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A Review of the Debate between Maulavi Abu Sa‘id Muhammad Hussain Batalavi
and Maulavi ‘Abdullah Chakrhalavi by the Promised Messiah, the Divine Arbiter, and a Word of Advice for his Community

Judging from the writings of the two parties involved, it appears that the basis for the aforementioned debate was Maulavi ‘Abdullah’s contention that the hadith of the Holy Prophet(saw) ought to be discarded entirely. Similarly, he was guilty of such foul utterances that even to mention them is disrespectful. Conversely, Maulavi Muhammad Hussain articulated the proposition that if the hadith were considered to be so worthless, inauthentic and unreliable, then the vast majority of [Islamic modes of ] worship and fiqah [Islamic Jurisprudence] would be rendered invalid, for it is the hadith alone that shed light on the precise details of the commandments of the Holy Quran. If the Quran is considered sufficient what evidence from the Quran alone can be furnished to support that the obligatory morning prayer consists of two rak‘at, 2maghrib [prayer] comprises three and the remaining three [prayers] compose of four rak‘at each.

Although inherently flawed, this rebuttal was still overpowering and this is why ‘Abdullah Sahib was unable to provide any satisfying reply and only responded with absurdities which are not even worth mentioning. However, the objection raised by Maulavi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi consequently forced ‘Abdullah Sahib to invent a new form of salat 3which was completely incongruous with anything practiced by all the sects of Islam. He removed the attahiyyat, 4 durud 5 and other customary prayers of the Holy Prophet(saw) from the salat and only Quranic verses were incorporated in their stead. He further proposed numerous other innovations in the salat which need not be mentioned here, and perhaps he even sought to ordain changes in the practices of the hajj and zakat. Is it true that the hadith are really as worthless and futile as Maulavi ‘Abdullah Sahib suggests. God forbid, not at all.

The fact of the matter is that of the two parties, both have verged on opposite extremes. Firstly, Maulavi Muhammad Hussain is correct in enunciating the argument that authentic hadith which can be traced back to the Holy Prophet(saw) cannot be rejected absolutely. In his unmindfulness of the demands of etiquette, he has placed the hadith on a pedestal so lofty that is perforce an affront to the Holy Quran and one is forced to reject its truth. He gives little thought to whether the position he has endorsed puts him at odds with the Holy Quran; for he has given precedence to the narrations of the hadith over the clear accounts of Allah’s Book and believes that these narratives are superior to the Word of Allah. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

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That is, what word will they believe in after [rejecting] the word of Allah and His signs. In this verse, the word hadith is used in the singular and generic form to establish that any type of tradition or discourse which contradicts and opposes the Holy Quran and cannot be reconciled with its teachings ought to be rejected. The verse is also a prophecy for it alludes to the future fate of the ummah, amongst whom some would neglect the Holy Quran in favour of conflicting hadith. Thus, the Ahl-e-Hadith tilt towards an extreme position in emphasizing the hadith over the testimony of the Holy Quran. If they had remained just and God-fearing, they could have easily reconciled the hadith with the Holy Quran.

Instead, they have come to gladly reject and discard the absolute and infallible Word of God, but cannot bring themselves to either deny those hadith which contradict it or seek to understand them in light of God’s Book. This is the extreme viewpoint of Maulavi Muhammad Hussain.

Meanwhile, his opponent, Maulavi ‘Abdullah Sahib, has positioned himself on the other extreme and rejects the hadith in its entirety. In one sense this is tantamount to rejecting the Holy Quran itself for Allah the Exalted says:

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Thus, since the love of God is linked with following the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the hadith are also a means by which the practical example of the Holy Prophet can be known, an individual who rejects the hadith also rejects a modality of following him. Maulavi ‘Abdullah Sahib states that all the hadith are tainted by doubt and suspicion. However, this notion has come about due to a lack of reflection. The root cause of this view is the flawed and deficient manner in which hadith scholars have prioritized [the scriptural texts].

Their tendency to ascribe greater authority to the hadith than the Holy Quran has led many people astray. According to this perspective, they believe that both the book of Allah and the hadith are on hand when needed. They go on to suggest that the latter stands as an authority over the former, as if the hadith is a judge seated upon the bench and the book of Allah stands at its behest as a plaintiff in its court. Anyone could be mislead by such a view. After all, it was approximately one hundred to one hundred and fifty years after the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that the hadith were collected and they are not free from human interpolation.

Further, the hadith are victim to doubt and conjecture and are comprised of so few narrations which may be deemed highly authentic that almost no reliable narrations exist at all. Hence, if the hadith were considered a judge over the Holy Quran this would inevitably mean that Islam is nothing more than a heap of conjecture and obviously mere suppositions are of no value. An individual who follows mere conjecture is far below the elevated station of truth.

