In November of 1902 a debate took place between Muhammad Hussain Batalavi and ‘Abdullah Chakrhalavi on the importance and position of the Holy Quran and the hadith. Maulavi Muhammad Hussain who belonged to the Ahl-e-Hadith sect of Islam argued that the hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) were an absolute and final authority in Islamic jurisprudence and that even the Holy Quran was to be judged and studied in light of these narrations. On the other hand, Maulavi ‘Abdullah, a proponent of the Ahl-e-Quran sect of Islam suggested that the hadith were nothing more than a heap of unreliable, inauthentic and dubious narrations of no consequence. Furthermore, Maulavi ‘Abdullah propounded that the only true source of guidance in Islam was the Holy Quran, which was the unaltered word of God and that all the hadith were worthy of being discarded. Both clerics argued vehemently in support of their starkly differing and extreme views.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi and founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community wrote a succinct yet comprehensive analysis and review on these two extreme and flawed views. He eloquently presented a well-reasoned and rational perspective on the issue at hand in his capacity as a divinely appointed Prophet of God. In this comparative analysis the Promised Messiah(as) elaborates that the Holy Quran and sunnah ought to be placed above the hadith. A verbal narration attributed to the Holy Prophet(saw) which contradicts these two sources of guidance cannot possibly be his words. A narration, however, which does not contradict the two aforementioned sources, ought to be readily accepted.
This book was first rendered from Urdu into English by Mirza Usman Ahmad. It was then revised by Ayyaz Mahmood Khan and proofread by Abdul Quddus Arif. Additionally, Tahir Mahmood Mubashir, Syed Tanwir Mujtaba, Abdul-Wahab Mirza, and Fouzan Pal also assisted in various capacities to prepare the final layout of the book. The cover was designed by Shahrukh Omar. May Allah abundantly reward them all for their efforts. Amin.
Munir-ud-Din Shams
Additional Wakil-ut-Tasnif
London
16 June 2014