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Subject: Sunna
Date: 1999/03/13
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The controversy about the Hadith continues. 
Instead of plunging into the debate, I thought I would resubmit the results
of my investigation into the subject.
In a nutshell it is this. We have the Quran, the Word of Allah
and we have the Hadith, reports of the interpretation and application 
of it by the Prophet (saw).  


Views of Islam (21. Sunna)
--------------------------

According to a Hadith (reports of the traditions of the Prophet), the
Prophet left his followers as guidance two things :- the Quran and his Sunna
(the traditions or sayings and doings of the Prophet). Another variation
says that two things which he left were the Quran and his descendants, the
Ahlul Bayt. This gave rise to two streams of Islam - the Sunnis and the
Shiahs. Each has its own separate collection of Hadith. Some muslims, who
are not happy with the divisions in Islam and its imprisonment in tradition
while times have changed, leaving Islam maladapted, assume that if the
importance of the Hadith were to be reduced then sectarianism would come to
an end, Muslims would unite, become free of the weight which disables them,
and once again march forward as in the past. It is thought that the
corruption of Islam is the result of increasing abandonment of the Quran in
favour of doubtful Hadith. Indeed, the Quran itself warns us :-

"Thus have We appointed unto every Prophet an adversar - devils of humankind
and jinn who inspire in one another plausible discorse through guile. If thy
Lord willed they would not do so. So leave them alone with their deviing
that the hearts of thosewho believe not in the Hereafter may incline
thereto, and that they may take pleasure therein, and that they may earn
what they are earning." 6:113-114
" On the day (of Judgement) when the wrong-doer gnaws his hand he will say:
Ah would that I had chosen a way together with the Messenger! Alas for me!
Ah, would that I had never taken such a one for friend! He verily led me
astray from the Reminder (Quran) after it had reached me. Satan was ever
man's deserter in the hour of need. And the Messenger says : O my Lord! Lo!
Mine own folk make this Quran of no account." 25:27-30 
"When the hypocrites come unto thee (O Muhammad) they say: We bear witness
that thou art indeed Allah's messenger, and Allah bears witness that the
Hypocrites are lying. Thy make their faith a pretext so that they may turn
men from the way of Allah. Verily, evil is that which they are wont to do."
63:1-2
"So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their
desires, but beware of them lest they seduce you from some part ofthat which
Allah has revealed unto you." 5:49

This gives rise, among other things, to a "Quran only" movement. The problem
is that people would still differ about the interpretation and application
of the Quran, and specially so  when no Hadith offered any guidance. The
number of sects could well increase. Sectarianism, as the verses above
indicate, depends also on taking as authorities Leaders and Books other than
Muhammad (saw) and the Quran, not just different collection of Hadith. This
could be regarded as Idolatry or Shirk in so far as they are not sent by
Allah but treated as if they were. On the other hand, a consensus may be
reached that:-  muslims must use their faculties; are allowed to reach
different opinions; but that these should be held tentatively not rigidly
because Allah knows best; and that it is He who will eventually decide; and
that they should then settle their affairs by mutual consultation and
agreement as the Quran requires (17:36, 5:48, 3:159, 5:48). There is also a
Hadith which states that an Islamic community (one that adheres to the
Quran) can never reach a wrong consensus. This is because they will ask for,
and obtain, the guidance by Allah himself. 

In modern times it is pointed out by many scholars that the Hadith
literature varies a great deal in quality and is not very reliable, though
much research has been done to establish genuineness. There are several
different collections which were written down only many years after the
death of the Prophet and all witnesses; the chain of transmission of some
does not contain people of known veracity. Sectarians have selected, added
and subtracted things to suit their own prejudices or interests; some things
were overheard or seen by passers-by without knowledge of the context, mood
or situation to which they related and whether the meaning was literal or
metaphorical or what level of understanding it was meant for; there are many
contradictory hadith, some even contradict the Quran, some are obscure or
trivial; that, in any case, the hadith contain the interpretations and
applications of the Quran for the particular situation the Prophet was faced
with in his times - they have less relevance in other times and places
except as examples of how adaptations of the Quran can be made. There are
about 700,000 Hadith attributed to the Prophet. Of these more than 90% were
rejected by early muslims as not authentic or doubtful. Malik accepted 500,
Hanbal 40,000, Bukhary 7275, Muslim accepted 4000. Each of these collectors
accepted as true sources people whom the others rejected. Muslim is said to
have rejected 434 persons accepted by Bukhari and Bukhari rejected 625
persons accepted by Muslim. Some reports were accepted from winesses who had
known the Prophet for only a day or had only seen him and from children as
young as 8 years old. Yet it was well known that there were liers and
hypocrites among the people who professed Islam as the Quran states
(9:101-102, 63:1-2) The choice was no doubt also affected by their own
preferences and prejudices. However critics of the various collections of
Hadith are prone to the same. Some have subtle meanings which may not be
easily understood. Others illuminate verses of the Quran or elaborate on
ambiguous ideas. Some give additional ethical and spiritual instructions. 

