hereafter he shall be among the losers.” (33:85)

"And they say, “Be Jews or Christians then you shall be guided.” Say: “Nay, rather the religion of Abraham, a man of pure faith, and he was not of idolaters.” (2:135)

Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is, anyone of this community, Jew or Christian, who hears of me and then dies without believing in me, will be among the inhabitants of the Hellfire.” [Muslim]

**9) To Turn Away from Islam by Neither Learning no Acting Upon its Teachings **

The ninth cause of disbelief is to turn away from the religion of Islam by neither learning it or acting upon it. Allah said: “And who does greater evil than he who is reminded of the signs of His Lord, then turns away from them? We shall take vengeance upon the criminals.”

Allahu Alim

‘Rabbee zidnee`ilmaa’
My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.[20:114]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
“Whoever sets out on a path to seek knowledge, Allaah will make easy his path to Paradise.”
[Saheeh Muslim]

2

[quote]
Originally posted by appkiamaanat:
** The ninth cause of disbelief is to turn away from the religion of Islam by neither learning it or acting upon it. Allah said: "And who does greater evil than he who is reminded of the signs of His Lord, then turns away from them? We shall take vengeance upon the criminals."

**
[/quote]

shudder

Learn to love yourself, then learn to love one-another

This is not my Paradise

3

Jazakallah khair sis!

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/ok.gif

“I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature, but He has a grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the straight path. (The truth)”
(11:55-56)

“…Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the worlds” (6:162)

4

unlike the Holy Quran,, hadith can be and are flawed at times.

Despite all the research that has been done, I don''t believe any of us should blindly follow all Hadith unless they have been carefully verified.

The Holy Quran we are told has not and will never be altered, no words like that are used for Hadith.

5

Jazaakillaah khair sister

&peace

"No leaf falls except that He knows of it, and no rain drop forms except that He has willed it."

6

[quote]
Originally posted by appkiamaanat:
**.....

2) To Deny the Finality of the Prophethood

The second cause of disbelief is denial of finality of Prophethood with the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam. Whoever claims Prophethood or believes the claim of a false prophet has left the fold of Islam. For example, in our time,those who believe the claims of prophethood of Ghulam Ahmad, Elijah Poole, or Rashad Khalifa have left the fold of Islam.**
[/quote]

I understand what is meant here. I observed that many of clauses are with support from Quran, why is this one without any support from Quran?

I understand that according to Ahmedi belief, Allah SWT didn't mention in Quran that Prophet Mohammed PBUH is "last" in line. I do believe he is last. But how is that supported from Quran?

[quote]
**3) To Deny the Binding Nature of the Sunnah

The third cause of disbelief is denial of the Sunnah. For example, those who claim that Islam is only the Qur'an have left the fold of Islam. **
[/quote]

This one is left out too. Does not have any verse from Quran. Can you also please provide Quranic verses for this statement?

[quote]
**4) To Judge by Other than Shari'a

The fourth cause of disbelief is to judge by other than the Shari’a that Allah sent down to the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam. For example, those who believe that the systems and laws devised by men are better than the Shari'a. Likewise, believing that it is permissible to judge by other than the Shari'a even if one does not believe that judgment to be better than that of the Shari'a. Another example is that Islam should be restricted to the private relationship between an individual and His  Lord without entering into the other aspects of life.
[/quote]
**

What if the shariah made during Prophet's days does not include all aspects? Does it really include ALL? If thats true, Pakistan is an apostate state, isn't it? Saudi Arabia may be as well.

[quote]
**8) To Believe that One May Obtain Salvation by Following Other than the Shari'a of the Prophet.

