Contemporary Readings or Veiled Attacks? A Reply to Claims of Ijtihad Against the Two Sahihs

Praise be to Allah.

Among the strangest things I have read, in one of the contemporary books devoted to attacking Sahih al-Bukhari, is the following, in the words of the book’s author: “So that I would not be one of the liars, I researched and reached conclusions that this book contains. I hope every reader of this book of mine will know that it is the product of my own research and study, that I worship my Lord by what I have learned and what has settled in my heart, and that every human being on the face of the earth has the full right to learn, to reflect, and to come out with what he believes to be the truth by which he worships his Lord. Indeed, it is an obligation on every Muslim to learn his religion and to worship his Lord by what has settled in his soul and what he believes. Following the forefathers and the fathers without reflection or contemplation, merely because they are the forefathers and the fathers, even if they were upon falsehood, is something the Lord of the worlds clearly condemns, rejects and censures; indeed, some scholars have counted it within the circle of shirk.”

This reminds me of a question entitled “Reply to the Claims of Some Innovating Sects” that was put to Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta¹. The answer came in fatwa no. (3427), dated 12 September 2006. The text of the question:

We have people who call themselves the people of the Qur’an and hadith, or the people of tawhid, and among their principles are:

1. Denying the authority of consensus (ijma’) and analogy (qiyas).
2. Saying that it is not permissible to follow (taqlid) any of the four schools or others, and making independent judgment (ijtihad) obligatory on everyone, even one who does not know the Arabic language.
3. Saying that the statements of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, are not to be taken as proof, because they, in their claim, contradicted the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace.

And the answer was:

These corrupt statements cannot rightly be attributed to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, nor to the people of hadith, nor to the people of opinion; indeed, not to any school of Islam that carries weight. Rather, what the scholars of the Muslims agree upon is that consensus is a decisive proof that may not be contradicted. It is what forms the identity of Islam, and it is expressed as “what is known of the religion by necessity.” The proof of this is the saying of Allah the Exalted: ﴿And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.﴾ (al-Nisa’ 4:115), and the reports, mass-transmitted in their meaning from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, that the Ummah will not agree upon misguidance.

Likewise, the jurists whose views carry weight have agreed on the authority of analogy, under its conditions set out in the books of legal theory; so much so that a group of jurists gave the ruling that if an endowment were made for the jurists, those who deny analogy would not be included in it.

As for saying that ijtihad is obligatory on everyone², even one ignorant of Arabic, together with forbidding the following of the four schools and others, this is a kind of madness that cannot rightly be attributed to rational people. Charging the layman with ijtihad is like charging the crippled invalid with flying: it is a charge beyond capacity. And if to that is added the prohibition of following the four established schools, the matter ends in demolishing the foundations of Islam in the name of Islam, and in squandering the Sunnah under the claim of holding fast to the Sunnah. At that point the people of knowledge must step in to bury this blind tribulation that spreads these corrupt statements, statements that, if those who repeat them knew their true nature and where they lead, they could do nothing but reject and disown them, if they were sincere and seeking the Face of Allah the Exalted.

As for the authority of the Companions’ statements when they differ, this is a matter of disagreement among the scholars, and it is discussed at length in the books of legal theory. But the Muslim must observe proper manners with the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, for they are the ones whom Allah the Exalted chose for the company of the best of His creation, our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace. They are the bearers of the religion and the transmitters of the Law, and accusing them of deliberately contradicting the Book and the Sunnah is a kind of bad manners towards these noble ones, may Allah be pleased with them. Rather, out of good opinion of them, one says: this was the extent of so-and-so’s knowledge, or perhaps the hadith did not reach him, or it was not authentic in his view, may Allah be pleased with him.

The Muslim who loves Allah the Exalted and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, and who is keen to follow the sound religion, must not take his religion from just anyone, nor lend his ear to every passer-by who has no qualification to speak about the Law. Rather, the matter is as Imam Muhammad ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy on him, said: [This knowledge is religion, so look to whom you take your religion from.] End quote. Al-Tibyan fi Adab Hamalat al-Qur’an (1/47).

And Allah, Glorified and Exalted, knows best.

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