MEEZAN - Preamble - Part 25 - Principles of Understanding Quran - Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
-
0:02 - 0:04Meezan - Tadabbur-e Quran
(Understanding the Quran) -
0:06 - 0:09Meezan and Furqan, Disputes of recitation.
Lecture. 13 A. 12-04-2002 -
0:10 - 0:13Scholar. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
-
0:14 - 0:19[Javed Ahmed Ghamidi] Alhumdulillah
All Praise is due to Allah, -
0:19 - 0:22Peace and Blessings be upon His
Trustworthy Prophet Muhammad. -
0:23 - 0:25I seek refuge with Allah from the
accursed Satan. -
0:25 - 0:28In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent
and Ever Merciful. -
0:30 - 0:32Ladies and gentlemen,
-
0:35 - 0:40In the debate about Meezan
and Furqan, -
0:42 - 0:49we have been studying the various
points of views about Qiraat of the Quran. -
0:51 - 0:57We saw in it that even though it is
usually thought that -
0:57 - 1:02there is more than one single
recitation of the Quran, -
1:02 - 1:06but when we look at it in light
of the Quran itself -
1:06 - 1:11as well as in light of the entire history
which we have with us, -
1:11 - 1:18when we study this whole issue, then an
entirely different scenario emerges. -
1:19 - 1:22Hence we also saw in great detail
-
1:22 - 1:25what the Quran itself says about its
recitation and -
1:25 - 1:28its process of compilation and order.
-
1:30 - 1:35We then also saw that the corpus that we
possess with us with respect to -
1:35 - 1:38Uloon-ul-Quran (sciences of the Quran),
-
1:38 - 1:41what are the historical traditions written
in it conveying? -
1:43 - 1:47From that it became clear that one reading
of the Quran is that -
1:47 - 1:52in which it was being revealed
during the first stage. -
1:52 - 1:57After that, Allah Himself gave it a
new order and arrangement. -
1:57 - 2:02And based on that order, a second
recitation of the Quran was revealed. -
2:02 - 2:10And even in that, due regard was taken
to reveal that second recitation twice. -
2:10 - 2:14And there was a group from among
the Companions -
2:14 - 2:17who were present with the Prophet (pbuh)
during that event -
2:17 - 2:22when in the last year of the Prophet's
life, Archangel Gabriel recited it twice. -
2:22 - 2:27Along with this historical record, we had
also seen previously -
2:27 - 2:31that the Quran itself says the same
thing about itself. -
2:31 - 2:35And it has made it absolutely clear
-
2:35 - 2:39that the Almighty also knew what the
contemporary situation was, -
2:39 - 2:41and is revealing the Quran
accordingly. -
2:41 - 2:44And 'Sanuqri'uka fala tansa Illa
masha'allah -
2:44 - 2:47innahoo ya'lamul jahra wa
ma yakhfa'. -
2:47 - 2:50And later, the things
which were hidden -
2:50 - 2:52those which were not told to the
Prophet or the Companions, -
2:52 - 2:54but which Allah is well aware of,
-
2:54 - 2:57and the tribulations which the Muslims
will be faced with till Judgement Day, -
2:57 - 2:59which Allah knows too,
-
2:59 - 3:01hence taking into consideration
these factors, -
3:01 - 3:03He would give the whole of Quran a
new order. -
3:03 - 3:05This is something which the Quran
has stated itself. -
3:05 - 3:09It has also made it clear that it then
becomes imperative -
3:09 - 3:11that only the second recitation
should be followed. -
3:11 - 3:16So this second recitation which is termed
as arzah al-akhirah (final presentation), -
3:16 - 3:19we have read about this
in great detail. -
3:19 - 3:23Towards the end of it, this question
had come up that -
3:23 - 3:26what would be said about that
narration -
3:26 - 3:28which is written in the books
of Hadith -
3:28 - 3:32about the Quran being revealed
in Seven Ahruf. -
3:32 - 3:37Thus we were highlighting certain critical
points about this narration -
3:37 - 3:39based on the contents of its text.
-
3:39 - 3:43In this, two aspects had come under
discussion. -
3:44 - 3:47The first point that came under
discussion was that -
3:47 - 3:50there is no doubt that this narration can
be found -
3:50 - 3:53in the primary books of Hadith.
-
3:53 - 3:57At the moment, the science of Hadith
which we have with us, -
3:57 - 4:01in light of that, the chain of
transmission of this narration -
4:01 - 4:04cannot be brought under question in a way
that would -
4:04 - 4:07make it stand abolished or rejected.
-
4:07 - 4:10In its chain of transmission, such
trusted personages are found -
4:10 - 4:12whole reports are generally considered
trustworthy and acceptable. -
4:12 - 4:16Nor is there any kind of a break in
the chain of transmission, apparently. -
4:16 - 4:22But what does it mean? What is
the meaning of this report? -
4:22 - 4:24The report does not mean anything
in itself. -
4:24 - 4:28There is a verse of the Quran and if no
one in the world -
4:28 - 4:32can understand its meaning, then what
opinion can be formed about it? -
4:32 - 4:34What exactly is it then?
-
4:34 - 4:38So the first thing we read about it was,
what is its subject matter? -
4:38 - 4:40What is its meaning?
-
4:40 - 4:44What is it trying to say? What does
'Seven Ahruf' in it imply? -
4:44 - 4:48When it is said that the Quran is
revealed in Seven Ahruf (Seven Ways), -
4:48 - 4:52there must be some referent in
light of which this claim is being made. -
4:52 - 4:56What is it? So we saw that in the
last fourteen centures, -
4:56 - 4:59no consensus has been achieved
about it. -
4:59 - 5:05Moreover, it is a wilderness of opinions
in which ones finds himself confounded. -
5:05 - 5:08Hence I had stated that Al-Suyuti who is
a very well read and erudite person, -
5:08 - 5:14in fact it is absolutely correct about
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah and Al-Suyuti, -
5:14 - 5:17that in our historical corpus and in
our traditions, -
5:17 - 5:21if they don't know something, then it
is not known to anyone else either. -
5:21 - 5:23Both of them are very widely read
and erudite. -
5:23 - 5:26It is a very famous saying about
Imam ibn Taymiyyah, -
5:26 - 5:30that 'Ammal Hadees fala yaa'rifu
ibn Taymiyyah falaysa bi-Hadees.' -
5:30 - 5:33It means that a Hadith not known to
ibn Taymiyyah, -
5:33 - 5:34is simply not a Hadith report.
-
5:34 - 5:40It speaks of his reach and erudition.
And the case with al-Suyuti is the same. -
5:40 - 5:43One can have a discussion about
his understanding, -
5:43 - 5:48the way he collated information, and
his method of critique and analysis used, -
5:48 - 5:50those can be discussed too.
-
5:50 - 5:52But he too was an extremely well read
and erudite. -
5:52 - 5:54In his book Al-Itqaan,
-
5:54 - 5:57and Al-Itqaan which we have,
-
5:57 - 5:59in addition to al-Burhan by
Zarkashi, -
5:59 - 6:01and Al-Itqaan by Suyuti,
-
6:01 - 6:07these two books are actually central
to the discipline of Uloom ul-Quran. -
6:07 - 6:09So they are the primary texts,
-
6:09 - 6:12Al-Itqaan by Suyuti, and al-Burhan
by Zarkashi. -
6:12 - 6:16Uloom ul-Quran means that whatever
commentaries and materials -
6:16 - 6:19we have with us about the Quran,
all of it is collated together. -
6:19 - 6:22About how the Quran was revealed,
which verses are there in it, -
6:22 - 6:24what is the history of its
compilation and arrangement, -
6:24 - 6:27what have been the different styles
of commentaries on it, -
6:27 - 6:28and what is the issue around
its recitations. -
6:28 - 6:32All of these aspects are brought together
under a discipline, -
6:32 - 6:35and these two texts are the primary
books of that discipline. -
6:36 - 6:39So naturally Suyuti has discussed about
it in his Al-Itqaan. -
6:39 - 6:43It is a very comprehensive debate in
which he elaborates -
6:43 - 6:46on what this narration says,
and what is its subject matter. -
6:46 - 6:51So in that he acknowledges the fact that
there are about forty different opinions -
6:51 - 6:54which have been formed about the
narration up till then. -
6:54 - 6:58But not even a single opinion is such
which does not fall short of adequate. -
6:58 - 7:02At the very first glance it can be seen
that it is not a suitable stance. -
7:02 - 7:03That the narration is still an enigma.