It is probably correct to assume that Hadith cannot be used as a rigid
source of legislation for the world today. 

The early Muslims recorded the outer life of the Prophet in great detail
hoping that by imitating this they could also attain an equivalent inner
spiritual state. But not a great amount is known about the motives behind
every action. Therefore, when a histories of his life came to be written we
find great variations in the account by different people because they insist
on interpreting his actions according to their various inclinations and
attributing motives from their own imagination. We have highly admiring
accounts as well as very hostile, denigrating and cynical ones. Some thought
that he was no more than a bandit raiding caravans with an eye for young
girls while others thought he was a master of strategy. Some thought that he
should be judged by the mores and culture which were current in Arabia in
his times and others saw him as introducing revolutionary social and
psychological changes from a system based on personalities and tribal
loyalties to one based on ideas and loyalties to an ideology. He had to deal
with indeterminate transitional times where the old system was being
destroyed and the new system had to be constructed. The whole direction of
history had to be changed. Others see things at a still more fundamental
level - his task was to introduce a completely new attitude and
consciousness, from a subjective to an objective way of living, a revolution
which is not yet complete. From an Islamic point of view, the existence of
the Quran which is in itself a masterpiece of literature and which contains
a sophisticated teaching, new heights, widths and depths of which come to
light from time to time and the great successes against great odds which the
Prophet achieved show that he was no ordinary man. This being the case it is
unjustifiable presumption to judged the Prophet by the ordinary standards
which apply to ordinary mortals. Therefore, all judgements, particularly
when they go against the moral code contained in the Quran, are rejected. He
was himself an exemplar of the Quran. Indeed, the Quran itself indicates in
18:61-83 how a person led by Allah differs from others. There is sufficient
evidence in the Hadith to show that because his task was to raise the level
of morality of a relatively primitive and barbaric people his actions and
the actions he allowed were often not to his own high standards but he often
had to compromise in order to accomodate the level of understanding of his
followers. The materials one works with limit what can be done. Had he
insisted on the standards his followers could not reach or maintain he would
not have had any, and no transformation would then have been possible. 

The promise was to preserve the Quran not the Hadith (17:46). The Quran was
to be regarded as the Prophet's only miracle, though he is reported to have
performed several. Miracles are no proof of the truth of the teaching and
give no understanding. Both the Quran and the Hadith insist that Muhammad
(saw) was a human being who was fallible. Therefore, the Sunna cannot be
infallible. On the other hand, Muhammad (saw) was known to be truthful and
trustworthy even before his mission began, and he was guided and corrected
by Allah after his mission began. Allah speaks to mankind only through
prophets (2:213, 12:109, 6:125, 16:2) and we are to make no distinction
between Allah and the Prophets (4:150-151). The Prophet was in complete
Surrender to Allah (6:163-164). Therefore, he did not follow his own
subjective opinions. He is said to have been "The Quran in Action." His life
is an interpretation and application of the Quran. The Quran itself uses the
word "sunna" several times for itself ( e.g 12:111). The Quran is best
Hadith (39:23). When, therefore, we speak about the Sunna of Muhammad, this
may be regarded as referring to "Quran in action" to differentiate it from
the Quran as a Book or Recitation or as a theory, thought or teaching. Thus,
though all genuine religion is Islam, the Sunna of Muhammad differs from
that of Jesus or Moses.
 
Some people point to the following verse as implying that Islam should be
based only on the Quran:-
"And when you recite the Quran We place between you and those who believe
not in the Hereafter a hidden barrier. And we place upon their hearts veils
lest they should understand it, and in their ears a deafness, and when thou
makest mention of thy Lord alone in the Quran, they turn their backs in
aversion." 17:45-46 

But this refers to Allah not the Quran. Remember Allah also sent the Torah
and Injil.

