Composition of Hadith
and its Causes
Postponement of writing down the hadith and recording its words till after the 1st century A.H. and beginnings of the 2nd century, led to expansion of categories of riwayah, and multiplication of composition without any regulation or restriction. Consequently the number of fabricated traditions reached tens of thousands, most of which are still recorded in the books circulated among Muslims all over the world, East and West.
Beginning of Invention in Riwayah and
Falsifying the Messenger’s Hadith
There is unanimity among all researchers and investigating scholars that invention in riwayah and composition of hadith with ascribing it to the Messenger of Allah (upon whom be God’s peace and benediction) started during the days of the caliphate of Uthman, after the insurrection that ended with his death. Invention became more intense and increased after swearing allegiance to Ali. As soon as Muslims acknowledged him as the competent ruler, the Umayyad devil began hatching the plot after another to seize caliphate from its true owner and rendering it to an Umayyad sovereignty! And that came true, Alas!
Al-Ustadh al-Imam Muhammad Abduh (may God’s mercy be upon him) in his Muqaddimat on Risalat al-Tawhid, referred to the great sedition by saying: “This sedition led to the decline of a significant cornerstone of the temple of caliphate, causing to Islam and Muslims a shock that dislodged
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them from the straight path they have trodden steadily, and on whose course the Qur’an remained established.” Then he wrote an accurate sincere statement declaring: “After that the sequence of events continued with breaching the covenant by some of those who swore allegiance to the Fourth Caliph,194 and eruption of several wars among the Muslims that led to the shifting of power to the Umayyads! But the structure of the company was split, and bonds of their unity were severed, with people being divided into several schools of thought regarding caliphate, and parties embarking on supporting the opinion of some school against that of its opponent, verbally and practically. Then originated the invention in narration and interpretation, with every sect going to the extremes, leading then to disagreement and disunity among people195...etc.
The Fabricated Hadith:
The fabricated hadith is the forged invented one ascribed to the Messenger of Allah (S), falsely and slandrously, whether it be deliberately or mistakenly.
And as one of the Imams said, fabricating the hadith and ascribing it to the Messenger of Allah (S) being more dangerous to religion and of severer detriment to Muslims than bigotry of people of the east and of the west. And separation of Muslims into schisms, communities, schools of thought (madhahib) and cults is but only one of the effects and consequences of fabrication and composition in the Din.
In his book Ithar al-haqq, al-Murtada al-Yamani said: Most of the innovations of the heretics among the Muslims, originate from the following two apparently invalid factors: addition to and omission from religion (hadith). One form of addition to religion is verily falsifying and fabricating it.
Al-Nawawi in Sharh Muslim, reports from al-Qadi `Iyad as saying:
Liars are of two sorts: one of them a group known of forgery and
194. Talhah and al-Zubayr were the first people who breached the swear of allegiance (bay'ah), supported by A'ishah, because of the malice and grudge they harboured against Ali (A). These two were - as is known - among the ten men whom the Prophet (S) augured with paradise.
195. Risalat al-Tawhid, 1st edition, pp.7, 8.
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falsity in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (may God’s peace and benediction be upon him and his Progeny), who are of several categories: some known of composing traditions that were never uttered by the Messenger of Allah (S) at all, such as the Zanadiqah and their likes who were never observing any commitment to Allah, either out of favouritism as they alleged, and religiosity like the ignorants among worshippers,196 who fabricated traditions on virtues and recommendable deeds, or out of doing something strange and seeking fame like the debauchees among traditionists. Or out of bigotry and argumentation like the propagators among the heretics and fanatics to madhahib (schools of thought), or for satisfying the desires of world-seeking people to attain to their goals, and asking for success for their doing.197
Among them also were those who would not fabricate text of hadith, but would bring in a correct authentic chain of transmission for the weak text. Some of them would reverse the chains (asanid) or add to them on purpose either for the sake of saying what is stranger than others or to take away ignorance from himself. Some would lie by claiming to have heard what he did not really hear, and meet whom he did not really meet, reporting correct traditions from them. Some others would take the speech of the Companions or others, and maxims of the Arabs and sages, ascribing them to the Prophet (may God’s peace and benediction be upon him and his Progeny).
