Usool al Hadith - Forever Islam

have even claimed Ijmaa‘ (unanimity of scholars) on this rule. However, whatthey claimed to be Ijmaa‘ was not recorded of any leading Muslim scholar(Imaam). Nor was it recorded from any of the Companions or the Successors. Wedemand from them a valid differentiation between what can or cannot be acceptedof aahaad reports in matters of religion, supported by clear proof. However, theywill never find anything to validate their differentiation between ‘aqeedah andlaws. They will only find false claims.” (I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een)Shaykh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee addressed this differentiation as follows:Differentiating between matters of ‘aqeedah and laws, with regards toaccepting hadeeth aahaad, is a philosophy alien to Islaam. The righteouspredecessors (the salaf), including the four Imaams that most Muslims followtoday, did not know, nor did they approve, of such an alien philosophy. Theaayaat and hadeeths contain matters of belief, along with matters of law andSharee‘ah (Islaamic Jurisprudence). The texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnahmake obedience to the Messenger (r) obligatory on Muslims. This obedience, nodoubt, is contained in the Qur’aanic verse:) وما ك َان َ لِمؤمِنٍ‏ ولا َ مؤمِنةٍ‏ إِذ َا ق َضى االلهُ‏ ورسول ُه أ َمرا أ َن ْ يك ُون َ ل َهمال ْخِيرة ُ مِن أ َمرِهِم (“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and HisMessenger have decreed a matter that they should have an option intheir decision.” (Soorah al-Ahzaab,33: 36)This verse confirms the obligation of obeying the Messenger (r) andfollowing him in matters of belief and laws, without distinction. Also, Allaah said,“And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it…” (Soorah al-Hashr, 59: 7).In this verse “whatever” means everything, without exception, beliefs and laws.There are many other similar verses, all of which are mentioned by Imaam Ash-Shaafi‘ee in his book, Ar-Risaalah. The differentiation between ‘aqeedah andlaws has no clear evidence to support it. Consequently, it is fundamentally false,and what is false in essence and beginnings can only produce false ends.The differentiation between ‘aqeedah and laws is based on the earliermentioned claim that aahaad hadeeths only produces zann (speculativeknowledge). This zann is considered raajih (closer to certainty than to falsehood)and therefore must be adhered to in matters of Laws, as agreed by all scholars.However, they claim that this zann raajih cannot be accepted in matters of