The Over Emphasis of an Ijazah and a Tazkiyah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 

All praises belong to Allah the Most High and We ask Allah to guide us to the straight path. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon his final and last Messenger .Allah (The Most High) said in the Opening Chapter: Praise belongs to Allah. In this verse Allah praises Himself as proof for His complete attributes and His complete blessings for His slaves. Praises are given to those who deserve it. Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said: “Praise is slaughter”. Praising a person can kill his heart and cause a person to be arrogant.  In this article I’ve mentioned the over emphasis of an Ijazah and Tazkiyah, in a simple question and answer format with answers taken from various scholars who specialize in Usul-Al-Fiqh, Aqeedah and Hadith. For reference please pay close attention to the footnotes for each question.

Prepared by:

Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle

PhD student (Hadith and its Sciences)

Doha, Qatar © 1437H

 

1. Is there a difference between an Ijazah and Tazkiyah?

Answer: Yes

2. What is an Ijazah ?

Answer: An Ijazah is permission from the Shaykh to narrate on him. This is either given verbally or by a written approval.[1]

3. What is the Islamic ruling for acting by and accepting narrations conveyed to us by way of Ijazah ?

Answer: The majority of the scholars from Ahlil Hadith accept knowledge and reports conveyed through the Ijazah.[2]

4. Scholars can grant an Ijazah to their students to narrate their reports and books so, is there only one kind of Ijazah ?

Answer: There are numerous kinds of Ijazah. Shaykh Muhammad Rslan mentioned 9. I will mention the top 3 only and how they are awarded to their students.

• The shaykh gives permission for a specific book to someone specifically by name. i.e The Shaykh says, “ I grant Fulan ibn Fulan to narrate Sahih Al-Bukhari from me.”

 

• The Shaykh grants permission to a particular Muslim by name without restricting what he’s allowed to convey from him. For example the Shaykh says, “ I award you permission to narrate everything I have heard from the scholars.”

Imam An-Nawawi said the majority of the scholars of Fiqh and Hadith allow these 2 kinds of Ijazah and hold it obligatory to act by them.

• The shaykh awards a person the permission to narrate from him by a general description. This occurs when the Shaykh says phrases like , “ I grant permission for everyone who met me to recount my reports, or I allow every student of knowledge to narrate my hadith, or I permit every student who read to me and heard my narrations to spread them…etc” even sometimes the Shaykh might say I allow every Muslim to narrate my reports.[3]

 

5. Are Ijazahs a sign that a person has knowledge? Some people try and pass them around to show they have knowledge.

Answer: No! just because a person has an Ijazah this doesn’t mean that he possess knowledge ,nor does it mean he’s trustworthy. There are some Ijazahs given to unknown people or even unborn. Ibn As-Salah mentioned this kind in his Muqadammah as the 6^th type. For example the Shaykh says, “ I grant permission for Fulan, his children, his  grandchildren and every child born to his family to narrate on me.”[4]

 

6. Is the person who teaches people Islam required to have an Ijazah or Tazkiyah?

Answer: The person who people learn from must have a Tazkiyah. The Tazkiyah can be affirmed by one of three routes.

• One or more credible scholars write this person is worthy to be learned from.

 

• His knowledge and information has spread thoroughly around the globe and no scholar has censured him. This is called Tazkiyah Sukuti (The silent praise )

 

 

• His knowledge affirms his trustworthiness. This means he’s only known for the circulation of sound information ( the books of Ahl Sunnah). He’s free from speech, actions and belief that warrant criticism. Hence he isn’t blamed by Ahlus Sunnah. This is a Tazkiyah through knowledge. Now if the person has been disparaged, has some confusion in areas of knowledge, is unknown from every angle of the religion, then no one should learn from this person.[5]

 

7. What if a person says , “ I’m Salafi” is this a Tazkiyyah?

Answer:  If a person says it honoring himself then this isn’t correct. On the other hand if he says it in order to clarify his belief as there are other cults and groups around him and he doesn’t agree with them and wants to distance himself from their beliefs and actions, then he says, “ I am Salafi” or I follow the Salafi Methodology.[6]

8. There are some people who aren’t known to certain scholars. Does this mean he’s unknown and knowledge can’t be acquired from him?

