Note: The following transcript was generated using AI and may contain inaccuracies.
In the Name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate All praise is due to Allah. We praise him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and our evil deeds. Whoever Allah guides, there is none to misguide him. Whoever Allah leads astray, there is none to guide him. I testify there is no deity (worthy of worship) but Allah alone, without any partners, and I testify that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is His servant and His messenger. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.
After that Welcome, dear viewers (male and female) and listeners (male and female). The topic I will address, with Allah’s will, in this session, I ask Allah, the Exalted, to make it a proof for us, not against us, and to make it one of the blessed gatherings of remembrance that the angels encircle, and mercy envelops them, and tranquility descends upon them. The topic is related to the Prophetic hadith and the proof and authority of the hadith.
This topic, as is evident, holds great importance in the religion of Islam because Allah, the Exalted, revealed the Quran to the Prophet of guidance, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah, the Exalted, says, "And We have sent down to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them" (Quran 16:44). So, Allah the Almighty revealed the Quran, which is the remembrance to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the wisdom behind its revelation to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is for him to explain it to them.
This explanation is twofold: first, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, delivered the Quran as it was revealed to him, with its pronunciation, with its letters and words; second, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, clarified the meanings of this great Quran and its explanations.
Allah, the Exalted, has preserved His Book and said, "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Remembrance and indeed, We will be its guardian" (Quran 15:9). Allah, the Exalted, in this noble verse, preserved the remembrance. The remembrance is the Quran. Allah, the Exalted, revealed the Quran to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and commanded him to explain it. Allah has undertaken the preservation of this great Quran and the preservation of the explanations given by the Prophet of guidance, peace and blessings be upon him.
This is why, when Imam Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak was asked about fabricated hadiths and its condition, he replied that the eminent scholars will live for them, meaning that Allah prepares great scholars, the prominent and capable, who will be defending the Prophet’s sayings peace and blessings be upon him and clarify what has been falsely attributed to him peace and blessings be upon him. Then he recited the verse, "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Remembrance and indeed, We will be its guardian" (Quran 15:9).
This is the meaning that undoubtedly emerges from this preservation of the Book of Allah, the Almighty, and that the Sunnah is included in the remembrance. And the preservation of this Great Quran by Allah the Exalted. This is evidenced when a woman approached Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him and with all the companions, and said to him, "Are you the one who said, 'May Allah curse the women who practice tattooing and those who get tattooed, and those who attach false hairs and those get false hair attached, and those pluck eyebrows and those who get their eyebrows plucked, and those who artificially create spaces between their teeth?" The entire Hadith, He replied to her, "Yes." She said to him, "I have read the Book of Allah from beginning to end and did not find what you say." meaning, this cursing, He is saying, "May Allah curse the one who tattoos and the one who attach false hairs and those get false hair attached, ." He responded, "If you had read it correctly, you would have found it. Have you not read the verse, 'And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from' (Quran 59:7)?"
So see, this deep understanding that the companions had. And this all indicates clearly that the Sunnah, the hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, are to be followed just is the case of The Book of Allah the Exalted that it is to be followed.
Verses in the Quran commanding obedience to Allah the Exalted are many. And what Allah Glorified and Exalted is he, has prepared, for those who obey the Prophet, who obey Allah and obey the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, among gardens and great promises. And likewise, there are warnings for those who disobey Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, with many verses. All of this confirms that there is a difference between obeying Allah and obeying His Messenger. Meaning obeying the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is an additional command, not just obeying the Quran. Otherwise, what's the benefit of this? "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you." (Quran 4:59) The command to obey Allah and his Prophet peace and blessings be upon him.
For this very reason, the scholars pointed out that in this verse there is an indication out that the command to obey Allah in this verse is stated explicitly with the verb, Obey Allah, and then when mentioning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the verb was repeated, command to obey. and for for those in authority the verb was not repeated, why? beacuse their obedience is conditional upon their adherence to the Book and the Sunnah. As long as they obey Allah and his Messenger as there is no obedience to a creature in disobeying the Creator, as evidenced by other texts. This shows that the command to obey Allah and the command to obey the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, If the command were only to obey Allah without obeying the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, there would be no benefit.
Allah says, "If you disagree on something, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination." So, in case of disagreement, the ruling is to be referred to Allah, meaning His Book, and to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, during his lifetime, as the companions used to do. This is how the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were. If they disagreed, they would go to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and after his death, they would refer to his Sunnah. Peace and blessings be upon him So, if you disagree on something, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger.
Thus, if the Sunnah were not obligatory and essential, why was this command repeated? "And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger," (Quran 4:59) emphasizes the necessity of referring to Allah and the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him.