The eighth cause of disbelief is to believe that one may obtain salvation by following other than the religion of Islam. Refusing to call the non-believer, like he Jews and Christians, “kafir”, or to doubt their unbelief, or to say their religion is still correct constitutes disbelief. Allah said: "The true religion with Allah is Islam." (3:19)

"Whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him and in the Hereafter he shall be among the losers." (33:85)

"And they say, "Be Jews or Christians then you shall be guided." Say: "Nay, rather the religion of Abraham, a man of pure faith, and he was not of idolaters." (2:135)
[/quote]
**

Hmmmmmm, you just made me feel like a kafir for a second. Was Islam revealed only to Prophet Mohammed PBUH? Or were other prophets given the same religion?

May Allah SWT guide us all towards right and help us follow the right

[This message has been edited by Changez_like (edited July 23, 2002).]

7

Dear Changez_like,

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:

I understand that according to Ahmedi belief, Allah SWT didn't mention in Quran that Prophet Mohammed PBUH is "last" in line. I do believe he is last. But how is that supported from Quran?
[/quote]

Why do you believe he is last?

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:

This one is left out too. Does not have any verse from Quran. Can you also please provide Quranic verses for this statement?
[/quote]

And Fear the Fire, which has been prepared for the disbelievers. And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy. [Soorah Aali-Imraan 3: 131-132]

O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination. [Soorah an-Nisaa 4: 59]

** Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware … ** [Soorah al-Maa’idah 5:92]

O you who have believed! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and do not invalidate your deeds. [Soorah Muhammad 47: 33]

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:

What if the shariah made during Prophet's days does not include all aspects? Does it really include ALL?
[/quote]

Yes, indeed it does include every aspect. Perhaps modernisation leads to new terminology, but this should not be confused with the sharee’ah not keeping up to date. The fuqaraah establish the fiqh deriving their judgement and basing their verdicts upon the correct Islamic sources.

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:
Hmmmmmm, you just made me feel like a kafir for a second.
[/quote]

Why is that?

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:
Was Islam revealed only to Prophet Mohammed PBUH? Or were other prophets given the same religion?
[/quote]

They all came with the same Message.

It is obligatory to have belief in the Messengership of the Prophet – sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Narrated by Abu Hurairah – radhiAllaahu anhu: By Him (Allaah) in Whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is, there is non from amongst the Jews and the Christians who hears about me and then dies without believing in the Message with which I have been sent, but he will be from the dwellers of the Fire.” [Saheeh Muslim, Vol. 1, Chapter no. 240]

And the statement of Allaah:

** “And whoever desires other than Islaam as a religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.”** [Soorah Aali-Imraan 3: 85]

&peace

*"No leaf falls except that He knows of it, and no rain drop forms except that He has willed it."

8

[quote]
Originally posted by Hasnain:
**....

Why do you believe he is last?**
[/quote]

I happen to agree with an interpretation. I want to make sure that it conforms with Quran too.

[quote]
**
Yes, indeed it does include every aspect. Perhaps modernisation leads to new terminology, but this should not be confused with the sharee’ah not keeping up to date. The fuqaraah establish the fiqh deriving their judgement and basing their verdicts upon the correct Islamic sources.
[/quote]
**

Modernisation does not necessarily lead addition of new terminology only, it also leads to more complex situations. For example, internet chatting, could be with anyone in terms of gender, religion etc. I'm sure more examples can be produced. These problems are not solved based on few hundred year old thoughts, but "derived" (ijmaa, qayaas etc.) which can be doubtful, people might have opposite interpretations.

[quote]
** They all came with the same Message.

It is obligatory to have belief in the Messengership of the Prophet – sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Narrated by Abu Hurairah – radhiAllaahu anhu: By Him (Allaah) in Whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is, there is non from amongst the Jews and the Christians who hears about me and then dies without believing in the Message with which I have been sent, but he will be from the dwellers of the Fire.” [Saheeh Muslim, Vol. 1, Chapter no. 240]

And the statement of Allaah:

“And whoever desires other than Islaam as a religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [Soorah Aali-Imraan 3: 85]

It is obligatory to have belief in the Messengership of the Prophet – sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Narrated by Abu Hurairah – radhiAllaahu anhu: By Him (Allaah) in Whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is, there is non from amongst the Jews and the Christians who hears about me and then dies without believing in the Message with which I have been sent, but he will be from the dwellers of the Fire.” [Saheeh Muslim, Vol. 1, Chapter no. 240]

And the statement of Allaah:

“And whoever desires other than Islaam as a religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [Soorah Aali-Imraan 3: 85]

&peace
**
[/quote]

Thats why I asked you if Islam is revealed only to Prophet Mohammed PBUH. Is Quran talking about Islam as we take it today? Or is Quran talking about Islam revealed to other prophets as well?

