Wahabies and Hadith

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

WAHABIES AND HADITH

The original name of Ghair-Muqallids is “Wahabies” and their title is Najdi because their progenitor is Mohammed ibn Abdul- Wahab, a former resident of Najd. Thus, when they are associated to their progenitor or place of origin, they are known as Wahabies and Najdis respectively. An example of this is the “Ummah” or Mirza Ghulam Aluned Qadiyani who are called Mirza’is and Qadiyanis in respect and association to their founder and source of origin.

It is this very Wahabi sect whom the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم foretold of to emerge from Najd, “Fitna and disruption will be found in Najd and a Shaitaanic sect will arise from there.” 31.1

After Mohammed ibn Abdul-Wahab Najdi, the person who propagated this sect in the Indian subcontinent is Ismail Dehlwi (the history of this movement has been mentioned in the beginning of this book. You may refer to it there). They regard the general body of Muslims to be polytheists (Mushriks) and only themselves as people of tauheed. They are fierce enemies of Muqallids and spew abuse against the Four Imams (i.e. Imam Abu Hanifa رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ, Imam Shafee رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہetc.). This sect calls themselves “Ahle-Hadith” or “Aamil bil-Hadith” and would proudly claim to be Wahabies in the past. Many of their books were even named Taufa Wahabiya, etc. Nowadays however, they get highly irritated when called “W ahabies”.

The beliefs and practices of the Ghair-Muqallids are impure and vile. Here, we discuss their self-professed name, “Ahle-Hadith”, to demonstrate that even their name is incorrect.

No person can be called “Ahle-Hadith” (The people of Hadith) or “Aamil bil­Hadith” (The people who practice on the Hadith}, and for someone to be so is as impossible as the joining of two opposites such as day and night, because the literal meaning of Hadith is talk, speech or utterance. Allahعزوجل states, “On which utterance will you bring Imaan upon after the Quran?, 31.2 “Allahعزوجل has revealed the most excellent speech,” 31.3 and “Some people purchase talks of amusement (i.e. fictitious novels) so that they can be led away from Allah’sعزوجل path:’ 31.4

In Shariah terms, a Hadith is regarded as that speech or extract wherein the sayings and actions of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم as well as the sayings and actions of the Sahaaba, are narrated. The question posed to this sect is, which Hadith do you practice, the literal or technical? If you practice the literal Hadith, then every person who reads fiction novels should also be called’ Ahle-Hadith’ because they speak, believe and act every true and false utterance.

If you practice the technical Hadith, then the question is do you practice all of them or only a few? If you claim to practice only a few, then this is not something unique because every person acts on at least one saying of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلمRasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم states that speaking the truth gives salvation and lying causes destruction. Even Mushriks and Kaaflrs accept this. Thus, all have become Ahle-Hadith. In fact, why don’t you accept Hanafi, Shafee, Maliki and Hambali Muslims to be Ahle-Hadith? They act upon thousands of Hadith.

If you say that you act upon every Hadith of Rasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, it’s impossible because some Ahadith of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلمare inapplicable (mansookh). Some speak of the unique and specific practices of Rasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم which were permissible or Fardh upon him but Haraam for us. Examples of this are him performing namaaz on the mimbar, making Tawaaf while seated on a camel, extending the Sajda because of Imam Husain رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہreading Salaah while keeping Hadrat Amaamah bint Abil-A’as رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہon his shoulders, having 9 wives in Nikah, performing Nikah without giving any rnehr, equality and mehr not being compulsory amongst his blessed wives, etc. In fact, it is proven from the Hadith that the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم read the Kalima in the following manner, “There is none worthy of worship but Allahعزوجل and I am His Messenger.” Can the Ghair­Muqallids practice this Hadith and recite the Kalima in this manner? Never!

In summary, some Ahadith are sayings and practices of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم which are excellences for him but infidelity (kufr) for us.

Similarly, the Ahadith also mention those actions of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلمwhich occurred due to forgetfulness or Ijtihaad. Those who claim to practice the

Hadith, not the Sunnah, should also practice these.