I don't want to go on too long with the evidence showing the obligation to obey Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. We all read the Quran, many memorize it, and we hear it. But my purpose is to clarify that if the Sunnah were not intended for obedience, and the Hadith of the Prophet, was not meant in these verses, then why is it mentioned in so many verses? "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it." If what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, brings is already in the Quran, we wouldn't need this mention in many instances perhaps it would be mentioned once or in a few instances.
This all is clear and evident proof that the Sunnah is commanded just as the Book of Allah, exalted and glorified, is commanded. This in reality is from believing in the Quran. One cannot have a correct belief in the Quran without believing in the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Why? Because it is Allah who commanded the Quran, revealed the Quran, and ordered us to obey Him. He is the One who commanded us to obey the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
For this very reason, those who claim and call themselves to be "Quraniyyun" (Quranists), believing only in the Quran and do not believe in the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, this name, even though they are called Qur'anists, is in reality false name. But this is their claim and assertion that they are people of the Quran. Just as we say a fabricated Hadith, it is not a true Hadith to begin with. but because it is attributed to being a Hadith from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, likewise, those who claim to be Qur'anists and do not believe in the Sunnah, they are not of the people of the Quran, but rather they are disbelievers in the Quran.
These are important warnings that we must be aware of and realize that what distinguishes between the Quran and the Hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in acts of obedience, worship, beliefs, and in everything related to religion, is clear misguidance on different degrees.
This is a great issue, and we ask those who do not believe in the Quran (Sunnah), how do they pray? Where do they get the details of the rulings of prayer? We have the generality about prayer, its establishment, bowing, prostration, and recitation of the Quran in prayer. We have the Hajj, its generalities in Tawaf, Sa'y, and a few matters in fasting. We have generalities But where are the multiple details in the prayers, zakat, fasting, and Hajj? Denial of the Sunnah, is Denial of the Quran, Denial of the religion, and a Denial of the laws of the religion. The religion cannot be understood correctly without referring to the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Even the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, despite their virtue and knowledge and their piety, and their attachment to the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him They were the most knowledgeable and the most virtuous, and the most pious people after the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Nevertheless, the Quran cannot be understood correctly without referring to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. That is why, when it was mentioned in the verse in which Allah the Exalted mentioned in it “Those who believe and do not mix their faith with injustice, they are the ones who will have security and they are rightly guided.” The Companions were puzzled and said, “Who among us does not wrong himself?” Meaning, if that is the case, then we are deprived of security because no person is free from injustice or wronging others. So it was said, they back to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. So he said, “It is not what you think Have you not heard, advise of Luqman his son: 'O my son, do not associate anything with Allah. 'O my son, do not associate anything with Allah. Indeed, association with Him is a great injustice.'” Hence, who is the one who explained the Sunnah? Who is the one who explained the Quran? And explained the meaning of this Quran? It is the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
This has many examples and numerous texts indicating that no matter how knowledgeable a person is about the Arabic language, even if he is the Sibawayh of his time, he cannot understand the Quran without referring to the Hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
The Sunnah includes explanations and clarifications of what is found in the Book of Allah, exalted and glorified, and it includes additional matters not mentioned in the Quran but explained by the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him. The Sunnah has brought us rulings such as the prohibition of combining a woman with her paternal aunt or her maternal aunt in marriage, and the prohibition of eating animals with fangs and predatory animals, among other things. These all came through the Sunnah, so it is obligatory to adhere to them.
The scholars of Islam agree on this matter, so every Muslim must refer his religious matters, whether doctrinal beliefs, legal rulings, or anything related to the religion, to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Allah, exalted and glorified, says: "But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge in all disputes between them and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and submit with full submission." (Quran 42:65) This is an oath from Allah the Exalted, "But no, by your Lord, they will not believe" negating faith until these conditions that Allah the Exalted have mentioned are met: until they make you judge in all disputes between them until they make the Prophet judge in all disputes between them this making of judge is not enough. Why? Along with that it is essential not finding resistance in their hearts against your decisions A person should not find within themselves any dissatisfaction or lack of conviction with the judgment of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. There must be acceptance of this judgment, and indeed, there must be complete and absolute submission and obedience. "We hear and we obey." And submit with full submission.
This is the attitude of the believers. “The only statement of the [true] believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them . is that they say, ‘We hear and we obey.’ And those are the successful.” (Quran 24:51)
As I mentioned and repeat for the importance of the matter: this repetition of obedience to Allah and His Messenger and referring to them in judgments, and the promises for those who obey Allah and His Messenger and warnings for those who disobey, Allah and His messenger Why is this if it does not mean following the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him? This would be disbelief in the Quran if one does not believe in the necessity of referring to the Sunnah and judging by Sunnah, alongside the Book of Allah, exalted and glorified. This is disbelief in Quran
This is why the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, informed, He said: "Indeed, I have been given the Quran and something like it with it. Beware! A time will come when a man will be reclining on his couch, saying, 'Whatever we find in this book, the Quran: whatever we find in it permissible, we will regard it as permissible, and whatever we find in it forbidden, we will regard it as forbidden.' "Indeed, I have been given the Quran and something like it with it."