Remember, there may be sects in Judaism who believe in ONE God, and there may be sects in Christianity who believe in ONE God.

In Quran we'll find verses according to which Christians, Jews, Sabaians will also be successful, but in other verses there is a condition that "mushrikoon" will not be successful. That would mean that Christians, and Jews and Sabaians who believe in One God and do good deeds will be successful.

May Allah SWT guide us all towards right and help us follow the right

9

[quote]
** 8) To Believe that One May Obtain Salvation by Following Other than the Shari'a of the Prophet.

The eighth cause of disbelief is to believe that one may obtain salvation by following other than the religion of Islam. Refusing to call the non-believer, like he Jews and Christians, “kafir”, or to doubt their unbelief, or to say their religion is still correct constitutes disbelief. Allah said: "The true religion with Allah is Islam." (3:19) **
[/quote]

A quick question. Why do you need to call Jews and Christian Kafir??

Allah swt use Ahl-Kitab (people with scriptures) when HE addresses them in the Holy Book.

10

Changez_like,

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:

I happen to agree with an interpretation. I want to make sure that it conforms with Quran too.
[/quote]

Yes it does.

[quote]
originally posted by Changez_like:

Modernisation does not necessarily lead addition of new terminology only, it also leads to more complex situations. For example, internet chatting, could be with anyone in terms of gender, religion etc. I'm sure more examples can be produced. These problems are not solved based on few hundred year old thoughts, but "derived" (ijmaa, qayaas etc.) which can be doubtful, people might have opposite interpretations.
[/quote]

You are right akhee, which is why i said:

[quote]
Originally posted by Hasnain:

The fuqaraah establish the fiqh deriving their judgement and basing their verdicts upon the correct Islamic sources.
[/quote]

As far as "opposite interpretations" are concerned, then there is nothing wrong in this as long as the qiyaas has been based on the correct Islamic sources. However, when there is ijmaa, amongst the scholars who have derived their verdicts from the correct Islamic sources and understanding, then there is no room for differing opinions.

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:

Thats why I asked you if Islam is revealed only to Prophet Mohammed PBUH. Is Quran talking about Islam as we take it today? Or is Quran talking about Islam revealed to other prophets as well?
[/quote]

It mainly refers to Islaam as esteblished by the Prophet - salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - but can be subjective upon the context in which it appears in the Qur'aan. To understand this, we return to the people of understanding, namely the mufasiroon in this case, such ibn Katheer, Qurtabee, Tabaree, Showkanee and their likes.

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:

Remember, there may be sects in Judaism who believe in ONE God, and there may be sects in Christianity who believe in ONE God.
[/quote]

But they do not believe in Muhammad - salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - as the final Messenger, which is just one other condition to be Muslim.

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:

In Quran we'll find verses according to which Christians, Jews, Sabaians will also be successful, but in other verses there is a condition that "mushrikoon" will not be successful. That would mean that Christians, and Jews and Sabaians who believe in One God and do good deeds will be successful.
[/quote]

The verses to which you refer address those Jews and Christians: who were the true followers of their respected books of Allaah up until the Prophet - salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam; and those of them who accepted Islaam during the time of the Prophet - salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.

"No leaf falls except that He knows of it and no rain drop forms except that He has willed it."

