The vast majority of criticisms that are commonly leveled against Islam tend to share a common trait: they all possess a hollow appeal of intellectualism. The learned Ustadh Daniel Haqiqatjou recently had an engaging debate with Javad Hashmi—commonly referred to as JaFed due to his known links to intelligence agencies—, a pseudo intellectual zindiq (apostate/heretic disbeliever) hailing from Harvard University. Anyone who has watched the debate would have noticed that Javad, of course, did not make any effort to engage with the actual subject of the debate. Rather, Javad simply took the debate as his opportunity to present three main arguments aimed at undermining the very foundations of pure, unadulterated Islam, which he so despises.

1. According to Javad, traditionalists assert that the Qur’an is ambiguous and incomplete.

2. He contends that the system of hadith (prophetic narrations) is flawed due to there being a lack of scrutinization of the prophetic companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them). Javad deems the reliability of hadiths to be grounded in a purported axiom known as ta’dil al-sahabah, which posits that, as a matter of principle, no companion could have fabricated or distorted the teachings of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

3. Lastly, Javad challenges the institution of ijma’ (scholarly consensus), suggesting that it rests on circular logic and argumentation. According to him, the notion of ijma’ asserts that all consensus must be true simply because tradition cannot be erroneous. However, he argues that this supposed circular reasoning fails to establish whether or not tradition itself is flawed.

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While I do consider this to be an honest representation of Javad’s primary arguments against traditionalism, I shall not be delving into addressing the first argument. Numerous scholars and academics have already responded, time and time again, to this feeble semblance of an argument.

Instead, let us focus here on Javad’s second argument. And, in sha’ Allah, I hope to respond to his final contention in a future article. Although these arguments are inherently vacuous and fallacious, it is nevertheless important that they be responded to and that the truth of the matter be made clear, as, otherwise, they can potentially lead to widespread misunderstandings, even among unsuspecting normal Muslims.

I pray that this article will suffice in equipping our brothers and sisters, who may have been confused by these arguments, with the necessary tools required to navigate these sometimes seemingly complex debates.

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Responding to the Attack on the Integrity of the Sahabah

In my pursuit for answers, I took inspiration from two invaluable videos produced by Sunnah Discourse, for which I ask Allah to reward them abundantly.

First and foremost, it is crucial to clarify that Javad, from the very onset, presents a flawed definition of ‘adalah (integrity). Ta’dil al-sahabah does not, in any way, imply that every individual prophetic companion is deemed infallible in their transmission, thereby absolving them from scrutiny, simply due to their status as prophetic companions.

The concept of ‘adalat al-sahabah merely denotes that, on the whole, the prophetic companions have more than adequately demonstrated their outstanding reliability and trustworthiness in their narration of hadith. It does not negate the fact that certain expert scholars of hadith may have identified a few individuals who faltered to some extent after the demise of our beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). However, these cases are a minuscule minority in comparison to the overwhelming vast majority of prophetic companions who accurately conveyed the sayings and teachings of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

I would advise the reader to refer to this enlightening video by Sunnah Discourse for textual evidence supporting the correct definition of ‘adalah.

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Furthermore, it is essential to acknowledge that Allah Himself extols the virtues of the prophetic companions in the Noble Qur’an. This unequivocally demonstrates that the prophetic companions were individuals of great piety and uprightness. As such, it goes against the very essence of the Qur’an to assume that the generality of hadith are inherently suspect, based on the mere logical possibility that some companions could have potentially fabricated or lied about aspects of the life of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

As to the forerunners [in faith] — the first of the Emigres and the Helpers — as well as [all] those who have followed their course in goodness, Allah is well-pleased with them. And they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow — wherein they shall abide, forever and ever. That is the magnificent triumph! (Qur’an, 9:100)

Anyone who truly upholds a Quran-centric modus operandi cannot help but recognize the unparalleled excellence of the prophetic companions among all of creation after, of course, the Prophets and Messengers of Allah (peace be upon them).

Hence, Javad’s critique, suggesting what is essentially a wholesale rejection of all hadiths (except when he wants to cherry-pick something that suits his agenda) due to the mere logical possibility for the companions to have lied, not only contradicts a Quran-centric approach but also represents an extreme position that lacks any nuance. Even if we were to entertain the idea of there being isolated instances of distortion (which we, of course, do not readily concede), they would constitute a negligible fraction within the vast corpus of hadith literature.

