All praise is due to Allah and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon His messenger (saws). Verily the best speech is the book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad sallallahu alaihiwasallam and the worst of affairs are the newly invented matters and every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the fire. (Sahih Muslim Eng. Trans. Vol. 2 Page 40 no. 1885).
To proceed: The religion of Islam is that which has been ordained by Allah, fully explained by the prophet sallallahu alaihiwasallam as understood and practised by the salaf-us-saliheen (the pious predecessors which includes the Sahabah, Tabi’een and their followers).
The Sunnah has been preserved in its pristine purity in the books of Sunnah only because of the chain of narrators (isnaad) reaching up to the Prophet sallallahu alaihiwasallam, has been meticulously preserved by the Muhadditheen (Scholars of Hadeeth). In the words of Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak (died 181 A.H.) one of the very illustrious teachers of Imam al-Bukhari, who said: “The isnaad is part of the religion and had it not been for the isnaad, whoever wished would have said whatever he liked”
Reported by Imam Muslim in the introduction to his Sahih. (Sharh Sahih Muslim – Arabic Vol. 1 Page 87 published by Darul Kuthubul-Islamiyyah, Lebanon).
Only the narrations which reach the level of Saheeh (authentic) or Hasan (good) as defined by the Scholars (Muhadditheen) are suitable to be held as evidence in matter of belief Narrations which fail to reach these two standards will be collectively termed weak (Da’eef) and should not be attributed directly to the Prophet sallallahu alaihiwasallam in a definite form as clearly explained by Imam Nawawi in Sharh Sahih Muslim (Arabic Vol. 1, Page 81 – Darul Kuthubul Islamiyyah). Weak narrations provided their weakness is not severe, (i.e. There are no liars and / or fabricators and none suspected of lying or fabricating in the chain) can only be used to exhort or warn of a deed (amal) already sanctioned by the other authentic ahaadeeth (singular – hadeeth). If the weakness is severe (as in the case of false, fabricated, etc. ahaadeeth) it cannot be used for the above purpose as well. If such hadeeth are over to be quoted it should be only for the purpose of warning the Muslim community of false and fabricated ahaadeeth. Even then the defect should be clearly stated so that the ahaadeeth will not be attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alaihiwasallam. The Muhadditheen have collected such narrations for the purpose of warning the community, in separate books Few examples of such books are : 1. Ak-Maudhooaathul Kubra by Mulla Ali Qari. 2. Al-Maudhooaathul Sughra by Mulla Ali Qari. 3. Al-La’aali-ul-Masnuah fil Ahaadeethil Maudhoo’ah by Imaam Suyooti. 4. Thanzeehus Shareeathil Marfoo’ah anil Ahaadithish- Shaneeathul Maudoo’ah by Ibnul Iraq al-Kan’ani. Attributing a saying not told by the Prophet sallallahu alaihiwasallam to the Prophet is a very grave sin and will lead the person to Hell. It is reported from a large number of Sahabah from the Prophet sallallahu alaihiwasallam that he said: “Whoever lies on me intentionally then let him reserve his seat in hell.” (Sahih Bukhari. Eng. Trans. Book of Knowledge, Chapter – The sin of a person who tells a lie against the Prophet sallallahu alaihiwasallam Vol. 1 Hadeeth no 106 and also by Imam Muslim in his preface to Sahih Muslim). Also it will include a person among the liars as can be seen in the following two ahaadeeth also found in the preface to Sahih Muslim. 1. “Whoever narrated a hadeeth from me which is seen as a lie then he is one of the liars” [From Sharh Sahih Muslim (Arabic) by Imam Nawawi Vol. 1 Page 62 – Darul Kuthubul Islamiyyah] 2. “It is sufficient for a person to be a liar that he narrates all that he hears“ (page 73 of the book referred to above). And commenting on the above Imam Nawawi goes on to say “……. and there is no difference in the prohibition of lying on the Prophet either in what concerns the laws of the religion or in other than the laws like exhorting, warning, advising and the like of it, all of this is Haram (Forbidden). It is from the greatest of the grave sins and vilest of the abominable matters in the unanimous opinion of the Muslims ..etc” Obligation to Verify The Authenticity By: Akram Y Safadi  Allah Most High says in the Qur’ân (surat al-a`raf 7:33): {Say: My Lord has only forbidden indecencies, the inward and the outward, and sin, and wrongful oppression, and that you associate with Allah that for which He sent down never authority, and that you say concerning Allah that which you know not.} Allah Most High says in the Qur’ân (surat al-isra’ 17:36): {And follow not that whereof you have no knowledge. Surely, the hearing, the sight, the heart–all of those shall be questioned of.} Allah Most High says in the Qur’ân (surat al-talaq 65:2): {The Allah Most High says in the Qur’ân (surat al-hujurat 49:6): {O you who believe! If an unrighteous [3] bring you tidings, verify it, lest you afflict a people in ignorance, and then be sorry for what you did.