Nevertheless, no person can practice every Hadith, Whoever calls himself “Ahle-Hadith” or “Aamil bil-Hadith” in this regard is wrong. When their name is false, then through the grace of Allahعزوجل, so too will their actions be impure and defective. This is why the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said, “Make necessary my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my Sahaaba on yourselves.” 31.5 – Mishkaat

He didn’t say, “Make necessary my Hadith,’ because every Hadith cannot be practiced. It is the Sunnah that is worthy of practice. Those actions of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلمwhich haven’t been annulled (mansookh), are not unique and specific for him or have not occurred due to err or forgetfulness but are correct for the Ummah to practice upon are called Sunnah. Therefore, our name, Ahle-Sunnah, is absolutely correct because we practice the Sunnahs of our Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, Alhamdulillah, The Wahabi’s name, Ahle-Hadith, is not possible because practicing every Hadith isn’t.

Now, criticizing and investigating these Ahadith to know which is applicable or inapplicable (mansookh), which command is proven from which Hadith, what is the Prophet’s صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم uniqueness, which Hadith is for everyone to follow, which isn’t, what is the meaning of his commands, which Hadith explicitly prove a ruling, which don’t, etc, will all be discussed and performed by Mujtahid Imams. We lay-people cannot reach their intensity of knowledge. Just as how the Hadith makes people follow the Quran properly, so too do the Mujtahid Imams make people practice the Hadith correctly. The Hadith is the path leading to Allahعزوجل and the Mujtahid Imam is the Noor of that path. When you cannot reach your destination without being guided by light, so too will it be impossible to practice the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم without these Mujtahid Imams. This is why the Aalims state, “Without a Mujtahid, the Quran and Sunnah causes deviance.” 3l.5a Even Allahعزوجل states in the Holy Quran, ”Through the Holy Quran, Allahعزوجل gives salvation to many and deviance to many.”31.6 – Surah Baqarah, Verse 26

Chakralwis Ahle-Quran (i.e. Quranic Groups) are astray for this very reason: They wish to understand the Holy Quran and reach Allahعزوجل directly without the Noor of Hadith Sharif. Wahabies and Ghair-Muqallids are astray because they want to understand the Hadith without the light of knowledge and the Noor of a Mujtahid Imam. We, the Muqallids of the Ahle-Sunnah (those who follow the Four Imams) are successful because we have with us the Kitaeb of Allahعزوجل the Sunnah of Rasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and the Noor of an Imam which, in the case of the Hanafi rnuzhab, is the Noor of Siraajul-Ummah, Kaashiful-Gummah, Imarn-e­Azam Abu Hanifa Nu’man ibn Thaabit رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ.

Again, to become the “Ahle-Hadith” is impossible and false. Becoming the Ahle-Sunnah is correct, and only he who is a follower of an Imam will be from the Ahle-Sunnah. On the Day of Qiyaamat, Allahعزوجل will also call His servants with their Imams, “On that day, We shall call everyone with their Imam.” 31.7 – Surah Israa, Verse 71

It may be understood that both Muqallids and Ghair-Muqallids travel on the ocean of the Quran and Sunnat. However, we travel on the ship called Taqleed with our lighthouse being Imam Abu Hanifa رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ, and so we are at every moment .under his responsibility. Ghair-Muqallid Wahabies navigate this sea alone. Insha-Allah, success is for us and drowning is for them.

Lastly, I request the “Ahle-Hadith” to explain the differences between Fardh, Waajib, Sunnat, Mustahab, Makrooh-e-Tahrimi and Haraam in light of the Hadith. Regarding Salaah (the first act of worship in Islam), they should present their study into the number of Fardh, Waajib, Sunnat, etc. actions it includes. Insha-Allahعزوجل, they won’t be able to explain these laws until Qiyaamat – the very thing which is required of-us day and night! So friends, don’t be stubborn. Accept Taqleed and practice upon something which has within it both religious and worldly benefits.