The Quran, moreover, points to nature and the Universe, to human history and
to human faculties and expects us to use these. Obviously we are to learn
from these. It tells us to seek knowledge and follow only that of which we
have knowledge, not speculation and conjecture (17:36, 10:37).  The Quran
does not, in fact, contain a complete Legal system, nor an Economic,
Political or Cultural system, nor a Cosmology or other sciences. It contains
a developmental system and requires human beings to act as vicegerents in
the service of Allah using the faculties given by Him.

There is a difference between the Quran itself and the interpretation and
application of it. We do not only need the Quran but also someone who
interprets and applies it. Few people can learn only from books - they
usually require a teacher also. Otherwise they may interpret the Quran
according to their fantasies and prejudices and select only that which they
like. Because all this is well known in all fields, therefore, we have
educational systems with teachers in all countries.
 
The Quran tells us :-
"O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those of you who
are in authority; and if you have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it
to Allah and the Messenger if you are in truth believers in Allah and the
Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end." 4:59

Notice that if there is a dispute it should be taken to Allah and the
Messenger, but not to the third kind of authority. We can take it to Allah
by studying the Quran and through meditation and prayer. How do we take it
to the Messenger? Obviously by studying what he had to say on the subject or
how he dealt with it. In both cases we also consult those whom we consider
authorities e.g teachers, scholars or leaders of religion, imams etc. 

The people who consider themselves "Quran only" are in fact following people
like Dr. Khalifa who are a third authority. They form another sect. But the
above verse does not consider this third authority to be qualified to settle
disputes.

It is necessary to point out that the "Quran only" people are quite right
about following only the Quran. But they are wrong in supposing that if one
follows Muhammad (saw) then this is not following the Quran. To obey the
Prophet is to obey Allah.

One could go one step further and say "We surrender only to Allah.
Therefore, we will not follow the Quran. We will only follow what Allah
inspires in us." We will then be free to follow our own fantasies to our
hearts content as certain sects do.

Some people object even to the inclusion of the second part of the Shahadah,
"Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" in the first Pillar and in prayer on
the grounds that we should associate nothing with Allah, despite the fact
that both are taught in the Quran. They want the exact words and they do
exist in the Quran - the first part of the Shahadah is found in 47:19, and
the second is found in 48:29

Those who do not believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah cannot
possibly accept the Quran or vice versa - otherwise they are in
self-contradiction. But if they believe it then they must bear witness to
the fact. There cannot be an excuse for leaving out the second part of the
Shahadah, unless they are Jews or Christians and follow Moses or Jesus.

For muslims :-
"The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves.." 33:6

Leaving out the second part of the Shahadah in prayer is usually justified
on the grounds that "bearing witness" requires that you must have seen
something externally through your eyes. But it can mean affirming one's
faith - one bears witness to something one has seen internally by insight.
If it means having seen something with the eyes, then we must also admit
that we cannot bear witness that "there is no god but Allah".

Another objection sometimes raised is that we ought not to associate
anything in our prayers with Allah. Therefore, all mention of Muhammad (saw)
in prayer ought to be removed. But an examination of the wording in Islamic
prayer shows that it is not a prayer TO Muhammad but FOR Muhammad and his
people. If this were not allowed then certainly, one could not pray for
oneself or others either. 
 
Consider the following verses :-
"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love
you and forgive you your sins. Allah is forgiving, Merciful." 3:31
"Verily in the messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who looks
unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much." 33:21
"Whoso obeys the Messenger obeys Allah, and whoso turns away: We have not
sent thee as a warder over them." 4:80
"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and render not your
actions vain." 47:33
"And they say: We believe in Allah and the messenger and we obey; then after
that a fraction of them turn away. Such are not believers. And when they
appeal unto Allah and His messenger to judge between them. lo! a faction of
them are averse. But if right had been with them they would have come unto
him willingly. Is there in their hearts a disease, or have they doubts, or
fear they lest Allah and His messenger should wrong them in judgement? Nay,
but such are evil doers. The saying of true believers when they appeal unto
Allah and his messenger to judge between them is only that they say: We hear
and we obey. And such are the successful. He who obeys Allah and His
messenger, and fears Allah, and keeps duty unto Him, such indeed are the
victorious. They swear by Allah solemnly that, if thou order them, they will
go forth. Say: swear not; known obedience is better. Lo! Allah is Informed
of what ye do. Say : Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if ye turn away,
then it is for him to do only that wherewith he has been charged, and for
you to do only that wherewith ye have been charged. If ye obey him, ye will
go right. But the messenger hath no other charge than to convey the message
plainly." 24:47-54

