Arguments from Hadith

 

Recently, I came across an article that stated the objective adopted by Jamaat-e-Islami is not influenced by the personal likes or dislikes of any of its members. Instead, it believes that Allah has appointed all the prophets, culminating in Prophet Muhammad (e), for this very mission, this goal, and this purpose. Now, until the Day of Judgment, the Muslim community continues to exist with this same purpose as his representative. The mission of the Jamaat-e-Islami is intrinsically connected to the purpose of Muhammad’s Prophethood.

According to the author of the article, this mission is described as: “To establish Allah’s legislative rule in the world,” “To implement the divinely revealed religion and Shariah and to reform the world,” and “To establish the true religion and make it prevail over all false religions.”

In the author’s view, this is the “purpose of Muhammad’s Prophethood,” which is found in the Book of Allah, present in the sayings of the Messenger, and reflected in Islamic history. Among the numerous arguments he presented, he only cited one Hadith, which, in his opinion, clearly supports his claim and serves as the “best explanation” for the other texts related to this issue.

This is a narration from Imam Bukhari, also reported by other hadith scholars. Ata bin Al-Sa’ib narrates that he met Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As and asked him, “Please tell me about a description of the Messenger of Allah (e) that is mentioned in the Torah.” In response, he recounted several attributes mentioned in the Torah, one of which was:

Allah will not take his soul until He has straightened the crooked religion through him, such that people begin to say, “la ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah).” Through this, He will open many blind eyes, deaf ears, and sealed hearts. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 4558)

In explaining this Hadith, the conclusion was drawn that “the purpose of the Prophethood of Muhammad (e) was to establish the religion.” It was foretold in the Torah hundreds of years before the Prophethood of Muhammad that He would not die until the religion is established. At the end of the article, it was stated:

“This detail reinforces our belief that the mission adopted by the Jamaat-e-Islami is not in error. Rather, this mission is indeed the mission of the entire Muslim Ummah, which it is neglecting.” (Monthly Zindagi, Rampur, April 1962)

The author of the article translated al-millah al-‘iwaja’ as “crooked religion.” However, the phrase ban yaqulu indicates that in this context millah refers to a group rather than to a religion. This is because the subject of a statement is people themselves, not their religion. In reality, the reference here is to Allah’s specific decree, which required that the final Messenger confront his earliest audience in battle and compel them to abandon their false beliefs. As a result, many who were disbelievers were guided to the right path.

Here, I will quote the words of ‘Ayni and Ibn Hajar, which further clarify this interpretation:

The phrase yuqimu bihi means that Allah, through His Messenger, will negate polytheism and affirm monotheism. The term al-millah al-‘iwaja’ refers to the Arab nation, which is described as “crooked” because they altered the religion of their forefather, Prophet Abraham, and adopted idol worship. The establishment of this nation entails bringing them from disbelief to faith (‘Umdat al-Qari, vol. 11, p. 243). Similarly, al-millah al-‘iwaja’ is explained as “the Arab nation,” described as “crooked” due to their worship of idols, and its “establishment” is understood as leading its people from disbelief to faith (Fath al-Bari, Vol. 4, p. 343).

It is clear from this explanation that the argument based on this hadith is not correct:

1.        Firstly, the hadith mentions the act of people saying la ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah), but it is unclear on what basis this has been interpreted to mean “reforming the world” or “establishing a legislative government.”

2.        Secondly, according to the wording of the hadith, it does not specify the duty of the Ummah; rather, it describes an act of Allah that He will accomplish through His Messenger—that is, Allah will, have the “crooked nation” utter la ilaha illa Allah (Irshad al-Sari by al-Qastallani, Vol. 4, p. 58).

3.        Thirdly, it is stated that Allah will not take the soul of His final Messenger until he has caused people to say la ilaha illa Allah. This clearly indicates an event in which the Messenger himself remains alive until people have declared the testimony of monotheism. If this phrase were to be interpreted as the ongoing mission of believers after the Prophet, it would imply that each Muslim must vow not to die until their audiences have converted to Islam. Is the author of the article prepared to make such a vow?

4.        Fourthly, of the claim that the term iqamat al-deen (establishment of the religion) was frequently used by the Prophet (e) and his Companions is supported by a collection of hadiths. Along with this claim, a respected writer presented some hadiths and, criticizing my view, wrote: “If the respected author reflects on these hadiths, it is hoped that he will not find any limitations in the meaning of iqamat al-deen as we advocate. On the contrary, he will clearly see that these hadiths contain a political and social dimension of establishing the religion, which not only exists but is prominently featured something he insists has no relation to iqamat al-deen.”

