THE
HADITH, WRITINGS OF ISLAM
In Islam the Hadith. It is a collection of early
Muslim traditions which record the words and deeds of Muhammad according
to his wives, family members, friends and Muslim leaders which are not
usually found in the Quran.
The
Muslim scholar, Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, in his book, Introduction to
Islam, states that 'the custodian and repository of the original
teachings of Islam' are found 'above all in the Quran and the Hadith' (p.
250).
To this he adds that 'the Quran and the Hadith' are 'the basis of
all Islamic law' (p. 163).
The
reason according to Dr. Hamidullah that Muslims revere the Hadith as well
as the Quran is that the Hadith is as hellishly inspired as the Quran.
A)
THE INSPIRED HADITH
The
Muslim scholar, Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, in his book, Introduction to
Islam, states that 'the custodian and repository of the original
teachings of Islam' are found 'above all in the Quran and the Hadith' (p.
250). To this he adds that 'the Quran and the Hadith' are 'the basis of
all [Islamic] law' (p. 163).
The
reason according to Dr. Hamidullah that Muslims revere the Hadith as well
as the Quran is that the Hadith is as divinely inspired as the Quran
itself!
'The
teachings of Islam are based primarily on the Quran and the Hadith, and,
as we shall presently see, both are boasted on divine inspiration' (p.
23).
This
is why Muslim writers such as Hammudullah Abdalatati in his book, Islam
In Focus, (The Muslim Converts' Association of Singapore, Singapore,
1991), state that the Hadith is 'considered the Second Source of Islam'
because,'all
the articles of faith... are based upon and derived from the teachings of
the Quran and the Traditions [Hadith] of Muhammad (p. 21).'
Thus
it is no surprise to find that the material in the Hadith is considered
inspired and authoritative to orthodox Muslims.
B)
THE TRANSLATION WE WILL USE
We
are using the nine-volume translation of the Hadith made by Dr. Muhammad
Muhsin Khan entitled, The Translation of the Meaning of Sahih
Al-Bukhari (Kazi Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, 1979).
It
is recommended and approved by all Muslim authorities, including the
spiritual heads of Mecca and Medina.
C)
BASED UPON AL-BUKHARI
Dr.
Khan's work is a faithful translation of the Hadith put together by none
other than the greatest of all Hadith scholars, Al-Bukhari.
The
introduction states:
'It
has been unanimously agreed that Iman Bukhari's work is the most authentic
of all the other works in Hadith literature put together. The authenticity
of Al-Bukhari's work is such that the religious learned scholars of Islam
said concerning him: 'The most authentic book after the Book of Allah
[i.e., the Quran] is Sahih-Al-Bukhari' )p. xiv.
He
only chose approximately 7275 [Hadiths] of which there is no doubt about
their authenticity.
[Allah]
revealed to him the Glorious Quran and the Second Inspiration, i.e., his
Traditions.
It
is incumbent upon you to strive hard to do righteous deeds according to
the traditions of Muhammad as is clearly expressed in his Hadith (p.
xvii).
Dr.
Khan does not hesitate to describe the Hadith as 'the Second Inspiration'
and to state that it is 'incumbent' upon every Muslim to believe and to
obey it.
D)
THE MUSLIM DILEMMA
The
reason that we went to such lengths to prove the highest religious
authorities of Islam view the Hadith as being inspired and authoritative
is that many Muslims will deny this when confronted with some of the
obviously absurd teachings of Muhammad.
In
one radio program, one Muslim caller argued in a circle as follows:
'Muhammad
was Allah's prophet. Therefore he could not have said something so stupid
as to suggest that we should drink camel urine. Thus you are a liar, Dr.
Morey.
The Hadith cannot say this.'After
I went on to prove from the Hadith that Muhammad did indeed recommend
camel urine, he responded:
'We
Muslims only recognize the Holy Quran as God's Book. We do not accept the
Hadith as inspired.'
Of
course, he had to deny the inspiration of the Hadith in order to avoid
having to defend Muhammad on the drinking of urine.
We
understand the dilemma of modern Muslims. While they desperately want to
maintain that Muhammad was Allah's apostle, yet the Hadith clearly reveals
that Muhammad could not be inspired because he taught many things which
are not only patently wrong but absurd.
II)
ON THE QURAN AND THE HADITH
The
Quran was written in heaven according to Hadith no. 643, vol. 9 Thus no
earthly pre-Islamic sources for the material found in the Quran should
exist. But they do exist in great abundance.
Thus
it is no surprise to find that the Quran was written in the Quraish
dialect (vol. 6, no. 507). This fact is often not known by non-Arab
muslims.
The
Quran after Muhammad's death was scattered on palm leaves, rocks, bones,
etc. (vol. 6, no. 509). Thus the Hadith itself bears witness to the fact
that Muhammad did not prepare a manuscript of the Quran before his death.