Besides the reasons mentioned by al-Nawawi for fabricating the hadith and falsifying the Messenger’s traditions, many others are there that were stated by the ulama’, the most important of which being the following:198
First: Which is the most important of all. It includes the traditions fabricated and falsified by the Zanadiqah disguising cheatingly and hypocritically under the guise of Islam, with the purpose of corrupting and ruining the religion with creating conflict and disunity among Muslims.
Hammad ibn Zayd said: The Zanadiqah have fabricated four thousand traditions. This being the number he could realize through his knowledge and investigation in discovering their falsity, whereas the
196. I will discuss the righteous fabricators at the end of this chapter.
197. The Islamic encyclopedia says: After the demise of Muhammad (S), the original opinions and treatments that prevailed among the vanguard of Muslims could not remain intact without being inflicted with changes. As a new era of developement emerged on the scene, when the ulama' started to make advencement on an orderly systems of acts and beliefs compatible with the new circumstances. As after the great conquests, Islam prevailed and spread over spacious areas, borrowing from downtrodden people new opinions and principles, with the life and thinking of Muslims being affected then in many respects not only by Christianity and Jewism, but also by Hellenism, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism.
Anyhow, the Muslims have abided strictly by the principle: The Sunnah of the Prophet and the foremost in Islam was the only basis fit to be the moral ideal example to be followed by the believers. This led to fabrication of ahadith, with the narrators allowing themselves to invent traditions of their own, containing saying and act, ascribing them to the Prophet so as to make them agree with the opinions of the coming era. So that era witnessed circulation of falsified ahadith ascribed to the Prophet, showing him to say or do something that was recommendable in the following era. Besides, the narrators began to foist into the hadith utterances taken from the innovated sayings of apostles and gospels, and Jewish notions and Greak philosophical doctrines ... etc. which were approved by a certain group of Muslims, who found no harm in making the Prophet elaborating by this story-telling styles some issues referred to in the Qur'an so briefly, calling to new opinions and beliefs. Rather, a large number of these invented contained important rules (ahkam), like halal and haram, purity (taharah), and rules of food, law, etiquette, good morals, beliefs, Reckoning Day, heavens and hell ... etc.
With passage of time reporting the sayings and acts of the Prophet gradually multiplied, and during the first centuries coming in the wake of the demise of the Messenger, the disagreement among Muslims exacerbated on supporting its opinion by a saying or an act cited, in fabricated contradictory traditions ascribed to the Prophet's Sunnah. And in the main disputes that were resulted from bigotri, every sect restored to the Messenger to prove its right, as some group ascribed to him (S) a saying foretelling of the establishment of the Abbasid State. As a whole, they made him prophesy in a way where vision intermingles with prophethood, in respect of political events and religious movements, or rather the new social phenomena that came into being out of the great conquests, like elevation of honour, with the purpose of justifying all these things in view of the new Islamic group. Certain number of these traditions were composed in a form of utterances ascribed to Muhammad (S), talking about various places and regions that were not conquered by Muslims but only very lately.
Hence, we cannot - due to multiplicity of ahadith - give a corrct historical description for the Prophet's Sunnah, but on the contrary, they - ahadith - stand for opinions adopted by some men of influence during the first centuries that followed demise of Muhammad (S), and were ascribed to him only then (vol.VII, pp.330-335).
Some ignorant men may think that by quoting this speech we intend to make it as one of our evidences to prove our claim, counting this among matters for which we deserve censure, unaware that our only aim of this being to manifest for them and their illiterate brethren that the orientalists have knowledge of facts of our religion of which they themselves (ignorant) being unaware. Glorified is He the Bestower of intellects!
