THE DOCTOR AND THE SHEIKHS' DEBATE
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Sh: No, no, I didn’t say that I don’t accept it. I meant that altering all my past beliefs requires some time.
Dr: I think that this case is going to be the base of most of our debates.
Sh: How come?
Dr: Many of our issues would be resolved if we agreed that all of the companions were not competent to be guided from and not all were to be trusted.
Accuracy Verification of the Hadith's in Sihah al Sittah
Dr: Today I intend to ask you a mathematical and statistical question.
Sh: What do you mean mathematics and statistics?
Dr: Statistical and mathematical questions about religion.
Sh: Doctor please do not debate using mathematics because I have not studied that.
Dr: It is not so much mathematics. It is only using numbers to compare.
Sh: Go ahead then.
Dr: All the Hadith that are available in your books and some of the most important ones are in the six books that are called the Sihah al Sittah. In your opinion do you think that they are correct?
Sh: You fired the companions from being guided yesterday. Is it time for the books today?
Dr: I didn’t drop all of the companions to be guided from, but just concluded that not all of them are just. This is not to mean that all of the companions are, we seek refuge in God (
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Sh: Of course Hadith from Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslem are mostly sought after especially the ones that are in those books. There is a possibility for some odd weak ones to be in there too.
Dr: What do you think is the ratio of the weak to the correct?
Sh: I have not researched that in precision but I do know that there are very few weak Hadith in those two books.
Dr: Do you mean all the six books of Sahih al Sittah or just Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslem?
Sh: No, they are just examples. For instance, Ahmad Hanbali's Mosnad is very famously credited and his Hadith's are completely like chain of transmission.
Dr: In specific who are these Hadith told from? I mean who are these narrators?
Sh: These documents are to go back to the Prophet and to be either his words or actions.
Dr: Would you remember how many Hadith you have in your Sihah al Sittah books?
Sh: No, I don’t remember. I have not even paid attention to it. There are many repetitive Hadith in them. I mean many of the Hadith have been repeated in different books.
Dr: Then please allow me to ask my mathematical question.
Sh: Please go ahead.
Dr: If it is possible please tell me roughly how many Hadith we have for the four Caliphas in the Sihah al Sittah (six books)?
Sh: I do not know.
Dr: But you do know how many years were the Caliphas with the Prophet?
Sh: Yes, from what is clear, Abubakr 23 years, Umar 18 years, Usman 19 years and Ali 23 years.
Dr: You are completely correct. How many years was Abu Huraira with the Prophet?
Sh: I am not sure exactly. But it shouldn’t be more than four to five years.
Dr: Did you know that Abu Huraira converted to Islam in 7 AD and was with the Prophet until the 10 AD, when the Prophet died. This means that he was in total 3 years with the Prophet. He also was on trips within these three years too.
Sh: That is correct, you are correct.
Dr: Now let's see how many Hadith do Abubakr and Umar and Usman and Ali (God bless them)
have in these books.
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Sh: Have you calculated?
Dr: I have not personally calculated them however, I found one reliable research book and noticed that it had gathered all of the Hadith that were about the closest companions of the Prophet from the Sihah al Sittah. It was the cause of my questioning.
Sh: How many are there from the four Caliphas?
Dr: Abubakr 142, Umar 527, Usman 146, Ali 537.
Sh: That is weird. That does not sound a lot. However my expectations were the same.
Dr: But Abu Huraira, meaning the companion that only spent three years with the Prophet has 5374 Hadith from the Prophet. Could you please tell me how the Prophet could have spoken so much in the presence of this man but not to the four Caliphas?
Sh: Again, you put your finger on a hurtful subject.
Dr: I am just asking.
Sh: You are right but it has been a very long time that this issue has been on my mind. Why is there so many Hadith from Abu Huraira but not from other people such as Aisha (mother of the faithful), who was the Prophet's Wife. She even lived in the same house as the Prophet and slept in the same bed as him but she still does not quote this many Hadith's.
Dr: Would you know what reason they have given you?
Sh: I have never heard a convincing response. Unless they could say that Abu Huraira was very much inclined to ask questions and quote Hadith.
Dr: Do you still think that after knowing the statistics and accepting that he has quoted this many Hadith's, it was all due to his enthusiasm?
Sh: It is a very contemplative debate.
Dr: In my opinion if we spend some time based on these statistics working on the Hadith that Abu Huraira has said: we could resolve many of the differences that Shia and Sunni's have.