Allah the Exalted says:

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That is, mere conjecture is incomparable with absolute certainty. Hence, this would necessarily imply that the entire text of the Holy Quran is useless and obsolete and it is not worthy of following without the edicts of a judge, that is to say the hadith. Yet the hadith themselves are ill-clad in the garb of conjecture and are not completely free from falsehood. For the naturally inherent aspect of conjecture is that it is never truly free from fabrication. In this way, not only does one have to dispense with the Holy Quran, one is also unable to adequately rely on the hadith.

Both sources are thus rendered suspect. Such error has been the ruin of many.9

I have penned this treatise in order to reveal the right path. Muslims have at their disposal three means by which they can establish themselves on the teachings of Islam.

(I.) The Holy Quran: the Book of God and there is no word available to us which is as absolute and certain. It is the Word of God and untainted by doubt and speculation.

(II.) Second is the sunnah: Here I differ from the Ahl-e-Hadith with regard to their application of the term for in my estimation the hadith and sunnah are not one and the same thing as is held by traditional scholars of hadith. As a matter of fact, the hadith and sunnah are two separate things. By sunnah I refer only to those actions of the Holy Prophet(saw) which possess continuity and go hand in hand with the revelation of the Holy Quran. They shall always be preserved until the end of time. In other words, it may be said that the Holy Quran is the Word of God Almighty and the sunnah is the practice of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

Since the remotest ages, it has been the practice of Allah that when the Prophets, peace be on them, communicate His Word to mankind for its guidance, they also illustrate it through their conduct and practical example, so that the people are able to comprehend it more clearly. Thus, the Prophets not only follow the Word [of God] themselves but exhort others to do the same.

(III.) The third source of guidance is the hadith, by which I mean those traditions that were related in the form of anecdotes by various narrators and were later collected and compiled approximately a hundred and fifty years after the life of the Holy Prophet(saw). Thus, the difference between the sunnah and the hadith is that the former refers to the practical example of the Holy Prophet(saw) which was demonstrated by him and which possessed continuity. In terms of its authenticity, the sunnah is second only to the Holy Quran. Just as the Holy Prophet(saw) was raised to propagate [the teachings] of the Holy Quran, he was also commissioned with establishing the sunnah. Therefore, just as the Holy Quran is absolute, so too is the established practice known as the sunnah. Both these tasks were personally discharged by the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and he considered himself duty-bound to fulfil both. For example, when the obligatory prayers were enjoined, the Holy Prophet(saw) demonstrated this commandment of God Almighty and illustrated through his practice the number of rak‘at for fajr, maghrib and all the other Prayers as well. He also demonstrated the hajj and taught this practice to thousands from among his Companions, thereby ensuring its continuity. As such, this practical example [of the Holy Prophet(saw)] which is clearly evident in the ummah even until now, is known as the sunnah. Conversely, the Holy Prophet(saw) did not have the hadith recorded in his own presence nor did he make any provisions for their compilation. Some hadith were collected by Hazrat Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, but on account of his fear of God, he had all these hadith burned because he was not a witness to them himself and therefore could not be certain of their truth. When the age of the Companions, Allah be pleased with them, passed, God inspired the taba‘ tabi‘in10 with the desire to collect the hadith, and it was then that these narrations were gathered.

There is no doubt that a majority of the compilers of the hadith were righteous and God-fearing, and insofar as was within their ability they critiqued [the accuracy of ] narrations; they rejected those which they felt were inauthentic and refused to accept narrations from any narrator of questionable character. Despite their superb efforts, this pursuit was undertaken many years after [the life of the Holy Prophet(saw)] and was therefore heavily subject to speculation. Yet, in spite of all this, it would be most unfair to suggest that all of the hadith are unworthy, inauthentic, useless and false. For such immense caution has been exercised in recording the hadith and such a phenomenal effort has been expended in critiquing and evaluating this corpus as is unparalleled in the history of religion. The Jews also had their own anecdotal records, and the Jewish sect that opposed Jesus was particularly known for adhering to them, but there is no evidence to suggest that Jewish scholars exercised the same diligence in collecting them as their Muslim counterparts.

It would be incorrect to think that until the hadith were compiled, people were unaware of the [number of ] rak‘at in the obligatory Prayers or the rites of hajj. For the sunnah, which had taken root in them through a method of practice, had to all intents and purposes, taught every obligation and injunction laid down by Islam. Therefore, it is absolutely correct to state that if the hadith which were collected well after [the Holy Prophet(saw)] had never even surfaced, there would be no deficiency in the fundamental teachings of Islam, for they had already been fully established by the Holy Quran and through a system of practice. The hadith served only to enhance this light, illuminating Islam as though it were [light upon light]. Further, the hadith came forth and testified to the truth of the Holy Quran and sunnah. After Islam split into numerous sects, those among them who were truthful derived great benefit from authentic hadith.