198. Refer to journal of al-Manar, vol.III.
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traditionists reported that only one zindiq had composed this number of traditions. They say that” When Ibn Ali al-Awja’ was taken to be beheaded, he said: “I fabricated for you four thousand traditions, forbidding in them the halal (lawful) and deeming lawful the haram (unlawful)”.
Second: Fabrication of hadith for the sake of backing and supporting the schools of thought in regard of principles (usul) and branches of religion. Since when Muslims were separated into schisms and madhahib, every group embarked on doing its utmost to prove the legality of its madhhab, especially after the door of debate and disputation regarding the madhahib was opened wide. The aim of this was only dumbfounding the opponent and showing of superiority over him, to the extent they have made dispute a science compiling on it many works, though their religion was averse to nothing but to dispute and conflict. This cause seems to be one of the consequences and effects of the previous one. This cause was cited by some of the traditionists who had written about causes of fabrication, saying: Someone among the heretics repented and embarked on expressing: You should investigate the source from which you take the hadith, as we used to render to a hadith whatever we desired or loved to be attained.
Fabrication of hadith for supporting the madhahib was not restricted to the heretics and owners of schools in usul. Rather many among Ahl al-Sunnah, who having disagreement about the branches (furu’) of religion, were known of composing traditions each for supporting one of the schools of thought or glorifying any of the leaders (imams)...
I introduce here one hadith as an example: “There shall be a man in my Ummah called Muhammad ibn Idris, who will be more detrimental to my Ummah than Iblis. And there shall be among my Ummah a man called Abu Hanifah, who is verily the beacon for my Ummah.” It is said that among the chain of transmitters there are two fabricators: Ma’mun ibn Ahmad al-Salami, and Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Khunbari. The hadith was reported by al-Khatib on the authority of Abu Hurayrah with a chain of transmitters, sufficing with the part related to Abu Hanifah, adding: It is a fabricated
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hadith, composed by Muhammad ibn Sa’id al-Maruzi al-Bawraqi. Then he said: He narrated it in this way in Khurasan and then in Iraq, adding to it: “There shall be among my Ummah a man called Muhammad ibn Idris, who will cause a sedition that be more detrimental to my Ummah than that of Iblis”.
It is said that no need is there to prove the baselessness of this intentional violation of truth. Nevertheless, there are some considerable jurisprudents who mention in their fiqhi books the part of the hadith labelling Abu Hanifah as the beacon of the Ummah,199 without any objection. Rather they even infer it for giving superiority for their leader over other leaders (imams). Despite all this, they are considered the example for the Ummah whose sayings and judgements on religious affairs are so dependable, that the Book and the Sunnah are put under their disposal since these two – as they claim – are specifically handled by the religious high authorities (mujtahidun).
In his Sharh Sahih Muslim, Abu al-Abbas al-Qurtubi says: Some of the self-opinionated fuqaha’ permit to verbally ascribe to the Messenger of Allah the ruling that is indicated by a clear-cut analogy (qiyas), saying in this regard: “The Messenger of Allah said so and so”. Hence we find their books replete with traditions whose texts testify on themselves being fabricated since they seem to be identical with verdicts (fatawa) of the fuqaha’, and never be fit to the eloquency of the speech of the Master of Apostles, beside their being unsupported by isnad.
Abu Shamah, in his book Mukhtasar Kitab al-Mu’ammal, is reported to have said:
“The practice followed by chiefs of fiqh regarding the Prophetic traditions and reported old speeches being abundant inference by weak traditions to support their beliefs and their claims, with deleting some words once and adding some others to the hadith. Many examples for these cases can be found in the works of Abu al-Ma’ali and his companion Abu Hamid.200
Third: Neglecting memorization due to be busy with asceticism and
199. For this reason the Shafi' is were forced to narrate (falsly) a hadith in regard of their leader giving him by it superiority over all other leaders, which reads: The Messenger of Allah (may God's peace and benediction be upon him and his Progeny) said: "Dignify Quraysh, as its 'alim will verily fill the whole earth with knowledge"!
