SC-539: HADITH METHODOLOGY HADITH PRESENTATION

SPRING 2019 DAVID D. CHRISNA

As will be seen in the discussion below, the central theme of the fifth, twenty-first and
twenty-eight hadiths is the exhortation to believe and practice the orthodox teaching of Islam and
cautions of heresy and innovation (bid’ah). I will base my analysis and presentation of the
hadiths on the English translation of Ibn-Daqiq’s book, Ibn-Daqiq’s Commentary on the Nawawi
Forty Hadiths.1

A. The Fifth Hadith

Mother of the Faithful, Umm-ʿAbdullah (the mother of ʿAbdullah), Aisha, may God be pleased
with her, said, “God’s Messenger, may God be pleased with him and his family, said, ‘Anything
invented outside the scope of our religion, by anyone, is rejected.’” – Reported by Al-Bukhari
and Muslim
In a report by Muslim, the text of the hadith is given, “Any deed outside the scope of our
religion, performed by anyone, is rejected.”

At the first look, we may assume that the second report just a variation of the first report.
The underlying message of the two is about things that stand or happen “outside the scope of our
religion . . . is rejected.” Ibn-Daqiq interpreted the clause “the scope of our religion” as referring
to sharia and the word “rejected” means invalid and inadmissible. However, when we take a
closer look at the two reports, each has different scope and emphasize. Both seem to inform or
complement each other.
Report 1 Report 2
a. Anything invented Any deed
b. outside the scope of our religion, outside the scope of our religion,
c. by anyone, performed by anyone
d. is rejected. is rejected.

The first report has a broader scope because it says “anything” which could be mean any
kind of teaching of doctrines, laws, or, ritual practices. Because of its broad scope, Ibn-Daqiq
called the hadith of the first report as “one of the inclusive hadiths.” Thus this hadith can be
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trans. by Arabic Virtual Translation Center (New York, NY: Arabic Virtual Translation Center, 2011).

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applied to every aspect of Islam as a religion. At the other side, this report also clearly stated,
“Anything invented outside the scope of our religion” which shows an exclusive tone. The hadith
implied that the religion of Islam has a set of certain boundaries that neither can be changed nor
broken. It is interesting Ibn-Daqiq pointed out that the hadith can be understood and used from
the other way around. He wrote, “This hadith has also been used by some orthodox Muslims to
show that invalidation requires corruption.” I interpret that sentence as follow. If someone wants
to invalidate any teaching or practice of Islam as a bid’ah, s/he has to prove that the teaching or
practice is a corrupt one.
The second report stresses its message particularly on the aspect of action or practice.
Ibn-Daqiq comments, “Some dissenters, who practice heresy, might use the first report of the
hadith to claim that they didn’t invent the heresy.” It seems that though the first report clearly
broad enough to address not only about teachings but also practices in its scope, some people can
use the hadith to validate their innovative practices as long as they do not claim any innovative
teaching. The second report strictly denies that assumption.

Critical Question
1. Ibn-Daqiq explained, “deriving branches from principles that do not go outside the boundary
of Sunna is not heresy.” How do we distinguish between the principles that are rightly derived
from the Sunna and those that are deviated or invented?

B. THE TWENTY-FIRST HADITH

Abu-ʿAmr, or Abu-ʿAmrah, Sufyan-Bin-ʿAbdullah, may God be pleased with him, said, “I asked
God’s Messenger, ‘Tell me something in Islam I will not ask anybody but you about?’” He
replied, “Say, ‘I believe in God’ and be straight.” – Reported by Muslim.

