|
ALL THE commands given by the Ahadith are derived from the
Qur’an and are an exposition thereof, although their
particular nature has given rise to two forms. One of them
being subordinate to the Qur’an, should be called exposition
of the Qur'an, even though the relationship between the two be
subtle and cannot be discovered without deep knowledge.
The second is juridical. From this viewpoint the Hadith
should constitute a permanent source of and standing authority
for Islamic jurisprudence. Therefore, those nusus (texts) of
the Qur’aan which pronounce the Hadith as exposition, indicate
its subordinate ad derivative nature, while those which show
it to be a source of the Shari'ah, declare its commandments to
be like Qur'aanic commandments and make it analogous to the
Qur'aan as bearing the authority of Shari’ah, as has been
explained in his Hadith:
'And indeed, the Prophet of Allah has prohibited
certain things just Allah has done.'
Or has been stated in the following Hadith, ‘Be aware
that I have been given the Qur’aan and its analogue also.’
(Abu Dawud)
These show that particular aspect of the Hadith which
invests it with an independent position in respect of the
Shari’ah. There is, however, another facet to the Hadith –
certain commands are contained in the Hadith but not in the
Qur’aan as evidenced by the Hadith reported by Maqdam bin
Ma’adi Karb, which unequivocally establishes the authoritative
stance and independent position of the Tradition in respect of
Shari’ah. According to it, the meat of the domestic ass (himaar
ahli) is prohibited, although it is not prohibited by the
Qur’aan. Likewise, the meat of carnivorous or hunting animals
has been forbidden by the Hadith and not by the Qur’aan. these
and many other commandments which derive from the Tradition
show the independent nature of the Hadith as the source of
Shari’ah apart from the Qur’aan.
Sometimes, even the link between the Hadith and the Qur’aan
is not visible, which is contrary to the Hadith being
exposition of the Qur'aan and the assumption made above to the
effect that the Ahadith are but exposition of the Qur’an. The
answer to this would be that such reports and commands cannot
escape being exposition of the Qur’an, for, even if they do
not appear in any particular aayah in part, they would, on the
whole, be an exposition of the following ayah in which the
matter has been put down as a general rule:
'Whatever the messenger giveth you, take it and
whatsoever he forbiddeth, abstain from it).'
(Qur'an,
59:97)
Thus, all commandments of this type made by the Holy
Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) are an exposition of the
above aayat. Here, the holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) has been directed to issue commands on his own and
the legal decisions are declared to be parallel to those of
the Qur’aan.
By this token, the two Ahaadith quoted above are according
to this aayat (59:7), expositions of the latter, and all the
commandments given by the holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) consequently stand confirmed as the exposition of
the Qur’aan. the companions of the holy Prophet (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) and the virtuous ones of the succeeding
generations (salaf saalih) called such commandments and
exposition of the Qur’aan according to this very Hadith.
Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Mas`ud was once asked by an old woman,
'You curse a tattoing woman (daashimah), but nowhere in the
Qur`aan has tattooing prohibited.' Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Mas`ud
(Radhiallaahu Anhu) replied, 'I wish thou hadst been reading
the Qur`aan. Does it not say 'whatever the messenger giveth
you?'" The old woman said, 'Yes, so is written.' Hadhrat ibn
Mas`ud then said, 'If so, because of this authority the
Prophet of Allah has cursed the tattooing woman and has
commanded us to desist from this abominable act. This command
of the holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), by virtue
of being an exposition of this aayah, has become a Qur1aanic
command itself."
Another episode regarding the permanent nature of the
Hadith as a primary source of the Shariah relates to Imaam
Shafi'ee. Once, when Imaam Shafi'ee was in the precincts of
Ka'bah, he said with a scholar's exuberant confidence:
"Today I propose to reply every question on the authority of
the Qur'an." One of those present asked: "Where is the
commandment to kill a wasp within the precincts of Ka'bah in
the Qur'aan, which is permitted by the Shaafi'ee school?"
Imaam Shafi`ee replied: the ayah "Whatever the messenger
giveth you, take it," shows that it is obligatory upon us to
obey the Holy Prophet, while the hadith, "Follow Abu Bakr and
`Umar after me, makes it obligatory to follow both Abu Bakr
and 'Umar. And since 'Umar has said, "The wasp can be killed
in Ka'bah," this command is derived from the aayah, and being
its exposition, constitutes a Qur`aanic commandment.
In sum, two aspects of the Hadith stand established. One is
its derivative aspect, being an elaboration of the Qur`aan,
and the other is its subtle relationship with the Qur`aan,
being its standing authority, even though it is the
elaboration of the latter. But manifestly, since the
commandments of the holy prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)
are proof of the Qur`aanic text, the Qur`aan and the Hadith
are kindred. The Hadith, therefore, logically branches off
into two kinds, (i) as a primary source, (ii) as the
derivation of the Qur`aanic text.
From the viewpoint of the Qur`aan, it will be regarded as
derived, for it is its exposition (and exposition is
subservient to what it discusses) and from the juridical point
of view would be equated with the original source, as legal
principles are derived from it also. The Hadith is, therefore,
a great intermediary (barzakh-e-kubra) which acquires
knowledge from the Qur`aan and passes it to Fiqh. Were the
Hadith not there, no connecting link between the Qur’aan and
Fiqh could have been possible, and the same is true of the
significance.
Qari Muhammad Tayyib (Late)
Rector - Darul Uloom (Deoband)
|