-
7:03 - 7:06It is as if an utterly senseless opinion
has been given -
7:06 - 7:09only to satisfy oneself, but that
has not worked successfully. -
7:09 - 7:11This is what Suyuti himself has
acknowledged! -
7:11 - 7:15And after that acknowledgement,
the last point he has made -
7:15 - 7:17in his commentary on Al-Muwatta,
titled Tanwir al-hawalik, -
7:17 - 7:19so he has a commentary on Al-Muwatta
as well. -
7:19 - 7:22And the text which I have cited from the
narration is from Al-Muwatta. -
7:22 - 7:26I have also mentioned that this text can
be found in other Hadith collections too. -
7:26 - 7:29But since Al-Muwatta is the primary book,
so I have copied the text from it. -
7:29 - 7:32And Suyuti's Tanwir al-hawalik is the
commentary of that very book. -
7:32 - 7:33So when he has come to this narration
in his book, -
7:33 - 7:36he has acknowledged that it must
be accepted that -
7:36 - 7:39even though this narration exists,
-
7:39 - 7:42but it must be regarded as being from the
matters which are mutashabihat. -
7:42 - 7:46It means that no one can know
what it means. This must be accepted. -
7:46 - 7:49And if the meanings cannot be known,
then the debate comes an end here. -
7:49 - 7:51What can be further said about
this narration? -
7:51 - 7:54Because whatever we have to believe or
know about the narration, -
7:54 - 7:56has to be based on its very meaning.
-
7:56 - 7:58The narration has been written down,
and it can remain there. -
7:58 - 8:01This is the first point, that no one has
succeeded in offering an explanation -
8:01 - 8:03of its meaning.
-
8:03 - 8:05Even the people who have worked
extraordinarily hard for it. -
8:05 - 8:11In the modern era too, the scholars
who believe this narration to be true, -
8:11 - 8:15or based on this narration they hold a
positive viewpoint -
8:15 - 8:17regarding multiple recitations.
-
8:17 - 8:19I have seen all of their reasonings
as well. -
8:19 - 8:21And even in that, there is the same
kind of acknowledgement to be found. -
8:21 - 8:24Even in our contemporary times, the
people who wrote some books -
8:24 - 8:27on Uloom ul-Quran, including
the ones written in Urdu, -
8:27 - 8:31they too find themselves forced to admit
that it has no meaning. -
8:31 - 8:34What the meaning of the narration is,
is hard to figure out. -
8:34 - 8:38Then it also happens that they sometimes
consider a worthless opinion -
8:38 - 8:40to be the closest to being adequate.
-
8:40 - 8:43That is, comes close to being the
correct understanding. Yes? -
8:43 - 8:47[Student] Sir when people say about this
narration that it is hard to understand, -
8:47 - 8:50do they still abide by the idea that
it was revealed in seven ways? -
8:50 - 8:53[Ghamidi] Well their being convinced by
this notion is a separate story. -
8:53 - 8:57I am only talking about what the meaning
of this narration is. -
8:57 - 8:58Everyone actually accepts it,
-
8:58 - 9:01we have already stated that previously
and we will summarize it again later on. -
9:01 - 9:03There is no dispute among people when
it comes to believing in it. -
9:03 - 9:05But what is the meaning of
this narration? -
9:05 - 9:09[Student] His question was that
if we say that -
9:09 - 9:12this narration is such that no one can
understand its meaning, -
9:12 - 9:15then on what basis do they claim to
abide by the Seven recitations? -
9:15 - 9:17[Ghamidi] What do you mean by
Seven recitations? -
9:17 - 9:20No one believes in seven recitations.
-
9:20 - 9:22People believe in dozens of recitations
actually. -
9:22 - 9:24[Student] That there is another recitation
of the Quran apart from this one reading. -
9:24 - 9:25[Ghamidi] Yes that is what you
should say. -
9:25 - 9:27About that, people say it exists.
-
9:27 - 9:31And I have already discussed that and
explained to you that they say it exists. -
9:31 - 9:35And those other readings people are
relating and they are found in some books, -
9:35 - 9:37and some people are narrating it with
its oral chain of transmission, -
9:37 - 9:41or someone is teaching it.
People do say all these things. -
9:41 - 9:43In fact I have already told you that on
the basis of it -
9:43 - 9:48an official Quran has been published
in our contemporary times. -
9:48 - 9:50I have placed that Quran before you
as well. -
9:50 - 9:52So there is no denying that other
readings exist. -
9:52 - 9:55And based on the fact of their existence,
-
9:55 - 9:57people believe that these recitations
exist. -
9:57 - 10:00It is something which is lying before us.
-
10:00 - 10:04And some people present this narration
too as a source of that. -
10:04 - 10:08What I am saying is that this narration
should not be a matter of confusion. -
10:08 - 10:11[Student] So people cite this report as
as a support for other recitations? -
10:11 - 10:12[Ghamidi] No there is no need to present
it as a support, -
10:12 - 10:15but since there is a mention of difference
over recitations, -
10:15 - 10:17it naturally becomes a matter of
concern for us, doesn't it? -
10:17 - 10:20It would be presented as a supportive
evidence when it would have any meaning. -
10:20 - 10:24So firstly the meanings should be
clear. Does it even mean something? -
10:24 - 10:26You might have missed this sentence.
-
10:26 - 10:28I had started the debate about this
narration by saying that -
10:28 - 10:31here it is possible that the narrative on
the Seven Ahruf -
10:31 - 10:33might cause some confusion for some
people in this regard. -
10:33 - 10:38So it is quite possible that after
listening to this whole debate on Qirat, -
10:38 - 10:41one might say this narration which is
found in the books of Hadith -
10:41 - 10:44that there was a dispute which arose over
the recitations of the Quran, -
10:44 - 10:47or disagreements of this kind
were present, -
10:47 - 10:49so could it be referring to those
very disagreements? -
10:49 - 10:50That is possible right?
-
10:50 - 10:52So we have to discuss this narration
from that aspect. -
10:52 - 10:54On the basis of this narration,
I have told you -
10:54 - 10:58what can anyone say, for people
had to acknowledge -
10:58 - 11:02that it holds no meaning at all.
-
11:02 - 11:05So how can anyone present it
as an evidence? -
11:05 - 11:07Since it does not seem to have
any meaning in its substance. -
11:07 - 11:11Whatever this narration is conveying,
that itself is impossible to determine. -
11:11 - 11:17Hence we must acknowledge that it is from
the verses related to mutashabihat matters -
11:17 - 11:19and its meaning is only known
to Allah. -
11:19 - 11:21Because we know about the
mutashabihat -
11:21 - 11:23that it is said that their meanings are
known only to God. -
11:23 - 11:25So when something can be known
by God alone, -
11:25 - 11:28there is no way after the finality of
Prophethood to know its meaning. -
11:28 - 11:31Only after the veil of the Judgement
Day will be lifted, -
11:31 - 11:33and we will have the honor to
talk to Allah, -
11:33 - 11:36does it seem possible that its
meaning can be conveyed. -
11:36 - 11:38As of now, it holds no meaning.
-
11:38 - 11:41This is what I am saying about
this narration. -
11:41 - 11:46The second point about this which
I had presented before you was, -
11:46 - 11:50that one explanation of this narration
is there which could have been plausible. -
11:50 - 11:54And people did try to explain it
that way. -
11:54 - 11:58That explanation could have been that
actually the disagreement which is in it, -
11:58 - 12:01where Syedna Umar heard the
recitation and -
12:01 - 12:04Hisham ibn Hakeem ibn Hizam was
reciting, -
12:04 - 12:07which Umar felt was different from
his own and he responded angrily. -
12:07 - 12:10He dragged Hisham over to the
Prophet (pbuh). -
12:10 - 12:14So this actually wasn't a dispute over
the meanings or of the words, -
12:14 - 12:16but rather was one of pronunciation.
-
12:16 - 12:19This could have been a very
plausible explanation. -
12:19 - 12:22Because disagreements over
pronunciations in reading a language -
12:22 - 12:25or in speaking it, is a very natural
thing which can occur. -
12:25 - 12:29If the people of one geographical
area speak a word in one way, -
12:29 - 12:31people from another area can
pronounce it in another way. -
12:31 - 12:35Even today we see that the same Arabic
is written, and the word Hajj is there, -
12:35 - 12:38but Egyptians will still pronounce
it as 'Hagg'. -
12:38 - 12:41The reason for that is that
they cannot pronounce the letter 'J'. -
12:41 - 12:44Similarly you can see in Urdu
language, -
12:44 - 12:47the people from Hyderabad will
pronounce 'K' as 'kh' only. -
12:47 - 12:49You can force them as much as
you want, -
12:49 - 12:52but that is the sound they produce.