Hence, a most appropriate view is that while one should abstain from the belief that where narratives of hadith clearly contradict those of the Holy Quran such narratives should be given preference and the Holy Quran should be abandoned, as is held by the Ahl-e-Hadith of the age, by the same token one should not consider the hadith worthless and of no value as is held by Maulavi ‘Abdullah Chakrhalavi. Rather, the Holy Quran and sunnah should be considered to possess authority over the hadith. However, it is also true that those hadith which do not contradict the Holy Quran ought to be followed with heart and soul, for this is the right path. Blessed are those who follow this way, and most unfortunate11 and ignorant is the one who does not follow this principle and denies the hadith.

It is incumbent on my Jama‘at to follow any hadith which does not oppose and contradict the Holy Quran and sunnah, regardless of its authenticity and give preference to it over manmade jurisprudence. And if they are unable to find [elaboration on] a certain matter from the hadith, the sunnah or from the Holy Quran, in such a case, they should follow the Hanafi 12school of jurisprudence, because this school constitutes the majority [among the Muslims] and this is an indication of God’s will. If, because of modern developments, the Hanafi school of jurisprudence is unable to provide an adequate judgement, the scholars of the community ought to determine such issues in accordance with their God-given reasoning. However, at the same time they must exercise caution, lest they unjustly denounce the hadith like Maulavi ‘Abdullah Chakrhalavi. Nonetheless, they ought to reject any such hadith which is at variance with the Quran and sunnah. Bear in mind that our Jama‘at is closer to [the doctrines] of the Ahl-e-Hadith and has no relation whatsoever with the absurd ideas of ‘Abdullah Chakrhalavi. Everyone who is from among my Jama‘at ought to view his doctrines regarding the hadith, with a deep sense of aversion and revulsion.

Wherever possible they ought to eschew the company of such persons, for this sect is far more misguided than others. 13My Jama‘at should neither overly emphasize the hadith, like those who belong to the class of Maulavi Muhammad Hussain, nor should they reject them completely like ‘Abdullah. Rather, they ought to adopt a middle way as their guiding principle. That is to say, they ought not to consider the hadith the final authority on all matters of religion, and reject and abandon the Holy Quran. Nor should they consider the hadith redundant and worthless to the point that all the traditions of the Holy Prophet(saw) are laid to waste. In similar vein, they ought not to deny the Khatm-e-Nubuwwat [finality of the prophethood] of the Holy Prophet(saw), nor interpret it in a way that would close the door of divine discourse and revelation on the ummah. Remember, our belief is that the Holy Quran is the Final Book and the Final Law, and until the Day of Judgment, no Prophet can appear who brings a new law or who receives revelation without having followed the Holy Prophet(saw). In fact, this door is firmly closed until the end of time; however, the door to revelation received through obedience to the Holy Prophet(saw) is open until the Day of Judgement. That revelation which is the result of following the Holy Prophet(saw) can never be terminated. But law-bearing or independent Prophethood has now come to an end.

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To further explain, where God Almighty has revealed that the Holy Prophet(saw) is Khatamul-Anbiya’, [the Seal of the Prophets] He has also indicated that he is the spiritual father of those who are righteous and only by following him can they achieve self-fulfilment and be blessed with divine discourse and revelation. For, in the Holy Quran God Almighty says:

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That is, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and Khatamul-Anbiya’. Quite clearly the Arabic word lakin is applied here as an adversative particle or to compensate for what has been expressed in the previous clause. In the first part of this verse the fact of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, physically fathering any male offspring is negated and the word lakin compensates this negative clause with the declaration that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is Khatamul-Anbiya’. This means that after him the blessings of independent Prophethood would be terminated, and henceforth the excellence of Prophethood would only be bestowed on such a person whose deeds were testified to by the seal of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and this person would thus become his spiritual son and heir. Hence, where the fact of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, being the physical father of [male] progeny has been denied, the truth of his [spiritual] fatherhood has been affirmed in order to counter the objection that is implied in the following verse:

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In short, the meaning of this verse is that independent Prophethood, even of a non law-bearing kind, has come to an end. But, this does not prohibit the possibility of Prophethood that is illuminated by the lamp of Muhammad. The person who would possess this excellence was to be a follower of the Holy Prophet and would derive the qualities of Prophethood from the light of Muhammad. If this form of perfection [Prophethood] is denied to the devoted followers of this ummah, then the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would remain without male issue in both a physical and spiritual sense, God forbid. And those who accused him of being without issue would have to be considered validated.