On their part, the followers of al-Imam Malik have also invented the following hadith in regard of their leader: "People will migrate from the East toward the West, where they will not find a man more knowledgeable than the 'alim of pepole of al-Madinah." They reported aldo another hadith with the same meaning from Abu Hurayrah. Refer to Ibn Abd al-Barr's al-Intiqa'.
200. See p.21.
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devotion in worship. These ascetics and Sufis were thinking well of people considering sarcasm as a forbidden backbiting. Therefore they were deceived by the lies circulated here and there, reporting traditions without any knowledge or verification. So no trust should be put to the traditions filling the books of preaching, exorcization and maysticism without indicating their sources and degree of authenticity. This judgement is not related only to the books whose authors have precedence in knowledge, like the book Nuzhat al-Majalis, which is replete with falsities on hadith and other fields. Rather, even some books of the leaders (imams) of ulama’, such as al-Ihya’ of al-Ghazzali, can never be free from numerous fabricated traditions.
Fourth: The intention of seeking favoritism near the kings’ sovereigns and emirs, as stated by several memorizers. And as the hireling ‘ulama’ fabricated many of the Messenger’s traditions for gaining the pleasure of the monarchs and rulers, they also falsified many fiqhi rules and branches of religion for this purpose. Among the traditions composed in this regard are those containing flattery and extolling for the rulers, through which the ignorant cajole the kings presently as they used to do in the past.
Fifth: Error and inadvertence, that befell some of the narrators who, despite recognizing the truth, abstained from forsaking their viewpoints, out of disdain and to evade any error be ascribed to them. Frailty in faith and dishonesty in the task of narrating the hadith could not be realized until experiencing those events that are known for all.
Sixth: Reporting the hadith by memorizing from those having reliable books, with being inaccurate in memorization, entailing consequently the loss of books and occurrence of mistakes and errors.201
Seventh: Mental confusion inflicting people at the end of life, as in the case of a group of trustworthy narrators, who were excused for this reason, except those who were free from all the faults ascribed to them, with no distinction between what is reported from them in the state of maturity and sanity and that which is reported in the state of insanity and decrepitude.
Eighth: Trying to overcome the opponent in debate and controversy
201. These people, as said by Ibn Asakir in his Ta'rikh, used to: "make of the mursal as marfu' once, give sanad for the mawquf another time, and approve of the isnad once and insert a hadith into another one, another time." (Vol.II, p.10).
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particularly when being in public, the condition differing from fabrication of hadith for supporting the schools of thought. Ibn al-Jawzi says: Among the causes of fabrication of hadith being the inference exercised by an impious person during debates in public meetings, to prove his claims in the way complying to his desires...for putting his argument in order, edifying his statement, gaining superiority over his opponent, desiring for achieving triumph, satisfying his lust for power and escaping scandal when being defeated by his opponent in debate.
Ninth: Pleasing people and seeking their approval with attracting them to attend their preaching congregations, and expanding the sphere of their allies and supporters. The narrators have attached this cause to the talebearer. Maybe Ibn al-Jawzi was not to compile his book on fabricated traditions until practising the job of preaching with experiencing the corruption caused to religion at the hands of the preachers. About himself he said that he used to disapprove the traditions that were usually cited during the preaching meetings held by him, the fact arousing the grudge of all talebearers against him.202
Detriment of Tales and Talebearer:
Al-Salafi reports on the authority of al-Fadl ibn Ziyad that he said: I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal saying: The biggest liars among people being the questioner and story-teller.
Abu Qullabah is reported to have said: Knowledge is never deadened but by the story-teller.
Al-Uqayli reported on the authority of ‘Asim as saying: Abu Abd al-Rahman used to say: Be cautious of the story-teller.
Mu’awiyah was Fabricator of Tales:
In Akhbar al-Madinah, al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar reports from Nafi’ and other men of knowledge as saying: Story-telling was neither exercised in the
202. Among them a group of beggars who used to stand at the bazzars and mosques, falsifying against the Messenger of Allah traditions with correct asaini, which they have learned by heart, mentioning thus the themes through those asanid (Tafsir al-Qutubi, vol.I, p.690).