-
12:52 - 12:54So this is the case with pronunciations
and dialects. -
12:54 - 12:57Even with Arabs, they have numerous
dialects. -
12:57 - 13:02A lot of people are there, when we
read the history of Arabic language, -
13:02 - 13:04or the history of their dialects,
-
13:04 - 13:06a lot of books have been published
on this. -
13:06 - 13:10So from those we know that for instance
the people from Banu Taym tribe, -
13:10 - 13:12on the contrary to the people
from the Hijaz, -
13:12 - 13:14like we say in Arabic,
'akram tuk'. -
13:14 - 13:18'I give you respect,
I hold you in high esteem.' -
13:18 - 13:21So in the Hejazi dialect, this
sentence is enough to convey this. -
13:21 - 13:24But the Banu Taym people will
say 'akram tukas'. -
13:24 - 13:31So in their dialect, after the sentence is
said, a sound of 's' is produced. -
13:31 - 13:33Even though they are saying
that same Arabic sentence. -
13:33 - 13:36Similarly, there are many Arabic
dialects in which -
13:36 - 13:38the letters 'alif' and 'laam'
of Arabic, -
13:38 - 13:40turns into 'alif meem'.
-
13:40 - 13:43That famous incident is there when
some people came to the Prophet (pbuh), -
13:43 - 13:46and 'laysam im birrim tamum
bi l safar'. -
13:46 - 13:48'Laysa minal birri taamu
fi l safar' -
13:48 - 13:51So 'alif laam' became 'alif
meem' in their dialect. -
13:51 - 13:53This incident has been recorded
in the Hadith as well. -
13:53 - 13:57So this is not an isolated incident,
there are numerous dialects in fact. -
13:57 - 14:00Even in the current era you can see,
there are so many dialects of English, -
14:00 - 14:03even Urdu has some dialects
although there are not many. -
14:03 - 14:05And Punjabi of course has many.
-
14:05 - 14:08You can see the Punjabi of Khushab,
or the one spoken in Majha, -
14:08 - 14:13or in Kallar, or you can see the Punjabi
inspired by Gulabi Urdu of Lahore. -
14:13 - 14:16So there are dozens of dialects
of the Punjabi language as well, -
14:16 - 14:18in which people converse.
-
14:18 - 14:20So this could have been a plausible
explanation, -
14:20 - 14:25that Syedna Umar felt that Hisham
is not reading the Quran in our dialect. -
14:25 - 14:27This could have been a very
probable reasoning. -
14:27 - 14:30And this could be conveyed in
Arabic by saying that -
14:30 - 14:32I heard him reciting the Quran in
a different way. -
14:32 - 14:34This can be said.
-
14:34 - 14:37When we Hindi speaking people
speak Arabic, -
14:37 - 14:40so if we do not speak Arabic with
the Arabs' pronunciation, -
14:40 - 14:44or if we haven't practiced it well, then
they would find it hard to understand us. -
14:46 - 14:49This is what we call tajweed.
What exactly is it? -
14:49 - 14:53It is actually an imitation of the
Arabic dialect. -
14:53 - 14:56What is the Arabic dialect? That is
what we train ourselves to speak in, -
14:56 - 14:59as a proper science. Even in that,
how far we manage to succeed, -
14:59 - 15:01that is a separate debate, but the fact
is we have to learn it. -
15:01 - 15:05The art of Qirat, of Tajweed, this is
the reason we have to learn these things. -
15:05 - 15:10So this could have been a plausible
explanation, it could have been acceptable -
15:10 - 15:12had it been said that there was a
difference of dialect -
15:12 - 15:14between these two Companions.
-
15:14 - 15:17One was from the tribe of Quraysh
and the other was from Banu Taym. -
15:17 - 15:19Or one was a Qurayshi and the other
was from Banu Hudhayl. -
15:19 - 15:21Or one was a Qurayshi and the other
had migrated from somewhere in Iraq, -
15:21 - 15:25or from Syria. So since there was a
difference between their pronunciations, -
15:25 - 15:26hence Syedna Umar felt a difference
in recitation. -
15:26 - 15:30And that is a very natural fact, it is
not something improbable. -
15:30 - 15:33But then, the text of the narration,
-
15:33 - 15:37as I had said, it dismisses this
explanation. -
15:37 - 15:41The reason for that is that both the
Companions were Qurayshi. -
15:41 - 15:44So either one of the individuals would
have to be changed in the narration. -
15:44 - 15:49For it is not possible that people of
the same community, of the same tribe, -
15:49 - 15:52have such a difference in their
pronunciations. -
15:52 - 15:54To make a mistake is a separate
thing, -
15:54 - 15:56but the dialect simply cannot be
distinct. -
15:56 - 15:59And it was not like a modern
nation or community, -
15:59 - 16:01where 'community' is used to refer
to a population of 140 million people. -
16:01 - 16:03These were people living in the same
area, in the same village. -
16:03 - 16:05After all, what was the total population
of Mecca? -
16:05 - 16:07Despite their best efforts, how many
fighters could the Quraysh bring together -
16:07 - 16:09in the battles of Badr and Uhad?
-
16:09 - 16:10You can get an idea of their population
from this. -
16:10 - 16:12The men of fighting age who
came on the battlefield, -
16:12 - 16:14their numbers were not more
than a thousand. -
16:14 - 16:16So within such a small community,
that difference is simply not possible. -
16:16 - 16:19It is the same tribe, and they have such
a small population, -
16:19 - 16:21and for them to have such a huge
difference in their dialect is impossible. -
16:21 - 16:24So this explanation does not seem
acceptable to the text of the narration. -
16:24 - 16:27If you were to remove the names of
both of the Companions from the report, -
16:27 - 16:30and for instance the situation is that
one person learnt the Quran from someone, -
16:30 - 16:34and heard another person reciting it, and
felt there was a difference in dialect. -
16:34 - 16:36Then this explanation would become
acceptable. -
16:36 - 16:41After this, the third aspect towards which
I have tried to bring your attention, -
16:41 - 16:43in relation to this narration,
-
16:43 - 16:44is that
-
16:45 - 16:48suppose for a while that this was in
fact a difference of pronunciations. -
16:48 - 16:51Let us ignore the obvious
contradictions. -
16:51 - 16:53Ignore for a while the fact that both
the Companions were Qurayshi. -
16:53 - 16:56And let us accept this explanation,
let us suppose it for the sake of argument -
16:56 - 16:58for a while we accept that it
was the case. -
16:58 - 17:02But the narration does not speak
of a difference in their dialects. -
17:02 - 17:06The narration says that the Quran itself
was revealed in a different dialect. -
17:06 - 17:08This is what the narration is saying.
-
17:08 - 17:10That one Quran was revealed in
one way, -
17:10 - 17:13and the other Quran was revealed
in another way. -
17:13 - 17:16So now naturally if it were to be said
-
17:16 - 17:20that the people were permitted to recite
the Quran in various ways and dialects, -
17:20 - 17:22for this is what would follow right?
-
17:22 - 17:24That there were different
pronunciations, -
17:24 - 17:25if someone wants to read it in the
Iraqi dialect, he may. -
17:25 - 17:27Or someone else can recite it in
the Egyptian dialect if he wants to. -
17:27 - 17:30They why is the word 'unzila' (revealed)
used in the narration? -
17:30 - 17:33This makes no sense, no matter
what explanation you offer. -
17:33 - 17:35The reason being that its revelation
is something entirely different. -
17:35 - 17:38The revelation has been done in the
language of the Quraysh. -
17:38 - 17:41It is absolutely correct that the people
were told -
17:41 - 17:43that you may recite it with your own
pronunciations and in your own dialects. -
17:43 - 17:48Bismillah. But to say that Quran itself
has been revealed in various dialects, -
17:48 - 17:50what is the reason for that claim?
-
17:50 - 17:52One fails to understand this.
-
17:52 - 17:58So these are the three aspects which are
in the way of introduction to this debate. -
17:58 - 18:03But the last aspect which calls for
serious deliberation, -
18:03 - 18:06and which holds extraordinary
elegance, -
18:06 - 18:11is that the Companion
Hisham ibn Hakeem ibn Hizam, -
18:11 - 18:14the one about whom it is
being narrated -
18:14 - 18:18that Syedna Umar heard him reciting
the Quran. -
18:18 - 18:20About him, all the historians who have
-
18:20 - 18:23collected material about the lives of the
Companions, -
18:23 - 18:25all of them agree on the fact that Hisham
converted to Islam -
18:25 - 18:27on the day Mecca was conquered.