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Moreover, a cursory examination of the hadith literature reveals the indisputable integrity and trustworthiness of the prophetic companions. This is evident from the fact that such a great number of prophetic companions reported hadiths that ran counter to their own interests. It becomes glaringly evident that the prophetic companions transmit hadiths out of an unwavering love for Islam and an unshakable commitment to the truth, rather than to seek any kind of material gain. What rational individual would jeopardize their reputation and faith by concocting falsehoods if they had absolutely nothing to gain by doing so?

‘Urwah reported: ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “I never felt so jealous about any woman as I did for Khadijah. She had died three years before I married the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I heard him mentioning her so often, and his Lord ordered him to give her glad tidings of her palace in Paradise made of reeds. The Prophet would slaughter a sheep and distribute its meat among her friends. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 5658; Sahih Muslim, 2435)

Sahl ibn Hunayf stood up on the Day of Siffin and said: O ye people, blame yourselves (for want of discretion) ; we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the Day of Hudaybiyyah. If we had thought it fit to fight, we could fight. This was in the truce between the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the polytheists. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab came, approached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, aren’t we fighting for truth and they for falsehood? He replied: By all means. He asked: Are not those killed from our side in Paradise and those killed. from their side in the Fire? He replied: Yes. He said: Then why should we put a blot upon our religion and return, while Allah has not decided the issue between them and ourselves? He said: Son of Khattab, I am the Messenger of Allah. Allah will never ruin me. (The narrator said): ‘Umar went away, but he could not contain himself with rage. So he approached Abu Bakr and said: Abu Bakr, aren’t we fighting for truth and they for falsehood? He replied: Yes. He asked: Aren’t those killed from our side in Paradise and those killed from their side in the Fire? He replied: Of course! He (then) said: Why should we then disgrace our religion and return while Allah has not yet decided the issue between them and ourselves? Abu Bakr said: Son of Khattab, verily, he is the Messenger of Allah, and Allah will never ruin him. (The narrator continued): At this (a Surah of) the Qur’an (giving glad tidings of the victory) was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He sent for ‘Umar and made him read it. He asked: Is (this truce) a victory? He (the Messenger of Allah) replied: Yes. At this, ‘Umar was pleased, and returned. (Sahih Muslim, 1785a)

Moreover, when we take a closer look at the vast compendium of the hadith literature, we discover that the majority of the narrations that have been reported by the prophetic companions correspond and are in harmony with one another. Each hadith transmitted by the prophetic companions presents a coherent and cohesive depiction of Islam and the life of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

Will Javad and his ilk now accuse the prophetic companions of collectively scheming an elaborate plot towards fabricating an entire religion out of thin air? Where are the evidences of this grand conspiracy? Why do historical records not document this supposed distortion of the original message by the revered prophetic companions, who were the faithful followers of the most influential Prophet in history?

It simply defies all logic.

Javad’s imagination paints a vivid picture where, during the time of the prophetic companions, anyone could freely attribute falsehoods to the Prophet without encountering any opposition from their contemporaries.

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Yet, this entire notion is dispelled unequivocally by numerous hadiths, in which the prophetic companions countered one another and engaged in meaningful discussions. The prophetic companions exhibited a diversity of opinions and perspectives.

It has been narrated from ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Are you not surprised by Abu Hurayrah? He came (one day) and sat beside the nook of my apartment and began to narrate (the hadith of Allah’s Apostle). I was hearing while I was engaged in extolling Allah (reciting Subhan Allah) constantly. He stood up before I finished my repetition of Subhan Allah. If I were to meet him, I would have warned him in stern words that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) did not speak so quickly as you talk. (Sahih Muslim, 2493)

There is a stark divergence between reality and the fanciful fantasies of these modern reformists/deformists.

Furthermore, there exist countless narrations that document the prophetic companions exhibiting a profound concern for preserving Islam in its pure, pristine, unadulterated form and safeguarding it from any form of innovation and deviation. Do these modern reformists/deformists truly believe that the prophetic companions valiantly fought tirelessly against all forms of divergence from the true teachings of Islam, yet they, somehow, allowed individuals to openly lie about the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) without making any attempt to verify and ensure that their claims are correct?

