ANSWERED: If the Quran and Hadeeth are both from Allah . . .

[jinnzaman]

Assalamu alaikum

This is a tricky question that I've asked different people/scholars and a lot of them either got stumped or couldn't understand the question.

Basically, there are two different points that need to be understood before understanding the Question.

1. The Quran and Hadeeth are both considered to be from Allah (swt). The Quran is from Allah in both wording and meaning whereas the Hadeeth are from Allah in meaning and the wording is from the Prophet (saw).

2. One of the proofs that the scholars of tafseer utilize in showing that the Quran is a mu'jiza is that the Quran could not have possibly been authored by the Prophet (saw) for a variety of reasons. For example, it contains ancient tales that the Prophet (saw) could not have possibly known or it contains prophecies like in Surah al Rum. A minor piece of evidence in this case is that the scholars point out how the Quran actually corrected the Prophet (saw) in certain instances, for example, i believe it was the marriage of Zaid (ra) and Surah al Abasa, and another example where the Quran intervened was in when the hypocrites were questioning the chastity of Aisha (ra).

So we have two pieces of evidences that seemingly contradict each other: the hadeeth and the Quran that are both from Allah (swt). If the Quran and the hadeeth are both from Allah (swt), then why would the Quran have to override the actions of the Prophet (saw)? After all, everything that the prophet said, did, or saw and did not stop is considered a hadeeth. So its seems that the Creator would be correcting himself.

What is the wisdom behind this? Is this a different type of abrogation? Or did the Prophet (saw) not actually be corrected, each instance was just an example that served as a lesson.

Although I appreciate people's personal opinions on this matter, I would prefer the opinion's of the Ulema first before people post up what they think.

jazakallah khairun.

jinn

[suhayl]

Awaiting Alim/Ulema to reply before I reply...

[Zain121]

Awaiting Alim/Ulema to reply before I reply...

Salaams,

Go ahead brother Suhail, have a go on this one... Insha-allah the Ulamaa will be here soon. But until then at Jinnazam gets some sort of reply.

Wasalaam.

[jinnzaman]

Ayte, I went to a tafseer session with our Imam this weekend and he sort of answered the question. He basically was explaining how the anbiyah were incapable of doing both major and minor sins, however, this did not mean that they were free from mistakes, they made mistakes, however, their mistakes were of ijtehadi types and not mistakes pertaining either to ahkam or dawaah. But the question still remains: is the ijtehadi mistake of a prophet from the prophet or from Allah (swt)? If its from the prophet, then does that mean that not all hadeeth are from Allah or if its from Allah (swt), when Allah (swt) corrects a prophet, is he correcting himself? Is this a type of abrogation?

[jinnzaman]

no one's answering my question.

[faqir]

Assalamu alaykum,

I was discussing the above with a Salafi who stated that the Prophets were not infallible from sins and that only Allah was infallible. This was something new to me and to be honest I was slightly thrown aback by the statement. I have not yet had a chance to seek clarification on this issue from the Shuyukh - perhaps the Salafis are correct - I don't know myself. Could the brothers on this site please advise.

(I have already read the Salafi explanation for their stance on Islam-qa http://****************/index.php?ln=e...&QR=42216&dgn=4 is this "fatwa" correct?????)

JazakAllah khair.









reply

Abu Ja`far al-Hanbali
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as-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah,

Noble brother,

Thank you for your question. Indeed it is unfortunate that you had to be exposed to the aberrations of the Salafi Organisation. We thank you for your presentation of their theological points with reputable articles from them. With regard to the Orthodox position, one can think of the following,

1. The Prophets AS are infallible in prophecy.

2. The Prophets AS are infallible from major sins.

3. The Prophets AS are infallible from minor sins.

4. The Prophets AS, even when they make advanced independent juridical reasoning (AJR), also known as ijtihaad, they do so as infallibles and are only sent revelation to indicate which of the two positions is the best, not which is correct, but which is the best and most preferrable.

5. Allah has said in the Qur'an,

'Obey (Taa`a) Allah and Obey (Taa`a) the Messenger,'

Surat un-Nisaa, ayah 65

'We sent no messenger, except to be obeyed (taa`a),'

Surat un-Nisaa, ayah 64

Taa`a (obedience) cannot be given except to something that either is or is believed to be infallible, therefore the prophets are infallible in all matters, deed, word, prophecy and instruction. Thus for one to question their infallibility is at once unacceptable, in whatever way we attempt to explain it away.

6. Even the supposed 'mistakes' that some try to attribute to prophets are not in fact mistakes, but where prophets have a choice between doing two preferred actions, one perhaps more preferred than the other. Or maybe there is an action that they have done that benefits us to see the result of it.

An example would be the Messenger of Allah SAW showing us the sahu prayer for when we forget an integral or pillar of the prayer. If not for Allah causing that to happen, then we would have never known what to do.