-
18:28 - 18:32Hisham ibn Hakeem ibn Hizam, the
person who is reciting the Quran, -
18:32 - 18:35converted to Islam on the day
Mecca was conquered. -
18:35 - 18:37This means that he converted in
eighth Hijri year. -
18:37 - 18:39That is what it would imply right?
-
18:39 - 18:44Now imagine for a while, that there is
no need for a debate -
18:44 - 18:49about this fact of Quran's revelation that
it was revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) -
18:49 - 18:52for ten years while he was in Mecca.
-
18:52 - 18:53More or less.
-
18:53 - 18:58After that, till the day Mecca was
conquered, eight more years had passed. -
19:00 - 19:04So this means that there is a long
period of Quran's revelation -
19:04 - 19:05which has already passed.
-
19:05 - 19:08And this is also well known that there
was very little Quran -
19:08 - 19:09which was revealed after that period.
-
19:09 - 19:12The inherent testimony of the Quran itself
tells us -
19:12 - 19:15how much it was revealed after
Mecca was conquered. -
19:15 - 19:18After that event, there would be at
most one or two Surahs -
19:18 - 19:22which were revealed. Most of the Quran
had already been revealed. -
19:22 - 19:25Now who was Hazrat Umar?
-
19:25 - 19:29About him too, there is no debate
about when he came to Islam. -
19:29 - 19:31He certainly did not convert on the
day Mecca was conquered. -
19:31 - 19:34He was among one of the first few
people of Mecca who converted. -
19:34 - 19:38He was among those who did not
travel anywhere after he converted. -
19:38 - 19:41He stayed with the Prophet (pbuh)
day and night. -
19:41 - 19:43He spent the Meccan era with
the Prophet (pbuh), -
19:43 - 19:46he migrated to Medina with him.
-
19:46 - 19:49He used to be with the Prophet (pbuh)
in such a way that -
19:49 - 19:53historians relate that the situation was
such that -
19:53 - 19:57people would say, the Prophet (pbuh) had
come along with Abu Bakr and Umar. -
19:57 - 19:59The Prophet (pbuh) had come along with
Abu Bakr and Umar, always. -
19:59 - 20:03That is, he was a Companion of the
Prophet (pbuh) and such a close one too. -
20:03 - 20:06He was present in all the battles,
he heard all the Friday sermons, -
20:06 - 20:08he heard the Prophet's (pbuh)
call to embrace Islam. -
20:08 - 20:09He was among the Huffaaz
(memorizers of the Quran), -
20:09 - 20:11he learnt the Quran from the
Prophet (pbuh) himself. -
20:11 - 20:15He read the Quran. This was his
extraordinary station. -
20:15 - 20:18Syedna Umar is not some
common man. -
20:18 - 20:23So can it be accepted that Quran was
being revealed in more than one Qirat, -
20:23 - 20:26and it did not come to Umar's knowledge
for eighteen years? -
20:28 - 20:31Eighteen years is not a small period
of time. -
20:31 - 20:35It would mean that if he would not have
prayed Salat behind Hisham ibn Hakeem, -
20:35 - 20:38and if two more years would
have passed, -
20:38 - 20:40then suddenly fifteen more people could
have claimed that -
20:40 - 20:43the Prophet (pbuh) was teaching us the
Quran in secret on a different Qirat. -
20:43 - 20:47And is the Quran something to
be taught in secret? -
20:47 - 20:53Whoever will read the Quran will know
that it is not a book -
20:53 - 20:57that a writer is writing it while sitting
in isolation. -
20:57 - 21:00The situation with the Quran is that
those Surahs are being read -
21:00 - 21:02before its addressees.
-
21:02 - 21:05So debates are being held about those
Surahs, questions are raised about them, -
21:05 - 21:06all of these things are happening
constantly. -
21:06 - 21:10So if it was stated that in the Meccan
period itself -
21:10 - 21:12one Qirat was revealed at one point of
time and another at a different time, -
21:12 - 21:14alright, we will hold our tongue
about it for sometime. -
21:14 - 21:17But this narration itself is telling us
that for eighteen years, -
21:17 - 21:20even Syeda Umar did not know
of it. -
21:20 - 21:22And if Syedna Umar did not come to
know of it, -
21:22 - 21:24when and where did this whole incident
take place? -
21:24 - 21:26Where exactly did that revelation
take place then? -
21:26 - 21:29On a rational plain, this narration
is so improbable, -
21:29 - 21:31that it cannot be accepted under
any circumstances. -
21:31 - 21:35Either one has to believe that
Syedna Umar did not hear of it. -
21:35 - 21:38So the one listening to the recitation
by Hisham was not Syedna Umar. -
21:38 - 21:39Either one has to believe this.
-
21:39 - 21:43Or you would have to believe that
Syedna Umar also converted that very day. -
21:43 - 21:48If you look at all the narrations about
the recitations of the Quran, -
21:48 - 21:50all of them go back to Syedna Umar
himself! -
21:50 - 21:52That is, he is among the great Ulama
of the Quran. -
21:52 - 21:54He was a Companion of the Prophet (pbuh)
day and night. -
21:54 - 21:58He has been granted the great honor of
being buried next to the Prophet (pbuh). -
22:00 - 22:02So what is this incident that has
occurred? -
22:02 - 22:03What does it mean exactly?
-
22:03 - 22:07What impression does the narrator of
this report intend to convey? -
22:07 - 22:11Does he want to say that the Prophet
(pbuh) used to teach the Quran -
22:11 - 22:16to some people separately in secret with a
different recitation? -
22:16 - 22:21And neither Abu Bakr, nor Umar,
nor any other people found out about it? -
22:21 - 22:24What does it mean to say that Umar
did not know of it? -
22:24 - 22:27It means that he never heard the
Prophet (pbuh) -
22:27 - 22:30recite the Quran in a different way
in the Friday sermons, -
22:30 - 22:33nor did he see him read it differently
during the prayers. -
22:33 - 22:34This is what it would mean right?
-
22:34 - 22:37But Syedna Umar is one who used to
read behind the Prophet (pbuh) -
22:37 - 22:40day and night. And we know about the
Prophet (pbuh) -
22:40 - 22:42that he would recite the Quran
for a long time. -
22:42 - 22:44Moreover, he was one of those Companions
who would join the Prophet (pbuh) -
22:44 - 22:46during Tahajjud prayers!
-
22:46 - 22:48'Taa'ifatum minallazina ma'ak'.
-
22:48 - 22:51During which the Prophet (pbub) would
recite approximately the entire Quran. -
22:51 - 22:54He is also among those Companions whom
the Prophet (pbuh) would often call -
22:54 - 22:56to listen to and to recite the Quran.
-
22:56 - 22:59So this incident does not make sense
in any way. -
22:59 - 23:02Only if someone closes his eyes to
the truth of the matter, -
23:02 - 23:04can he possibly come to believe it.
-
23:04 - 23:07But it cannot be taken to make
sense otherwise. -
23:07 - 23:09Hence I have written about it here,
-
23:16 - 23:20Fourthly, it is known that Hisham had
accepted Islam -
23:20 - 23:21on the day Mecca was conquered.
-
23:24 - 23:26This is on page number thirty one.
-
23:26 - 23:28Fourthly, it is known that Hisham had
accepted Islam -
23:28 - 23:30on the day Mecca was conquered.
-
23:30 - 23:36Hence if this Hadith is accepted, it would
mean that even after the conquest of Mecca -
23:36 - 23:42that is, for 18 years, the illustrious
Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) -
23:42 - 23:47and even a close associate like Umar
was unaware of the fact -
23:47 - 23:53that the Prophet (pbuh) secretly taught
the Quran in some other form and reading -
23:53 - 23:58from the one openly heard from him for
about twenty years -
23:58 - 24:02and preserved it in writing and in memory
according to his guidance. -
24:04 - 24:08So the Quran was being heard all the
time, was being recited, -
24:08 - 24:09it has been read out loud
during prayers, -
24:09 - 24:11its preservation has always been
ensured properly. -
24:11 - 24:15There is this whole chronicle on the
one hand, -
24:15 - 24:17and on the other hand is
this Hadith narration. -
24:17 - 24:20Every person can realize how grave
this claim is -
24:20 - 24:23and how far reaching
its affects are. -
24:23 - 24:29The outcome of this can be
imagined by every intelligent person. -
24:29 - 24:33Hence this narration, about the Quran
being revealed -
24:33 - 24:35in Seven Ahruf (Seven ways),
-
24:35 - 24:38cannot be acceptable in
any sense of the term. -
24:38 - 24:42It is logically flawed, it is
meaningless from a scholarly view, -
24:42 - 24:45and there is no circumstance
in which it can be accepted. -
24:45 - 24:48It would be akin to saying that with
regards to the narrations, -
24:48 - 24:51we decide that if its chain of
transmission is reliable, -
24:51 - 24:52then it should be seen as an
authentic report. -
24:52 - 24:56And then just like Suyuti we acknowledge
that only Allah knows its meaning. -
24:56 - 25:00There is that one position where one can
make peace with this narration. -
25:00 - 25:03But if one tries to determine its
meaning, -
25:03 - 25:07then after that one would have to
let go of the entire religious tradition. -
25:07 - 25:11For then one would have to accept
that nothing remains in it anymore. -
25:11 - 25:15Because if Syedna Umar did not know
even after twenty years -
25:15 - 25:17that Quran was being revealed in
another recitation as well, -
25:17 - 25:19then how can we rely on anyone
else's knowledge at all? -
25:19 - 25:21What is there to believe at all then?