11

who is the authority in islam to decide
who is muslim ? or violates islam?
or right to declare he is "kuffar"

12

Google,

'Kafir' is one who disbelieves. The opposite of kafir is mo'min, one who believes.

Believes and disbelieves in what? Belives in the heart, utters with the tongue, and acts upon with the limbs, that: There is no diety worthy of worship except Allaah, and Muhammad is His servant and final Messenger.

And a Muslim must also believe in the six articles of faith. According to the hadeeth of Jibreel when he came to the Prophet - salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - and asked him about 'eemaan (faith), the Messenger of Allaah responded: to believe in Allaah; and His Angels; and His Books; and His Messengers; and the Last Day; and to believe in pre-destination (the good and the evil). [Saheeh Muslim]

Do the Jews and the Christians believe in all that, and do they practice the 5 pillars of Islaam to the best of their ability?

"No leaf falls except that He knows of it, and no rain drop forms except that He has willed it."

13

[quote]
Originally posted by RVIKZ:

who is the authority in islam to decide
who is muslim ? or violates islam?
or right to declare he is "kuffar"
[/quote]

Allaah - the Most High. And the general judgment has been passed by His Majesty.

"No leaf falls except that He knows of it, and no rain drop forms except that He has willed it."

14

[quote]
Originally posted by Hasnain:
*.....
But they do not believe in Muhammad - salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - as the final Messenger, which is just one other condition to be Muslim.....
*
[/quote]

what verse, chapter in Quran tells us this condition?

May Allah SWT guide us all towards right and help us follow the right

15

???

16

Sorry, i missed this thread.

It does not state this condition directly in the Qur'an, as far as i know, wallaahu aalim. However, it can be found in ahadeeth - one being that of Jibreel (AS), which i mentioned above.

"No leaf falls except that He knows of it, and no rain drop forms except that He has willed it."

17

[quote]
Originally posted by Changez_like:
** This one is left out too. Does not have any verse from Quran. Can you also please provide Quranic verses for this statement?
**
[/quote]

I think you are looking for this verse from Qur'an:
33:40 Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.

18

How you can proof from the book of Almighty that all current Hadith are according to Qur'an:

3) To Deny the Binding Nature of the Sunnah

The third cause of disbelief is denial of the Sunnah. For example, those who claim that Islam is only the Qur'an have left the fold of Islam.

Linguistically the word hadith in Arabic has multiple meanings and usages, such as “quotation”, “narrative”, “story”, “incidence”, “experience”, or “tradition”. In the Islamic terminology, the word hadith indicates quotations of the Exalted Messenger Mohammad, our salutes on him. There are numerous books containing 100s and 1000s of ahadith or quotations that have been assigned to the Holy Prophet. According to a famous Islamic scholar, Abdul Haq Muhaddis Dehlawi, the number of recognized books of ahadith is more than fifty, which embrace more than one million quotations. But even the most authentic books are not free from narratives that have been wrongly attributed to the Holy Prophet.

An Important Principle

It must be born in mind that the following two situations are as different as black and white:

1) “Quotation of the Holy Prophet” will mean something the Prophet actually said

and

2) “A quotation attributed to the Holy Prophet”

It is easy to understand that no true Muslim can disagree with the first situation. Anyone questioning or being skeptical about situation number two will not be denying the Holy Messenger’s word. What he is saying is that Mohammad, our salutes on him, would not have said this and the narrator is in error. Such a person cannot be accused of being a denier of hadith. He is being critical of the reporters.

Another Important Point

Even non-Muslim scholars such as Bernard Shaw, Sir William Muir and Thomas Carlysle agree that the Holy Qur’an is the Word of God and that it was committed to writing during the life of the Exalted Messenger. The Qur’an bears internal evidence to that effect when it begins, “This is a book in which there is no doubt.” (And it removes all doubt.) On the other hand, the collections of ahadith were compiled after Mohammad (SA) passed on and in most cases, the interval encompasses centuries.

How Do We Check the Authenticity of Ahadith?