Thus the Messenger has no powers of compulsion, but only to convey the
message of God. He is Allah's agent, and is obeyed as such. If he was not a
representative of Allah then we would have to reject his entire history. We
would have to suppose that the battles he was engaged in, and all the other
political and diplomatic activities he conducted by which Islam was
established had nothing to do with Allah but proceeded from his own whims. 

"By the star when it sets, your comrade (Muhammad) errs not, nor is
deceived, nor does he speak of his own desire. It is naught save an
inspiration that is inspired which One of mighty power has taught him."
53:1-4
"Establish worship and pay the poor due and obey the Messenger, that haply
you may find mercy." 24:56
"Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away, lo! Allah loves
not the disbelievers (in His guidance)." 3:32
"And obey Allah and the Messenger, that you might find mercy." 3:132
"Whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will make him enter Gardens
underneath which rivers flow, where such will dwell for ever. That will be
the great success. And whoso disobeys Allah and His Messenger and
transgresses His limits, He will make him enter Fire, where such will dwell
for ever; his will be a shameful doom." 4:13-14
"Whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah
has shown favour, of the Prophets, and the saints and the martyrs and the
righteous. The best of company are they." 4:69
How could a reader of the Quran have missed the above verses which link
Allah with His messenger.
See also the following :- 5:92, 8:1,20,24,46, 9:71, 24:52,54, 33:33,66,71,
47:33, 48:17, 49:19, 58:13, 64:12, 69:10, 71:3, 72:23 

It is also necessary to note that the Quran makes a distinction between the
Scripture and Wisdom.(2:151,231,269,  3:48,79,164,  4:54,113,  5:110 etc) 

However, it is true that the Prophet was fallible and made mistakes as the
Quran itself records in 80:1-4. But Allah Himself corrected him. The Quran
insists that Muhammad was a man and so were all other Prophets. The Prophet
made a clear distinction between that which came to him by revelation and
that which did not. 
"I am only a human being. When I issue any command to you regarding your
religion, accept it. But if I issue any command to you based on my own
opinion, I am merely a human being."

His followers knew this, because he often took their advice instead of
insisting on his own ideas when they were not revelations. There is,
therefore, a distinction between the Word of God (the Quran) and the words
of the Prophet. This distinction makes Islam unique among religions. It is,
probably, the confusion between these two aspects which led Christians
theologians to think of Jesus (as) as both human and divine. Only the Quran
is to be taken as infallible. We do, however, use the opinions of other men,
experts in various fields, as guides even though they are fallible, because
they are more likely to be true than those of people who have no such
expertise. The educational system and the progress of humanity depends on
this. The fact that the Quran is infallible does not mean that its
interpretation is infallible since this is certainly done by man. The
interpretation of the Prophet is likely to be more accurate than that of
others.

Muslims take the Quran as the infallible word of Allah, and accept Muhammad
(saw) as a Messenger of Allah, through whom the Quran came to us, and who
demonstrates it in his life.  The reason for this acceptance (if it is not
merely an un-examined assumption) is that a study of the Quran and the life
of Muhammad find some kind of harmony or self-consistency with the
experiences and inherent human nature. This must certainly have been the
case with the early converts who cannot be accused of having been mentally
conditioned by their traditions. They, therefore, accept the word of
Muhammad (saw) that the Quran is a revelation from Allah, and the word of
the Quran that Muhammad is the best example. They also take the word of the
Quran and Muhammad that he was a human being who made mistakes  but being a
Prophet, was corrected by Allah. They accept the word of the Quran that the
Quran (its teachings as originally delivered - i.e its meaning  56:77-80)
will be preserved. This promise does not cover the Hadith. The Hadith,
though they contain the sunna of the Prophet, are variable in quality,
reliability and interpretation. One must be cautious about them but there is
no need to reject them all. We know about the history of the Prophet and the
revelation of the Quran from these. It is always possible to select some
hadith which are trivial, some which apparently contradict the Quran, some
which contradict each other, some which are different reports of the same
thing, some made as additions or distortions by sectarians and so on. But
there are also some which tell us the circumstances in which some of the
Quranic verses were revealed, some which tell us how they were interpreted
and applied at one time, and some illuminate the verses of the Quran.

