মাসিক আত-তাহরীক Characteristics of Ahle hadeeth
(مَيِّزَاتُ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيْثِ)
Now think about ‘Ahle hadeeth’. It is not the name of a particular Mazhab (party) as usual, not also a doctrine or ism adopted by a person. Rather, it is the name of a path (way). That path is the path of last Wahi (revelation) sent down by Allah i.e. the path of the holy Quran and saheeh Hadeeth. The ultimate destination of this path is Jannat (Heaven). All the spiritual and worldly guidance of mankind are preserved in this straight path. The Sahaba-i-keram, Tabe‘iin-i-Ezam and Salaf-i-Saleheen had always invited people to this path. So Ahle hadeeth characteristically is the name of a Da‘wat or a movement. This movement is the movement for establishing unadulterated original character of Islam. This movement invites all people of the world, especially the Muslim Ummah, divided into so many Mazhabs and Tareeqas, to return back leaving aside all sorts of narrowness and bigotry, and to be united at the root of Islam, i.e. the teachings of the holy Quran and Sunnah of the last Prophet Muhammad (sm), which is the guarantee of eternal peace. This movement has acquired its momentum centering round the infallible guidance of the Kitab and Sunnah. This movement did not grow up on the strength of personal philosophy of a Faqeeh, Mujtahid, Wali-Aulia (saint), Imam or any scholar of the Ummah. The workers of this movement have no other book of guidance except the holy Quran and Hadeeth. They have no other unerring Imam except Muhammadur Rasoolullah (sm). They have no other Mazhab or way to follow but Islam. They have no definite book of Fiqh. They pay due respect to the Imams of the four prevailling Mazhabs. Despite of being influenced by any kind of blind devotion or blind hatred to any, they, without hesitation in open mind, readily accept those decisions of different Mazhabs, which are in consonance with or most closest to the Quran and saheeh Hadeeth. But they consider it wrong and illogical to accept all things of right and wrong of a particular Mazhab and to do Taqleed i.e. follow them blindly.
There is no place for sainthood among them, nor there is any headache for attaining salvation through the pleading of any Peer or to gain their ‘Foiz’ (blessing). They need not to take the dust of feet of any Peer baba or Shadhu baba in order to cure a disease or to win a case and so on. They do not make any vow (manat) to the grave of any Aulia (saint) or do not have to any certificate of being a ‘Mureed’ (disciple) of any Peer.
Ahle hadeeth, the true believers on Tawheed, in their weal and woe only seek help from Allah, beg shelter to Him, weep only before Him and make Sadaqah only to earn His pleasure. Keeping firm reliance on the fate, be good it or bad, they make the best of their effort. For the salvation in the life hereafter, they only take the Amals (righteous deeds), that are approved by the Shari‘ah and free from Shirk and Bid‘at as the only means (Waseelah) of salvation, which would be performed as fully devoted to Allah. They keep themselves away from all those words and deeds which bears any slight spot of Shirk and Bid‘at. They do not believe any person as a possessor of Ilamul Ghaib (knowledge of unseen). They do not consider anyone infallible except the prophet (sm). They do not think that Muhammad, the last Prophet (sm) is created out of Noor (light) or he is a Noor Nabee (Prophet of light); but they consider Him as a being created out of clay like all human being. They do not believe any person to do good or bad to himself, nor to any other. Even an alive person can not do good or bad to others without the will of Allah. They consider it a open Shirk to lay in prostration to the grave and to make vow there, to offer garlands, candles and to cover the grave with ghilaf and to bathe it, sending Nazar-Niaz (gifts) there, slaughtering cocks and goats for fulfilling Hajats (objectives), seeking salvation through the deceased laid into the grave and to pray before him etc.
In the same way, the false thinking of the presence of the soul of the Prophet (sm) in lacs of Meelad Mahfil at the same time at the various corners of the world and then standing (Qiam) all with honour to him and giving Salam to him etc. is considered to them as most hated and gravest sin like that of imagining the qualities of the creator in a human being. Similarly to observe silence standing in honour to any deceased, offering flowers and wreaths to Shaheed Minars and Mausoleums made by selves, lightening ‘Mangal Pradeep’ (lamp of fortune), ‘Shikha Wanirban’ (undying flame), ‘Shikha Chirantan’ (eternal flame), preparation of oil paintings of different persons, Photographs, statues and sculptures and paying respect to all of these, are according to them, modern forms of ever-while nasty shirks of fire and idol worshipping of the days of ignorance (Jahliyah).
Ahle hadeeth believes in their mind and soul the fact that Muhammad (sm), the last Prophet of Allah, did not leave behind any rule of Islam secret to other. But as a perfect and ideal man of all ages, as a builder of complete and perfect character of Islam, during twenty three years of his life of Prophethood through his sayings, acts and behaviour had made explicit all the pros and cons and ins and outs of Islamic shari‘ah for his Ummah and had faithfully and properly brought the entire Wahi-i-Ilahi to his Ummah. Then at the end of his life, standing at Arafat in the farewell pilgrimage, before tens of thousands of disciples present, making them witness, got direct assurance of Allah about the fulfillment of Islam. Therefore, Ahle hadeeth believe that, after getting the complete picture of Islamic way of life in the holy Quran and saheeh Hadeeth, it is just like keeping away from simple, straight and clean way of Islam to search for self-made theories of Haqeeqat, Tareeqat, Ma‘rifat and so-called Sina-ba-sina Bateni ilm i.e. heart to heart concealed knowledge. At the same time it brings in doubt about the guardianship of the trust of Islamic shari‘ah, left by the last Prophet (sm), which is open contrary to Iman.