-
25:21 - 25:25Even he was not aware. And as I
said, if two more years had passed -
25:25 - 25:29and there wouldn't have been anyone
going to the Prophet (pbuh) to ask! -
25:29 - 25:31What has happened right now is that
the narration tells us -
25:31 - 25:33that Umar took Hashim to the
Prophet (pbuh). -
25:33 - 25:37And you can listen to this as well
with bated breath. -
25:37 - 25:42This narration which I have taken,
since it relates to Syedna Umar -
25:42 - 25:44and therefore I have taken this
as the topic. -
25:44 - 25:47Otherwise this same narration about
multiple recitations, -
25:47 - 25:53becomes even more preposterous with
respect to another Companion. -
25:53 - 25:57That narration says that when
Hazrat Ubay Bin Ka'ab -
25:57 - 26:01saw a similar incident before him,
-
26:01 - 26:04naturally when this would be seen to
be happening after 19 or 20 years, -
26:04 - 26:05what would happen?
-
26:05 - 26:09So he too went to the Prophet (pbuh)
in a similarly agitated manner. -
26:10 - 26:14And he asked the Prophet (pbuh)
about what this is. -
26:14 - 26:17And that is what he should have
asked too. -
26:17 - 26:20Because for twenty years I was
reading the Quran in a certain way, -
26:20 - 26:24but some person is reading the Quran
in a different manner. -
26:24 - 26:26So the Prophet (pbuh) told him,
the Quran was revealed thus. -
26:26 - 26:28Just like it says in this narration too.
-
26:28 - 26:30He told them both that it was
revealed thus. -
26:30 - 26:34So he said that 'I felt I have
lost my faith'. -
26:34 - 26:38The narration says that 'I felt that
I am no longer a believer'. -
26:40 - 26:43So you can imagine his condition
yourself. -
26:43 - 26:47So after that the Prophet (pbuh)
touched my chest and I was cured. -
26:47 - 26:48Because it was imperative to
cure him, -
26:48 - 26:52and without a healing touch, our
minds wouldn't believe that miracle. -
26:52 - 26:54There was no other way to
play it out. -
26:54 - 26:56There was no other option, and the
reason for that is -
26:56 - 26:59that this situation gives rise to such
a delicate question, -
26:59 - 27:02that after that question, only that
action should have followed, -
27:02 - 27:04which has been narrated in
that report. -
27:04 - 27:07One figures from this that the people
who have written this narration, -
27:07 - 27:10they themselves realized what
would follow as a consequence. -
27:10 - 27:13So they have provided a cure for it
in this other narration. -
27:13 - 27:17That if your faith too comes under
doubt, you can know that -
27:17 - 27:19it will be only by the Prophet's (pbuh)
touch. -
27:19 - 27:22There is no other way for it to go.
-
27:22 - 27:24Because one cannot convince oneself
based on reason and rationality. -
27:24 - 27:27The reaction of Syedna Umar too
which has been mentioned here -
27:27 - 27:28is similarly grave and extreme.
-
27:28 - 27:31In this narration, he says it
was difficult for him, -
27:31 - 27:33if you were to believe the tradition,
-
27:33 - 27:35he says he finished his prayers with
much difficulty, -
27:35 - 27:38and then he dragged Hashim to
the Prophet (pbuh). -
27:38 - 27:41In a way saying, come with me,
I will teach you a lesson. -
27:41 - 27:43Just imagine for a while, it has
been twenty years, -
27:43 - 27:45and it is the Quran after all.
-
27:45 - 27:48If someone had said to Syedna Umar,
and it has happened, -
27:48 - 27:50that for instance some people said
to Syedna Umar, -
27:50 - 27:54that the Prophet (pbuh) had said that
if you go to visit someone at their house, -
27:54 - 27:58and you knock there three times,
but you get no response, -
27:58 - 28:00then turn around and come back.
-
28:00 - 28:03So Umar investigated this, because this
is a statement -
28:03 - 28:05which can be said to anyone.
-
28:05 - 28:07It is something which can be told
to one person as advice. -
28:07 - 28:10A person like Syedna Umar can be
unaware of it. -
28:10 - 28:12That does not go against reason.
-
28:12 - 28:15One statement related to etiquette
the Prophet (pbuh) told to someone, -
28:15 - 28:17and Umar did not hear about it.
-
28:17 - 28:20And even in that the reaction he had,
it is said that he ordered the man, -
28:20 - 28:23bring a second witness otherwise
I will teach you a lesson. -
28:23 - 28:27Because you people relate such
reports, then bring another witness. -
28:27 - 28:30Even in this he reacted, although one
cannot rationally object to that, -
28:30 - 28:32for it is possible it could have
happened. -
28:32 - 28:33There are many such things that
could occur. -
28:33 - 28:36For instance I have told you something
and no one else hears of it. -
28:36 - 28:39And it is related to general etiquette.
But the Quran! -
28:39 - 28:43That Quran about which it says itself
that the Prophet (pbuh) -
28:43 - 28:47took the trouble to convey each and every
word of it to the people. -
28:47 - 28:51It was being recited, it was being
conveyed, it was being read aloud. -
28:51 - 28:55And this narration tells us that for
twenty years he was unaware of it. -
28:55 - 28:57Who? Umar was not aware of it!
-
28:57 - 29:01So if Umar was not aware of it, then
keep these recitations at your home. -
29:01 - 29:05The ones that Umar was unaware of,
for twenty years! -
29:05 - 29:08So no thread of this narration is
correct. -
29:08 - 29:12In every sense, it is an unacceptable
opinion to hold. -
29:13 - 29:18After that, I have written that same is
the case of the narratives, -
29:18 - 29:20similar is the case of the narratives
-
29:20 - 29:24which in the time of the Caliphs Abu Bakr
and Uthman, -
29:24 - 29:30record the collection and arrangement of
the Quran in the books of Hadith. -
29:30 - 29:34If you go to this chapter in the books
of Hadith, -
29:34 - 29:39you will see that the way this narration
is utterly opposed to reason, -
29:39 - 29:41it goes against all knowledge.
-
29:41 - 29:45And to go against reason and knowledge
does not mean -
29:45 - 29:47that it is against the knowledge
of Einstein. -
29:47 - 29:51It is against the common sense, which
God has given to every human being, -
29:51 - 29:54and in light of which we believe in
the religion of Allah, Islam. -
29:54 - 29:58This narration is akin to saying that for
twenty three years -
29:58 - 30:00the Prophet (pbuh) taught about
prophethood, -
30:00 - 30:02and all of a sudden, after twenty three
years Umar found out that -
30:02 - 30:05God have mercy, he was teaching
about idolatry! -
30:05 - 30:08This narration creates a similar
outrageous kind of situation. -
30:08 - 30:12So a scenario of this kind which we
have seen in this narration, -
30:12 - 30:15exactly the same situation is of those
narrations too -
30:15 - 30:18in which the account of the compilation
and arrangement of Quran is given. -
30:18 - 30:21The Quran is being recited day and night,
it is being memorized by the people, -
30:21 - 30:23the Quran is being read in
prayers. -
30:23 - 30:26On the one hand we see the Quran
is making a claim -
30:26 - 30:28that O Prophet, you need not
worry at all, -
30:28 - 30:35for We will compile the entire Quran
and the situations you are unaware of, -
30:35 - 30:38that is, the Prophet was receiving the
Quran is his own time and age, -
30:38 - 30:39but the other situations God
knows very well. -
30:39 - 30:42So accordingly We will give it to
you again with another recitation. -
30:42 - 30:47And after arranging it, the second
recitation is the one you have to follow. -
30:47 - 30:49All of this the Quran has stated itself.
-
30:49 - 30:51Compiling it, ordering and arranging it.
