MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE Pubilshed Monthly by MASJID TUCSON August 1986 Dhul Hijja 1406 Editor: Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D. Final Issue of the Old Era. The New Era begins Muharram Ist, 1407 (September 6, 1986) Why Muslims must now turn away from Hadith This article is reproduced from Malaysia's THE SUNDAY STAR of June 22, 1986 (Page 13). It was written by Dr. Kassim Ahmad, renowned Malaysian Leader, Prominent Muslim Scholar, and, first and foremost, a true Muslim who raises the banner of true Islam as originally preached by God's final Prophet Muhammad. There is no doubt that God and His invisible and invincible soldiers are supporting Kassim in his current historical stand against Satan's feeble troops who call themseives "ama" (Muslim Scholars!!!). See Qur'an 22:40, 37:171-173, & 40:51. (The Editor) By Rassim Ahmad THE Muslims nave tWo seis of "authentic' collec. coas of Hadith, compiled reported alleged sayings and of Propbet acaons Muhammad, firstly, Sunni cordodoxy and. cec complies beret compilers berween 250 an 350 years after his dezta Although these com- piers adopted what they considered "fool- were proof metbods against er authenticity of The Hadin been a bas subject af endless contro very down the centuries. The majority of Muslim arbodox ibeologians and jurists since that me bad decreed that any Muslim not upholding the Hadio as a source of guidanco znG law puts himself our- side the fold of Islam In a nutsbell, this is the dilemms facing preatest the Muslims roda: Will they caccicue to upbold Hadith in spite of its tbe self-contradictions. as their Theologians bare dertake caucht. or in revaluaton the face of strong opposi- zoc br the consertaare critical reerajua. The sion is absolutels neces. cider to repare S2] II what I consider to be the grearest impediment to the development of Mus- lim thought and social the modera proguess soria Anyone who exam nes the Hadith objective and dispassionately would find mans of them the clear teachings of contradicting scie ce and bistory and common sense In my small book. imples of bare ziven uch Hadith, In sbor, th Hanich is anti-science and contrary to Quranic bu manisa This is the basi: of my argument that the hacich impedes de velopment of modern Muslim thought and 30- cial progress As history has record- ed, early Muslims tbe were world leaders in em- pire making. just admin istration, intellectual and scientific culture and military strategy and variere This was the time woen they were wholly inspired fully imbued by the and airine Quran, o sy scripture and teaching broust br Propbet Mu- tammad io the Arabs and When, beginning from the Third Ceatury of is. lam onwards, the Muslims began to surn their minds to otber sources of guid- unce, parocuarly te a tith. the downward slide started. As everybody can the Muslims see, are badly split, warring . against each obber, one group ever ready to quar rel with another and dif on the smallest of ises : fering with one such as purdas and aze- and nerisms in prayer, consequeady. the bonommos: position in the international com тилігу- In spite of this, most al he wama are quite con •lacent and feel sell their religion. view any artact on them or any attempt at a critt ai re erzinatioo of tbai reachings as an arrack an Islam itself. They bare in fact arro custodians of the religion. They assest chas. there is nothing 700g with the scate of Isham as taught by them; the erzor lies in its Don applicatoo by politicizas. That therefore are Dor cizmauree lar a frater rale for ibemselves goverument. PAs is in tact aroposing to set up , a dismal such medieval theologian-ied state Malaysia. The trouble is thai the majority of the ulama is Do longer the learned of the Ummah, as their name implies. Sued me for or s sumed the form priesily class about Pitteento Century and de voted themseives pureiy "religious tbe sciences, their knowledge and along witt froze and Muslim science boughi. Since varure ab bors rames, wing of the ret: extremes. intelligeneria pave pious rise to the extreme sing secuiar intelligent- mebo severzá the con- berween DECOOD a religian and politics.. This is the root cause of of tbe the alienation modern viama from knowledge contem- and porars society.. explains ibeir This Dear-asstencal reaction o my book zad their ine- bility 1o confront its scientific challenge racio Dally. Unable to confront the boor's sciectific ctal- lenge raDonally, wer re sorted to characier assas- sination and mystifica- non, with such remarks as the aurnor was a former sociaust leacer, that sat- ing rejected te Macich be I own Sone that not read the be does Quran in Arabic that be uses Orientalist sources and Dot prizary sources and so on Such arguments enlizhened, but ticis car- get is the unenligbtened The aims of their cam people as to the true çad rents of my book, whup up püblic support ros theu untenable position and authorities pressure the to ban it. show All af these 2o ic great fear their the of Podies They even rejection as the . ina analy argue un ection of the Hadi meras a rejeccios of the Quan when the? lan • well know that the Quran a protected divine is standing sepa. rareiy by itself. cioser examinatioa tis fear is Laxed to tae fact that most of ibe so- aubeatic Harich called cansor de said to organis Piouser ite 1500 they contadia: ise teacy.