Thus any 'mistake' by a prophet is beneficial, something that is completely non-existent for the rest of humanity. Therefore, we have to be careful when we speak of 'mistakes' of the prophets, for they are a different type of human being. They are indeed human, but in a way that not comparable with the rest of humanity.

7. For further details on the consensus on this issue of the absolute infallibility of the prophets, one can look into the works of Imaams Abu Hanifa (al-Fiqh ul-Akbar, p. 4)an-Nawawi and Qaadi `Iyaad (Sahih Muslim bi-Sharh in-Nawawi, V. 3, pp. 53-55),Abu Hafs an-Nasafi (`Aqaa'id an-Nasafi, pp. 3-4), Muwaffaq ud-Din ibn Qudaamah (Lum`at ul-I`tiqaad, pp. 16-17), Muhyi ud-Din Bahaa` ud-Din (al-Qawl ul-Fasl, pp. 292-306), Khaalid al-Baghdaadi (al-Imaan wal-Islampgs. 46-62) and others.

The hope is that Allah has helped you and strengthened you. Perhaps this small answer had some helpful benefit extant in it for you.

And with Allah is every success,

was-Salaam,

brother in Islam

[faqir]

Assalamu alaykum Shaykh,

Could you please provide a reference for the following statement please:

"Preach that the Prophet Muhammad SAW was led astray by Shaitan. "


Are you referring to sh. Ibn Tamiyyah or who in particular?

References would be appreciated.

JazakAllah khair.








Abu Ja`far al-Hanbali
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as-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah,

Noble brother,

Thank you for your question.

1. Please refer to Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhaab's Mukhtasir Sirat ir-Rasul, pp. 23-25 where the Messenger of Allah SAW being led astray by Shaitan is implicitly held.

2. There is also the same work written by his son, `Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhaab under the same title, pp. 81-84

3. The same position was also explicitly and implicitly (depending on what texts of his you read) held by Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah, which is part of the reason for the flurry of tribunals against him. Such positions are also found in V. 4, p. 319-20 of his Majmu`a Fataawa as well as V. 10, p. 296. Indeed these are difficult passages to read but they are there.

I hope that these helped. And with Allah is every help.

was-Salaam,

[salman]

Salamu Alaikum

If the Quran and the hadeeth are both from Allah (swt), then why would the Quran have to override the actions of the Prophet (saw)? After all, everything that the prophet said, did, or saw and did not stop is considered a hadeeth. So its seems that the Creator would be correcting himself.

What is the wisdom behind this? Is this a different type of abrogation? Or did the Prophet (saw) not actually be corrected, each instance was just an example that served as a lesson.

I had stated in a previous post the following:

There is an Ijma regarding the fact that all the Prophets are free of Major sins, and the Majority also state that they are free from small sins. This is stated in Qadi Iyad's "al Shifa fi ma`rifat ahwal Al Mustafa."

However, there is difference about this, such as the sayings of Imam al Haramayn in his Kitab Al Irshad (regarding the possibility of Prophets doing minor sins), Imam Ghazali and even Imam Ashari himself but the majority of scholars that came after them say the Prophets are immune from small sins aswell and this position was stated as the stronger positions by Imam Al Subki.

"And essential for them is absolute trustworthiness"

(Jawharat al-Tawhid, verse 59)

Which according to the ulema necessitates true Immunity from any inappropriate act.

Now for your question. You are correct in most of what you said. In some occassions a revelation was not immediately revealed, and therefore the Prophet employed Ijtihad - which may have been right sometimes and sometimes may have been incorrect. However, we should know that the statements that seem to be made against the Prophet in the Qur'an are in reality not Admonishing him for mistakes, but rather for a higher teaching (like the verse of the blind man). Although the actions of the Prophet are part of Hadith according to Sharia (although specifically for the sayings) remember that every action of the Prophet has some sort of Hikma in it.

In a hadith the Prophet said:

- I do not forget but am made to forget. I make a Sunna. (Muwatta)

Now i will show you Qari's commentary on Qadi Iyads Shifa: He says:

- The masters of meanings (Sufis) mention the story of the wall who says to the beam: Why do you cut into me like this? and the beam answers: Ask him who strikes upon me." Qari says: The meaning of this is that the Prophet is bound by his own obedience to Allah, even in what we call mistakes.

Therefore from the above we can understand that some of the Ulema stated that Allah caused the Prophets to make mistakes - unlike the mistakes of humans because they are not counted against them - but it is only to bring forth a Sunna or as i mentioned "A higher teaching."

You can read more details on this in Qadi Iyads Shifa.

Wallahu A'lam

[faqir]

Yeah Ash-shifa has an excellent section on this subject.

See also:
http://en.fgulen.com/a.page/books/pr...ion/a1135.html

http://en.fgulen.com/a.page/books/pr...tion/a936.html

[Yusuf]

I dont know if someones said this already, but i sort've asked this question aswell. The shaykh said that the Prophet did certain things which were later corrected and dissaproved of by Allah, in order to teach a lesson through it to the muslims.