-
30:51 - 30:55In fact it even says that if there is
a question you still have about this, -
30:55 - 30:59if there is still a doubt you have
not understood, -
30:59 - 31:01then We will clarify that for
you as well. -
31:01 - 31:02This is what the Quran is telling us.
-
31:02 - 31:03And this is just what history
also tells us, -
31:03 - 31:05that there was only one recitation
according to which -
31:05 - 31:07Abu Bakr read the Quran, and Umar
and Uthman did too. -
31:07 - 31:09We have already studied all
this in the previous session. -
31:09 - 31:12All of this can be seen. After that
what suddenly happens is, -
31:12 - 31:15that the work of compiling and
arranging the Quran is being done, -
31:15 - 31:18but sometimes a verse is misplaced
and can't be found, -
31:18 - 31:20or some Surah is missing and that
is being searched. -
31:20 - 31:22Sometimes two or four went missing.
-
31:22 - 31:24This was the story that we confront
after this. -
31:24 - 31:30And then, in the time of Syedna Uthman,
there is this same story again. -
31:30 - 31:32Same is the case of the narratives
which -
31:32 - 31:35in the time of the caliphs Abu Bakr
and Uthman, -
31:35 - 31:39record the collection and arrangement of
the Quran in the books of Hadith. -
31:39 - 31:41These narrations too...
-
31:41 - 31:45Well the implication of the
usage of this word is that -
31:45 - 31:49it has come through different chains.
Otherwise the narration is the same. -
31:49 - 31:52Actually the narration is the same
in its substance. -
31:52 - 31:57So it is just one same narration, and
I have not done any debate about it here. -
31:57 - 31:58The reason for that is that
-
31:58 - 32:01it would come under the topic of
compilation and arrangement of the Quran, -
32:01 - 32:03but I am only discussing about
the recitations of the Quran here. -
32:03 - 32:07Otherwise I would have shown you
that it is word for word the same one. -
32:07 - 32:10So those things are found in its
very text, the same as in this narration. -
32:10 - 32:12That you can try your best to explain
it by saying that -
32:12 - 32:14it is a difference of pronunciation
and dialect, -
32:14 - 32:16but the very text of the narration is
telling us that that cannot be the case. -
32:16 - 32:18The same is the situation with
the other narration. -
32:18 - 32:23As mentioned in the beginning of this
discussion, the Quran specifies clearly -
32:24 - 32:28that it was arranged and collected
under the direct guidance of Allah, -
32:28 - 32:32during the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh).
-
32:32 - 32:37So in this regard, there is no need to
even turn to any historical narration. -
32:37 - 32:40Quran itself makes it very clear.
-
32:40 - 32:44The Quran has told us, it has made
it absolutely clear, -
32:44 - 32:47that We will recite the entire Quran
for you, -
32:47 - 32:50and then you will read the Quran
according to that recitation, -
32:50 - 32:54and its compilation and the second
reading, that is Our responsibility. -
32:54 - 32:58In fact, if there is a need to further
elaborate and explain anything, -
32:58 - 33:00that too will be our responsibility.
-
33:01 - 33:04[Student] If this narration has been
under question, -
33:05 - 33:08why didn't the scholars simply
reject it then? -
33:08 - 33:11[Ghamidi] Let it remain, how is it
bothering you? -
33:11 - 33:13It is enough that we have
critiqued it. -
33:13 - 33:16As mentioned in the beginning of
this discussion, -
33:16 - 33:19the Quran specifies clearly that it was
arranged and collected -
33:19 - 33:24in the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh)
under the direct guidance of Allah. -
33:24 - 33:28On the other hand, these narratives
present an entirely different picture -
33:28 - 33:33which is not only against the Quran
but also against common sense. -
33:35 - 33:37In 'si'aah',
-
33:37 - 33:41'Si'aah' means the six canonical books
of Hadith, -
33:41 - 33:46which are considered the most reliable
ones based on their chain of transmission. -
33:46 - 33:50The principles which the scholars of the
science of Hadith have laid down -
33:50 - 33:52to evaluate the chain of transmission,
-
33:52 - 33:56based on those the books of Hadith
which are available to us today, -
33:56 - 33:59they are not one or two but are
dozens of them. -
33:59 - 34:03But out of them, six books have the
stature of credibility, -
34:03 - 34:06for most of the narrations in them
are reliable. -
34:06 - 34:09And in Bukhari and Muslim collections,
there are very few narrations -
34:09 - 34:12about which one can debate the credibility
of their chain of transmission. -
34:12 - 34:14Otherwise usually, they are reliable
as far as their Isnaads go. -
34:14 - 34:17Therefore those books are
called 'si'aah'. -
34:17 - 34:22In the six canonical books this particular
narrative as well as the other narrations, -
34:22 - 34:24in the six canonical books they
are primarily recorded -
34:24 - 34:26on the authority of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri.
-
34:26 - 34:29So these are the few words about the
chain of transmission of the narration. -
34:29 - 34:34You know about this chain that even if it
might have begun with Umar or Abu Bakr, -
34:34 - 34:37the question is how did it reach us?
-
34:40 - 34:41Yes?
-
34:41 - 34:43I mean according to the Muhaddisiin
(Hadith experts). -
34:43 - 34:47According to the Muhaddisiin, it is
not an objectionable narration. -
34:47 - 34:50They accept the authority of Ibn
Shihab al-Zuhri. -
34:50 - 34:53I am going to talk about him now,
and the Muhaddisiin say about him -
34:53 - 34:55that he is ameer-ul-momineen fil hadith
(chief of Muslims in hadith). -
34:55 - 34:58But listen to a few things
about him. -
35:00 - 35:02In the six canonical books, these
narrations are primarily recorded -
35:02 - 35:04on the authority of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri.
-
35:04 - 35:05That is, he is the one who has
narrated them, really. -
35:05 - 35:07If you were to compile all the
chains of transmissions, -
35:07 - 35:09then they are the actual reliable
ones. The only authentic ones. -
35:09 - 35:11So there are some other chains of
transmissions as well. -
35:11 - 35:14But in the primary canonical texts, they
have come from him. -
35:16 - 35:19Yes? Yes, those are the reports
which have come down from him. -
35:19 - 35:21In the six canonical books, these
narrations are primarily recorded -
35:21 - 35:23on the authority of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri.
-
35:23 - 35:26Scholars of rijaal, the people who are
-
35:26 - 35:29authorities on the research
regarding rijaal (Narrators), -
35:29 - 35:33all fully concur on the fact that
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri -
35:33 - 35:36is guilty of two things for certain.
-
35:36 - 35:40One is tadlis (hiding mistakes) and the
other is idraaj (interpolation). -
35:40 - 35:43Tadlis is a terminology of the
science of Hadith. -
35:43 - 35:48Tadlis means that the one who
is narrating, -
35:49 - 35:53hides a link in the chain of transmission,
i.e. a name of one person, in the report. -
35:55 - 36:00In the chain of transmission, he does not
want to mention the authority of someone. -
36:01 - 36:04If that link in the chain is mentioned, it
might create some issues. -
36:04 - 36:05This is called tadlis.
-
36:06 - 36:10It is something that calls for
strong condemnation. -
36:10 - 36:15You are narrating a report, so you must
say from whom you have heard it. -
36:15 - 36:19If there is an opportunity that someone
in the chain will be removed, then he is. -
36:19 - 36:21What does it mean to say
'if there is an opportunity'? -
36:21 - 36:26For instance, these two people are
contemporaries of each other. -
36:26 - 36:29I have actually gotten this narration
from this person. -
36:29 - 36:32And he has gotten it from this
other person. -
36:32 - 36:38But since I knew that people will object
to the authority of the first person, -
36:38 - 36:41when I related the narration,
I say I got it from him instead. -
36:41 - 36:45Now it is not so easy to catch this
deception. -
36:47 - 36:50The reason for that is, all of us
are contemporaries. -
36:50 - 36:54And there is proof of my meeting
with both these gentlemen. -
36:54 - 36:57So one would think that alright,
it is fine. -
36:57 - 36:59The narration is correct, there can't
be a break in it. -
36:59 - 37:03So this is just one example, but it
happens in many different ways too. -
37:07 - 37:11Yes. So doing this is naturally a crime.