Therefore, belief in this significant matter the necessity of referring disputes and matters of belief and rulings to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet peace and blessings be upon him is a fundamental principle of this religion. For this reason, one of the well-known and agreed-upon sources of legislation among scholars Basically is the Book, the Sunnah, and consensus (ijma’). Consensus is based on them (the Quran and the Sunnah). The consensus derives its evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. These are matters that have been established and agreed upon by the scholars of Islam and the Muslims. No one who understands Allah's religion and the verses of the Book of Allah the Exalted disputes the proof and authority of the Sunnah.
This is why we find among the Imams of Islam, may Allah have mercy on them, such as Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i, and Imam Ahmad, may Allah have upon all of them many great statements indicating the obligation to follow the Sunnah and refer to the evidence. As Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "It is forbidden for anyone who does not know my evidence to issue a fatwa based on my words." And as Imam Malik said, "Everyone's statements are taken or rejected, except for the one in this grave," pointing to the grave of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Imam Shafi'i said, "If the Hadith is authentic, then that is my madhhab." Imam Ahmad said, "Do not take from so-and-so and so-and-so, but take from where they took." This is the religion of Islam and the way of the Imams of guidance and the Imams of Islam the obligation to refer to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and the obligation to adhere to the Sunnah. If the Hadith is authentic, it must be followed and not rejected for any reason if the Hadith is proven to be from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, Therefore it should not be rejected due to a conflict with a school of thought or for any other reason as long as it is authentic, not abrogated, restricted, or specified otherwise.
And if we want to look at the situation of someone who has a flawed stance and contradicts the Sunnah, we find that the most dangerous position and reprehensible, without a doubt, is the one who denies the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him. meaning they believe only in the Quran and not in the Sunnah at all. There is no doubt about the disbelief of such a person and their leaving of the fold of Islam. And whosoever is like this, then definitely he is not a Muslim.
Unfortunately, an innovation emerged after the early centuries, after the spread of Ilm un Mantiq (logic) and its infiltration into the ranks of Muslims, and the introduction of philosophical books, leading to philosophical distinctions between hadith texts. They classified some as mutawatir (widely reported) and others as ahad (solitary reports). What is the purpose of this distinction? I say, firstly, I do not see an issue with this terminology, as the texts can be mutawatir or ahad, and many Imams of Islam have used this terminology. However, the purpose of this distinction, as used by many who have strayed and deviated in this matter, was to claim that only mutawatir hadith should be used for creed, while ahad hadith should not be used for creed.
I say, this claim primarily is innovation, unsupported by evidence, and was unknown in the first three centuries of Islam at all. The Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him would send individual companions, teaching them what? "You are going to a people of the Book, so the first thing you should call them to is the testimony that there is no true deity (worthy of worship) but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger." One person would go to villages and regions and cities, like Muadh and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and others (may Allah be pleased with them all), teaching people what? teaching only legal rulings like prayer, fasting, zakat, and pilgrimage? and not teaching them Tawhid, which is the core of the religion? If someone does not believe in the two testimonies, can't enter the fold Islam to begin with it. What were they teaching them, if not this? This demonstrates the falsehood of the claim.
This distinction is unsound and invalid. If we were to only accept mutawatir hadith, we would find that they are few, and not many. Additionally, many people who advocate for this distinction do not differentiate correctly between mutawatir and others, nor do they understand the principles underlying these issues. even about this distinction. Some even reject certain matters, such as the punishment in the grave, despite its foundation being established in both the Quran and explicit, clear prophetic Hadiths, arguing that the punishment in the grave is not established by mutawatir. However, among the people of knowledge and among those who knows this principles, it is considered mutawatir Hadith. There are many similar examples.
They combine the corruption of foundational principles meaning, distinction for not believing in the Hadith related to the belief if it is not Mutawatir. As we said, just making the distinction that Mutawatir is such and such and there is Ahad, is not wrong. However, all Hadiths, must be acted upon in all matters of belief and legal rulings. This is why we find inconsistencies in their stances: sometimes they affirm, sometimes they do not. Moreover, some Hadiths encompass both beliefs and legal rulings, such in prayer the Dua recited after the testimony, seeking refuge in Allah from four things: the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the trial of the Antichrist. These are matters of the unseen. These are matters of the unseen. How do deal with it? Should they mention this Hadith or ignore it because it pertains to the unseen, which they claim must be mutawatir? So should it not be acted upon? And there are lot of examples. This indicates that this principle is not correct and is inherently flawed and deviant.