All ahadith have been written through chains of narrators. These chains comprise of several links of reporters, in many instances, more than ten. When our scholars sit down to check on a reported hadith, their research begins and ends at one point. That is whether the narrator is reliable or not. People named in a particular hadith, were they real or fictitious, when were they born, why were they born, where did a particular storyteller live, when did he die, what was his temperament, how good was his memory, was his beard long enough, was he the son of a bondwoman, or his mother was divorced. One was caught listening to music. Another one was seen drinking date-wine. He was seen drinking water with his left hand, and another was conducting ablution with the right hand, etc.

Dr. Henry Springer of Austria, and Dr.John Gibbs of Britain, the great orientalists, noted this massive chaos among Muslim scholarship. They comment that Muslim scholars proudly claim that they have preserved the names of 500,000 narrators. The dilemma is that the same narrator who is perfectly reliable in the eyes of two scholars is totally unreliable and curseworthy according to ten others. Muslim scholars, for centuries, have been going through this mental punishment. They might well have invented 500,000 gods.

Sectarianism in Islam

A simple observation of books written by our historians and muhadditheen makes it plain that these are the people behind sectarian divisions in Islam. The narrators of one sect are called fabricators by another. To view the picture at a large scale, just one example will be enough: while Sunnis consider Bukhari and Muslim ahadith as the most authentic books, Shias reject that notion and consider Nehjul Balagha and Al-Kafi as the most trustworthy sources.

Criteria of Authenticity

Let us briefly examine what criteria scholars have used to examine the massive body of ahadith:

1) The most common practice has been a review and critique of the narrators. I prefer to call it post-mortem scholastic exam. The impossibility of the success of this approach has already been discussed briefly.

2) Many Sufis try to authenticate or dismiss history and tradition based upon clairvoyance or kashf and ilham. The best example of this phenomenon is provided by Shah Waliullah, who in the 18th century compiled forty ahadith stating that the Holy Prophet came to him and said this and did that. He took one step further when he tried to portray his meeting with the Holy Prophet as a physical experience. He claims to have retained some hair from the Holy Prophet during these imaginary visits. What is more amazing is that hundreds of Islamic scholars have promoted these experiences of Waliullah with reverence. Even a title has been given to these supposed forty encounters: “The 40 Pearls”.

3) Evaluation of a hadith could not escape the mysterious “Ilmul Manam”, which means the “Knowledge of Dreams”. Many Mullas and Sufis claimed to have seen the Prophet and his companions in their dreams and received their guidance. They also ventured to interpret their own dreams and kashf to help sort and sift various ahadith. The Andalusi (Moorish Spain) school under the leadership of Sheikh Moinuddin Ibne Arabi, played in this field according to their own rules.

4) Another criterion was projected by claimants to prophethood. This is well illustrated by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian. He claimed visits from angels of revelation during the last 19 years of his life. He presented his “revelations” as equally authentic and authoritative as the Holy Qur’an and called the whole body of ahadith a “magician’s bag”. He said, “Anything can be taken out or thrown away from this magician’s bag.”

5) The knowledge of asma arrajal. In the first few centuries, numerous Muslim and non-Muslim scholars tried to devise scientific means of analyzing the one million ahadith. Many modern scholars believe that they completely failed in their pursuit. Without going into much detail it is enough to realize that Imam Bukhari, considered the greatest muhaddith of all-time, reportedly came across 600,000 Prophetic sayings and using his own judgement, kept 2,800, and discarded the rest. The Imam Kallini collection, Al-Kafi, out of a similar number chose 16,000 but the book itself claims that only 5,000 of these can be considered trustworthy. No one has had the courage to venture into naming those 5,000. In short, the science of asma arrajal is not a science at all. It is mere conjecture. All it deals with is whether a particular hadith has one narrator or multiple, does the chain have any weak links, do any of the reporters believe in a different school of thought, and so on.