But it occurs in many other forms. -
37:11 - 37:15I have only told you this as an
example, that the narrator is concealed. -
37:15 - 37:20For instance, Hazrat Imam Malik in
his al-Muwatta, -
37:20 - 37:27related at some places that the narration
I am doing is 'amman assiku-hu'. -
37:27 - 37:30That is, I am referring to the authority
of someone who I consider trustworthy. -
37:33 - 37:35He has said this himself. There are
many narrations in -
37:35 - 37:40al-Muwatta of Imam Malik, in which
he has said 'amman assikuhu'. -
37:40 - 37:43Now when Imam Malike says
'amman assikuhu', -
37:43 - 37:45then of course many people of
subsequent generations -
37:45 - 37:48wanted to see who that
narrator was. -
37:48 - 37:51So that 'amman assikuhu' in al-Muwatta
of Imam Malik -
37:51 - 37:54refers to Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri
ninety nine percent of the time. -
37:55 - 37:58Now this is not something over which
there is any need to investigate. -
37:58 - 38:02Because for all those narrations, we know
from their other chains of transmissions -
38:02 - 38:05through other sources, and the latter
Muhaddisiin have mentioned them. -
38:05 - 38:09Imam Malik's 'Amman assikuhu' is
referring to Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri usually. -
38:09 - 38:13Similarly, what Imam Malik sometimes
does is that -
38:13 - 38:15he removes the narrators in the middle
of the chain, -
38:15 - 38:17and after that he would relate it
on the authority of the original source. -
38:17 - 38:20That he heard it directly from so and so.
This is called 'balaaghaat-e Imam Malik'. -
38:20 - 38:23So in that he does not convey the entire
chain of narration, -
38:23 - 38:25but rather removes one or two
people from the middle. -
38:25 - 38:28Moreover, in his time since this
science hadn't been fully established, -
38:28 - 38:30so this was not considered
objectionable. -
38:30 - 38:33So leave it aside. Because back then
people used to think -
38:33 - 38:35that a statement has reached them
and they have related it. -
38:35 - 38:39This can be placed in the category of
having an 'opitimistic view' of someone. -
38:39 - 38:43But phrase 'amman assikuhu'
itself is telling us -
38:43 - 38:47that others object to it but he
himself did not. -
38:47 - 38:50And this truth will be revealed
to you soon enough. -
38:50 - 38:53In the 6 Hadith books they are recorded
on the authority of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri. -
38:53 - 38:56All of these narrations, so the ones
about the compilation of the Quran, -
38:56 - 38:58as well as these ones have in reality
come from him. -
38:58 - 39:01And I will tell you the truth of this
'in reality' that I have said as well. -
39:01 - 39:04When an absurd narration such as this
one comes from somewhere, -
39:04 - 39:07then to legitimize it, a lot of chains of
transmissions are invented. -
39:07 - 39:09But that is a separate debate.
-
39:09 - 39:11So actually they come on the authority of
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri. -
39:11 - 39:12Authorities of rijaal regard him to be
guilty of tadlis. -
39:12 - 39:16Tadlis I have already explained to you.
Let us also see what idraaj means. -
39:16 - 39:20Both of these terms, usually one
reads in the books of rijaal -
39:20 - 39:23that so and so used to do tadlis, or
someone else did idraaj, -
39:23 - 39:27and the reader thinks tadlis must be a
great thing. -
39:27 - 39:29Because after all it used to
be acceptable. -
39:29 - 39:31But tadlis is in fact worthy of
great condemnation. -
39:31 - 39:35Even about tadlis some people keep
an optimistic view, -
39:35 - 39:37some of the experts of the science
of Hadith, -
39:37 - 39:39that since this science was not
established in that time, -
39:39 - 39:42so it is possible that the narrator was
not removed from the middle -
39:42 - 39:43with any bad intention.
-
39:43 - 39:46So this is fine, this can be said.
-
39:46 - 39:48But nevertheless, why was someone
removed at all? -
39:48 - 39:50What was the reason? This question
remains right? -
39:50 - 39:53And if the narration that is being
related, is this one, -
39:53 - 39:56then that creates a lot of issues.
-
39:57 - 40:00So this is one aspect. The meaning
of idraaj is, -
40:01 - 40:04suppose I am narrating a tradition.
-
40:04 - 40:09I started relating a statement of
the Prophet (pbuh). -
40:09 - 40:12In between I added my own words.
-
40:13 - 40:16Or added some explanation.
-
40:16 - 40:21And I did not specify if the Prophet
(pbuh) had said it or I am saying it. -
40:22 - 40:28Similarly, I got part of a narration from
him, and then from him, -
40:28 - 40:31and some parts from a third and
a fourth person. -
40:31 - 40:35Now the science of Hadith requires
that whatever I have gotten from him, -
40:35 - 40:40I should specify it. And then specify
what I got from the second person. -
40:40 - 40:43And then again relate the part I
got from the third person separately. -
40:43 - 40:45So when I am relating a narration,
-
40:45 - 40:47and I am not talking about the issues
which arise about it today. -
40:47 - 40:49Today we talk from the standpoint
of meaning. -
40:49 - 40:51But when I am narrating a Hadith
about the Prophet (pbuh), -
40:51 - 40:53I would mention all this right?
-
40:53 - 40:57I would tell that I got this part of the
narration from so and so person, -
40:57 - 40:58and this much from a second person.
-
40:58 - 41:02But Imam Zuhri did not follow
this protocal. Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri. -
41:02 - 41:06What he evidently does is that he
would combine narrations of 4 people -
41:06 - 41:08and make a story out of it and then
relate it. -
41:08 - 41:14Hence, a very evident example of this
is Hadith al-ifk in Bukhari. -
41:14 - 41:20The infamous incident about Syeda Ayesha
that she was subject to an accusation -
41:20 - 41:23and the Quran then clarified the
incident. -
41:23 - 41:26That narration also comes from
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri. -
41:26 - 41:30So this accusation against
Syeda is also related by him. -
41:30 - 41:33So if you open Bukhari, you'll find that
this narration starts like this... -
41:33 - 41:36he is saying that I heard from so
and so, -
41:36 - 41:39and I left something from the first
narration, added something to the second, -
41:39 - 41:41and bringing it all together I am
relating this narration to you. -
41:41 - 41:43These are the actual words in
the text. -
41:43 - 41:46So he is stating his 'idraaj' himself.
-
41:46 - 41:49The way it is mentioned in the Quran
about the Prophet (pbuh), -
41:49 - 41:52he told one of his wives a secret and
she did not keep the secret. -
41:52 - 41:55So he reprimanded her a little and then
did not share the whole secret with her. -
41:55 - 42:00That is a very laudable thing in that
situation, but here, -
42:00 - 42:01what are you narrating?
-
42:01 - 42:05The story you are making up would
completely change the events as a result. -
42:05 - 42:08You must relate all four reports
separately first. -
42:08 - 42:12And only after that you can give
it a comprehensive form. -
42:12 - 42:16Then we will have a way to investigate
what you have added into it. -
42:16 - 42:18So these are the various ways of
doing idraaj. -
42:18 - 42:24Authorities of rijaal concur on the fact
that he was guilty of tadlis and idraaj. -
42:24 - 42:28The scholars of rijaal, the authorites of
the science of rijaal, -
42:28 - 42:31Zuhri is their ameer-ul- momineen fil
hadith as well, -
42:31 - 42:35and simultaneously they hold him guilty
of these two acts too. -
42:35 - 42:39There is no dispute about this,
every single person concurs with this. -
42:39 - 42:43No one defends it. And defense is what
I already told you. -
42:43 - 42:45That he is from among the learned
men of that era, -
42:45 - 42:47about whom it is better to hold
a favorable opinion. -
42:47 - 42:49And because the science of Hadith
hadn't been born yet. -
42:49 - 42:53Alright, let us accept this reasoning
for a while -
42:53 - 42:57and look upon it favorably since in that
time, the methodology hasn't established -
42:57 - 43:00and people used to convey such narration
without proper regard. -
43:00 - 43:03Let us accept it. But what he narrates
is always of this nature. Why so? -
43:03 - 43:08Be it is the absurd, illogical account
of the accusation on Syeda Ayesha, -
43:08 - 43:10or this narration regarding the Quran,
-
43:10 - 43:13or whether it was about the Prophet (pbuh)
on his deathbed, -
43:13 - 43:16asking for a sheet of paper, and the reply
of Syedna Umar Farooq, -
43:16 - 43:20'God's refuge! God have mercy!
He seems to be in delirium'. -
43:20 - 43:22Why are there always these kinds
of narrations by him? -
43:22 - 43:25By Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri. And why doesn't
anyone else relate such things? -
43:25 - 43:30When we look at any narration, there
is either Hazrat Umar being reproached, -
43:30 - 43:33or Syeda Ayesha is being accused.
What is the reason for this? -
43:33 - 43:36This is the question and I have placed
it before you. -
43:36 - 43:39Authorities of rijaal regard him to be
guilty of tadlis and idraaj. -
43:39 - 43:40Yes?
