Seeking Assistance From Other Than Allah

Hafidh Suyyuti writes that Imam Faraabri narrated Sahih Bukhari and that in this original copy, there are 200 more Ahadith than Humaad bin Shakir’s version and 300 more Ahadith than Ibrahim’s version. The reason why Faraabri carries more Ahadith is because he heard Sahih Bukhari from Imam Bukhari twice and others heard it only once.

(Tadreeb-ur-Raawee, by Hafidh Sayuti)

One Example

Imam Bukhari writes, “Musa bin Ismail reported that Anas bin Malik said that the Qur’an forbade us from asking questions to the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] so we wanted a sensible person to come from the village who could ask things to the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] and we could hear the answers”.

One day a person came from the village and asked some questions to the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace]. The Hadith continues on the subject. (Bukhari chapter Illum).

Hafidh Asqalani writes, “This Hadith was narrated by Imam Bukhari’s teacher”.

Imam Sun Anni said, “This Hadith is not written in all the original copies of Bukhari’s. It is only written in that copy which is written by Imam Bukhari’s student, Imam Farabri. But I say that all the original copies of the Bukhari that I have seen, I have not seen this Hadith mentioned in any of them”. (Fathulbari, chapter Illum by Hafidhh Asqalani).

Imam Muslim writes, “The Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] said that a person who continually speaks the truth, Allah writes his name amongst the truthful. A person who continually tells lies, Allah writes his name amongst the liars”.

(Muslim chapter Kitaab-ul-Birr).

Imam Nawawi writes,” All the copies of Bukhari and Muslim in our area mention only this”.

Qaadi Ayyad and Humaidi also write only this. But Abu Mas-ood narrates this Hadith with the extra words. Those words are, “The worst people are those who tell lies. Lies are not permissible under serious or humorous intentions. It is not permissible for a Father to make false promises with his son”.

(Sharhah Sahih Muslim chapter Kitab-ul-Birr by Imam Navavi).
Finally, we disagree with those people who claim that Imam Bukhari’s narrations are higher than the Hadith principles, and demand all references from Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. This demand is wrong because Hafidh Asqalani has written that Imam Bukhari has said “I know 100,000 authentic narrations, but in Sahih Bukhari there are only 9082”On page 107 it says a different amount

(Fath-ul-Baari, page 5)

Of course, the other 90,918 authentic narrations are recorded in the other books of the Ahadith which were written before them.
Imam Dahabi writes – Hummaam Ibn Munabi (died: 101H) had a collection of Hadith which were narrated by Abu Huraira.

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  Imam Zuhri, Imam Abdul Aziz Madani (died: 164H), Imam Hadri (died: 174H), Imam Malik (died: 179H) and Imam Abu Dawud Tayaalsi (died: 203H) wrote books of Hadith.
  

• 
  Hammaad bin Salma (died: 167H) wrote a book of Hadith that had a collection of ten thousand Hadith.
  

• 
  Imam Yahya bin Sa’eed (died: 143H) wrote books of Hadith that were read to people by Imam bin Zaid (died: 179H).
  

• 
  Imam Abu Awana (died: 176H) wrote a book of Hadith about which Imam Ahmad said that his book is authentic.
  

Imam Hasheem (died: 183H) wrote a book of Hadith that has a collection of two thousand Hadith.

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  Abdullah bin Mubarak (died: 181H) wrote a book of Hadith which had a collection of twenty thousand Hadith.
  

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  Imam Mousli (died: 186H) wrote books on different topics of Islam and one of the books were a collection of Hadith.
  

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  Imam Abu Hanifah (died: 150H) wrote books of Hadith which were narrated by his students, Imam Muhammad Ashaibaani (died: 189H) and Imam Abu Yusuf (died: 182H).
  

(Tadkara-tul-Uffaad biography of the above names by Imam Dahabi)

Hafidhh Sayutti writes – ‘Abu Waleed, Suffian Thuri, Abi Salma, Abi Suffian and Ibn Uyaina wrote books of Hadith’.

(Tadreeb Al-Rawi by Hafidhh Sayutti)

The books of Hadith mentioned above are more close to the time of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] and are more authentic because they have a shorter chain like the Hadith narrated by Abu Hanifah which is more authentic because he narrated the Hadith from the Prophet’s companion or the companion’s students.

Here is one example – Imam Abu Hanifah says, ‘I heard from Ataa bin Rubaah and he heard from Ibn Abbas who heard from the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] who said, ‘ Whoever reads the Fajr and Esha Salaah with Jamaat, Allah purifies his heart from hypocrisy’’.