Sh: It is not unlikely however, based on the topic we have been talking about; if we start doubting the truthfulness of Abu Huraira's Hadith with this debate there wouldn't be much left on the Sihah al Sittah to debate on.
Dr: Well we come across two real scenarios and they are both correct.
1. Compared to the Caliphates with the substantial amount of Hadith that Abu Huraira has there is a serious amount of room to contemplate.
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2. The majority of the Hadith from the Sihah al Sittah is from Abu Huraira.
Sh: This is a very harsh truth and it is hard to accept. However, not accepting it goes against science and reason disregards a truth too.
Dr: A brief look at Abu Huraira's Hadith demonstrates that the majority of the Hadith were based on the needs of the Calipha especially in the time of Muawiyah and were made from Abu Huraira's own mind.
Sh: Unfortunately Abu Huraira's Hadith have much opposition.
Dr: Whatever they are, it has to be said that these Hadith have changed the destiny of Islam.
Sh: That is possibly true but it is very hard to distinguish between the Abu Huraira's Hadith that are correct and incorrect.
Dr: There is no reason for that. That is because in comparison to the four Caliphas and the Prophet; 3 years of Abu Huraira's time has been roughly with the Prophet compared to the 23 years Abubakr spent with the Prophet. Therefore, 3/23 of his Hadith are true. This means that 142 x 3/23 = roughly 20 of Abu Huraira's Hadith are true which should not have a significant effect on people's religious belief.
Sh: Yes, 20 Hadith does not have a significant effect. However if our religious students come across such statistics then all of the Sihah al Sittah's Hadith would go under question.
Dr: It seems that it would not make a difference how much it is questioned. What is important is that Islam, Quran and the Prophet do not go under question. Many of Abu Huraira's Hadith actually have our youth and astute scholars questioning.
Sh: I am in total agreement.
Dr: Now that we have come this far it wouldn't be so bad if we went through some of your books regarding the credibility of Abu Huraira's Hadith.
Sh: I have seen some things regarding this.
Dr: These that I show you are more than just things. Please pay attention to the programme on my mobile.
1- In Al Tabaqat al Kebri, volume 4, page 335; and Sir Aalaam al Nabla, volume 2, page 612;
and Ansab al Shiraf, volume 3, page 414; Aghd al Gharid, volume 1, page 13 says that Abu Huraira was stealing from the "Beytul Mal" (treasury). Omar Ibn al Khattab said: "
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2- In Sir Aalaam al Nabla , volume 2, page 604 and 605 and Hakim in mashtrd, volume 3, page 582, Hadith 6160 says, Aisha said: to Abu Huraira:
ﺭﺃﻳﻨﺎ؟ ﻣﺎ ﺍﻻ ﺭﺃﻳﺖ ﻫﻞ ﻭ ﺳﻤﻌﻨﺎ؟ ﻣﺎ ﺍﻻ ﺳﻤﻌﺖ ﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﻋﻦ ﺑﻬﺎ ﺗﺤﺪﺙ ﺍﻧﻚ ﺗﺒﻠﻐﻨﺎ، ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺍﻻﺣﺎﺩﻳﺚ ﻫﺬﻩ ﻣﺎ
"What are these Hadith you are telling us? Are you quoting these from the Prophet? Have you heard something other than what we have heard? Or have you seen something we haven't seen?"
3- In Sir Alaam al Nabla, volume 2, page 604 and 605, Marvan Ibn Hokm said: to Abu Huraira:
ﺑﻴﺴﻴﺮ ﻭﻓﺎﺗﻪ ﻗﺒﻞ ﻗﺪﻡ ﻭﺍﻧﻤﺎ ﺍﷲ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﺤﺪﻳﺚ ﺍﻛﺜﺮ ﻗﺎﻟﻮﺍ: ﻗﺪ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﺍﻥ
"People are saying: All these Hadith's that you are quoting is not proportional to the short period of time you were with the Prophet before he died"
4- In Al Matalib Al Aliyah, volume 9, page 205 it says: Abu Huraira sometimes would say:
" ﺍﺑﻮﻟﻘﺎﺳﻢMy ﺧﻠﻴﻠﯽ "ﺣﺪﺛﻨﯽ friend the Prophet gave me some Hadith however, Ali forbid him from speaking and said: "" ﻟﮏWhen ﺧﻠﻴﻼ ﺍﷲ( )ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﮐﺎﻥ "ﻣﺘﯽ was the Prophet friends with you?"
