Muslims believe in One God, One Messenger, and One Book (Quran) which discusses most subjects[1], yet sects exist. One major reason for sectarianism is the use of different Hadiths[2] for conflicting interpretations of Quranic verses[3]. Many wonder why, after the compilation of the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs did not arrange for the compilation of Hadiths while most of the narrators (Sahaba) were still alive.
The myth of fear of mixing up Hadith with Quran is not supported by the history, ground situation and common sense as both are different, wide apart to be mixed, moreover even in the final few years in life time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), the third Caliph bunt all Hadith collections and gave the same reason given by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) (further confirming his stance. It was not done not even after compilation of the Quran by third Caliph or the fourth Caliph, not during the first century Hijra. Therefore, only an irrational mind would entertain the myth that the prohibition of Hadith writing was due to a fear of mixing it with the Quran. Not a single saying of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) (was found in declaring writing of Hadith for all, rather, scholars have presented various interpretations (taweelat) to justify the writing of Hadith, but these arguments often refer to private notes rather than a formal book compilation or official state correspondence instructions/calculations for Zakat, blood money, (Tax) collection etc.
It is crucial to distinguish between personal Hadith notes and the systematic writing of Hadith books, as they are not the same. Why was permission required if there was no restriction? The worst creatures in Allah’s view are those who refuse to listen to, speak, or use their intellect to understand the truth.[4] It reminds of a Persian couplet of Iqbal:
ز مَن بر صُوفی و مُلاّ سلامے: کہ پیغامِ خُدا گُفتَند ما را
ولے تاویلِ شاں در حیرت اَنداخت: خُدا و جبرئیلؑ و مصطفیؐ را
I extend my greetings, Salaam, to both the Sufis and Mullahs for their efforts in conveying the message of God to us. However, the manner in which they have interpreted these divine commands has left Allah, Angel Gabriel, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) perplexed (Allama Muhammad Iqbal). After 15 years of research[5], the findings have been shared online in Urdu and English to facilitate further research and implementation, aiming to eliminate sectarianism through adherence to the Quran and Sunnah.[6] The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“I have left you on a clear path, its night is as bright as its day. No one deviates from it except the one who is doomed.” (Ibn Majah 43)[7]
During the Farewell Pilgrimage, this verse was revealed:
“… This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.”(Quran 5:3)[8].
Can a perfect religion be made more perfect or flawed through interpretations? Study Quran 3:7[9] carefully; complete research is available at the link. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Do not write anything from me except the Quran. Whoever has written anything from me other than the Quran, let him erase it. And narrate from me, for there is no harm in it. Whoever intentionally lies about me, let him prepare his seat in Hellfire.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 7510)[10],[11]
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, can we speak about you?’ He replied, ‘Yes, speak about me (memorize and narrate), but there is no harm except for the one who intentionally lies about me; he will find his place in Hellfire.”[8].
[This justification is absolute, final, and eternal, as evidenced by the thousands of years of history of Judaism and Christianity. The Jews added the Talmud (38 volumes) 6a to the Torah, and the Christians compiled the New Testament with 23 books alongside the Gospels. It is astonishing and regrettable that the Prophet’s command and the consensus of the Rightly Guided Caliphs[6b] were ignored. Many scholars and Muhaddithin (Hadith compilers) concealed this instead of acting upon it, a practice that continues today. Allama Iqbal, in his sixth lecture “The Principle of Movement,” writes that Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (R.A) believed that not every saying of the Prophet constitutes Shariah[13]. Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: *”May Allah brighten the face of the one who hears my words, memorizes them, and conveys them.”[15]
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) joined the Muslims in 7/8 AH during the Battle of Khaybar, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away in 10 AH. Therefore, the prohibition of writing Hadiths occurred only three years before his death, during the final days of Quranic revelation when everyone knew the difference between the Quran and Hadith. The claim that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited writing Hadiths to avoid mixing them with the Quran is not supported. The punishment for lying about the Prophet is Hellfire. The Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly stated the reason for not writing Hadiths, which has been concealed from the public.