There are many controversies about the meaning of some verses in the Quran
which can only be settled by reference to Hadith. Take as an example the
case of Quranic phrase "the Seal of the Prophets" (33:40). We have different
interpretations of it. Some say "seal" means last Prophet and no more will
come. Others say it refers to the fact that religion is complete in Islam,
as when a letter is sealed. Others say it is a "seal of approval or
authority." and seal refers to the ring used to make the seal. In this case
it refers to the fact that Muhammad (saw) confirmed the past Prophets and
the religion they taught. Notice that if we interpret the Quran by the Quran
then two of the meanings above are confirmed but the third (the Last
Prophet) is neither confirmed nor denied. So, in order to settle the dispute
we do what the Quran recommends, namely, go to Allah (in prayer or study of
the Quran) and the Prophet (since he is dead, nowadays we consult his
sunna). When we do the latter we find that several Hadith indicate that the
Prophet himself was convinced that he was the Last Prophet before the return
of Jesus and that he had laid the last stone in the House of religion. He
also indicated that Islam would have inspired reformers from time to time,
rather than a series of prophets as the Jews had. 

Again, apart from the problem of the reliability of the Hadith, there is
still some doubt as to what exactly was meant. Was he referring to Jesus as
the word and spirit from Allah? What was meant by descent? He did seem to
indicate that it would be a man who would reform religion which would have
become corrupted and so restore Islam. If this is so, how would muslims in
so far as they are adherents of the corrupted religion, recognise Jesus and
Islam?  The new claimants to prophethood say they are Jesus returned. This
does not contradict the Hadith. 

Some people object to the Hadith on the grounds that the Quran states that
it is perfectly clear (26:2, 27:1, 28:2, 36:68, 43:2). Therefore, no other
guidance is required. But this is a naive understanding. In fact the Quran
speaks at several levels and also in allegories. It is not clear to those
who do not read it correctly, are self-opinionated, have prejudices and a
negative attitude to it rather than a receptive one. (See  2:121, 2:146,
3:7, 17:82). We need only examine the questions, disputes and numerous,
often hostile, opinions of people who have read the Quran on theses Islamic
site to see that things are not as clear as the Quran only people suppose.

"Now has come unto you light from Allah and a plain scripture whereby Allah
guides him who seeks His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He brings them
out of darkness into light by His decree, and guides them unto a straight
path." 5:15-16 Also 3:103
"And We have revealed the Book to you which has the clear explanation of
everything, and a guidance and mercy and good news for those who submit."
16:89  and 6:115

It makes things plain only for those who believe and ponder, those whom
Allah guides and those whose ears and eyes and hearts have not been dulled.
Sometimes the following verses are quoted to show that the Quran contains
everything :-
"And perfected are the words of your Sustainer with truth and justice; there
is none who can change His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing."
(6:115)
".. nothing have we omitted from the Book." (6:38).  This refers to the Book
in heaven.
"And were every tree that is in the earth (made into) pens and the sea (to
supply it with ink), with seven more seas to increase it, the words of Allah
would not come to an end; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise." (31:27)
This refers to Allah's knowledge. If the Quran contained everything then the
Prophet would also have had all knowledge. But this is denied in the Quran
(6:50). 
"He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are
clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - the others are
allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which
is allegorical seeking to cause dissension by seeking to explain it. None
knoweth its explanation save Allah and those who are of sound instruction.
Say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of
understanding really heed." 3:7

Does this sound as if everything in the Quran is clear to everyone? 

