Usool al Hadith - Forever Islam

of scholars. It is false because it opposes the way of the Salaf and the meanings ofthe evidences I presented. It is also false because those who follow thismethodology do not realize that belief is connected to action and actions areconnected to belief. This is a very important matter that helps the believer toclearly understand this subject with certainty, and to refute the false principle ofdifferentiation between ‘aqeedah and laws. 17The aahaad hadeeths may be further subdivided into three main categories,Mash’hoor, ‘Azeez and Ghareeb, according to the numbers of narrators atdifferent levels of the chain.A. Mash’hoor (well-known)A narration that has a minimum of three or more transmitters in every level. Thefollowing hadeethإِن َّ االلهَ‏ لا َ يق ْبِض ال ْعِل ْم انتِزاعا ينتزِعه مِن ال ْعِبادِ‏ول َكِن يق ْبِض ال ْعِل ْم بِق َبضِ‏ ال ْعل َماءِ‏ ))“Allaah will not take away knowledge from people by snatching it, but bytaking away the scholars.” 18The mash’hoor is further explained as a hadeeth which is originally reported byone or more companions but has later become well-known and transmitted by anindefinite number of people. It is necessary that the diffusion of the report shouldhave taken place during the first or the second generation (i.e. during the period ofthe Companions and the Successors) after the Prophet’s death.))17 The Hadith is Proof, pp. 55-82.18 Reported by az-Zubayr ibn ‘Awwaam. The whole text is as follows:عن عبدِ‏ الل َّهِ‏ بنِ‏ عمرِو بنِ‏ ال ْعاصِ‏ ق َال َ سمِعت رسول َ الل َّهِ‏ صل َّى الل َّه عل َيهِ‏ وسل َّم يق ُول ُ إِن َّ الل َّه ل َا يق ْبِض ال ْعِل ْمانتِزاعا ينتزِعه مِن ال ْعِبادِ‏ ول َكِن يق ْبِض ال ْعِل ْم بِق َبضِ‏ ال ْعل َماءِ‏ حتى إِ‏ ذ َا ل َم يبقِ‏ عالِما اتخذ َ الناس رءُوسا جهال ًاف َسئِل ُوا ف َأ َف ْتوا بِغيرِ‏ عِل ْمٍ‏ ف َضل ُّوا وأ َضل ُّوا‘ Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas quoted Allaah’s Messenger (r) as saying: “Allaah will not takeaway knowledge by snatching it, but by taking the scholars until none remains. People will thenmake ignorant people their leaders who, when consulted, will give verdicts without knowledge andthereby go astray and lead others astray.” (Sahih Al-Bukhaari, vol. 1, p. 80, no. 100 and SahihMuslim, vol. 4, p. 1404, no. 6462.)