by GF Haddad
{He gives wisdom to whomever He will, and whoever receives wisdom receives
immense good} (2:269). "He for whom All�h desires great good, He grants him
(superlative) understanding in the Religion (yufaqqihhu/yufqihhu f� al-d�n).
I only distribute and it is All�h Who gives. That group shall remain in
charge of the Order of All�h, unharmed by those who oppose them, until the
coming of the Order of All�h."1
Im�m al-Sh�fi`� said: "You [the scholars of h.ad�th] are the pharmacists but
we [the jurists] are the physicians." Mull� `Al� al-Q�r� commented: "The
early scholars said: The h.ad�th scholar without knowledge of fiqh is like a
seller of drugs who is no physician: he has them but he does not know what
to do with them; and the fiqh scholar without knowledge of h.ad�th is like a
physician without drugs: he knows what constitutes a remedy, but does not
have it available."2
Im�m Ah.mad is related by his students Ab� T.�lib and H.umayd ibn Zanj�yah
to say: "I never saw anyone adhere more to h.ad�th than al-Sh�fi`�. No one
preceded him in writing down h.ad�th in a book." The meaning of this is that
al-Sh�fi`� possessed the intelligence of h.ad�th after which Ah.mad sought,
as evidenced by the latter's statement: "How rare is fiqh among those who
know h.ad�th!" This is a reference to the h.ad�th: "It may be one carries
understanding (fiqh) - meaning: memorizes the proof-texts of fiqh - without
being a person of understanding (faq�h)."3 The Salaf and Khalaf elucidated
this rule in many famous statements showing that, for all the exalted status
of the Muh.addith, yet the Faq�h excels him:
H.ad�th Misguides Those Devoid of Fiqh
* Ibn Ab� Zayd al-M�lik� reports Sufy�n ibn `Uyayna as saying: "H.ad�th is a
pitfall (mad.illa) except for the fuqah�'," and M�lik's companion `Abd All�h
ibn Wahb said: "H.ad�th is a pitfall except for the Ulema. Every memorizer
of h.ad�th that does not have an Im�m in fiqh is misguided (d.�ll), and if
All�h had not rescued us with M�lik and al-Layth [ibn Sa`d], we would have
been misguided."4
Ibn Ab� Zayd comments: "He [Sufy�n] means that other than
the jurists might take something in its external meaning when, in fact, it
is interpreted in the light of another h.ad�th or some evidence which
remains hidden to him; or it may in fact consist in discarded evidence due
to some other [abrogating] evidence. None can meet the responsibility of
knowing this except those who deepened their learning and obtained fiqh."
Im�m al-Haytam� said something similar.5
Ibn Wahb is also reported to say:
"I met three hundred and sixty learned people of knowledge but, without
M�lik and al-Layth, I would have strayed."6
Another versions states: "Were
it not for M�lik ibn Anas and al-Layth ibn Sa`d I would have perished; I
used to think everything that is [authentically] related from the Prophet -
All�h bless and greet him - must be put into practice."7
Another version
has: "I gathered a lot of h.ad�ths and they drove me to confusion. I would
consult M�lik and al-Layth and they would say to me, 'take this and leave
this.'"8 Ibn Wahb had compiled 120,000 narrations according to Ah.mad ibn
S.�lih..9
Hence, Ibn `Uqda replied to a man who had asked him about a
certain narration: "Keep such h.ad�ths to a minimum for, truly, they are
unsuitable except for those who know their interpretation. Yah.y� ibn
Sulayman narrated from Ibn Wahb that he heard M�lik say: 'Many of these
h.ad�ths are [a cause for] misguidance; some h.ad�ths were narrated by me
and I wish that for each of them I had been flogged with a stick twice. I
certainly no longer narrate them!'"10
By his phrase, "Many of these h.ad�ths
are misguidance," M�lik means their adducing them in the wrong place and
meaning, because the Sunna is wisdom and wisdom is to place each thing in
its right context.11
* Ibn al-Mub�rak said: "If All�h had not rescued me with Ab� H.an�fa and
Sufy�n [al-Thawr�] I would have been like the rest of the common people."
