Usage of Weak Hadith for the Virtues of Surahs

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INTRODUCTION Undoubtedly, the Quran and Sunnah are the primary sources of revelation. All legal rulings and theology must agree with the 2 primary sources otherwise it will be rejected. Quran is preserved and words did not change while the hadith had undergone a lot of scrutiny in order to separate the authentic from inauthentic ones. Many people during the time of the prophet (PBUH) attached false statements to our beloved Prophet (PBUH) probable because they wanted to give their own tribe more superior or they were hypocritical ways to sabotage the religion.

The hadith scholars in the past took it upon themselves to research both the isnad and the matn of the hadith to ensure its authenticity or otherwise. So the hadith were categorized into; authentic (sahih), good (Hassan), weak (daif) and lastly fabricated (mawdo)

When it comes to usage of weak hadith, there are different of opinions among hadith scholars which will be discussed below;

Usage of hadith when it comes to virtues of surah

Generally concerning usage of Da”ef hadith there are 3 opinions; a. Ahmed Hambali and Abu dawood stated that weak hadith can be used without any restrictions b. The majority view is the second view which states that weak hadith can only be used as long as certain conditions are fulfilled c. The final view totally condemned the usage of weak hadith in its entirety.

The conditions to be fulfilled before usage of dais hadith; a. The hadith should not be narrated by liars, people attributed to constant mistakes, fabricators and the hadith should not to very weak b. Weak hadith must reconcile with general evidence c. We should not believe that the action is proven when we are using dais hadith d. anybody acting upon the weak hadith must know and agree that is it weak e. A good deed must be mentioned in the hadith which has basis for sharia f. The weak hadith shouldn't be based on the commentary of sahib hadith. Before we act on the conditions, a complete takhreej of hadith must be done. The group that don’t act upon weak hadith (aqaid-o-ahkam/fadhail- o-manaqib) are closer to being true as they have evidence from the Quran and Sunnah and many scholars including imam Malik.

Proofs (Quran)

“And follow not that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those one will be questioned (by Allah).” [Al-Isra: 36]

Proof (hadith) “What is lawful is evident and what is unlawful is evident, and in between them are the things doubtful which many people do not know. So he who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honor blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his animals round a preserve will soon pasture them in it.” [Saheeh Muslim: Bk 10, H. 3882] According to the above, it is very clear that we should leave out the dais hadith as it has doubts in it.

Proof (Sahaba) and Scholars:

1. “Imam Muslim once said (the summary of which is): A Da’eef hadith is not acceptable in any condition, whether it is regarding Ahkaam, or Targheeb-o-Tarheeb (Fadhaail etc)”. “[Ref: Mudaddimah Sahih Muslim Vol 1, Pg 185, 186 with the Sharh of al- Nawawi 127_ 123/1]”

2. “Imam Sa’d bin Ibraheem said: Only the Siqqah narrators should narrate a Hadith from the Prophet (peace be upon him).” “[Muqaddimah Sahih Muslim published by Darul-Salam: 31]”

What evidence does the scholars that accept weak hadith have?

Ibn Hanbali considered it permissible to use weak hadith

“Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal said: When it is narrated to us pertaining to Halaal wal Haraam we are strict. And when it is narrated to us pertaining to Fadaa’il al-A’maal (the rewards and excellence of actions) then we are lenient.” “[Al-Kifayah by al-Khateeb: Pg 134]”

Specifically speaking, can we use weak hadith for virtues of surah? Imam an-Nawawi writes in the introduction to arba’una hadith “Scholars agree that weak hadith which speak merely about the virtues of deeds can be cited.” Imam nawawi also agreed with the usage of weak hadith but those 6 conditions must be fulfilled

"The ulama among the experts in hadith and the experts in law and others have said: it is permissible and (also) recommended that the religious practice (al-amal) concerning good deeds and good character (al-fadâ'il), encouragement to good and discouragement from evil (al-targhib wa al-tarhib) be based (even) on weak hadith (bi al-hadith al- da`îf) as long as it is not forged (mawdu`).ref: Epilogue of hafiz al-Sakhawi’s [The Admirable Doctrine Concerning the Invocation upon the Beloved Intercessor]”

"And that is the action which is known to be lawful with a shari'ah evidence, and there has been narrated in its virtue a hadith that is not known to be a lie, it is possible that the reward will be true, although none of the Imams have said that it is permissible to consider something required (wâjib) or recommended (mustahabb) by way of a weak hadith, and whoever said so differed from the consensus (ijmâ’)." (ref: ibn taymiyyah)

The above shows if a hadith that hasn't been categorized as authentic encourages good virtues, good deeds according to Islamic sharia then it is permissible to use it because it encourages something good.

Ibn taymiyya also used weak hadith to discourage people from engaging in evil deeds so long this deed is haram in Islam.

"This is like the [situation] of the Isra'iliyyaat [stories related by the Jews]. It is permissible to be narrated as long as we know that it is not a lie, for encouraging or discouraging in what we know that Allah has ordered in our law (shar') or forbade in our law (shar’).”(ibn taymiyya)

He does not only use weak hadith that encourages good deeds but also used israiliyat stories that most salamis rejected. He did it based on this hadith the prophet narrated on permission to narrate from bani Israel as there is no harm. examples of fabricated hadith encouraging good virtues; “Whoever recites Soorat an-Nisa’ every Friday will be saved from the squeezing of the grave; whoever recites Soorat al- Maa’idah will attain a reward equivalent to ten times the number of the Jews and Christians who are alive in the entire world, and he will be forgiven the same number of sins”

Conclusion There are so many scholars that wrote books on the virtues of surah; “Fadaa’il al-Qur’an, by al-Qaasim ibn Salaam; Fadaa’il al- Qur’an by Abu’l-Fadl ar-Raazi”. The books contained both dais and sahib hadith on the virtues of surah. Many scholars are of the view that weak hadith can be used on issues that are not fiqh related; Imam Nawawi, Hanbali, ibn taymiya and sufyan thawri etc. Imam Buhkhari also had daef hadith complied in al adab al mufrad which suggests that weak narrations could be used concerning good virtues.

Other batch of scholars are of the opinion that whether it is aqaid or fadhaail weak hadith must not be used.

Bibliography

1. Kamali, H. (2003). Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence. Cambridge: The Islamic Texts Society.

2. Al-Shahrazuri, S. (2006). An Introduction to the Science of the Hadith. Garnet Publishing Limited.

3. Zarabozo, J.M. (2008). Commentary on the Forty Hadith of Al-Nawawi. Al-Basheer Company for Publications.

4. Ibrahim B. S. (2011). 52 Weak Ahadith, Islamic Research Foundation International.

5. Shaykh Hisham K. (2011). Jihad Al Akbar. As-Sunnah Foundation of America.