The use of 9:100 to "authorize" ahadith

[IjazAhmad]

Salamun 'alaika br. Joseph!

Traditionalists sometimes use 9:100 to "authorize" ahadith, they claim:

Why don't we have any record of early Muslims completely rejecting hadith?

The hadith rejecter might argue back by saying "we don't blindly follow people; you are committing the appeal to tradition fallacy". 
However, you answer back that Allah says in the Quran...

 

Surah 9:100

The vanguard (of Islam)- the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds,- well- pleased is God with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that is the supreme felicity.

 

In this verse, Allah is saying that the Muhajirin (those who migrated from Mecca to Medina) and the Ansar (the people of Medina) and those righteous people that came after them have been promised heaven.

Now, how can Allah promise heaven to these people when they are the very same ones who transmitted the hadith to us? As a matter of fact they are the same people that passed the Qur'an down to us. The Quran is passed on to us by "Mutawattir" narrations. Mutawattir narrations are narrations that have been transmitted by so many people that it would be impossible for all of the transmitters to fabricate such a narration. However, we have an enormous amount of Mutawattir hadith. We have a list of Mutawatir hadith http://hadith.al-islam.com/bayan/Index.asp?Lang=ENG&Type=3 that teach things that are not taught in the Quran. How can you reject their authenticity with no objective evidence?

If we are expected to believe that ALL the Muslims could have corrupted Islam by introducing the Hadith then to maintain consistency we must also conclude that it was very likely for them to have corrupted the Qur'an as well. The Hadith rejecter will respond back by saying that Allah promised to preserve the Qur'an (Surah 15:9) but not the hadith. However, this is circular reasoning. The Hadith rejecter is basically saying "The only evidence that the Qur'an is preserved is that the Qur'an says so." No objective person will take such an answer seriously.

Source: http://www.call-to-monotheism.com/questions_that_the_quranites_have_no_good_logical_responses_to

Wasalaam!

[Joseph Islam]

Dear Ijaz Ahmad,

Wa alaikum assalam

You share:

"Now, how can Allah promise heaven to these people when they are the very same ones who transmitted the hadith to us? As a matter of fact they are the same people that passed the Qur'an down to us. The Quran is passed on to us by "Mutawattir" narrations."

Unfortunately, this in essence, is an all too familiar, tired, yet fallacious and desperate argument made by many a traditionalist.

• The Quran was transmitted en masse from the time of the prophet [1]. In contrast, the Ahadith as a corpus was not canonised until centuries after the death of the prophet.
• The Quran as a source of authorised 'religion' was ratified by the Quran itself [2], [3]. In contrast, the Quran does not provide authority for any other source in matters of authoritative religion for believers (especially one that was not canonised until centuries after the death of the prophet by fallible human beings).
• Finally and arguably most importantly, the protection of the Quran is assured by God Himself (15:9). No other source is afforded the same protection from corruption.

The following article attempts to illustrate the difference in transmission:

WAS THE QURAN REALLY TRANSMITTED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE HADITH?
http://quransmessage.com/charts%20and%20illustrations/en%20masse/enmasse%20FM2.htm


I hope that helps, God willing
Joseph

REFERENCES:

[1] THE COMPILATION OF THE QURAN
http://quransmessage.com/articles/the%20compilation%20of%20the%20quran%20FM3.htm
[2] THE QURAN STANDS ALONE AS SOLE RELIGIOUS GUIDANCE
http://quransmessage.com/articles/quran%20sole%20guidance%20FM3.htm
[3] GOD HAS WARNED BELIEVERS TO ONLY FOLLOW THE QURAN
http://quransmessage.com/articles/god%20has%20warned%20believers%20to%20only%20follow%20the%20quran%20FM3.htm
[4] WAS THE QURAN REALLY TRANSMITTED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE HADITH?
http://quransmessage.com/charts%20and%20illustrations/en%20masse/enmasse%20FM2.htm

[Hamzeh]

Salamu Alykum Br. IjazAhmad

If I may share my views on your comment as I think they might be worth pondering over.

It seems like from the post you wrote that both sides believe that there point is true. One who you refer to is a hadith rejector and the other who authorize the hadith and claim it was transmitted in the same way as the Quran.