Al-Dhahab� relates it as: "I would have been an innovator."12
The Im�ms of H.ad�th Defer to the Im�ms of Fiqh
* Im�m Ah.mad's teacher, Yah.y� ibn Sa`�d al-Qat.t.�n, despite his foremost
status as the Master of h.ad�th Masters and expert in
narrator-recommendation and discreditation, would not venture to extract
legal rulings from the evidence but followed in this the fiqh of Ab� H.an�fa
as he explicitly declared: "We do not belie All�h. We never heard better
than the juridical opinion (ra'�) of Ab� H.an�fa, and we followed most of
his positions."13
Similarly, Muh.ammad ibn `Abd All�h ibn `Abd al-H.akam
said: "If it were not for al-Sh�fi`� I would not have known how to reply to
anyone. Because of him I know what I know."14 As for Muh.ammad ibn Yah.y�
al-Dhuhl� (d. 258) of Khur�s�n, whom Ab� Zur`a ranked above Im�m Muslim and
who is considered an Am�r al-Mu'min�n f� al-H.ad�th ("Commander of the
Faithful in the Science of H.ad�th"), he never considered himself a
non-muqallid but said: "I have made Ah.mad ibn H.anbal an Im�m in all that
stands between me and my Lord."15 Mis`ar ibn Kid�m said the same with regard
to Im�m Ab� H.an�fa.16
Knowledge Is Not Memorization but a Light
* Fiqh is the context of M�lik's statement: "Wisdom and knowledge are a
light by which All�h guides whomever He pleases; it does not consist in
knowing many things"17 and al-Sh�fi`�'s: "Knowledge is what benefits.
Knowledge is not what one has memorized."18
Similarly, al-Dhahab� defined
knowledge in Isl�m (al-`ilm) as "Not the profusion of narration, but a light
which All�h casts into the heart. Its condition is followership (ittib�`)
and the flight away from egotism (haw�) and innovation."19 All this
elucidates al-H.asan al-Bas.r� report that the Prophet 
said: "The purpose and energy of the Ulema is towards addressing
needs while the purpose and energy of fools is to narrate" (himmat
al-`ulam�' al-ri`�ya wa himmat al-sufah�' al-riw�ya).20
The H.ad�th of the Jurists is Preferable to That of the Non-Jurists
* Wak�` preferred long-chained narrations through the fuqah�' to
short-chained ones through non-fuqah�' and said: "The h.ad�th current among
the jurists is better than the h.ad�th that is current among the h.ad�th
scholars."21
This is a foundational rule in the School of Im�m Ab� H.an�fa.
Like Yah.y� al-Qat.t.�n, Wak�` did not make ijtih�d but followed the
positions of Ab� H.an�fa.22
* Al-A`mash (Ab� Muh.ammad Sulaym�n ibn Mahr�n al-Asad� the T�bi`� 61/-148)
also said: "The h.ad�th that jurists circulate among themselves is better
than that which h.ad�th narrators circulate among themselves."23
* Ibn Rajab said that Ab� D�w�d in his Sunan was more concerned with the
jurisprudence of the h.ad�th than with its chains of transmission.24
Knowing the H.ad�th is Different From Practicing It
* Sufy�n al-Thawr� used to say to the h.ad�th scholars: "Come forward, O
weak ones!"25 He also said: "If h.ad�th were a good thing it would have
vanished just as all goodness has vanished," and "Pursuing the study of
h.ad�th is not part of the preparation for death, but a disease that
preoccupies people." Al-Dhahab� commented: "He said this verbatim. He is
right in what he said because pursuing the study of h.ad�th is other than
the h.ad�th itself."26
Understanding the H.ad�th is Superior to Knowing It
* Sufy�n also said: "The explanation (tafs�r) of the h.ad�th is better than
the h.ad�th."27 Another wording has: "The explanation of the h.ad�th is
better than its audition."28 Ab� `Al� al-Naysab�r� said: "We consider
understanding superior to memorization."29
* Ish.�q ibn R�h�yah said: "I would sit in Iraq with Ah.mad ibn H.anbal,
Yah.y� ibn Ma`�n, and our companions, rehearsing the narrations from one,
two, three routes of transmission... But when I said: What is its intent?