It has thus been sufficiently established that after the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the door to independent Prophethood 17 has been firmly closed until the Day of Judgment. This station cannot be attained without following him or becoming his true servant. Therefore, to believe that Hazrat ‘Isa [Jesus], peace be on him, will physically descend from the heavens and to claim that he will be an adherent of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and shall be illuminated by the light of his lamp is to adopt a laboriously concocted creed. How can it be true to suggest that anyone who has already been commissioned as a Prophet could owe the light of his Prophethood to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. And if he does not, then in what sense can he be considered a follower. It goes without saying that one can only be referred to as the follower of a Prophet if one has derived every excellence through the Prophet to whom he is subservient. Surely someone who has attained the excellence of prophethood through his own right cannot be justly considered a follower for he is an independent Prophet, for which there is no place after the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. And, if it is suggested that Jesus shall be shorn of his previous Prophethood and bestowed with a new one by virtue of following the Holy Prophet(saw), as is intimated in the above verse, I would say that surely a true follower from among this ummah, which has been described as the best ummah, would be more entitled to this station; thus, there is absolutely no need to bring back Hazrat ‘Isa [ Jesus] from heaven. For if the excellence of prophethood can be achieved by following the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then, to haul someone down from heaven is to impinge upon another’s right. There is nothing to prevent a follower of the Holy Prophet(saw) from receiving this blessing, for this is a confirmation of the fact that Muhammad is the [true] source of all spiritual grace. There is a sense of meaninglessness in raising somebody as a Prophet who has already been elevated to this station. For example, would a person who claims they have the power to create gold be acclaimed as an alchemist simply by casting a spell on a piece of gold and then suggesting to have created something which already existed.

So, the excellence of the grace of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, lies in the fact that a follower of his could achieve this station by entirely submitting himself to him. But to label one a follower who has previously achieved the rank of Prophethood—and to suggest that he attained this station by devoting himself to the Holy Prophet(saw)—is flawed to say the least. In fact, the two propositions are contradictory. For the truth is that Jesus achieved his Prophethood independently without following the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. But, if he is considered a follower as the hadith 18suggests, one would have to conclude that all the excellences of his Prophethood were derived from the prophethood of Muhammad; however, it has already been established that the light of his Prophethood has not been illuminated by the lamp of Muhammad. This [creed] is demonstrably false and a complete contradiction in terms. And if it is suggested that Jesus [Hazrat ‘Isa] would be a follower of the Holy Prophet, but would not derive his excellences from his Prophethood, then the essence of his being subservient to him would cease to exist within him. For as has already been explained, to be ‘a follower’ of the Holy Prophet means attaining every excellence through obedience to him as is explicated in the Holy Quran at numerous instances. Thus, while the door is open for an individual to attain spiritual grace from the Master Prophet, it would be imprudent to adopt fabricated creeds and manifest contradictions. How can one who has not attained a single excellence by following the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, be considered a follower.

This explanation should also suffice as an answer to the objection raised by certain ignorant persons that divine revelation can only be received in the recipient’s mother tongue and [not another language] like Arabic. This principle only applies to those who make a claim to independent prophethood without having benefited from the light of the Prophethood of Muhammad. However, as for one who is a follower of the Holy Prophet and who derives the light of his prophethood from the blessings of the Prophethood of Muhammad can also receive revelation during divine discourse in the language of his master in testimony of the intimate relationship between the two.

Sadly, those who adhere to such beliefs wrong Hazrat ‘Isa [Jesus] in every conceivable way. Firstly, they raise him bodily to heaven without dispelling the allegation of his accursedness. In this way the objection of the Jews remains on his head. Secondly, they argue that the Holy Quran does not mention his death anywhere and thereby they create a case for his divinity. Thirdly, they raise him to heaven in a state of despondency. To raise a Prophet to the heaven who has scarcely twelve disciples and whose mission remains unfulfilled is akin to creating a type of hell for him. For his soul yearns for the completion of his mission. To seat him in heaven is to stand against his hope and longing. When I look within myself and contemplate the possibility of being raised alive to as high as the seventh heaven without having fulfilled the task for which I have come, I am overcome by unhappiness. What gladness can I derive from the thought that my mission has not been fulfilled. Similarly, there is no joy to be had [by Jesus(as)] in his ascension to heaven either. In truth, he secretly migrated, but certain ignorant souls depicted his journey as one towards the sky. May God guide them.

[And peace be on those who follow the guidance].

Published by,
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian
27 November 1902