Now lets also suppose for example the hadith also says that it was protected from God somewhere in the hadith corpus. Does that actually mean it is true? I think what lots of people are forgetting is that truth from God is perfect. No matter where it comes from in this universe. Basically truth is truth and truth has no mistakes and is perfect. Even though we may know some truth there is always more truth as only God himself knows All the truth. And God tells the Truth

Maybe we should ask ourselves a question. Why do we believe in Islam? Is it because it was inherited to us and we have to justify it in whatever way we can? Or is it the truth that Islam contains that leaves us amazed every time we question it?

Now is Islam the Quran and the hadith literatures or just the Quran itself? If Islam is the Truth then it should leave no doubt in the hearts of those who question and research it. The Truth justifies itself. Nothing can beat it.

Now a question, although i don't like to say this because I thank God for guiding me and giving me the ability to have faith and I am convinced as so many others that the Quran is the word of God himself. And His words have convinced us in so many different ways. After a while and after so many answers and clear proofs a person gives up in asking all the questions and examining because he/she is given the beautiful belief of faith put in his heart from God even though he might not understand all of it. They might go on hearing and obeying and implementing the obligations set out to them from God. That does not mean a person is blindly believing but its a blessing from God.

Now the question was what if the Quran was a book full of mistakes and contradictions and full of things that did not make sense(I seek refuge with my Lord). Would we still believe or keep searching for truth.

As the Quran invites all to the truth. As it is not scared to speak and explain and ask the worlds to examine it.

Its not on how the Quran has reached us. Its not about comparing the transmissions of the Quran and the ahadith. Although I don't think it has reached us exactly the same way, but it doesn't matter to me. The Quran makes complete sense and observable that its from God the Truthful. And the hadith is so observable that there is contradictions and nonsense and its from humans who were not given the authority. And know if you put the hadith and Quran together to say this is the truth non separable, then still to those who search for truth won't accept it. Its pretty clear thank God.

Now the reason people who been convinced by the Book of God reject the hadith as a religious source is because they understand that Islam(the religion set from God) has to be logical and truthful. Alhamdulila they have been given the ability to separate the two and know the difference. They have welcomed the truth and let go of the things that did not make sense.

I feel like those who are comparing that the Quran has reached us the same way as the hadith and are using this for an excuse to authorize hadith to be used as a law and judgement to me they are not looking at the argument of the narratives of neither the Quran or the hadith. They have chosen to blindly follow both. And can't tell between truth or false or choose not to tell between them. Simply inherited the ways of their fathers.

Also any person who argues for the hadith to be a source of religious authority obviously know the side of the Quran only and the arguments put against him. Otherwise he would just be a traditionalist that does know and the better side of truth has not come to him yet.

At the end of the day, even if one follows Islam in the traditional sense(sunni or shia etc) in my view its still pretty convincing as it sheds the message of "There Is No God But Allah(God)" The One Entity. But after a person from a party of Islam starts arguing for the hadith sources to be used as a religious authority obviously knows the sides of the Quran only side and the arguments put against him. The problem starts as soon as one starts denying truth when it reaches them.

However some arguments put against them(the traditionalist) from the Quraniyoons point of view is not so much convincing. As it seems to me that they are just trying to free themselves from any obligations and rituals that God has set forth and changing meanings according to their own desires. So the traditionalist stays where he is at and doesn't move from his belief as he thinks all the people who are taking a Quranic approach are the same. And at the end he finds himself at a safer position.

At the end God is the best Judge, and its very rare I see the message being explained properly in a scholarly fashion like how this site does it Masha'Allah. I concur very much to the quote Br. Joseph has shared in his main page from George Orwell

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act' 
George Orwell

Also the quote from Alan Watts Joseph shared in his Facebook

"But the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be."
.Alan Watts

Maybe thats all people need to do, and leave the rest to God.

God knows best

Peace be with you

[Hamzeh]

Asalamu Alykum Br. Joseph Islam

I have done it again haha. I apologize if I repeated anything you said or if I went off topic as I was not aware that you replied to the post yet. I thought I would try to respond with my humble view. Thanks for sharing the articles brother.

Jazak Allah Khair

Asalamu Alykum

[Joseph Islam]

Dear Hamzeh,

Wa alaikum assalam

No need to apologise dear brother. It is always a pleasure to read your words of wisdom and insights. Please always feel free to share your thoughts as you do.

Regards,
Joseph