Answer:  Every valuable student of knowledge isn’t known to the scholars. Therefore in this case we look at his message he sends out. Is he teaching the sunnah. Does he respect the opinions of the scholars? Does he convey the speech from the scholars of the Sunnah? If that’s the case then his knowledge is a tazkiyah for him and he can be learned from.[7]

9. There are some people who say you can’t learn from a person unless the scholars give him Tazkiyah, is this belief correct?

Answer: This speech closes the doors of goodness. There are many countries where students of knowledge teach the Sunnah, explain it and educate others based on the knowledge they have. Although they don’t have a Tazkiyah from a particular scholar, there isn’t anything in the knowledge they teach which deserves criticism. So, if we say that people can’t learn from them then knowledge in many countries wouldn’t remain and this would shut the doors of good. Then the people of Bid’ah would begin to teach and the people of the Sunnah would be restricted. Following this the people of the Sunnah would learn from the people of innovation or from the internet or any other mediums. This is incorrect.[8]

10. Can we just have good faith in person to teach us since he says ,He’s Salafi or hangs with the Salafis, or appears of their flyers?

Answer: NO! a Tazkiyah is required. It’s incorrect to be negligent in this regard, thus we learn from any and everyone. Therefore we say the person must have a Tazkiyah by one of the three routes mentioned in question number 6.[9]

11. There are some people who make short visits yearly to scholars and wear one face in front of that scholar and as a result of his speech and what he presents the scholars make a general praise. How do we interact with this praise?

Answer:  If the people of his community where he resides know the person’s reality then their speech takes precedence. Shaykh Muqbil (may Allah rest him in paradise) said: “The countrymen know the condition of their citiziens the best. Their speech takes precedence over others. A person might go to another country beautify his speech and say the right things, thus that scholar praises him. This is similar to some of the people that Yahya ibn Ma’een praised while the people in his country considered him to be weak and unreliable.

An example is Abdur Rahmah ibn Mua’wiyah. Imam Ibn Ma’een praised him, but Imam Malik criticized him. Abdur Rahman was from Madinah and therefore Imam Malik’s speech displaces Imam Yahya ibn Ma’een’s praise.[10]

12. What if a person hangs out with Salafis , attends their classes, and prays at their masjids, isn’t this a Tazkiyah?

Answer: Allah’s help is sought. Shaykh Abdullah Al-Bukhari (may Allah preserve him) was asked the same exact question.

Question:  Can we attest to everyone who attends the classes of Salafi scholars’ credibility and integrity?

Shaykh Abdullah Al-Bukhari (may Allah preserve him) said: These kinds of questions shouldn’t be asked. A person’s integrity and credibility is measure by his actions, his adherence to the Sunnah, His practice of it along with his aide and support for it. Moreover we judge a person’s veracity by his striving to maintain firm by the Sunnah and his invitation for others to follow it. The implementation of the Sunnah in his speech, deeds, actions and belief is what benefits him.  When he is strongly attached to the scholars’ of the Sunnah sincerely with love and affection (then this benefits him). He doesn’t exit and deviate from their path. Furthermore he doesn’t oppose the actions, belief and speech of Ahlus Sunnah and so forth. These kinds of actions affirm his credibility and integrity. If some scholars praise this person based on what they know of his condition and in reality he’s the total opposite, even if you brought forth praises from the heavens and the Earth while your deeds are in opposition to truth and the Sunnah, they won’t benefit you whatsoever. None of those certificates, degrees, and praises that you gathered and collected to gain closeness to others will help you. So, what praises a person? His deeds do. This is not an attack on the status of scholars’ praises. The person who hold these praises and Tazkiyah from Ahlis Sunnah must be absolutely worthy of those praises and Tazkiyah. If a praise or Tazkiya comes from a scholar we honor and respect it, and if one doesn’t we don’t get bent out of shape over it. May Allah Bless you. This is what should be asked about. Half of the comprehension is included in the question. May Allah bless you.[11]

13. Shaykh Abdullah’s speech is clear. It places a great importance on the actions of a person. We must be mindful of a person’s actions. There might be some confusion that a person not praying at a particular masjid with a specific group of people remains in question, even though he calls to Salafiyah.

