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Q:
I know that the Qur'an came from Allah and there is no
dispute about that. My question is about hadith. I was talking to a recent
revert brother and he was talking to me about the book, The Bible, the
Quran and the Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille. The author stated that
the Qur'an has irrefutable scientific evidence and that all the scientific
facts in the Qur'an agree with science but that many hadiths of the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) contradicted science.
Please could you clarify how hadiths contradict
science?
A:
In response to this question, Sheikh Ahmad
Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Your question needs a detailed answer, but I would
briefly state the following:
Not everything reported as hadith is considered a
hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Hundreds of
scholars have worked diligently to establish a scientific methodology of
sorting and authenticating the traditions that can be safely attributed to
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). One of the principal
criteria for verifying hadith is that it should not contradict reason or
empirical facts.
Another criterion is that it must not contradict the
fundamental principles established by the Qur'an and authentic
Sunnah.
Thirdly, in order for a hadith to be acceptable, it
must have been reported and transmitted through a reliable chain of
transmission where every link is known and reliable.
Having said this, we must guard against dismissing
certain traditions which may appear to be contradicting reason while on a
deeper study it would be found that it is our interpretation that is
wrong, not the hadith itself. This often happens in regards to matters
where human reason cannot operate, namely, that which is related to
matters of ghayb (Unseen). As believers, we must believe that this
area of reality is not accessible to reason or empirical knowledge. The
only avenue for this knowledge is revelation from Allah. The Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) received inspirations other than the
Qur'an regarding such matters, which is often related in the
Hadith.
So do not rush to conclude that all hadiths are
fabricated. And also we must never attribute falsehood to the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him). By having doubt about the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) we are rejecting the entire Qur'an as
well.
So, pray to Allah to make your heart steadfast on the
right religion.
Dr. Sano Koutoub Moustapha, professor of Fiqh and Its Principles, International
Islamic University, Malaysia, adds:
I do thank the questioner, and pray to Allah to guide
all of us and strengthen our iman.
It is known that there are two types of revelation:
the first one is called al-wahyu az-zahir, meaning the clear and
direct revelation; and the second is called al-wahyu al-batin,
meaning the hidden and indirect revelation. The first one refers to the
glorious Qur'an, while the second one refers to the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him). As Muslims we are obliged to believe in
both, based on many verses in the Qur'an such as Al-Baqarah 32, Al-Maidah
92, Al `Imran 59, et cetera. Accordingly, no belief is considered
acceptable before Allah if it is based on separation between these two
types of revelation.
However, there are differences between them in terms
of their authenticity and authority. The whole Qur'an is known to be
definitive and free from falsification and forgery, while the Sunnah is
divided into definitive and speculative. The former is authentic and free
from any falsification, while the latter has been subject to falsification
and forgery. But, unless a Hadith is proven to be unauthentic, we have to
believe in it and accept it.
As for the claim of having many hadiths contradicting
scientific realities, I shall say that there is no such authentic hadith
at all. Meaning, if a Hadith is found to be in contradiction with
scientific realities, this hadith must be a false one or the so-called
scientific reality is not, in fact, a reality. Therefore, one will have to
conclude that the contradiction will never occur between an authentic
hadith and a scientific reality, and if there is any contradiction, it
must be because of a misunderstanding of either the revelation or the
scientific reality, or both of them at the same time.
Based on this, I would like to confirm to our beloved
brother that there is no contradiction between an authentic hadith and
Qur'anic verses or scientific realities. Further, I would also like to
clarify to him that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
never said any hadith to suit his own needs. His actions are considered to
be an application of the meaning of the Qur'an. Yet, it is true that there
are some Sunnahs of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that are
based on a particular culture and tradition, and such type of Sunnah is
not considered as legislation for Muslims at all. This type refers to his
preference in food, ways of talking, looking and walking, and the color
and type of his dress, etc. This type of Sunnah is known as
non-legislative Sunnah and it is not a part of the religion, meaning
nobody is obliged to follow it.
Finally, I recommend our brother to read a wonderful
book written by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi titled How We Deal with the
Sunnah. Surely, he will get a lot of knowledge and clarification about
many things related to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him).
May Allah guide all of us on right path and strengthen
our love to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a
Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dr. Sano Koutoub Moustapha is
a professor of Jurisprudence & Its Principles at the International
Islamic University, Malaysia.
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