Ibn-Daqiq argues that Sufyan-Bin-ʿAbdullah was asking the Prophet “tell me something
in Islam, clear and comprehensive, to believe in and follow, that doesn’t require an explanation
from others.” This statement can be understood that Sufyan-Bin-ʿAbdullah was asking about the
core of Islam. Upon the answer of the Prophet, Ibn-Daqiq comments, “This short statement
encompasses the entire meaning of Islam and faith. The Prophet is ordering Sufyan to renew his
faith in words and deeds. He’s ordering him to be straight by performing righteous deeds and

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avoiding all transgressions. That is so because straightness is the opposite of crookedness and
implies the absence of any of it.” It appears to me that in his comment, Ibn-Daqiq emphasizes the
meaning of straight and the critical relationship between belief and practice. Thus the belief in
God should be shown and performed in righteous deeds. For that reason, I believe it is safe to
say that through his word the Prophet wanted to underline that Islam is a whole way of life. It
teaches and requires the right faith or belief and the right deeds in every aspect of life.2

Critical Question
1. What is the meaning of “I believe in God” or “belief in God”?
2. Why did Sufyan-Bin-ʿAbdullah ask the Prophet that question? Was he trying to get a special
revelation that the Prophet did not tell anybody else before?
3. What is the context of this conversation?
4. If we compare this hadith to the second hadith, can we say that the principle of Islam we find
in this hadith is the shorter and briefer version of the principle of Islam we find in the second
hadith

TWENTY-EIGHT HADITH
Abu-Najih, Al-ʿIrbad-Bin-Sariyah, may the Sublime God be pleased with him, said, “God’s
Messenger, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family, gave a sermon that
made our hearts tremble and our eyes tear; so we said, ‘Oh, God’s Messenger! This sounds
like a farewell sermon. Why don’t you leave us with some advice?’ He said, ‘I advise you to
fear God, the Mighty and Glorious, and to listen and obey even when you are ruled by a
slave, for those who live will see many changes, I advise you to follow my teachings and the
teachings of the rightly guided caliphs. Follow them closely and avoid new fallacies for
every heresy is a fallacy.’” Reported by Abu-Dawud and by Al-Tirmidhi who classified this
hadith as hasan sahih.

Commenting on this hadith, Ibn-Daqiq pointed to another report of (probably) the same
hadith, “God’s Messenger, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, gave a sermon that

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I think this is similar to the concept of orthodoxy (correct belief) and orthopraxy (correct practice, both
ethical and liturgical) in Christianity.

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made our hearts tremble, and our eyes tear; so we asked, ‘God’s Messenger, this is a
farewell sermon. What do you recommend that we do?’ He replied, ‘I am leaving you on a
straight path. It is as clear as day and night. Anyone who deviates from it will perish. Those
who live will see many changes. I advise you to follow my teachings and the teachings of the
rightly guided caliphs closely. Obey even when you are ruled by an Abyssinian slave for a
believer is like a submissive camel; it does what it is told.’”

Comparing the context of those reports, it is most likely that the two refer to or transmit
the same hadith in different words. Because the hadith consists of many essential parts, below I
try to put the two report side by side and analyze the meaning the hadith part by part.

Report 1 Report 2
A ‘I advise you to fear God, the Mighty and ‘I am leaving you on a straight path. It is as
Glorious, clear as day and night.

B Anyone who deviates from it will perish.

C and to listen and obey even when you are
ruled by a slave,
D for those who live will see many changes, Those who live will see many changes.
E I advise you to follow my teachings I advise you to follow my teachings
F and the teachings of the rightly guided and the teachings of the rightly guided
caliphs. Follow them closely and caliphs closely.
G Obey even when you are ruled by an
Abyssinian slave
H for a believer is like a submissive camel; it
does what it is told.’
I avoid new fallacies for every heresy is a
fallacy.’

From the table above, it appears to me that basically, the hadith has four main parts and
one extended explanation. The first is the correct teaching (point A). The second is the prediction
of change (point D). The third is the exhortation to follow and obey the teaching (point E and F).
The fourth is the warning of heresy (point B and I). The fifth or extended explanation is the
illustration of obeying (point C, G, and H).