5- In Al Matalib Al Aliyah, volume 9, page 205, Fakhr Razi says:
ﻓﻼ ﺟﻨﺒﺎً ﺍﺻﺒﺢ ﻣﻦ ﻗﺎﻝ: ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﺍﻥّ ﺭﻭﻱ ﻫﺮﻳﺮﻩ ﺍﺑﺎ ﺍﻥّ ﺍﺣﺪﻫﺎ: ﻭﺟﻮﻩ: ﻣﻦ ﺑﻴﻨﺎﻩ ﻭ ﻫﺮﻳﺮﻩ ﺍﺑﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻃﻌﻨﻮﺍ ﺍﻟﺼﺤﺎﺑﻪ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺜﻴﺮﺍً ﺍﻥ ﺑﻦ ﺍﻟﻔﻀﻞ ﺑﻬﺬﺍﻟﺨﺒﺮ ﺍﻧﺒﺄﻧﻲ ﺑﺬﺍﻟﻚ. ﺍﻋﻠﻢ ﻫﻤﺎ ﻓﻘﺎﻝ: ﻳﺼﻮﻡ. ﺛﻢ ﻳﺼﺒﺢ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻓﻘﺎﻟﺘﺎ: ﺳﻠﻤﻪ، ﺍﻡ ﻭ ﻋﺎﺋﺸﻪ ﺍﻟﻲ ﻓﺮﺟﻌﻮﺍ ﻟﻪ. ﺻﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﻮﻗﺖ ﺫﺍﻟﻚ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻴﺘﺎً ﻛﺎﻥ ﺍﻧّﻪ ﻭﺍﺗﻔﻖ ﻋﺒﺎﺱ،
Considerable amounts of companions were insulting Abu Huraira and were questioning the accuracy of his Hadith. Among the ones: Abu Huraira quoted from the Prophet that he has said: If anyone had intercourse in the morning and was sexually induced impurity (Junub), he cannot fast. So people referred back to Aisha and Umul Salamah and they both said: The Prophet was Junub and was still fasting. Abu Huraira then said: you would be wiser in knowing this but Fazl Ibn Abbas had told me otherwise. As a matter of fact, Fazl Ibn Abbas happened to be dead at that time.
6- In Al Matlab Al Aaliyah, volume 9, page 205, Ibrahim Nakhai says:
" ﻫﺮﻳﺮ ﺍﺑﻲ ﺣﺪﻳﺚ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺪﻋﻮﻥ ﺍﺻﺤﺎﺑﻨﺎ "ﻛﺎﻥ
"Our friends would ignore any Hadith from Abu Huraira."
7- In Tarikh Ibn Asaker, volume 19, page 122 it says:
" ﻧﺎﺭ ﺍﻭ ﺟﻨﻪ ﺣﺪﻳﺚ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻣﺎ ﺍﻻ ﻫﺮﻳﺮﻩ ﺍﺑﻲ ﺣﺪﻳﺚ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺄﺧﺬﻭﻥ ﻛﺎﻧﻮﺍ ﻣﺎ "
"From the Hadith Abu Huraira would quote there was nothing but Hadith from heaven and hell (they wouldn't believe it)"
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Sh: Dear Doctor, I think that is sufficient. These were important even though, that one analysis of statistics was enough to reject Abu Huraira's Hadith's.
Dr: Thank the Lord that is subject has been cleared for us. Do I have time to ask you another question?
Sh: There is time but why are you the one always asking questions? Please allow me to ask a question this time.
Dr: That would make me happy. Please ask away, but bear in mind that I am just specialised in Engineering and Technical things not religious affairs and you are a religious scholar.
Sh: I consider you someone whom is a professional in religious affairs and permit myself to ask you regarding Shia affairs, God willing something can be also clearer for me too.
Dr: The truth is that I am not proficient in religious affairs however I have educated myself so I can defend myself in what I believe in.
Sh: The information you are giving me is very interesting to me. So I will ask away.
Dr: Please go ahead.
Sh: To disregard Abu Huraira's Hadith you referred to the four Caliphas. Do you honestly accept them as the Prophet's Calipha?
Dr: If it is okay with you I would rather have this topic discussed at a later date when we have more time. This is because prayer time is close and we can finish discussing something shorter.