What is its explanation? What is its fiqh? They would all remain mute except
Ah.mad ibn H.anbal."30
* The perspicuity and fiqh of Ab� Thawr among the h.ad�th Masters is famous.
A woman stood by a gathering of scholars of h.ad�th comprising Yah.y� ibn
Ma`�n, Ab� Khaythama, Khalaf ibn Salim, and others. She heard them saying:
"The Prophet said," and "So-and-so narrated,"
and "No one other than So-and-so narrated," etc. Whereupon she asked them:
"Can a woman in her menses wash the dead?" for that was her occupation. No
one in the entire gathering could answer her, and they began to look at one
another.
Ab� Thawr arrived, and they referred her to him. She asked him the
same question and he said: "Yes, she can wash the dead, as per the h.ad�th
of al-Q�sim from `A'isha: 'Your menses are not in your hand,'31 and her
narration whereby she would scrub the Prophet's hair at a time she was menstruating.32 If the head of the living can
be washed [by a woman in her menses], then a fortiori the dead!"
Hearing
this, the h.ad�th scholars said: "Right! So-and-so narrated it, and
So-and-so told us, and we know it from such-and-such a chain," and they
plunged back into the narrations and chains of transmission.
The woman said: "Where were you all until now?"33
* Ibn `Abd al-Barr cites Im�m Ah.mad as saying: "From where does Yah.y� ibn
Ma`�n know al-Sh�fi`�? He does not know al-Sh�fi`� nor has any idea what
al-Sh�fi`� says!"34 Ibn R�h�yah similarly conceded defeat before
al-Sh�fi`�'s jurisprudence although himself reputed for fiqh.35
Most H.ad�th Scholars Do Not Possess Intelligence of the H.ad�th
* `Abd al-Razz�q al-S.an`�n�, Sufy�n's contemporary, was the teacher of the
pillars of h.ad�th memorization in their time - Ah.mad, Ibn R�h�yah, Ibn
Ma`�n, and Muh.ammad ibn Yah.y� al-Dhuhl�. Yet when Muh.ammad ibn Yaz�d
al-Mustaml� asked Ah.mad: "Did he [`Abd al-Razz�q] possess fiqh?" Ah.mad
replied: "How rare is fiqh among those who know h.ad�th!"36
* Anas ibn S�r�n said: "I came to K�fa and found in it 4,000 persons
pursuing h.ad�th and 400 persons who had obtained fiqh."37
* Ibn `Abd al-Sal�m said: "The majority of h.ad�th scholars are ignorant in
fiqh."38 A majority of 90" according to Anas ibn S�r�n - among the Salaf!
* Al-Dhahab� said: "The majority of the h.ad�th scholars have no
understanding, no diligence in the actual knowledge of h.ad�th, and no fear
of All�h regarding it."39 All of the authorities al-Dhahab� listed as "those
who are imitated in Isl�m" are Jurisprudents and not merely h.ad�th masters.
* Al-Sakh�w� in his biography of Ibn H.ajar entitled al-Jaw�hir wa al-Durar
relates similar views:
Al-F�riq� said: "One who knows chains of h.ad�th but not the legal rulings
derived from them cannot be counted among the Scholars of the Law." His
student Ibn Ab� `As.r�n (d. 585) also followed this view in his book
al-Intis.�r.40
Not Every Sound Had�th Forms Evidence
* Ibr�h�m al-Nakha`� said: "Truly, I hear a h.ad�th, then I see what part of
it applies. I apply it and leave the rest."41 Shaykh Muh.ammad `Aww�ma said:
"Meaning, what is recognized by the authorities is retained while anything
odd (ghar�b), anomalous (sh�dhdh), or condemned (munkar) is put aside."