That is why, Imam Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) excelled and provided great benefit in his great book "Al-Risala" on the authority and proof of the Sunnah. And as he stated that Muslims unanimously agree that if a Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him is established for someone, it is not permissible for them to abandon it for anyone else's opinion, regardless of who it is. This statement by Allah, is worthy of being written with golden ink, and it is deserving of that. This was the stance of the early Muslims: obedience and submission to Allah and His Messenger peace and blessings be upon him.
Thus, differentiating from this angle, saying that only mutawatir Hadiths are to be believed and not the ahad ones is a false distinction. Hizb ut-Tahrir, among others, has adopted this differentiation along with numerous deviant beliefs of the Mu'tazilites, and have deviated greatly in matters of belief and legal rulings, and in methodologies. They have influenced some young people with these claims, although they contradict the stance of the early Muslims and lack a solid, sound foundation.
In summary, the first level, outright denial of the Sunnah is clear disbelief, and differentiating between mutawatir and ahad in matters of belief is misguidance and a significant deviation, and a grave mistake without any doubt.
Another important issue, which might have been mentioned before, is the lack of belief in or failure to follow the Sunnah, as well as rejecting the authentic, established Sunnah that is undoubtedly proven and has no reason to be dismissed, such as abrogation or otherwise. Rejecting the Sunnah on the grounds of aligning with or not contradicting a particular school of thought has been addressed before, with some of the sayings of the great Imams of Islam, may Allah have mercy on them, emphasizing the obligation to follow the Book (Quran) and the Sunnah. They stated that if a Hadith from the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him is authenticated, it is obligatory to fully adhere to Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings.
Unfortunately, sectarian fanaticism (for specific school of thought) has reached such an extent that, in some cases, It has been prohibited by some later scholars due to the differences between the Hanafis and the Shafi'is. It has been prohibited by some later Hanafi scholars, to marry Shafi'is. One of them even claimed that the correct view was to treat them like people of the Book. meaning we could marry their women, but they could not marry our women. Such fatwas are astonishing.
Similarly, some were so fanatical that they did not allow praying behind Imams of different schools of thought, due to the difference in school of thought. This was prevalent in Makkah during the latter days of King Abdulaziz, may Allah have mercy on him, until he ended this practice. In the Grand Mosque in Makkah, there used to be separate congregations, each led by an Imam from a different school of thought, specific for them.
The point is sectarian fanaticism to this degree is not part of the religion. Allah says, "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided." (Quran 3:103) Allah has made this religion a cause for unity and blessed them with togetherness. Allah says, "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided." And remember the favor of Allah upon you when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became brothers by His favor." (Quran 3:103) Yet, we come and divide Muslims under the pretext of differences in schools of thought. This is detestable.
Studying a particular school of thought and gaining understanding through particular school of thought is one thing, but being so fanatical that one treats it as the religion itself, and to reject and not follow clear and evident evidence for no proper reason but just because it contradicts the school of thought of one's imam, is something else.
One of the most egregious statements made in this context is the claim that any verse or Hadith that contradicts the school of thought is either interpreted differently or abrogated. This resembles the claim of infallibility for the Imams, which they never intended, by Allah, the Lord of Kaabah.
In any case, the Sunnah—meaning the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him—is to be followed. The term "Sunnah" has multiple meanings: it can refer to the creed (Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jamaah), the general guidance and way of worship of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, or the recommended in the context of jurisprudence. The main point here in our discussion is the authority and the proof of the hadith or the authority and the proof of the Sunnah, Sunnah meaning the hadith, or Hadith meaning Sunnah here. This is what is intended in this meeting.
This matter is very important, and people should be aware of it. Unfortunately, you may sometimes hear someone ask if a matter is mentioned in the Quran, implying that nothing should be taken except from the Quran. As though our Lord has not commanded us in His book to follow the Sunnah. Yet the Quran is full of verses indicating obedience to Allah and His Prophet peace and blessings be upon him. This is the duty that all people must follow.
I say these words briefly, and they need further elaboration. This is what is possible at this time regarding the authority and proof of the hadith. Those who want to read more and gain deeper insight should refer to: The book, The introduction of Imam al-Darimi The introduction of Sunan Ibn Majah Also shall read some modern books in this field, such as "al-Hadith Hujjah bi Nafsihi fi al-'Aqaid wa al-Ahkam" "The Hadith is a Proof in Itself in Matters of Belief and Law" by Sheikh al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him and his treatise Manzilat us-Sunnah "The Status of the Sunnah." Other many similar works by scholars I have previously mentioned Imam al-Shafi'i's "Al-Risala," which is one of the greatest books on this subject. Additionally, Ibn al-Qayyim devoted many valuable discussions to this topic in his book "Al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah 'ala al-Jahmiyyah wal-Mu'attalah." It is worth benefitting from.
I ask Allah, the Almighty, to guide us and you to all the goodness and to grant us true adherence to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, May He benefit us from what we have heard and make it a proof for us, not against us. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Peace,mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.