ings of ibe Quran which he brought. and many of ine.. inca culate supersti- ::is has in ide interest cf uphold ine liara 1o and protect ibe Hadith. It iac: their reaching ina: the Hotten be consid. source of iau as z with ibe Quran. Definitely is not the Propher's teachug. caiegonca. •* foreids ine regoried Posse! is a:so hare forgidden the irom him except ihe Since this report supports ibe Quran, it can regarded as be saiels senaize Hadüt reaching that the The a primary oi Muslim juris- source prudence was first for- mall! stated by the great classical jurist. Imam Shafii (d. 820 AD.) some ruo hundred years afier the Prophet's deatb. Hadien of Ine course easted in cral form irom ice earliest generations of Isian. though not in such as stupendous dumpers easted ai the time of the official compilazions. but Prior to the acceptarce of ine Shafti junsprudentsai were simply theory. iney regarded as precedenis. Sbaff'i's enunciation che theor! in bis book, al- Risalch, stocą objecnions were advanced azainst it Rationa- the Muslim lists on the grounds that cmplete and detailed and mere guess- the histoncal circum. ten that Seafit's Lason evenivall gained penera Ecrement sup- Shere it persiste? movement in the Muslim communir! down the cen- tunes untii today when. to ripening for its general ment can in no way be ta- Propher Muhammad or to do away with the divine scripture. the Quran, that he brought to mankind, as ihe upholders of Hadith would have the people be lieve. ods maide being God's prophet during the mankind Evans era of scientific and technoiogical ad- carnot reach such supersations as are em- ancied in a great man! Scott. The aim of the anti-Ha. " ecise- dith novemen: s I510 Ciear beat [ac Propher of the false iea... ings atinibuted to him. the Quran Il Is be rational, Kraad, spiritual, liberating bumaristic. message tha! be brought to the Arabs and ibe w'hole of mankind, al- ready lifting she Arab and Musims in the first three centuries to great heigbis, and, of course, as capable of accepushing simuar feats for the mbole of hu- maniry in tbe juture. Toe Quran is far, far above bes be 0 prophetic Ha- so-czlied dish that the consenauve ibediogians miso to asso- ciate it with cial zod philosophical air movemen. and the morement back to [De Quras, the sole. ongina and true teacbings of Propher Kanammad 1o world. far- It is siguifi- reaching morld cance. Now Sunday Times, June 22, 1986 SCOPE Berita Harian EDITORIAL The paper urger the ulama to FROM THE BAHASA PAPERS • NOW that the Rellglous Allairs have the "courage" to listen to Dirision in the Prime Minister's Department has made known Its news on Kassim Ahmad's book, there will certainly be Increasing other people's views. Religlous issues should not be crempted from open debate even Utusan Malaysia though there might be occasions • THE Utusan Malaysla editorlal pressure to ban It. The edltorini regretted that those who are loudest in secking a ban on the book arc also the ones who have been reluctant to have an open debate with Kasslm to discuss his book. The open• mIndedness of «bim In responding to Kassim Ahmad's challenge is to be applauded. The Berita Harlan added that perhaps the publication of the book could have been Inspired by the fact that Encik Kassim was denied the use of a public forum st the Univorslti when the ulama or the experts in n particular discipline fccl that their credibility Is challenged: I! the vinmak inko prido In the revival of Islam, they should be brave enough to cope with developments reruiting from such revival. It is useless to take pride in the revival of Islam If the right to discuss an issue of relevance to Islam continues to be regarded as the sole prerogatlve of the ulama. It is odd that our ulama often make use of their position to ban commenting on Kassim Ahmad's book called upon the ulama not to rely solely on their nuthority as religlous leaders to act agalnst Kassim Ahmad's book. It would be more dangerus for the ulama merely, to resort to conventional "Mublims now are generally less Inclined to submit themselves to the duthorlty of the ulama," the Ulusan added. Kassim Ahmad's book poses not only a challenge to the credibility of the ulama but also to their scholarship In Kebangsaan Malaysla some this and that, and are prone to rebutting his arguments In a months ago as a result of & criticise the ratlonal and convincing manner, directive by the Selangor Rellglous people while they themselves do Affairs Department. The reason not capress their ideas In writing. "What Is urgently needed is for Is it the duty our ulama merely for preventing Kassim from the ulama to proye that Kassim holding the ceramah was that ho is to act as sources of reference or as Ahmad's vlews are wrongly based agents whose responsibllity Is to not an ulama and is not an expert on sclentifle arguments as the on the hadith. "It is clenr that the hand out haram or halal present gonoratlon of Muslims Is UKM mas reluctant to hear the Judgments? Why should Kassim's more critical In their attitude and views of a man whom they regard book be the sole object of Inquiry thinking," the editorial sald. ая 'Ignorant' simply because he whereas the books written by stands outside their fleld expertise." "Who knows, perhaps If the ccramal had been permitted, lls effect might have been more positive than what are facing now". It is unfortunato for the Malays and Musilms that there nre still people who consider. themselves experts In a certaln fleld but are afraid to hear the vlews of others who do not share their disclpline? Joseph Schact or Goldziher which Kassim used as his sources of reference are still sold In our bookshops? The paper expressed the hope that "the ulama Kasslm's Invitation that the controversy be solved in a more Judiclous and convincing manner." Muslim world." **7 *X. 2 Page "It Is a heavy task for our ulama but It is a responsibility which they must fulfil as the emergence of groups questioning Islam In the past was partly due to the fallure of our ulama to adjust their methods of explaining Islam in terms that are relevant to the changes in the
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