Yaz�d ibn Ab� H.ab�b said: "When you hear a h.ad�th, proclaim it; if it is
recognized, [keep it,] otherwise, leave it."42
* Ibn Ab� Layl� said: "A man does not understand h.ad�th until he knows what
to take from it and what to leave."43
* `Abd al-Rah.m�n ibn Mahd�, the Commander of the believers in H.ad�th,
said: "It is impermissible for someone to be an Im�m [i.e. to be imitated]
until he knows what is sound and what is unsound and until he does not take
everything [sound] as evidence, and until he knows the correct way to infer
knowledge [in the Religion]."44
* Al-Sh�fi`� narrated that M�lik ibn Anas was told: "Ibn `Uyayna narrates
from al-Zuhr� things you do not have!" He replied: "Why, should I narrate
every single h.ad�th I heard? Only if I wanted to misguide people!"45
Shaykh `Abd al-Fatt�h. Ab� Ghudda mentioned some of the above examples and
commented: "If the likes of Yah.y� al-Qat.t.�n, Wak�` ibn al-Jarr�h., `Abd
al-Razz�q, Yah.y� ibn Ma`�n, and those who compare with them, did not dare
enter into ijtih�d and fiqh, then how rash are the claimants to ijtih�d in
our time! On top of it, they call the Salaf ignorant without the least shame
nor modesty! All�h is our refuge from failure."46
BLESSINGS AND PEACE ON THE PROPHET
his Family, his Companions, the Four
Im�ms, and those who imitate them until the Day of Judgment.
NOTES
1H.ad�th of the Prophet narrated from Mu`�wiya
by al-Bukh�r� and Muslim.
2Al-Q�r�, Mu`taqad Ab� H.an�fata al-Im�m f� Abaway al-Ras�l `Alayhi
al-S.al�t wa al-Sal�m (p. 42).
3A nearly-mass-narrated (mashh�r) sound h.ad�th of the Prophet - All�h bless
and greet him - reported from several Companions by al-Tirmidh�, Ab� D�w�d,
Ibn M�jah, and Ah.mad.
4Ibn Ab� H.�tim in the introduction of al-Jarh. wa al-Ta`d�l (p. 22-23); Ibn
Ab� Zayd, al-J�mi` f� al-Sunan (p. 118-119); Ibn `Abd al-Barr, al-Intiq�'
(p. 61); al-Dhahab�. See Shaykh `Abd al-Fattah Ab� Ghudda's comments on this
statement in his notes on al-Lacknaw�'s al-Raf` wa al-Takmil (2nd ed. p.
368-369, 3rd ed. p. 90-91).
5In al-Fat�w� al-H.ad�thiyya (p. 283).
6Narrated by Ibn H.ibb�n in the introduction to al-Majr�h.�n (1:42). He then
narrates from Ibn Wahb a similar statement where he adds the names of `Amr
ibn al-H.�rith and Ibn M�jish�n.
7Narrated by Ibn `As�kir and al-Bayhaq� cf. Ibn Rajab, Sharh. al-`Ilal
(1:413) and `Aww�ma (p. 76).
8Narrated by Q�d.� `Iy�d.. in Tart�b al-Mad�rik (2:427).
9In Ibn al-Subk�, T.abaq�t al-Sh�fi`iyya al-Kubr� (2:128).
10Narrated by al-Khat.�b, al-Faq�h wal-Mutafaqqih (2:80).
11Shaykh Ism�`�l al-Ans.�r� as quoted by `Aww�ma, Athar (p. 77).