"And when thou recitest the Quran We place between thee and those who
believe not in the Hereafter a hidden barrier, and We place upon their
hearts veils lest they should understand it and in their ears a deafness,
and when thou makest mention of thy lord alone in the Quran, they turn their
backs in aversion. We are best aware of what they wish to hear when they
give ear to thee and when they take secret counsel, when the evil doers say:
Ye follow but a man bewitched. See what similitudes they coin for thee, and
thus are all astray, and cannot find a road." 17:45-48
"And verily We have displayed for mankind in this Quran all kinds of
similitudes, but most of mankind refuse aught save disbelief." 17:89 
"Those unto whom We have given the Scripture, WHO READ IT WITH A RIGHT
READING, those believe in it." 2:121
"Will they then not meditate on the Quran, or are there locks on their
hearts?" 47:24
"And when We read it, follow thou the reading; then lo! Upon us rests the
explanation thereof." 75:18-19

There are many verses which tell us that Allah guides not miscreants e.g.
2:26,258, 5:51  etc
"And We reveal in the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy for
believers though it increases evil doers in naught but ruin." 17:82

"But it (the Quran) is clear revelation in the hearts of those who have
knowledge." 29:49
It is clear not to the ignorant but those who have knowledge and a receptive
heart. This, of course, also applies to the understanding of the verses
which mention the prophet (saw).  

Some "Quran only" people tell us that because 4:150 tells us not to make a
difference between the prophets, therefore, we must not give our allegiance
only to Muhammad (saw). This would be Muhammad worship. 
The fact, however, is that there is a difference between Prophets :-
All prophets are not equal. (2:253, 17:55)
Muslims were asked to swear allegiance to Muhammad - swearing allegiance to
him is swearing allegiance to God and the Quran and to the other Prophets
sent by God. (48:10,18 and 3:81).
Muhammad (pbuh) was a universal or world prophet (4:79, 7:158, 34:28).

We are not only told that we should not make a difference between the
Prophets (since all are sent by God) but also not between the Prophets and
Allah (4:150-151). Obeying the Messenger is obeying God (4:80). Thus the
argument that we must obey only the Quran and not the Prophet cannot be
upheld. If you obey the Quran then you must obey the Prophet. 


The only point of argument among muslims is whether and which hadith are
genuine and what they mean and to whom they apply. Some Hadith appear to
tell us that the Prophet objected to the writing down of his sayings and
doings. He wished to differentiate between the inspired words (Quran) and
his own opinions (hadith) or perhaps between what was universal and what was
only specific to the situation he was in. We do not know exactly what was
meant. It could have applied to a particular person or episode. It could
have been an advice or order or exception. It is remarkable that the ban on
writing should have been written down instead of all the other hadith being
erased. Other Hadith imply that he had given additional instructions or
explanatory ones which were also to be obeyed. He also said :-
"Be on your guard about tradition from me except what you know; for he who
lies about me deliberately will certainly come to his abode in hell."
"I have indeed brought the Quran and something like it along with it, yet
the time is coming when a man replete on his couch will say: keep to this
Quran; what you find in it to be permissible treat as permissible, and what
you find in it to be prohibited treat as prohibited. But what God's
messenger has prohibited is like what God has prohibited ."
There are also apparent contradictions between Hadith which forbid
innovation in religion and those which approve of good ones. This is
mentioned here because it is the Traditionalists who both base themselves on
Hadith and reject all innovation, while Modernists wish to reject hadith and
introduce innovations.

"To proceed: the best discourse is Allah's Book, the best guidance is that
given by Muhammad, and worst things are those which are novelties. Every
innovation is error."
"If anyone establishes a good sunna in Islam he will have a reward for it
and the equivalent of the reward of those who act upon it after him without
theirs diminishing in any respect. But he who establishes a bad sunna in
Islam will bear the responsibility of it and the responsibility of those who
act upon it after him without theirs being diminished in any respect."

In any case it is illogical to try to prove something from the Hadith if you
reject them because you would have to say that at least that hadith was true
and that others might be also. It is illogical also to deny the Prophet and
yet believe in Allah and the Quran. "Quran only" is an assumption which some
people then wish to prove by selecting verses and interpreting them in
certain ways.

But note the following Hadith :-
"In the times in which you are living anyone who abandons a tenth of what he
is commanded will perish; but a time is coming when anyone who does a tenth
of what he is commanded will be safe."
Obviously, not too much deviation can be allowed in the beginning of a
movement otherwise as time passes the divergence like the arms of an angle
become too great. Also, hopefully once the educational foundations are
established greater flexibility becomes possible. It seems that the change
in times was foreseen. 

H.S.Aziz 
 


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