6) The most popular Mulla of the 20th century, Maudoodi, came out with his own branded principle. He claimed that the only rightful scholar who can research a hadith would be the one who would inherently be mizaj shenase Rasul, someone who understands the mindset of the Holy Prophet. In other words, any hadith that Maudoodi would feel authentic should be considered as such.

7) The end result of the above criteria used so far is that they have failed to bring up unanimity and agreement between scholars and sects of Islam. Therefore, different scholars and sects and even the masses tend to accept only those ahadith that fit into their dogmas and reject those that are otherwise.

The True Criterion

Muslims are blessed to possess Al-Furqan, the True Criterion. It must be simple that any quotation ascribed to the Holy Prophet should be judged in that light. This is because the Qur’an is the final, unchangeable Word of God for all times. There is internal evidence in the Qur’an to that effect. The Qur’an is replete with the character traits of the Holy Prophet and sheds extremely valuable light on the biography of the Prophet. Hazrat Aisha stressed that, “The character of Mohammad (SA) was nothing but the Qur’an.” Finally, the Holy Prophet himself is reported to have said, “Quotations will be presented to you in my name. You must check them with the Qur’an. Take those that are in agreement and discard those that are contradictory.” Can’t this simple rule save Muslims from the mental punishment and waste of time and energy they have been going through for centuries?

Some Basic Principles in the Qur’an

Now a very important question arises. Most people do not have sufficient knowledge of the Qur’an, so how can they test a hadith according to it? The answer is made simple by the fact that the Qur’an establishes some fundamental rules. Keeping these rules in mind can empower us to assess the authenticity of our history and hadith. Briefly, the principles are:

v The Law of Requital (Qur’an 99:7): As you sow, so shall you reap. Hence, reward and punishment are natural consequences of our own actions. Any contrary statement will be non-Qur’anic. God is not emotional. Therefore he does not reward and punish if happy or angry.

v No person can be held responsible for, or share the burden of another (53:38).

v On the authority of the Qur’an (33:21), Prophet Mohammad, the Exalted, was a model human being with the best character and conduct. No action of his was contrary to the Qur’an.

v About the companions of the Holy Prophet, the Qur’an (8:74, 9:100) tells us that Allah was pleased with them and they were pleased with Him. They were staunch and practical believers.

v The Qur’an repeatedly impresses upon us that the Laws of God never change (48:23). Hence, people do not fly in the air or walk on water.

v The Qur’an is the last Message of God and Mohammad (SA) is his final Messenger. Religion has been perfected (5:3, 6:34, 15:9, 75:17) and therefore anyone claiming Revelation after him, in any form, will be either insane or an impostor.

Exercising Common Sense

Dear Reader, we have underscored the six Qur’anic principles which should always stand as our guide. In addition, exercise of common sense can easily tell us that a certain narrative should not be ascribed to the most knowledgeable man who ever walked this earth. In fact, according to the Qur’an, people who do not use their faculties of hearing, sight and thinking cannot be Muslims and are living the life of cattle (7:179). The Holy Prophet said, “All goodness is linked to wisdom. One who has lost wisdom will not retain religion.” Therefore, any narrative that falls into one of the following categories cannot be considered authentic:

  1.  Any hadith that insults the Holy Prophet.

  2.  Any hadith that disrespects the holy companions because they were chosen by the best judge of people.

  3.  The Holy Messenger was the most revolutionary personality in history.  He changed the future of mankind.  Therefore any ahadith portraying him as a storyteller, soothsayer, a man preoccupied with women, excessive prayers, spending half his life on the prayer rug and the other half in bed, these traditions must be considered false.

  4.  Any narrative based upon outright ignorance and against common observation cannot be a saying of the Holy Prophet.  For example, “No animal is born with deformities” or “Looking at a beautiful face sharpens the eye.”

Now we have reached the point where we can present with great respect a sample of those ahadith that are in accordance with the Qur’an. Each of these ahadith can be checked in the light of the basic Qur’anic rules that we have outlined.