As
a matter of record, the Hadith confirms that the Quran was put together by
the Caliph Uthman after Muhammad died. This point is often denied by those
Muslims who are ignorant of their own scriptures.
'Uthman
got the Quran compiled and sent a few of its copies to far off places
(vol. 1, no. 63). Uthman... wrote the manuscripts of the Hoyl Quran in the
form of a book (vol. 4, no. 709).
See
also vol. 6, nos. 507 and 510.
When
Utheman finished his version of the Quran, the Hadith records that he
tried to destroy all the conflicting Qurans (vol. 6, no. 510). This is
clear proof that there were conflicting versions of the Quran.
The
fact that the Quran is missing certain verses and that other verses were
abrogated is admitted in the Hadith in vol. 4, nos. 57, 62, 69, 299; vol.
6, nos. 510, 511.
The
Hadith even records that when certain people died, those portions of the
quran known only to them perished with them (vol. 6, no. 509).
The
Hadith records that Muhammad at times was bewitched and said and saw
things under satanic inspiration (vol. 4, nos. 400, 490).
This
admission on the part of the Hadith destroys in principle the Muslim claim
that Muhammad was infallibly inspired.
Since
it is admitted that Muhammad at times did and said things under satanic
inspiration, then this in principle calls into question everything he did
and said.
Like
the Quran, the Hadith puts speeches into the mouths of biblical characters
such as Noah, Moses, Jesus, etc., which they could not have spoken because
of the vocabulary used, the doctrines taught, the historical references
made, etc. They are clearly fraudulent.
vol.
1, chap. 1, p. 16
vol.
1, nos. 74, 78, 124
The
Hadith admits that it has variant readings and contradictory Hadiths (vol.
1, nos. 42, 47, 74, 78, 80, 81, 86, 102, 107, 112, 159, 160, 161; vol. 3,
nos. 159-161).
The
translator admits in a footnote in vol. 3, no. 159, Hadith No. 159
contradicts the Hadith of Al-Hassan.
Like
the Quran, some Hadiths were canceled or abrogated: vol. 1, nos. 179, 180.
III)
ON APOSTASY
The
Hadith makes the repeated claim that no one ever leaves Islam.
He
then asked, 'Does anybody amongst those who embrace his [i.e., Muhammad's]
religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards?' I
replied, '''NO''' '(vol. 1, nos. 6 and 48).
Then
it contradicts itself by saying that death is the punishment for those who
leave.
The
prophet said, 'If somebody [a muslim] discard his religion [of Islam],
kill him' (vol. 4, no. 260).
It
even records the murders of those who left Islam for another religion
(vol. 5, no. 630).
Volume
nine of the Hadith has an entire section dedicated to warning those who
would leave Islam - that they will be murdered (see vol. 9, pgs. 10-11,
26, 45-50, 341-342).
'So,
wherever you find them, kill them, for whoever kills them shall have
reward on the Day of Resurrection' (vol. 9, no. 64).
IV)
ON JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
Muhammad
taught that the Jews worshiped Ezra as the Son of Allah just as Christians
worshiped Jesus as the Son of Allah (vol. 1, p. xvii). He was wrong on
both counts.
Muhammad
said, 'Any
Jews or Christians who heard about me and did not believe in me and what
was revealed to me of the Holy Quran and my traditions, his ultimate
destination is the [Hell] Fire' (vol. 1, p. li).
According
to Hadith no. 414, vol. 2, Muhammad said, 'Allah
cursed the Jews and the Christians because they took the graves of their
Prophets as places for worship.'
Muhammad
taught that the majority of the people in hell were women!
'The
Prophet said, '''I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its
dwellers were women''' '(vol. 1, nos. 28, 301; vol. 2, no. 161).
The
reason the majority of the people in hell were women is stated in vol. 2,
no. 541,
'O
Women! I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion
than you.'
Muhammad
believed that women were deficient in intelligence' and thus they should
not be given equal rights under Islamic law.
For
example, he legislated that a woman's testimony in court was worth only
half that of a man. Thus it would take the testimony of two women to
offset the testimony of one man. Imagine what this would do to women who
were raped!
'The
Prophet said, '''Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a
man?''' The women said, '''Yes.''' He said, '''This is because of the
deficiency of a woman's mind''' ' (vol. 3, no. 826).
Muhammad
even ruled that women are to receive only half of what their brothers
receive in inheritance (vol. 4, no. 10). Thus women are financially
punished for being females.
Perhaps
the most degrading picture of women is that Paradise will have beautiful
women, whose only purpose is to satisfy the sexual urges of men, chained
to different corners.
'The
statement of Allah, Beautiful women restrained [i.e., chained] in
pavilions. Allah's Apostle said, '''In Paradise there is a pavilion made
of a single hollow pearl sixty miles wide, in each corner there are wives
who will not see those in the other corners; and the believers will visit
and enjoy them.''' '