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  • Authenticity Of Tafsir Narrations In Sahihain

  • Umer

    Moderator March 15, 2023 at 5:02 pm

    Even if a Hadith is full-proof with respect to its chain of narrators (Sanad), for example, all the narrators in the chain are Honest, truthful and possess a good memory and the chain is well connected from one narrator to another until it reaches to prophet Muhammad (Sws), still that narration can either be accepted or rejected based on the content of the narration (Matan), whether it be Bukahri or Muslim. There are 100-150 narrations collectively from Bukahri and Muslim which Mohaddisen of later times, the likes of Ibn-e-Hajr Asqalani rejected and 50 of them even have kufriya wordings attributed to either Allah or his messenger.

    One most famously known principle of Hadith among Mohaddisen is:

    ولا يقبل خبر الواحد في منافاة حكم العقل وحكم القرآن الثابت المحكم والسنة المعلومة والفعل الجاري مجرى السنة كل دليل مقطوع به

    A khabar-i wahid cannot be accepted which is against sense and reason, is against an established and explicit directive of the Quran, is against a known Sunnah or is against a practice which is observed like the Sunnah or its conflict with some conclusive argument becomes absolutely evident.

    (Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi writes in Al-Kifayah fi ilm al-riwayah(Madinah: Al-Maktbah al-ilmiyyah, n.d.), 432.​)

    Tafsir narrations are more prone to the problems of the content because in those narrations, contradictions between them and the Quran or Sunnah are very prominent. One of the examples is Bukhari 4971 on Quran 26:214 where an addition to Quranic verse is mentioned i.e. ‏{‏وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الأَقْرَبِينَ‏}‏ وَرَهْطَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ but the Quran given to us by the Prophet (sws) through ijma and tawatur only has the words ‏{‏وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الأَقْرَبِينَ‏} hence this makes this narration unacceptable on its face value because accepting it would tantamount to altering Quran. (See: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4971)

    Another example is 3742 of Bukhari (https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3742) where Quran 92:1-3 has been narrated without word وَ مَا خَلَقَ which is a part of Quran given to us by the Prophet (sws) through ijma and tawatur, hence this narration also cannot be accpeted on its face value.

    Similarly, many objections can be raised in the hadith posted in the question.

    These ahadith can only be accepted by putting some constraints in their meanings and the extent of their application but they can never be accpeted solely on their face value based on the apparent meaning they convey just because their chain is Sahih.

    This is purely a human effort, and humans can make mistakes in verifying Sanad and understanding Matan of a particular Hadith. Its matan can be acceptable to one scholar and non-acceptable to another. It can be acceptable to one Mohaddis like Bukhari but it cannot be acceptable to another Mohaddis and arguments for their hesistation in accpeting certain narrations or rejecting some are provided separately by those mohaddisen.

    A common muslim is under no obligation to explain and justify his position when he encounters an apparently disturbing hadith.

    (See: Discussion 58280 • Reply 58283 AND Discussion 58280 • Reply 80065)

    It is called ilm-ul-Khasa for a reason, which only scholars are bound to gain and understand. For a common muslim, Quran and Sunnah are enough for him to spend his life in accordance with Islam. In words of Imam Shafi:

    وعلم الخاصة سنة من خبر الخاصة يعرفها العلماء ولم يكلفها غيرهم وهي موجودة فيهم أو في بعضهم بصدق الخاص المخبر عن رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ بها وهذا اللازم لأهل العلم أن يصيروا إليه

    And the knowledge of the select is the sunnah which is acquired through their reports, which the scholars know and which is not essential for the common man to know. This sunnah is present with all the scholars or with some of them from God’s Messenger (sws) through the information provided by a reliable informant and this is the knowledge which scholars must necessarily turn to“.

    (Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafii, Al-Risalah, 1st ed. (Beirut: Dar al-fikr, n.d.), 478.)

    Ibn-e-Abdul Bar has written in his book that religious status of person negating the first part of Sunnah (ijma and Tawatur) will be judged, but the second part of Sunnah (akhbar-i-ahad) is only proof to act on certain matters, it is not a matter of belief in itself.

    (See for reference: Discussion 69585 • Reply 69886)

  • Abdur Rahman

    Member March 16, 2023 at 1:35 am

    Thanks for the detailed answer Brother @UmerQureshi .

    I am grateful to Allah that i have found ghamidi sir (Hafizahullah) teachings and this forum.

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