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Point A: The Correct Teaching
If we assume that point A.1 (point A of report 1) and A.2 (point A of report 2) have the
same meaning, then we can interpret that the “straight path” of the Prophet (A.2) is his example,
advice or teaching to “fear God” (A.1). Thus this means the Prophet has set fear of God as the
right path of teaching for his follower to obey. Furthermore, the Prophet assured his interlocutor
(and all Muslims) that his teaching of fearing God is “as clear as day and night.”

Point B-I: The Warning of Heresy

Report 1 put the warning of heresy at the end of the saying, yet report 2 put it in the
beginning. Both of the reports have different wording of the warning. In the first report, the
warning was given as a command to “avoid new fallacies.” Regarding this command, Ibn-Daqiq
explained that there are two categories of novelties: “novelties that have no basis in sharia,”
which should be rejected, and “novelties that are based on other similar laws,” which should be
accepted. Thus not all novelties should be rejected, only those which have no basis and
“contradict sunna and lead to misguidance.” As in the second report, the warning was given as a
statement about the end, viz. perish, of those who deviate from “the right path” given by the
Prophet.

Point D: The Prediction of Change

Ibn-Daqiq interpreted the saying in point D, “Those who live will see many changes,” as to
show “some of the miracles of the Prophet for he was able to predict to his companions future
disagreements and the upcoming widespread of evil. He knew things in detail but didn’t reveal
them to everyone but gave general warnings.” I agree with Ibn-Daqiq that this saying can be
interpreted as referring to the period of disagreement among the companions after the Prophet
died. However, I want to argue that it is also possible that the saying refers to any time of change
or disagreement in Islamic history. This interpretation of the time of change depends on how we
interpret the meaning of “the rightly guided caliphs” in point F since it seems the two parts of the
saying are connected.

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Point E-F: Exhortation to Follow and Obey the Teaching
It seems evident that the statement, “I advise you to follow my teachings” of point E refers
back to the sunna or teaching of the Prophet in point A. Since this exhortation follows the
prediction of change (point D), it is possible to interpret this exhortation was given as the answer
to the condition of change. When the change is happening, what should Muslims do? Hold on
and follows the Prophet’s teaching and sunna. However, the Prophet confirmed that Muslims
should not only follow his teaching and sunna, they are also to follow “the teachings of the
rightly guided caliphs.” Who are the rightly guided caliphs? Islamic tradition confirmed four
names: Abu-Bakr, Umar Bin-Al-Khattab, Uthman Bin-Affan, and Ali Bin-Abi-Thalib.
Nonetheless, those names did not appear in the hadith. At least in this hadith, the Prophet did not
mention who and how many they are.

Point C-G-H: The Illustration of Obeying

There are two illustrations of obeying in this hadith. The first is “obey even when you are
ruled by an Abyssinian slave.” Ibn-Daqiq assures his reader that the mention of Abyssinia slave
as ruler is a figure of speech. Though it is possible a slave get a chance to be freed and then
becomes a ruler, it is unlikely for her or him to be both at the same time. Ibn-Daqiq argues that
the use of the Abyssinian slave in this hadith was to refer to the “upcoming corruption, where
things would turn upside down, to the point where slaves would be appointed rulers.” When
those days come, the Prophet exhorts the Muslims to follow and obey his teachings and the
teachings of the rightly guided caliphs.
The second illustration is an illustration of a camel. The Prophet tells us, “For a believer
is like a submissive camel; it does what it is told.” The degree of obedient that the Prophet asked
the believers is as like a submissive camel, who does whatever it is told to him.

Critical Question
1. What is the meaning of “fear of God”?
2. As far as I know the term “the rightly guided caliphs” is a later concept. How can that term
appear as the word of the Prophet? Is it possible that the term was a later addition to the saying of
the Prophet?

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3. If there is evidence that the Prophet used the term during his life, did he refer that term to only
to the four first caliphs or did he refer it to an indistinct number of caliphs who leads the
Muslims throughout history?

Bibliography

Ibn-Daqiq. Ibn-Daqiq’s Commentary on the Nawawi Forty Hadiths. translated by Arabic Virtual
Translation Center. New York, NY: Arabic Virtual Translation Center, 2011.