Sh: That is not a problem however, you will definitely have to explain this question of mine at a more convenient time.
Dr: Definitely, because I want to have a thorough discussion with you regarding it.
Mote' (Concubine) and Temporary Marriage
Sh: I will ask a small question. Why do you permit temporary marriage, which is classed to be one kind of adultery, and defend it strongly?
Dr: Firstly temporary marriage is not adultery.
Sh: Why is it not classed as adultery? If a woman is sexually available for someone on a daily basis, besides adultery what other kind could it be called.
Dr: Then it wouldn't be so bad if I explained what temporary marriage means. Dear Sheikh, you are aware of how permanent marriage is commenced. A couple of sentences are read which are called the "Formula Contract" and after that is read the couple that were unlawful are lawful.
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Sh: That is correct. This happens in permanent marriages and there are some conditions associated with it.
Dr: The same conditions apply for temporary marriages too. I mean that two people have to read a formula contract so they can be lawful to each other. If the formula contract is classed as adultery then all women and men are conducting adultery and temporary marriage is also classed as adultery.
Sh: But there is a crucial difference between a permanent marriage and a temporary one.
Dr: Can you tell me what the differences are?
Sh: The first difference is that Islam forbids it. Secondly in a temporary marriage a woman can be with a different man on a daily basis.
Dr: We will discuss the part regarding Islam's permission on a later date however, regarding you saying that a woman can sleep with a different man daily is completely wrong. Because once a woman is under a temporary marriage she has to wait an "Eddeh" (waiting period) amount in order to marry again therefore she cannot possibly have a temporary marriage on a daily basis.
Sh: This is not what has been transferred to us.
Dr: It cannot be any other way. If it is not like this we then class it as adultery.
Sh: Secondly, there is nothing associated to it.
Dr: There are many rules associated to it.
Sh: Like what?
Dr: Firstly, there must be an agreed upon expiry date. Secondly, once the temporary marriage duration is over regardless of it being one day or one month or one year they all have to wait a total of one "Eddeh" (waiting period) in order to conduct a temporary or permanent marriage.
Thirdly, a woman does not receive any inheritance. However if a child is produced from this marriage, the child will have the right to inheritance just like any other child. Even if the child is born after the temporary marriage is over he will still have a right to inheritance. The woman can ask for alimony once she is pregnant because she cannot re-marry during her pregnancy.
Fourthly, during the temporary marriage the women is as if she is treated as if she is permanently married with the difference that she receives her dowry straight away and she has no alimony.
Sh: There are more conditions to it.
Dr: Yes, I believe there are four or five more left and you can see that it is not as easy as you thought it was.
Sh: I accept that there are conditions to a temporary marriage.
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Dr: Now let's look and see if the temporary marriage is invented by Shias or if temporary marriage was happening during the Prophet's lifetime or it was removed from the true Islam at the time when everything was followed by his companions or Caliphas only.
Sh: Based on our jurisprudence, temporary marriage is not permitted in Islam.
Dr: Temporary marriage was an Islamic affair that existed during the Prophet's time and it was forbidden by Umar's orders. So we cannot say that people were conducting adultery in the Prophet's time.
Sh: Temporary marriage was not proposed, as you are saying, in this detail during the Prophet's time. Even if we agree that it existed at his time it has been forbidden after him and therefore it is an unlawful act.
Dr: Actually temporary marriage is there to prevent adultery. Normally the person whom is after a temporary marriage is someone whom does not wish to do anything unlawful and is not in a position to permanently marry so instead of conducting something that is forbidden he sways towards a lawful act.
Sh: But this is not common amongst any other Muslims except the Shias.
Dr: We can't say that due to other religions not using the temporary marriage that it is unlawful.
Sh: This subject is reprobated amongst all Muslims.
Dr: Do you accept that based on the Hadith in the Sihah al Sittah any innovation is perdition?
Sh: Yes, of course it is.
Dr: Can we ever say that an innovation is good?
Sh: Yes, for instance the two innovations that Umar said: he has made.