} Muslim reported in his introduction to al-Saheeh (1/39): . . . A well-known athar (hadith) from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and his House and give them peace) states, “If anyone ascribes to me a hadith seeing [4] (or: which is seen [5]) that it is untrue, he is thereby one of the liars.” [6] Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah told us> Waki` told us> from Shu`bah> from al-Hakam> from `Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Laylah> from Samurah ibn Jundab>; AND, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah told us also> Waki` told us> from Shu`bah and Sufyan> from Habib> from Maymun ibn Abi Shabib> from al-Mughirah ibn Shu`bah>; They both (Samurah and al-Mughirah) said: the Messanger of Allah (Allah bless him and his House and give them peace) said that. Muslim reported in his introduction to al-Sahih (#1): Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah told us> Ghundar told us> from Shu`bah>; AND, Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna and Ibn Bashshar both told us, they said> Muhammad ibn Ja`far told us> Shu`bah told us>; from Mansur> from Rib`i ibn Hirash> that he heard `Ali (Allah be pleased with him) delivering a khutbah, he said> the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and his House and give them peace) said, “Do not lie about me, for he who lies about me will enter hell-fire.” [7] Muslim reported in his introduction to al-Sahih (#5): `Ubayd Allah ibn Mu`adh al-`Anbari told us> my father told us>; AND, Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna told us> `Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi told us>; they both said> Shu`bah told us> from khubayab ibn `Abd al-Rahman> from Hafs ibn `Asim> from Abu Hurayrah, he said> the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and his House and give them peace) said, “It is enough falsehood for a person to transmit everything he hears.” al-Shafi`i reported in al-Risalah (394#1090): `Abd al-`Aziz [told us]> from Muhammad ibn `Ajlan> from `Abd al-Wahhab ibn Bukht> from `Abd al-Wahid al-Nasri> from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa`> from the Prophet (Allah bless him and his House and give them peace), who said, “Surely, the greatest of lies is that who ascribes to me that which I did not say, and who claims to have dreamt what he did not dream, and who claims that he is the son of someone other than his own father.” [8] al-Shafi`i reported in al-Risalah (396/#1092): `Abd al-`Aziz [told us] from Muhammad ibn `Amr from Abu Salamah from Abu Hurayarah that the Messanger of Allah (Allah bless him and his House and give them peace) said, “Let him who ascribes to me what I did not say come to his abode in hell-fire.” [9] al-Shafi`i reported in al-Risalah (397/#1094): Sufyan [told us] from Muhammad ibn `Amr from Abu Salamah from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and his House and give them peace) said, “You may report about the Children of Israel and there is no blame [10]. Report about me, and do not lie about me.” Then, al-Shafi`i commented, This is the most emphatic hadith ever transmitted from the Messanger of Allah on this matter. We have relied on it as well as on other hadith-s in not accepting any hadith except from a trustworthy transmitter and we know the truthfulness of those who transmitted it from first to last. If someone would ask: What evidence is there in this hadith for what you have stated? It would be said: Knowledge has made it certain that the Prophet would never, in any circumstances, order anyone to lie about the Children of Israel nor about anyone else. So when he permitted the reporting from the Children of Israel, it was not the acceptance of lying about the Children of Israel that he permitted, but he permitted only the acceptance of that from a person who reported it, whose truthfulness or untruthfulness was not known. Nor did he permit it from a person whose untruthfulness was known, for it is transmitted from him that: “If anyone relates a report [11] seeing it [12] (or: he is shown [13]) to be untrue, he is thereby one of the liars.” And whoever relates from a liar is not guiltless of lying bacuse he sees the liar lying in his report. For finding the truth or falsity of most of the Hadith, there is no evidence except truthfulness or untruthfulness of the reporter. Except in a few special cases, where truth or falsity would be found if the transmitter reports what cannot possibly be the case, or what is contradicted by reports that is better established and is more indicative of the truth. Since the Messenger of Allah distinguished between reporting from him and reporting from the Children of Israel by saying: ” . . . Report from me, but do not lie about me.”; knowledge makes it certain, Allah willing, that the lying which he prohibited them from is the hidden lying. That is to report from one whose truthfulness is unknown, because lying is prohibited in all circumstances. Then, there is no lying greater than lying about the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him. Footnotes 1 By Akram Safadi; e-mail a-safadi@nwu.edu
of the Ahaadeeth
Alhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam ‘ala RasulillahÂ
Notes on the Hadith and Sunnah: Obligation to verify authenticity [1]
n, when they have reached their term, retain them in kindness or part from them in kindness, and call to witness two men of uprightness [2] among yourselves, and keep your testimony upright for Allah. . .}
2 Arabic: `adl
3 Arabic: fasiq
4 Arabic: yara
5 Arabic: yura
6 This is an authentic hadith. Also reported by Ibn Majah in al-Sunan (#31-33);
7 This is an authentic hadith. Also, reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad (#629, 630, 1000, 1001, 1292); al-Bukhari in al-Sahih (Fath al-Bari, 1/199/#106);
8 This is an authentic hadith. Also, reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad (3/491, 4/106, 4/107); al-Bukhari in al-Sahih (Fath al-Bari, 6/540/#3509);
9 This is an authentic hadith. Also, reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad (2/501); Ibn Majah in al-Sunan (#29);
10 Arabic: wa la haraj
11 hadith
12 Arabic: yarahu
13 Arabic: yurahu