Answer: Abu’d-Darda wrote to Salman al-Farsi, “Come immediately to the holy land.” Salman wrote back to him, “Land does not make anyone holy. A man’s deeds make him holy. I have heard that you were put up as a doctor to treat and cure people. If you are innocent, then may you have delight! If you are a quack, then beware lest you kill a man and enter the Fire!” When Abu’d-Darda judged between two men, and they turned from him to go, he would look at them and say, “Come back to me, and tell me your story again.[12]

There are benefits from this athar.

• A person’s true tazkiyah and purity is measured by his actions, although his community has some praises from some and criticism from others. Between those praises and criticisms there must be a balance. The praise and dispraise for a community is based on the condition of the majority of the people residing therein.[13]
• Abu Darda wrote a letter to Salman Al-Farasi (may Allah be pleased with them both) inviting him to come and live in the Holy land. The Holy Land in the Arabic language refers to an area that is pure and purifies others. The community he was referring to is Sham(Jerusalem). People call the masjid there Baitul Maqdis and they had it in their mind that this masjid cleanses a person ,who lived in other places where disbelief existed. Abu Darda used Holy land to show that a person living there has a Tazkiyah. This is established from Salman Al-Farasi’s response,” Land does not make anyone holy.The land doesn’t remove sins from a person, but a person’s deeds do. During that time that Masjid was called Baitul Maqdis because people living there were obedient to Allah, many Prophets were known to have prayed there, and many of the Prophets’ followers still visited it. Therefore, many people were ordered to migrate there the same way the Muslims were ordered to make Hijra to Madina.
• “ I have heard that you were put up as a doctor to treat and cure people.” Salman is referring to his position as a Mufti. Abu Darda is asked questions and he issues legal opinions which people act by. This is similar to how people take the orders from a doctor for medicine. So if you diagnose the people correct this is excellent and the correct diagnosis here refers to attaining the truth and repelling falsehood. Because falsehood is what contradicts the Shariah. Falsehood is an illness that the Mufti is asked about in order to expel it with the truth that Allah ordered.
• “If you are a quack, then beware lest you kill a man and enter the Fire!” Salman Al-Farasi means you judge by what’s incorrect, thus a falsehood increases due to your verdicts. Consequently a person becomes so engulfed in falsehood it’s impossible for him to return to what is correct. This is similar to how a doctor kills someone.[14]

 

14. The Tazkiyah for our teachers, Imams and friends plays an important role in every society. How about in a judicial system where people are asked for their testimony in regards to other people’s rights. i.e property, disputes, honor etc.?

Answer: The description for a Tazkiyah varies between the four schools of Jurisprudence.

• The Hanafi school- If a judge wants to know about the trustworthiness of the witness he sends out a letter to someone reliable asking him about the witness’s condition. If he is known to be trustworthy and reliable then it’s written on the bottom of the paper that he is steadfast and trustworthy, so his testimony is allowed. However, if he is a sinner the reply to request goes unanswered or the person writes, “ I don’t know”. What’s more, if this person is unknown then the reply at the bottom of the paper reads, “ he has a blameless recorded”. Once these steps are carried out the person goes in front of the Judge and gives the witness a Tazkiyah.
• The Malaki School- The judge writes the name of the witness on a piece of paper and sends it to the person to certify his character and integrity. The judge orders him to answer the question about the witness. Following this the person granting the Tazkiyah about the witness must appear in court and attest to the witness’s integrity and honor verbally. He says, “He is trustworthy.”
• The Shafa’i School – The Judge writes the name of the witness with a few details about him. He then sends it to those who can attest to his honor starting with his neighbors. Following this those who want to vouch for him must appear in court to praise the person verbally in front of the Judge by pledge.
• The Hanbali School- The Judicial system that follows the Hanbali school of law follows the same blueprint of the Shafa’I School. The person must appear in court and give a verbally testimony acknowledging the person’s honest and reliable as a witness.[15]