5.        I do not deny that iqamat al-deen (establishing the religion) is a legitimate Islamic term, nor do I deny that deen (religion) encompasses political commands. However, the interpretation of the Islamic mission being argued on the basis of these words does not derive from this definition. In this respect, the hadiths cited are entirely unrelated to the actual issue. At this point, I will mention two prominent hadiths.

The first Hadith is taken from Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Judgments:

“Indeed, this authority will remain with Quraysh. No one will oppose them except that God will cast him down on his face, as long as they uphold the religion.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3497)

This narration has been reported through several chains with different wordings, which Hafiz Ibn Hajar has brought together in Fath al-Bari (Vol. 13, p. 116). If I quote these different narrations, their meaning will become easily clear.

(a)       “Indeed, this authority will remain with Quraysh as long as they obey Allah and remain steadfast in His command.” (Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, Hadith No. 16537)

(b)       “Leadership will remain with Quraysh as long as they act according to the commands.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 19782)

(c)        “O people of Quraysh, you will stay the people of authority as long as you do not deviate.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 22355)

(d)       “You are the most entitled to authority as long as you are upon the truth.” (Al-Umm by al Shafi‘i, Vol. 1, p. 188)

In these hadiths, the term amr (command or authority) refers to the caliphate. This indicates that the power granted by Allah to the Muslims in Arabia rightfully belongs to the tribe of Quraysh, and that this right will remain with them so long as they adhere to their religion and fulfill their obligations in accordance with the Shariah. As long as they do so, Allah’s assistance will remain with them, and no one will succeed in removing them from their position of leadership.

I do not understand how this guidance or prophecy relates to the issue we are discussing here. If the intention is to say that some narrations mention “as long as the Quraysh remain steadfast in their religion,” and that this steadfastness relates not only to the core of the religion but also to matters of governance and politics, then I agree with that viewpoint. However, it is unfortunate that what they are trying to prove does not follow from this. The Hadith refers to a responsibility that the Muslim rulers must fulfill within the established framework. The issue at hand is what the absolute “mission” assigned to the believers in this world is. Therefore, they needed to present a Hadith that states, “The mission of the believers is to change all aspects of individual and social life and establish a complete Islamic government in the world.” In other words, there needed to be a phrase that explains the work of the invitation, rather than a statement outlining the status and duties of empowered Muslims. I also agree that if the scope of Muslim activities expands up to governance and politics they must adhere to the laws of Allah in those matters as well. However, this statement cannot serve as an absolute definition of the Islamic call.

2.  The second Hadith is presented in the following words:

“Those are the companions of Muhammad (e). Allah chose them to accompany His Prophet and to establish His religion.”

This is part of a longer Hadith. First, I will present the entire Hadith here:

Ibn Mas’ud said: “Whoever wants to follow a path should follow those who have passed away, for the living are not immune to trials. Those are the companions of Muhammad (e). They were the best of this Ummah, the most sincere of hearts, the deepest in knowledge, and the least pretentious. Allah chose them to accompany His Prophet and to establish His religion. Therefore, recognize their excellence and follow them closely, adhering to their morals and manners as much as you can, for they were upon the straight guidance.” (Narrated by Razeen, as referenced in Mishkat al-Masabih, Hadith No. 193)

This is a piece of advisory discourse or a speech by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, which he delivered to some Muslims during the time of the Tabi’in (the generation after the Companions). In it, the phrase “establishment of religion” refers to the adherence to the religion. Ibn Mas’ud intends to convey that the Companions of the Prophet were the best examples, chosen by Allah to accompany His Messenger and to accept and follow His religion. They fulfilled their duty of companionship and left no shortcomings in adhering to the religion. Therefore, they are the most deserving of being emulated in religious matters. Their lives serve as the best examples of following the religion. This is why scholars of Hadith have put this tradition under “sticking to the Book and Sunnah”. This means, according to the scholars of Hadith, that in this tradition it has been encouraged to adhere to the Book and Sunnah in the strongest possible way.

In “Ash‘at al-Lama‘at” by Shaykh Abdul Haqq Dehlawi, this is translated with the phrase “for the purpose of upholding the religion.” The term “upholding” signifies carrying or bearing. In this context, it implies that Allah has chosen them to be bearers of His religion. This is something that cannot be disputed, but it does not support the interpretation under discussion.

One drawback of this interpretation is that the term “establishment of religion,” which was used in this speech to describe an internal act, has, due to this specific mindset, become framed as an external act. In the monthly magazine “Zindagi,” an article was published titled Sahaba Kiram Iqamat-e-Deen ke Sipahi—“The Companions of the Prophet: Soldiers of Establishing Religion” (September 1962). However, it would have been more appropriate for the title to be Sahaba Kiram Deen ke Behtareen Pairo—“The Companions of the Prophet: The Best Followers of the Religion.”