In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger ﷺ.
Chapter: Defects in hadiths and how to deal with those that conflict:
In this section Imam al-Shafi’i deals with an important issue in the science of hadith terminology and in usul al-fiqh: how to deal with hadiths that appear to conflict, how to reconcile them, and the kinds of apparent difference between them.
The main points Imam al-Shafi’i addressed in this section:
- The kinds of hadith in relation to the Qur’an: The questioner sets out for Imam al-Shafi’i the kinds of hadith in relation to the Qur’an: some agree with it in text; some agree with it in summary; some are more detailed than it; some have no basis in the Qur’an; some agree with other hadiths; some differ from others as abrogating and abrogated; some differ without any indication of which abrogates and which is abrogated; some contain a prohibition from the Messenger; and some contain a prohibition and a command by way of choice rather than strict prohibition.
- The obligation of following the Sunnah absolutely: Imam al-Shafi’i answers that every sunnah the Messenger ﷺ established alongside the Book of Allah agrees with the Book of Allah, whether it agrees with it in text or in summary by clarifying on Allah’s behalf; and everything for which there is no text in the Book of Allah, we follow because Allah made obedience to him obligatory in general in his commands. He affirms the obligation of following the Sunnah absolutely, whether it agrees with the Qur’an in text or in summary or has no basis in it.
- The abrogating and the abrogated among hadiths: Imam al-Shafi’i explains that a sunnah is abrogated by a sunnah, just as Allah abrogates a ruling in His Book by another ruling in His Book. This is said when the Prophet ﷺ explicitly states the abrogation, as in his saying: “I used to forbid you from visiting graves, but now visit them,” or when there is a conflict that cannot be reconciled and the chronology is established, so the later abrogates the earlier.
- Differing hadiths with no indication of abrogation (ways of reconciliation): Imam al-Shafi’i explains that differing hadiths with no indication of which abrogates and which is abrogated are all in agreement and sound, with no real difference between them, meaning that they can be reconciled. He clarifies the ways of reconciling them:
- General and specific: One of the two hadiths may be general and the other specific, so the general is specified by the specific.
- Answering to the extent of the question, and abridgement: The Prophet ﷺ may be asked about something and answer to the extent of the question, or a narrator may report the hadith in abridged form, and then another narrator mentions it in full.
- The questioner or reporter not grasping the whole issue: A man may hear the hadith without grasping the whole issue, and then another report comes that clarifies the reason for the question and the point of the answer.
- Difference of circumstances: The Prophet ﷺ may establish one sunnah in one situation and another, different sunnah in another situation, so some of the listeners think there is a difference between them, when there is no real difference.
- General wording and exception: The Prophet ﷺ may establish, in general wording, the prohibition or permission of something, and then clarify elsewhere an exception to this generality.
- Conditions of specification (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i affirms that a specific meaning may not be claimed for the Book of Allah or the Sunnah except on the basis of an indication in both or in one of them, and that the text to be specified must be capable of bearing such specification in the first place. He gives examples of this, such as the hadith “Its water is purifying” and the hadith “There is no prayer except with the Mother of the Book.”
- Preferring between conflicting hadiths: Imam al-Shafi’i explains that if two hadiths cannot be reconciled, one resorts to preferring one of them, either because one is established and the other is not, or because there is an established indication from the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ, or the supporting evidence he mentioned, in favor of one of the two hadiths.
- The obligation of obeying the Messenger ﷺ in what he established as Sunnah: Imam al-Shafi’i stresses the obligation of obeying the Messenger ﷺ in what he established as Sunnah, and that it is not permissible to object to him or to ask why he distinguished between this and that; rather, what is obligatory is obedience and following.
Additional clarifications:
- The importance of the Sunnah in legislation (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i explains the importance of the Prophetic Sunnah in Islamic legislation: it is the second source after the Noble Qur’an, and it clarifies, details, qualifies, and specifies the Qur’an.
- Kinds of clarification (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i points out that clarification comes in multiple ways, such as qualification, specification, detailing, and explanation.
- The difference between transmission by chain, by mass transmission, by widespread report, and by consensus (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i explains that the religion is transmitted from the Messenger ﷺ in multiple ways, such as transmission by chain of narration, mass transmission, widespread report, and consensus.
- Analogy in the Shariah (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i points to analogy as one of the sources of legislation, explaining that it is used to derive rulings from the legal texts.
Summary:
In this section Imam al-Shafi’i sets out important principles for understanding the relationship of the Sunnah to the Qur’an, clarifies how to deal with hadiths that appear to conflict, and affirms the obligation of following the Sunnah, and that it clarifies, details, qualifies, and specifies the Qur’an. He warns against opposing the Sunnah or placing opinion before it, and clarifies the ways in which the religion is transmitted from the Messenger ﷺ.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Shafi'i's al-Risala by Dr. Yasir Burhami