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.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

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:

1. The Supreme Oneness of Allah Subhanah
2. The concept of the Hereafter
3. The Risaalah or composition of the Divine Message.

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