Dr: Don't you think that this matter is against the Hadith that the Prophet has said:
"
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"ﻣﺘﻌﺘﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﺤﺞ ﻣﺘﻌﻪ ﻭ ﺍﻟﻨﺴﺎء ﻣﺘﻌﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻤﺎ ﺍﻋﺎﻗﺐ ﻭ ﻋﻨﻬﻤﺎ ﺍﻧﻬﻲ ﺍﻧﺎ ﻭ ﺍﷲ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﻋﻬﺪ ﻋﻠﻲ ﻛﺎﻧﺘﺎ "
"There are two temporary marriages that existed in the time of the Prophet and I have forbidden them. One is the temporary marriages of women and other is Mutat al Hajj"
The same thing has been cited again in the following books : In Tafsir Razi, volume 5, page 158;
Jame Al Ahadis, Musnad Umar Khatab, volume 26, page 358; Kanzal Amaal, number 45722 and 31433 also mentions it. Musnad Ahmad, volume 1, page 351, Hadith 347; Musnad Ahmad, volume 39, page 4, Hadith 13955; interpretation of Razi, Surat Al Nisa, volume 1, page 14/9 and Musnan Beyhaghi, Number 13948 and in the list below it has been mentioned in your books.
Sh: Yes this is a famous Hadith and we both agree on it.
Dr: In your opinion would it be okay for a Calipha to forbid something that was lawful in the time of the Prophet and make it unlawful?
Sh: To be honest with you, no it is not okay.
Dr: Now the other case that hasn't even been discussed as part as the innovations. In Sahih Bukhari 1/228 and Muslem 1/539 and other Hadith we have that the Prophet was reading the Superegatory Ramadan (Taravih) prayer in a house. Some of his companions were praying with him. The Prophet noticed something and he exited the place and said: I have heard about your works. People you can read the non compulsory prayers at your home, as the best prayer is a man's prayer in their own home.
" ﺑﻴﺘﻪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺮء ﺻﻠﻮﻩًْ ، ﺍﻟﺼﻠﻮﻩًْ ﺍﻓﻀﻞ "ﺍﻥّ
"The best Salat (non compulsory) is the one that is read at home"
Sh: Well this is correct but after the Prophet died Umar has said that the Taravih prayer has to be read in congregation.
Dr: Do you mean that there is no problem with him speaking against the Prophet's wishes?
Sh: Well it would have been if they weren't praying in congregation.
Dr: If two Caliphas spoke against each other's opinions' which one should we accept?
Sh: But the other four Caliphas have not spoken against his words either.
Dr: What if they had spoken against his words.
Sh: Each are to be obeyed in its own time.
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Dr: That is okay then. Umar said that the Taravih prayer is to be read in congregation and they all did. Then Ali came and said: it is incorrect to read it in congregation but no one has listened to him until this day. This is when it was a Hadith said: by him, stating that the Superegatory prayer is to be done individually in your own home.
Sh: Maybe this is a special case because of the tremendous respect people have for Umar.
Dr: Do you mean that respect takes over a religious rule?
Sh: No, no, they must obey Ali's words.
Dr: But they didn't.
Sh: Because Ali did not insist.
Dr: So now if someone prayers the Taravih prayer individually it is okay.
Sh: Yes that is correct.
Dr: Calipha has said: to read it in congregation but now you are saying that some can read it individually. This means that the word of Calipha Umar is not probative validity.
Sh: For a non compulsory prayer it is not probative validity.
Dr: Then how come temporary marriage has been prohibited. Is that out of respect?
Sh: That is a different matter.
Dr: How can that be any different? In fact, in the case of the Taravih prayer it is an individual affair while in the temporary marriage case it is a social affair. And according to Ali, the fourth Calipha, if temporary marriage was not deemed unlawful in Islam, in the Islamic world, adultery would have not happened.
Sh: Yes, if temporary marriage with the conditions mentioned was permitted, adultery would be reduced substantially.
Dr: Now you accept that temporary marriage was lawful during the Prophet's time.
Sh: Yes, it was deemed unlawful after the Prophet because we have a Hadith:
"ﺣﻼﻝ ﺍﻟﻘﻴﻤﻪ ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﻲ ﺣﺮﺍﻡ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺣﺮﺍﻡ ﻭ ﺍﻟﻘﻴﺎﻣﻪ ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﻲ ﺣﻼﻝ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ "
"Whatever deemed lawful to Mohammad is lawful till judgement day and whatever deemed unlawful is unlawful till judgement day."
Dr: Okay then we refer back to your books and go through the Hadith that shows temporary marriage was permitted in the Prophet's time and Umar forbid it in his time.