Dangers of Rejecting a Hadith as Fabricated
Dangers of rejecting a hadith as fabricated
(Ma’ani al-Akhbar, page 390)
“Narrated Abi Ibrahim [al-Kadhim], from Rasul Allah that he said:
Is it proper for a man to deny me as a liar, while he is sitting down? [i.e, he is of distance from me - not being in my presence]
They [the Sahaba] said: ‘O Rasul Allah, whom denies you as a liar?’
He [the Prophet] said: ‘One whom is informed of a hadith, and says Rasul Allah did not say this - ever.
Whatever comes to you of a hadith conforming to the truth, then I have said it.
Whatever comes to you of a hadith not conforming to the truth, then I have not said it - and I will not say except the truth.”
19 - معاني الأخبار: أبي، عن محمد العطار، عن سهل، عن جعفر بن محمد الكوفي، عن عبد الله الدهقان، عن درست، عن ابن عبد الحميد،عن أبي إبراهيم عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ألا هل عسى رجل يكذبني وهو على حشاياه متكئ؟ قالوا: يا رسول اللهومن الذي يكذبك؟ قال: الذي يبلغه الحديث فيقول: ما قال هذا رسول الله قط.
فما جاءكم عني من حديث موافق للحق فأنا قلته وما أتاكم عني من حديث لا يوافق الحق فلم أقله، ولن أقول إلا الحق.
- Analysis: One must be wary of denying a hadith as ‘fabricated’ - if it contradicts his personal logic, lest he unwittingly denies Rasul Allah as a liar. Rather the correct methodology is as clarified by Shaykh al-Tusi below:
(Al-‘Iddah fi Usul al-Fiqh by Shaykh al-Tusi, page 374-375)
“It has been narrated from them [i.e, Imams] that they said:
‘If you two reports are brought to you, present them upon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet. The report conforming to them [i.e, Quran & Sunnah] take upon it, and the report does not conform to them - compare it with our [established] narrations (and until then desist from it).’
Because of this, we have desisted from this report [i.e, we desist if a report contradicts Quran & sunnah].
And this desistence does not necessitate that we establish its falsehood in itself, because this [apparent contradiction to Quran & sunnah] does not prevent the report from being authentic in itself. And it has a perspective of ta’wil (interpretation) we are not aware of.
Or that the report was uttered for a reason that was hidden from us - or was specific for a certain person only. Or that it was uttered due to taqiyya, and similar perspective.
Thus, we cannot conclude it is fabricated. Rather, we must simply desist from taking upon the report - as clarified previously.”
وأيضا فقد روى {3} عنهم عليهم السلام انهم قالوا: (إذا جائكم عنا حديثان فاعرضوهما على كتاب الله وسنة رسوله صلى الله عليه و] آلهوسلم فان وافقهما فخذوا به، وما لم يوافقهما فردوه الينا {1} فلأجل ذلك رددنا هذا الخبر، ولا يجب على هذا أن نقطع على بطلانه في نفسهلأنه لا يمتنع أن يكون الخبر في نفسه صحيحا وله وجه من التأويل لا نقف عليه، أو خرج على سبب خفى علينا الحال فيه أو تناول شخصابعينه، أو خرج مخرج التقية وغير ذلك من الوجوه، فلا يمكننا أن نقطع على كذبه، وانما يجب الامتناع من العمل به حسب ما قدمناه.
- This was Shaykh al-Tusi’s methodology in general. Very rarely would he call a hadith fabricated, and it is only if it has implications of great corruption and deviation from religion.
Conclusion:
One must not call a hadith not passing his authentication standards ‘fabricated’.
There is a reason why our ulama included ahadith that are weak by their standards, such as Shaykh al-Tusi in his book al-Ghayba where had had included the hadith book of the Waqifa, Fi Nusrat al-Waqifa, which intended to prove Imam al-Kadhim is the Qa’im. And responded to the ta’wilat (interpretations) of the Waqifa of these ahaditb, with his own Ithna ‘Ashari interpretations.
Very rarely did he call a hadith fabricated.
May Allah bless you all
Wasalaam