12Ibn H.ajar, Tahdh�b al-Tahdh�b (10:449-452 #817) and al-Dhahab�'s Man�qib
Ab� H.an�fa.
13Narrated by al-Dhahab� in Tadhkirat al-H.uff�z. (1:307) and Ibn H.ajar in
Tahdh�b al-Tahdh�b (10:450).
16Cf. Ibn Ab� al-Waf�, last page of the Karachi edition of al-Jaw�hir
al-Mud.iyya.
14Narrated by Ibn `Abd al-Barr in al-Intiq�' (p. 124).
15Narrated by al-Dhahab� in the Siyar (10:205).
16Cf. Ibn Ab� al-Waf�, last page of the Karachi edition of al-Jaw�hir
al-Mud.iyya.
17In Ibn `Abd al-Barr, J�mi` Bay�n al-`Ilm (1:83-84), al-Q�d.� `Iy�d..,
Tart�b al-Mad�rik (2:62), al-Sh�t.ib�, al-Muw�faq�t (4:97-98).
18"The Knowledge That Benefits is That Whose Rays Expand in the Breast and
Whose Veil is Lifted in the Heart." Ibn `At.�' All�h, H.ikam (#213).
19Siyar (10:642).
20Narrated mursal from al-H.asan by Ibn `As�kir in his T�r�kh and al-Khat.�b
in al-J�mi` li Akhl�q al-R�w� (1983 ed. 1:88 #27) cf. al-J�mi` al-S.agh�r
(#9598) and Kanz (#29337).
21Cited by al-Dhahab� in the Siyar (al-Arna'�t. ed. 9:158, 12:328-329).
22Cf. al-Dhahab�, Tadhkirat al-H.uff�z. (1:307) and Ibn H.ajar in Tahdh�b
al-Tahdh�b (11:126-127).
23In al-Sakh�w�, al-Jaw�hir wa al-Durar (p. 21).
24Ibn Rajab, Sharh. `Ilal al-Tirmidh� (1:411).
25Cited from Zayd ibn Ab� al-Zarqa' by al-Dhahab�, Siyar (al-Arna'�t. ed.
7:275).
26Al-Sakh�w�, al-Jaw�hir wa al-Durar (p. 20-23).
27Narrated by al-Haraw� al-Ans.�r� in Dhamm al-Kal�m (4:139 #907).
28In Ibn `Abd al-Barr, J�mi` Bay�n al-`Ilm (2:175).
29In al-Dhahab�, Tadhkirat al-H.uff�z. (2:776).
30Narrated by Ibn Ab� H.�tim in the introduction to his al-Jarh. wa
al-Ta`d�l (p. 293), Ibn al-Jawz� in Man�qib al-Im�m Ah.mad (p. 63), and
al-Dhahab� in T�r�kh al-Isl�m (chapter on Ah.mad).
31In Muslim and the Four Sunan.
32In al-Bukh�r� and Muslim.
33Ibn al-Subk� in T.abaq�t al-Sh�fi`iyya, al-Sakh�w� in his introduction to
al-Jaw�hir wa al-Durar, and al-Haytam� in his Fat�w� H.ad�thiyya (p. 283).
Something similar is narrated of Ah.mad by Ibn Rajab in his Dhayl T.abaq�t
al-H.an�bila (1:131) and al-`Ulaym� in al-Manhaj al-Ah.mad (2:208).
34Ibn `Abd al-Barr, J�mi` Bay�n al-`Ilm (2:160).