-
43:41 - 43:45Authorities of rijaal mean the
scholars -
43:45 - 43:50who study and investigate the narrators
in a Hadith's chain of transmission. -
43:50 - 43:54They tell you who that person was,
can he be considered trustworthy, -
43:54 - 43:56what was the reliance over his
memory, they study all this. -
43:56 - 43:59This is an extraordinary discipline.
Something we Muslims can take pride in. -
43:59 - 44:02See nothing is devoid of flaws, but it is
an esteemed science, -
44:02 - 44:04and a lot of work has been done
in this. -
44:04 - 44:09To determine the life conditions of
32,000 people, to convey them, -
44:09 - 44:14and then to investigate them as
far as possible, is an immense task. -
44:14 - 44:18So this is one thing. This is something
which the Muhaddisiin state themselves. -
44:18 - 44:20The authorities of rijaal state this
themselves -
44:20 - 44:23that he was guilty of both tadlis
and idraaj. -
44:23 - 44:26Both of these things have been
established about him. -
44:26 - 44:29This debate, the one about tadlis
and idraaj, -
44:29 - 44:32if you want to read it in
great detail, -
44:32 - 44:35and of course most of these are
in Arabic language, -
44:35 - 44:38and in the books of rijaal which
are of a very specialized nature, -
44:38 - 44:43and in which the method of debate
is also very technical and specialized, -
44:43 - 44:46so a common man does not find it
easy to read them. -
44:46 - 44:50But two people have done extraordinary
debates about these. -
44:50 - 44:54First are the scholars who have written
about hadith al-ifk in our times, -
44:54 - 44:57among them is Hakeem Niaz Sahab too
who has a book as well -
44:57 - 44:58about the incident of Ifk (slander
against Ayesha). -
44:58 - 45:00There are other scholars too
who have written about it. -
45:00 - 45:01So naturally he had to address
the whole debate. -
45:01 - 45:04So he has collected a lot of material
about it. -
45:04 - 45:08And the second, and a lot of
people would know about it, -
45:08 - 45:12that there is a great esteemed scholar
from our Punjab itself, -
45:12 - 45:16who has written a great book entitled
Ruhama'u Baynahum. -
45:16 - 45:20It is about the interpersonal relations
of the Companions. -
45:20 - 45:23He has written about that.
Usually, since in the later eras, -
45:23 - 45:26the discord among them became the
main subject of discourse, -
45:26 - 45:27so he has focused on their relations.
-
45:27 - 45:31Even in that, since most of the narrations
about the Companions -
45:31 - 45:34which are the basis of reproach against
them, come from him only, -
45:34 - 45:37so Maulana Muhammad Nafe' also
wrote three or four volumes -
45:37 - 45:39of Ruhama'u Baynahum, in which he has
done a very refined discussion -
45:39 - 45:41about Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri.
-
45:41 - 45:45So if anyone wants to read about it in
more detail, you can refer to those books. -
45:46 - 45:49Yes Tamanna Imadi also has a whole
book, but who will read him? -
45:49 - 45:52The issue with Tamanna Imadi is that
he is a great researcher, -
45:52 - 45:56a highly esteemed person, but it seems
that there is a junkyard of information, -
45:56 - 45:59of ideas and thoughts, of critique
and analysis, -
45:59 - 46:01which he has dumped onto
some pages. -
46:01 - 46:04Now it is your tenacity whether you
can manage to comprehend it. -
46:04 - 46:08So there is no style of composition,
of compilation or order to be found in it. -
46:08 - 46:09So it is quite difficult to read.
-
46:12 - 46:14Yes? No his book is in Urdu.
-
46:14 - 46:18That is why I said that the ones who
want to read in Urdu, they can. -
46:18 - 46:20Along with this, so it is a given
that both of these things are there. -
46:20 - 46:22Tadlees and idraaj are a given.
-
46:22 - 46:25There is no dispute about them.
-
46:25 - 46:28Besides these, if some other facets of
his personality are kept in consideration, -
46:28 - 46:34which are referred to by Imam al-Layth ibn
Sa'd in his letter to Imam Malik, -
46:34 - 46:38then none of the narratives reported by
him regarding such important issues -
46:38 - 46:40can be seen as acceptable.
-
46:40 - 46:46Imam al-Layth ibn Sa'd himself is an
Imam of the same stature as Imam Malik. -
46:46 - 46:49He is among the most esteemed scholars.
-
46:49 - 46:53Imam al-Layth ibn Sa'd wrote a letter to
Imam Malik, -
46:53 - 46:56which has been archived in our
historical records. -
46:56 - 46:59And here I have cited it as well, you
can see the whole letter yourself. -
46:59 - 47:02It is available written in his own hand.
-
47:02 - 47:06In that, he has commented upon
Zuhri as well. -
47:06 - 47:09And it seems that since Imam Malik
trusted Zuhri, -
47:09 - 47:13and Imam al-Layth ibn Sa'd used to
criticize him. -
47:13 - 47:17So because of this, Imam Malik
used to be unhappy with Sa'd. -
47:17 - 47:19So this letter has been written
in the backdrop of this entire context. -
47:19 - 47:23I have excerpted a part of the letter
here. -
47:23 - 47:26This is the letter of Imam al-Layth
ibn Sa'd, -
47:26 - 47:30and the book is I'lamul Muqayin,
written by Ibn-e-Qayyim. -
47:30 - 47:33Two pronunciations of this book title
are correct, -
47:33 - 47:37I'lamul Muqayin and I'lamul
Muwaqi'in. -
47:37 - 47:41The reason for that is I'qaa and
tau'qee are synonyms, -
47:41 - 47:44which mean mul'himeen.
-
47:45 - 47:47So this is the book by Ibn-e Qayyim.
-
47:47 - 47:51In its third volume, on page numbers
84 and 85, this whole letter is copied. -
47:51 - 47:54Now see what he writes.
-
47:54 - 47:58He says about Ibn Shihab, that I do not
consider him worthy of consideration. -
47:58 - 48:00I do not accept anything that he says.
-
48:00 - 48:03And he says to Imam Malik
that this distresses you, -
48:03 - 48:06this attitude of mine. And I will
tell you the reason for it. -
48:06 - 48:09So the reason he gives is, 'wakaana
yakoon min Ibn Shihab -
48:09 - 48:12ikhtilaf katheer iza laqeenahu.'
-
48:12 - 48:16When we would meet Ibn Shihab, there arose
a difference of opinion in many issues. -
48:16 - 48:19But that is no big deal.
-
48:19 - 48:23He then says, 'wa iza kaatabahu baazuna
farubamaa katabaa alayhi fi l shayl -
48:23 - 48:27wahid ala fazil raai'hi wa ilmihi
bisalasaati anwa yanquzu -
48:27 - 48:29baazahu baaza.'
-
48:29 - 48:33In that era, knowledge comprised
of collecting these narrations. -
48:33 - 48:38So he says that when any one of us would
ask him in writing about some issue, -
48:38 - 48:42in spite of being so learned, and he
certainly was a learned scholar, -
48:42 - 48:46he would give three very different
answers to the same question, -
48:46 - 48:49each of which would negate
the other. -
48:49 - 48:52So if I asked something he would give
one answer, -
48:52 - 48:54if someone else asks the same thing
he would give another answer. -
48:54 - 48:57And by a different answer I mean
the Hadith narrations. -
48:57 - 48:59So he would give one narration to someone
and another to someone else. -
48:59 - 49:01This was his response.
-
49:01 - 49:03And then he says that the situation
was that -
49:03 - 49:06'wala yashiro billazii maza min raa'i
fi zalik.' -
49:06 - 49:09So what opinion and statement he had
given prior to that, -
49:09 - 49:13and what he had told us earlier,
he would not even be aware of that. -
49:13 - 49:17This was the situation. Then he writes
'fahaaz alladi yadooni ila tarki ma'an -
49:17 - 49:18tartu tarki-iyaa.'
-
49:18 - 49:21It is because of these things that I had
left him, -
49:21 - 49:23something which you did not like.
-
49:23 - 49:28This issue with him, is actually the cause
of me leaving him. -
49:28 - 49:35And now in the contemporary times,
the books about Shia Rijaal are known too, -
49:35 - 49:37earlier there weren't many that
we knew about, -
49:37 - 49:43so this too you must know that
Shias consider him as one of their Imams. -
49:43 - 49:45The way we consider him as our
ameer-ul-momineen fil hadith, -
49:45 - 49:48he is one of their Imams of Hadith too.
-
49:48 - 49:51So this session comes to an end.
I think time is up? -
49:51 - 49:53Now there is a half hour break.
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