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lifetime of the Prophet (S), nor during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, nor that of Umar, but it was only an innovation invented by Mu’awiyah when fitnah (sedition) erupted.
Ibn Abi Shaybah has reported the same khabar from Ibn Umar, and it is known that Umar (ibn al-Khattab) forbade from story-telling.
Tenth: Severity of intimidation and excess in temptation for the sake of guiding people. This kind of falsified traditions was even accelerated for their fabricators by the scholars’ stating that the weak traditions could be applied and followed regarding the virtuous deeds,203 and what is related to them in meaning which be unrelevant to rules and rights, as if considering Din incomplete needing something to complete and perfect it. This while Allah the Glorified and Most High says: “This day have I perfected for you, your religion, and have completed My favour on you, and chosen for you Islam (to be) the religion.” Besides, all the heresies in religion that people call good heresies (bida’), being no more than addition to religion...would that it be excess in acts alone, but in fact it was excess in beliefs and doctrines. An example for this is to believe in intercession of some of the righteous men (dead ones) between Allah and people in order to get their demands be accomplished, either by themselves due to having supernormal invisible power, or by the Almighty God for their sake. That means, Allah’s Will shall be subordinate to their will in this regard, as this expression was widely known to be uttered by them: “There are certain bondmen for Allah, that He wills whatever they will”! Beside other similar claims. When it is said to them that Allah has never permitted such a law, they cite examples and similitudes from which Allah is quite free and far above, like anthropomorphizing Him to the kings and emirs through whom favoritism is sought near those they were loving,204 so as to do the acts that they would have never done had those ones been not present. They were unaware that the Will of Allah the Exalted never changes for the sake of anyone whomsoever, since specifying and preponderating it should be in accordance with the eternal knowledge that is never liable to change or alteration.
203. This saying and its holders have brought so much detriment to people, in respect of their religion and life.
204. The following basis was laid down by them in this regard: "Unless the intercession be there, the intercessor would be of no use."
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Eleventh: Permission to fabricating chains of transmission (asanid) for the euphonious speech,205 so as to make a hadith out of it. This reason was mentioned independently, while it is to be included within the previous one.
Twelfth: Dissembling of the knowledge-claimant to be superior to his opponent in debate when controversy reaches topic of hadith, whereat the hypocrite who having feeble faith and corrupt knowledge would say: This hadith is reported by so and so and confirmed by so and so. Further he would ascribe this hadith to very scarce books (as sources) so as to delude people of his having preknowledge of things unknown or realized by others, or would invent a new chain of transmission for the hadith.
Al-Suyuti reported that Ibn al-Jawzi was among those whose traditions were fabricated, and that falsity and reversion are of several forms: some of the narrators were overcome by asceticism so they forgot about memorization. Or some whose books (of hadith) were lost so he used to narrate out of what he memorized, committing thus numerous mistakes and errors. Some others were trustworthy, but they were inflicted with mental disorder at the last days of their lives. Some who used to report the errors inadvertently, but when recognizing the truth and being certain of it, disdained from returning or repenting fearing from that blunder be attributed to them. Among them too were the Zanadiqah who used to fabricate and falsify the traditions on purpose with the aim of corrupting the Shari’ah (Islamic Law), and creating doubt and suspicion into religion making it as a plaything. Some of the Zanadiqah used to take advantage of the Shaykh’s inadvertence and to foisting something strange to his hadith. Some used to fabricate hadith for seeking content and temptation. Some others would compose chains of transmission through flowery language, with some doing so for gaining pleasure of the ruler, and the story-tellers who used to relate feeble unauthentic traditions.206 In order not to expatiate on this topic, I suffice with the examples already cited.