35Ish.�q ibn Ibr�h�m ibn Makhlad, known as Ish.�q ibn R�h�yah or R�hawayh,
Ab� Ya`q�b al-Tam�m� al-Marwaz� al-Hanzali (d. 238), one of the major
h.ad�th Masters. Ab� Qud�ma considered him greater than Im�m Ah.mad in
memorization of h.ad�th, a remarkable assessment considering Ah.mad's
knowledge of 700,000 to a million narrations according to his son `Abd
All�h's and Ab� Zur`a al-R�z�'s estimations. He once said of himself: "I
never wrote anything except I memorized it, and I can now see before me more
than 70,000 h.ad�ths in my book"; "I know the place of 100,000 h.ad�ths as
if I were looking at them, and I memorize 70,000 of them by heart - all
sound (s.ah.�h.a) - and 4,000 falsified ones." [Narrated by al-Khat.�b in
al-J�mi` li Akhl�q al-R�w� (2:380-381 #1832-1833).]
He did not reach the
same stature in fiqh. Al-Bayhaq� and others narrate that he unsuccessfully
debated al-Sh�fi`� on a legal question, as a result of which the latter
disapproved of his title as the "jurisprudent of Khur�s�n." To a Jahm�
scholar who said: "I disbelieve in a Lord that descends from one heaven to
another heaven," Ibn R�h�yah replied: "I believe in a Lord that does what He
wishes." [Narrated by al-Dhahab� who identifies the scholar as Ibr�h�m ibn
(Hish�m) Ab� S.�lih. in Mukhtas.ar al-`Uluw (p. 191 #234).] Al-Bayhaq�
comments: "Ish.�q ibn Ibr�h�m al-Hanzali made it clear, in this report, that
he considers the Descent (al-nuz�l) one of the Attributes of Action (min
s.if�t al-f�`l). Secondly, he spoke of a descent without `how'. This proves
he did not hold displacement (al-intiq�l) and movement from one place to
another (al-zaw�l) concerning it." [See post titled, "The `Descent' of All�h
Most High".] Sources: Ibn Ab� Ya`l�, T.abaq�t al-H.an�bila (1:6, 1:184);
al-Bayhaq�, Man�qib al-Sh�fi`� (1:213) and al-Asm�' wa al-S.if�t (2:375-376
#951); al-Dhahab�, Siyar (9:558 #1877); Ibn al-Subk�, T.abaq�t al-Sh�fi`iyya
al-Kubr� (2:89-90, 9:81).
36Narrated by Ab� Ya`l� in T.abaq�t al-H.an�bila (1:329) and cited by Shaykh
Ab� Ghudda in his introduction to Muh.ammad al-Shayb�n�'s Muwat.t.a' and his
short masterpiece al-Isn�d min al-D�n (p. 68).
37Narrated by al-R�mahurmuz� in al-Muh.addith al-F�s.il (p. 560).
38Ibn `Abd al-Sal�m, al-Fat�w� al-Maws.iliyya (p. 132-134).
39In al-Sakh�w�, al-Jaw�hir wa al-Durar (p. 18).
40Al-Sakh�w�, al-Jaw�hir wa al-Durar (p. 20-23).
41Narrated from Ibn Ab� Khaythama by Ab� Nu`aym in the H.ilya (4:225) and
Ibn Rajab in Sharh. `Ilal al-Tirmidh� (1:413).
42In Ibn Rajab, Sharh. `Ilal al-Tirmidh� (1:413).
43In Ibn `Abd al-Barr, J�mi` Bay�n al-`Ilm (2:130).
44Narrated by Ab� Nu`aym in the H.ilya (9:3).
45Narrated by al-Khat.�b in al-J�mi` li Akhl�q al-R�w� (2:109).
46Ab� Ghudda, al-Isn�d min al-D�n (p. 68). He means by his remarks al-Alb�n�
and others of his ilk. Ab� Ghudda's student, Shaykh Muh.ammad `Aww�ma,
listed several examples of this rule of the Salaf in his Athar al-H.ad�th
al-Shar�f f� Ikhtil�f al-A'immat al-Fuqah�' ("The Mark of the Noble H.ad�th
in the Differences of the Im�ms of Jurisprudence").
GF Haddad �
[email protected]
-------------
Rasul Allah (sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord" and whoever knows his Lord has been given His gnosis and nearness.