Famous Hadith collections do not mention this, as it would undermine their justification. In Islam, there is only one book, the Quran, the Book of Allah. No other book existed during the first century of Islam. The permission to narrate Hadiths was general, but only a few companions were allowed to write them due to weak memory, while others were not allowed. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) was not allowed to write Hadiths, hence he narrated them until his death, like many other famous companions who were not granted permission by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) [16]
On the Prophet’s command, eminent companions, Quranic commentators, scholars, and narrators of thousands of Hadiths refrained from writing Hadiths or books until their death. They continued to prohibit others from writing. Abu Huraira (5374 Hadiths), Abdullah ibn Abbas (2660), Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (800), Abdullah ibn Umar (2630), Zaid ibn Thabit (the scribe of revelation, (92), and Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (1170) (may Allah be pleased with them all), all did not write Hadiths.
If they had, their books would have been most popular and authenticated while other narrators were alive, saving them the trouble of memorizing thousands of Hadiths. If these companions were unaware of the prohibition, how can their Hadiths be accepted? (being liars or unaware). If their Hadiths are removed, what remains? Zaid ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) was the scribe of revelation and the compiler of the Quran. Many companions considered writing Hadiths undesirable (makrooh), while some were allowed due to weak memory, and others were denied[17]. Imam Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) compiled 113 Mutawatir (mass-transmitted) Hadiths in his book *”Qutuf al-Azhar al-Mutanathira fi al-Akhbar al-Mutawatira”* (Scattered Fragrant Flowers of Mutawatir Reports)[18]. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There will be differing narrations from me. Those that align with the Book of Allah and my Sunnah are from me, and those that contradict the Book of Allah and my Sunnah are not from me.”[19].
The Quran
Every subject is repeated multiple times in the Quran, and it calls itself “Ahsan al-Hadith” (Best of Hadith-39:23)[20]. If Allah had used the word “Hadith” instead of “Kalam” (Speech), why do commentators call it “Kalam Allah”?[21] (Kalam is a Quranic term used in the Quran for speech but Allah chose not to use it here, why do the translators use it?) If anyone is still unsatisfied, they should carefully read Quranic verses 45:6, 77:50, 7:185 and 4:87 without altering or interpret ing the word “Hadith.” The difference in the compilation of the Quran and Hadiths is clear and well known[22].
The Result Of Research
By disregarding the Prophet’s command and the Consensus (ijma) of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Quran—a book of clear commandments and laws (3:7)—has been confined and its universal message restricted[23]. As the Quran itself warns:
“The Messenger will say, “O my Lord, indeed my people abandoned this Quran”’ (25:30).
Who would dare to face accountability before Allah for such a grave neglect?”
What Should Muslims Do?
It is the shared duty of the Muslim Ummah to revive the Quran, uphold the Prophet’s teachings, and reaffirm the consensus of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Hadiths must be re-evaluated and recompiled in alignment with the Quran, the authentic Sunnah, and established principles as suggested. Modern tools, including digital technologies and artificial intelligence, can play a vital role in this endeavor. For further information, visit: [https://bit.ly/ReviseHadiths].”
“And our duty is only to convey the message clearly.” (Quran 36:17)
[1] https://QuranSubjects.wordpress.com
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hadith_books
[3] https://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sarwar/3:7
[4] https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/8/22/default.htm
[5] https://bit.ly/IslamicRevival-Pdf
[6] https://wp.me/pcyQCZ-7J
[7] https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:43
[8] https://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sarwar/5:3
[9] https://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sarwar/3:7
[10] http://www.equranlibrary.com/hadith/muslim/1606/7510: There are illogical explanations to negate meanings.
[11] https://wp.me/pcyQCZ-7J
[12] https://wp.me/pcyQCZ-2V
[13] https://www.allamaiqbal.com/works/prose/english/reconstruction/06.htm
[14] https://wp.me/scyQCZ-omar3
[16] https://quran1book.blogspot.com/2021/11/HadithBan-Sahabh.html
[17] https://quran1book.blogspot.com/2021/11/HadithBan-Sahabh.html
[18] https://wp.me/pcyQCZ-3W
[19] https://lib.efatwa.ir/43553/1/29/
[20] https://quran1book.blogspot.com/2021/07/Best-Hadith.html
[21] https://quran1book.blogspot.com/2020/06/verses.html 15ahttps://tanzil.net/#search/quran/کالم
[22] https://wp.me/scyQCZ-wahi2
[23] https://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sarwar/3:7