(Musnad Imam Abu Hanifah, chapter Salaah)
Hafidhh Asqalani writes ‘Imam Yahya bin Maueen said ‘Abu Hanifah narrated Hadith from Ai’sha bint Ajarad and she narrated from Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace]’.

(LesaanulMeezan biography of Aiyasha bint Ajarad by Hafidhh Asqalani)

So this is the proof that the previous books of Hadith carry authentic Hadith. If we find a Hadith in the above books and we do not find these in the Bukhari or Muslim Hadith that does not mean that the Hadith is weak or fabricated, it means that the Hadith never reached Bukhari or Muslim but that Hadith can still be authentic with shorter chain from the above books.

The above evidence highlights the fact that one cannot claim that Bukhari and Muslim are the only sources of Sunnah.

With Great Regret

By mentioning the above references the writers intention is not to insult Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim. We believe that Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim were great scholars of Ahadith and their books contain many more authentic narrations than any other book, We have great respect for them both. They have done a lot of hard work for the science of Ahadith and have done a great favour to the whole of the Muslim ummah. We also make Du’aa’ for them, May Allah may reward them in Paradise and fill their graves with blessings and Noor. Amin.
Raf’ul-yadain

“Raf’ul’yadain” simply means to raise the hands during prayer. When people begin their Salaah, they raise their hands to signify that they have left all things and submitted themselves towards Allah alone. This also signifies the individuals’ testimony of Allah’s Unity. The Hanafis, [as members of the Ahl as Sunna wa’al Jamma] believe that this act (raising hands to the level of the ears) should only be undertaken at the start of the prayer and not during it.

There are those who hold the opinion that the Raf’ul-yadain should also be done before and after the ruku’, they hold their position because of the following reasons:

1. 
   The Prophet [May Allah bless Him and grant Him peace] used to do this.
   
2. 
   This was the practice of the Khulafa:- Rashidun and the ‘Ashar-ul-mubasharah [The ten companions of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) who were given news of Jannah on this earth during their lives]. Altogether, there are proofs from twenty companions.
   
3. 
   The narrations of raf’ul-yadain are mutawaatir [Hadith which has been narrated by many authentic narrators during the period of the companions,
   

their students, and the students of the Tabi’een]

4) Raf’ul-yadain is a pillar of Salaah and leaving it makes the Salaah invalid.

However, the position of the Hanafi madhab is that towards the end of our beloved Prophet’s [May Allah bless Him and grant Him peace] life the practice of raf’ ul yadain had been abrogated, and that the Messenger of Allah [May Allah bless Him and grant Him peace], during his last prayers on this earthly life only performed raf’ ul yadain at the beginning of his Salaah. However, there were still some Sahaba who unknowingly continued the practice of raf’ ul yadain, without realizing that it had indeed been abrogated and obsolete. It was for this reason that at times, those who knew of its abrogation, began to ask to those who continued its practice for their reason for doing so.
Regarding the claim that twenty companions, including Ashar-ul-mubasharah and the khulafaa-ur-Rashideen performed raf’ul-yadain - This incidentally, proves that the majority of the companions didn’t practice raf’ul-yadain. Secondly, if this claim is true then why isn’t this recorded in Bukhari and Muslim, or in any other famous book of sunah? If the support for twenty companions practicing raf’ul-yadain is not found in any Ahadith boo then, how can this claim be true?

The claim that the Hadith regarding raf’ul-yadain is mutawatir is also not true. This is because Imam Muslim and Imam Bukhari have only narrated the action of raf’ul yadain from two companions – Abdullah bin Umar (Radiall hu anhu), and Malik bin Huwairis. Imam Zuhri narrated the Hadith from Saalim and Saalim narrated from Abdullah bin Umar. Abu Qalaabah and Nasr narrated from Malik bin Huwairis, and from them, Khalid and Qatadah narrated.

In anyone of these chains there is only one narrator at a time, in the other there were two at a time. How can this be called mutawatir? The above narrators’ position and the narrations which go against the above narrations will be discussed later, Insha’Allah.

Regarding the claim that omitting raf’ul-yadain invalidates Salaah, nobody from among the companions or even the Prophet [May Allah bless Him and grant Him peace] himself said that omitting raf’ul-yadain invalidates Salaah. The evidence for raf’ul-yadain being a pillar of Salaah is not even found in the books, which contain collections of fabricated Hadith. It is another matter if someone decides to introduce fabricated Hadith!