Concerning the hadith fabricators, they were innumerable, the most
205. Refer to the section: Fabrication of hadith for rhetoric speech, in this book.
206. Kashf al-khafa', vol.II, p.409.
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outstanding of whom being the following four: Ibn Abi Yahya in al-Madinah, al-Waqidi in Baghdad, Muqatil ibn Sulayman in Khurasan and Muhammad ibn Sa’id in the Sham.207
Hereunder one example on fabrication of hadith for seeking favoritism near the kings and emirs:
Al-Rashid was so fond of pigeons and amusing himself with them. One day he received doves as a present at the presence of Abu al-Bukhtari al-Qadi208 when he said: Abu Hurayrah reported from the Prophet (S) that he said: “No race is there but in the pad or hoof or wing”. The word ‘wing’ was added from his own for pleasing al-Rashid, for which he was gifted a valuable reward. When he went out, al-Rashid said: By God I got to know that he was a liar. Then he issued his orders to slaughter the pigeons, when it was said to him: What sin the pigeons perpetrated? He replied: Because of them a lie was composed against the Messenger of Allah!
Political Fabrication or for Sake of Politics
Before concluding this chapter I have to reveal a critical aspect in regard of fabrication of hadith, that having a long-term effect on life in Islam. This effect is still in force through the putrid thoughts, retrogressive minds and bigoted souls. This aspect being the intrusion of politics in this issue (fabrication of hadith), and its having an extreme impact and influence upon it, employing it for backing the rulers and statesmen, making it the strongest pillar for reinforcing the basis of their power.
Such political situation reached its peak and exceeded all the bounds during the reign of Mu’awiyah, who supported and encouraged it by employing his influence and dedicating his money for pushing it forward. So we witnessed the continuation of this situation, with the hadith being lost and fully dedicated for the purpose of indicating Mu’awiyah’s honour and extolling him. They have exaggerated in supporting and showing strong fanaticism toward him, elevating the status of the Sham ruled by him, giving
207. Ibn Khallikan, vol.II, p.113.
208. Abu al-Bukhtari was the judge of al-Madinah after Bakkar ibn Abd Allah. After that he undertook adjudication of Baghdad after Abu Yusuf, the companion of Abu Hanifah. He died in 200 H. during the caliphate of al-Ma'mun. Tafsir al-Qutrubi, vol.I, p.69.
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it a position that was neither attained by al-Madinah of the Messenger of Allah nor by the Sacred Town (Makkah) in which he was born, going to the extremes in this respect to the extent that certain compilations were authored specifically for this purpose.
Though this subject needs in itself a separate book, I shall commit myself – within this book – to be brief and concise, demonstrating only a few indications and evidences.
Here are some examples on this fabrication:
We can refer to the hadith fabricated by al-Bakriyyah (supporters of Abu Bakr), and reported by Ibn Asakir from Abu Hurayrah, that the angels on the Day of Badr were exchanging announcement of good tidings saying: Aren’t you witnessing al-Siddiq with the Messenger of Allah in the canopy?! Al-Khatib reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (S) said: Gabriel, upon whom be God’s peace, descended upon me putting on a rug and making friends (with angels)...I asked him: O Gabriel! What is that? He replied: Allah the Exalted commanded the angels in the heavens to make friends with each other as is done by Abu Bakr on earth.
Abu Ya’la reported from Abu Hurayrah that he said: The Messenger of Allah said: I ascended (by God) to the heaven, and by each heaven I passed I found my name written on it: (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq is my successor).
Abu Ya’la reported again from Ibn Umar that the Prophet said: Verily the angels are ashamed of Uthman as they are ashamed of Allah and His Messenger.
In another hadith, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: The excellence of ‘A’ishah over all women is like that of the sop over all other foods. It is reported yet in another hadith that her portrait was sent to the Prophet in a piece of silky cloth with Gabriel who said to him” “This is you wife in the world and Hereafter”!!
Another hadith says: Take half of your religion from this Humayra’ (i.e. A’ishah). In another narration he (S) said: Take part of your religion
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from this Humayra’.
This chapter is so expansive that no room is there to enumerate all its contents.
