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Originally posted by NeSCio: And I'm not willing to accept anything else unless someone can give me sufficient answers to the following 2 questions:
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Ibrahim says: salaams to all
Dear NeSCio,
may Allah (swt) forgive me for answering you since your willingness to emulate the prophet will depend on the answers as you have so boldly claimed.
And I assure you no answers can satisfy those who have established preset boundary markers or to put it an another way, no answers is required for a believer and all answers will be rejected by an unbeliever .
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1. If Hadith were to have such an important role in our lives (as a role-model), why didn't the Holy Prophet during His life say to His companions to write down everything what He does?
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Ibrahim says: this is actually simple to understand and would be due to the Prophet trying to emulate the Creators way of thinking. Man have a tendency to emulate the ones they love as such the Prophet having great Love for his Creator will naturally be inclined to understand and follow the Creator’s ways.
This can be proven for yourself by asking any unbeliever and he/she may have idolized someone in their lives whom they try to imitate in behaviors , style or speech.
Thus When Allah (swt) revealed.
2: 256 ** Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from error; whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks.** And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.
Ibrahim says: Surely anyone wanting to emulate such love and mercy for his fellow beings will not be compiling a code of conduct that the Creator himself had not forced it upon His creations.
On the other hand those that witness the Prophets way of life will indeed emulate him in the hope of pleasing their Creator who had also conveyed the following repeatedly in various ways.
33: 6 ** The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves** and his wives are their mothers. Blood-relations among each other have closer personal ties in the Decree of Allah than (the Brotherhood of) Believers and Muhajirs: nevertheless do ye what is just to your closest friends: such is the writing in the Decree (of Allah).
33: 21 ** Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day and who engages much in the praise of Allah**
33: 36 ** It is not fitting for a Believer man or woman when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle to have any option about their decision:** if anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.
Ibrahim says : If this was not clear enough, Allah (swt) made it even more Clearer, when He conveyed thus:
24: 51 The answer of the Believers when summoned to Allah and His Apostle in order that He may judge between them is no other than this: ** they say "We hear and we obey": it is such as these that will attain felicity.**
52 ** It is such as obey Allah and His Apostle and fear Allah and do right that will win (in the end).**
53 They swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if only thou wouldst command them they would leave (their homes). ** Say: "Swear ye not; obedience is (more) reasonable:** verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do."
53 ** Say: "Obey Allah and obey the Apostle:** but if ye turn away he is only responsible for the duty placed on him and ye for that placed on you. ** If ye obey him ye shall be on right guidance. The Apostle's duty is only to preach the clear (Message)."**
Ibrahim says: Thus the Prophet (pbuh) NEVER failed in preaching what was revealed to him, nor did he fail in guiding his companions as to what was the best behavior that would be pleasing to Allah (swt) .
It was not a requirement for the Prophet to detail what to do and what not to do in writing, (which had he done so, would mean that there will be no other way except that way, which MUST BE DONE, which Allah (swt) Himself had not done), thus he devoted his whole prophet hood in showing the correct way to all that came close to him.
This is what the companions observed and later put into writing , as such knowledge started to decline and more people were in search of what was taught and practiced by the Prophet.
Just as the Qur’an can only be compiled as Allah (swt) willed after the completion of its revelations to the Prophet ( although it was written down as and when revealed ) , the prophetic teachings will also end up being compiled as Allah (swt) willed well after the teachings/life style starts to decline in practice or quality.
What I am saying is that when the Prophet is around they will be no need for anyone to write down what he said or did since all are witnessing them for themselves and if any doubts arose, they will just seek the audience of the Prophet or his close consorts and have their doubts cleared.
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Why did it take more than 200 years before Bukhari, Muslim etc came up with the idea to assemble everything.
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Ibrahim says This is a fallacy, they indeed existed writings of hadiths prior to the current well known compilers. What may have taken place is that much of those writings could have been destroyed when Islamic establishments/trustees for those works and powers started to decline in the onslaught of the opposition.
The opposition needed to destroy Islamic teachings as such, much of the earlier works would have perished in their hands, yet some may still exist and may come to light in some future date and time , If Allah (swt) willed. The Christians themselves have a large collection of Islamic works in their Vatican archives which they would have acquired when they ransacked Spain just as Hindus too hold certain works that are in their archives
Anyway, it would be probable to believe that Bukhari and Muslim etc would have had excess to these works and would have derived many sayings from them too, which we are no fortunate to have through them.
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If Hadith were so important why didn't the Holy Prophet say to His Companions: "listen, everything what I do is so important. you must write down everything I do, so that later generations can profit from this" He say this! WHY?????
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Ibrahim says; because Allah (swt) had already said that ( as quoted above) and because the Prophet had no desire to impose what Allah (swt) had not imposed. On the other hand Allah {swt} had made it clear by prophesying from the past that Mohamed (pbuh) is His chosen messenger for the final message and perfection of His religion to mankind .
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According to me the reasons for this is that the Qur'an in itself is complete and it doesn't need any additional explanation!
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Ibrahim says: that would be erroneous in the sense that Allah (swt) can and could have dropped the Qur’an from the heaven or even write the entire Qur’an in the sky for us to read and follow without having any doubts. Only problem is that when such things are done it would amount to compulsion and Allah(swt) as trails for mankind had given us free will and removed any form of compulsion for us.
Instead the Creator chose man as His representatives on earth and let their judgment and ways be the acceptable norms that Allah (swt) accepted from mankind due to mankind’s own limitations and behaviors.
And amongst mankind , HE chose the perfect in character to reveal the final testament (Qur’an) and we the generations coming after this perfect person ( that Allah (swt) accepted) are to emulate him as best as we could and this can only be done by studying what are his ways, which cannot be revealed in the Qur’an in full but can be read through the eyes and ears of those that were present amongst him. ( which is what we now have amongst us as the hadiths)
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If you ask people why they follow Hadith they say that it gives you additional information on how to live; and by following the Hadith you can gain some "extra sawaab":
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Ibrahim says: this will depend on who you ask, for me, I will say by trying to understand the Prophet (pbuh) and the people who lived in the past with him, I am able to learn the trials and tribulations that they had to endure and comparing it with what I am going through, I may now learn the wisdom that they had and used in their trails and tribulations to please my Creator .
Second when Allah (swt) advised ** Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah**
Those who love Allah (swt) and the Prophet will have little excuse for not finding out what was that pattern and how it can be emulated as best as possible.
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but if one says this, he implicitly says that the Qur'an isn't complete; that the Qur'an needs extra explanation!
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Ibrahim says: what one says about Islam has little affect on Islam. Islam is the religion given by Allah (swt) not just to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) but from the beginning to all prophets , The Qur’an is just one chapter of events , its earlier chapters were given to Prophets before Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon them all)
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Because the Qur'an is a divine book, which is complete in itself, it doesn't need any Hadith to give more insight on it's subjects.
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Ibrahim says ; this argument is flawed, since all you need to do is find out where in the Qur’an Allah (swt) enjoined circumcision for Muslims and if it is not mentioned therein why are Muslims doing it? and why all Prophets practiced it? Just look at those who are trying to market this argument in this forum, they cannot even explain how to pray in simple terms, when it is obligatory to pray daily and know how to do it as taught to the prophet and as practiced by his followers for 1423 years.
Hope that helps, Insha Allah.
Allah (swt) knows best
Was salaam
Ibrahim
** there is no poverty worse than ignorance and no wealth more useful than reason **