The Ahle hadeeth believe on Muhammadur Rasoolullah (sm) as the last Prophet and they consider this belief as one of the main rukans (pillars) of Iman. One who denies or refuses this rukan or brings up doubt in it, shall never be a Muslim. Therefore, since no Prophet will come after him, all the Muslim of the world following him are referred to a great nation being identified to the same Millat (Religion). Where there is no scope for any sorts of sectarianism. Ahle hadeeth movement desires to make the whole Muslim Millat as a united great nation under the unique leadership of the last Prophet Muhammad (sm), forgetting all sorts of partisanism, on the basis of the holy Quran and saheeh Sunnah only.
The Ahle hadeeth believe the first four Caliphs as Khulafa-i-Rashideen (Rightly guided Caliphs). They consider it a Gunah-i-Kabeerah (great sin) to show slightest dishonour to them as well as to any Sahabi (disciple) of the Prophet (sm). As they have great regards for the family members of the Prophet (sm), so they also strongly protest Husain-worship in the name of Ta‘ziah (mourning) at the month of Muharram.
Ahle hadeeth, the followers of purest Sunnah, would never make any compromise with Bid‘at (innovation) in any circumstances. They do never give any indulgence to Bid‘at in the name of formalities or customs of the country or Bid‘at-i-Hasanah (good innovation) or on the pretext of Hikmah (Trick). The most respected person to them is he, who plays an uncompromising role against all kinds of Shirk and Bid‘at, directly or indirectly and continues to serve for Tawheed and Sunnah even if at the cost of their lives. As a revolutionary ideal and as a complete code of life, the Ahle hadeeth consider ‘Islam’ as the solution of everything for all ages, and for being Islam as dynamic they consider Ijtihad as most essential in all ages. They also consider Taqleed-i-Shakhsi as must to be shunned.[1] They like to say this, that Taqleed-i-Shakhsi is the greatest obstacle for religious and social progress of the Muslim. Because through it we follow blindly the thoughts of a particular man only, the possibility of making errors in it is very certain. We lose the self confidence that a better thought on that matter might have been in the thoughts of others or even within myself. As a direct effect of Taqleed one may follow a wrong ruling issued by a person throughout his life. Though it was most essential to leave that for a Muslim to seek salvation and to follow the Quran and saheeh Hadeeth impartially for his personal interest of this life and the life hereafter. It is necessary to say that this is the basic demand of Ahle hadeeth movement through all ages.
In the above short account, the identity of Ahle hadeeth and the characteristic features of this movement have been discussed in brief. Through this it has been clearly proved that all Muslims of the world are not Ahle hadeeth.As because the others follow only those Hadeeth, which are in favour of the Mazhabs of their Imams or Ulama they followed. But the Ahle hadeeth follow only the saheeh Hadeeth impartially. From the above discussion it is also proved that the basic difference between Ahle hadeeth movementand other Islamic movement is Taqleed-i-Shakhsi i.e. following a person blindly. May this Taqleed be of a Mazhab in religious perspective or be of a non-Islamic ism in worldly perspective in the name of progress. Except the submission to the rules of Wahi in all the religious or worldly matters, Taqleed of any sort is to be rejected. Therefore, only the person who submits to the decision of the Quran and saheeh Hadeeth with unbiased mind leaving aside all kind of Mazhabi narrowness and Taqleedi bigotry is named Ahle hadeeth. But it is sorrowful to say that many people today hesitate to do acquainted themselves by this honoured title used by the venerable Sahabis and Muhadditheen.
Many people consider Ahle hadeeth as a competitive group against Taqleedi Mazhabs like Hanafi, Shafe‘ii and others or as a group in general like them. But actually those are only the followers of a particular scholar, or a particular school accepted by a particular scholar. On the other hand, those who impartially follow the Quran and saheeh Hadeeth breaking all the bondage of Mazhab and Taqleed, can only be Ahle hadeeth. Because the term of Ahle hadeeth, that is the follower of Hadeeth, does not mean the follower of a person. Therefore, as the Prophet (sm) is the prophet of the whole world, as the Wahi (revelation) sent down to Him is for the welfare of whole of the mankind, so also Ahle hadeeth movement, based on the last Wahi is also devoted to the welfare of all the human being irrespective of race and religion.
At last we wish to put our humble submission that, have anyone ever seen the likeness in Ahle hadeeth which they have seen among others being divided with separate names after making separate Imam, Mazhab, Fiqh and Tareeqah? Therefore, as the honoured Sahabis, Imams and Muhadditheen can never be identified within a group following blindly a person, similarly the Ahle hadeeth, named by their name accordingly and their followers devoutly cannot be identified as a particular group in the usual sense of the term. Though as a possessor of unique characteristics and open heartedness, theAhle hadeeth is certainly a separate entity of a Jama‘at. For the like characteristics the Jama‘at of the honoured Sahabis has also been called as Ahle hadeeth.[1]. The dictionary meaning of Ijtihad is all-out effort. In the terminological meaning it means such effort to find out as per rule the decision of Shari‘ah for the matters which are not received clearly in the Quran, Sunnah and Ijma-i-Sahaba. Taqleed-i-Shakhsi means the blind following of a person in the matters of Shari‘ah without any document –Author.