It has been related in an athar (narration) on the authority of ‘Amr ibn Salamah who said:

We were sitting at the door of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud before Fajr prayer, so that if he came out, we could walk with him to the Masjid, then Abu Musa al-Ash’ari came to us and said: Has Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman come out to you yet? We said: No. So he sat with us until he came out, and when he came out we all stood up.

 

Abu Musa said to him: O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, just now I saw something in the mosque that I have never seen before, but I do not think it was anything but good. He said: What was it?

 

He said: If you live, you will see it. He said: In the mosque I saw some people sitting in circles waiting for the prayer. In every circle there was a man, and in their hands they had pebbles.

 

He would say: Say ‘Allahu akbar’ (Allah is Most Great) one hundred times, and they would say ‘Allahu akbar’ one hundred times. He would say: Say ‘La ilaha ill-Allah’ (there is no god but Allah) one hundred times, and they would say ‘La ilaha ill-Allah’ one hundred times. He would say: Say ‘Subhan Allah’ (Glory be to Allah) one hundred times, and they would say ‘Subhan Allah’ one hundred times.

 

He said: What did you say to them?

 

He said: I did not say anything to them; I was waiting to see what you think and I waited for your command. He said: Why did you not tell them to count their bad deeds and guarantee to them that their good deeds would not be wasted?

 

Then he moved on and we moved on with him until he came to one of those circles, and he stood over them and said: What is this that I see you doing?

 

They said: O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, these are stones with which we count the takbirs (‘Allahu akbar’), tahlil (‘La ilaha illa-Allah’) and tasbih (‘Subhan-Allah’).

 

He said: Count your bad deeds, for I guarantee to you that none of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, O ummah of Muhammad! How quickly you have become doomed! His companions are still alive and his cloak has not worn out, and his vessel is not yet broken. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you are either following a way that is more guided than the way of Muhammad or you are opening the door to misguidance.

 

They said: By Allah, O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, we intended nothing but good. He said: How many of those who intended good did not achieve it? The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us that some people would recite the Qur’an and it would not go any further than their collarbones. By Allah, I do not know, perhaps most of them are from among you. Then he turned away from them and ‘Amr ibn Salamah said: We saw most of the people of those circles fighting alongside the Khawarij against us in the battle of Nahrawan. (Musnad al-Darimi, 210)

Upon closer inspection, the depiction of modern reformists/deformists in relation to hadith transmission during the time of the prophetic companions crumbles utterly. It fails to retain even the minutest semblance of credibility.

Once we have grasped this fundamental understanding, it becomes even more fascinating to see that the prophetic companions would themselves also narrate from one another. This intricate and closely weaved web of interconnection not only signifies the unwavering trust that the prophetic companions had in each other, but it also attests to their unyielding integrity.

Take a moment to ponder upon the following:

If, as suggested by these modern reformists/deformists, the prophetic companions were nothing more than dishonest fabricators, driven by ulterior motives, why would they feel any need to rely upon hadith narrated by their fellow prophetic companions? If falsehood was indeed their aim, they could have simply concocted a narration outright, without any effort or the need to seek corroboration from another source.

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Taken together, in context, all of these facets paint a resplendent portrait of the undeniable sincerity of the prophetic companions in transmitting hadith. It demonstrates, unequivocally, that the principle of the integrity of the prophetic companions is not some arbitrary and baseless notion. Rather, it is rooted in a robust, rational framework, which firmly establishes the credibility of the prophetic companions in conveying the words and teachings of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

This monumental, towering Islamic tradition of ours stands tall and firm, built upon the contributions of multitudes—thousands upon thousands—of brilliant minds. This is in stark contrast to the absurd caricatures propagated by these modern reformists/deformists such as Javad and his ilk. Resorting to fabricating falsehoods conjured up in their impotent minds and constructing feeble straw men is the best they can offer in their abysmal attempt to undermine an unassailable fortress. However, they conveniently forget that the foremost guardian of the Islamic tradition is none other than Allah Himself.

Rest assured that, each and every time they endeavor to disseminate such pathetic falsehoods, Allah will inspire His faithful servants to utterly dismantle their falsities.

The truth shall always prevail, resounding the glorious proclamation of takbir.

Allahu akbar!

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