 

When people rely on Ijazahs and Tazkiyah they tend to neglect one’s actions. Or when a person is criticized they republish an outdated praise or show an Ijazah. A person loves to be praised or hear others say good things about him. If that wasn’t the case then why do we retweet other people’s praises of our deeds, or monitor the likes of a Facebook page or a Youtube Channel. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: “Tell us about a person who does some good deed and people praise him, will this be considered as showing off?” He replied, “This is the glad tidings which a believer receives (in this life).”[16]

Running behind scholars or doing deeds to earn other’s people acceptance or build your honor is dangerous. Allah the Most high said: “Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done,- think not you that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment” Al-Imran 188.

When reflecting over  verses from the Quran we find  broadcasting self-praises is considered blameworthy.

Allah the Most High said: Have you not seen those who claim sanctity for themselves. Nay – but Allah sanctifies whom He pleases, and they will not be dealt with injustice even equal to the extent of a Fatila (A scalish thread in the long slit of a date-stone).[ An-Nisa’ 49]

Allah the Most Wise said: “So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keep his duty to Him. [An-Najm 32]

In order to truly measure the value of the praises we receive and their dangers we must look at the areas we fall short in regards to our obedience to Allah. Then look at the one who praised us, would they say the same thing if they knew what was hidden from them or the amount of deeds we do that are displeasing to Allah.

The Prophet said: ‘The angels are the witnesses of Allah in heaven, and you are the witnesses of Allah on Earth.”‘[17]

We Ask Allah the Most High to grant us deeds and that earn His Pleasure Alone even if it earns the displeasure of others. We Ask Allah the Most Forgiving to shower His Mercy and Forgiveness on us in this life, the grave and on the Day of Reckoning.

 

[powr-hit-counter id=8bc8513e_1470578012543]

 

[1] Refer to the Muqaddamah of Ibn As-Salah, page 244

[2] Ibid page 333

[3]Al-Ilma’ Qadi Iyyad, page 98

[4]Dawabitu Ar-Riwiyah, Shaykh Muhammad Rslan, vol1/287

[5] Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli, http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=139356

[6]  Refer to the Fatwa from Shayh Salih Al-Fowzan. http://www.sahab.net/forums/?showtopic=136196

[7] http://www.ajurry.com/vb/showthread.php?t=39319

[8] http://www.ajurry.com/vb/showthread.php?t=39319

[9] ibid

[10] Al-Muqtarah ,pg 87-88, Hasheeyah Al-Mustsdark 1/332, by Imam Muqbil ibn Hady

[11] http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=154168

[12] Muwatta imam Malik 2842

[13] Al-Isthakar, 9/473, by Ibn Abdul Barr

[14] Al-Muntaqa of the Muwatta of Imam Malik #1261

[15] Ahkamu Ash-Shahadati fi Al-Muthahibi Al-Arba’, pg 189-190, by Muhammad ibn Uthman Al-Munay’ee

[16] Sahih Muslim #1621

[17] Sunan An-Nisa’I 1933.

Whose speech do we Accept or Reject?

Your Narrators are in Question on Social Media

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The chain of narration is a special trait for this Ummah. It’s what safeguards us from circulating false speech and practicing false beliefs. Allah has preserved Islam through the link of the isnad. Abdullah ibn Mubark (181H) said:  ” The Isnad is part of the religion . If there was no isnad then anyone could say anything.

During the era of the companions the narrators were trustworthy and upright. After their lifetime obstacles blocked the path to accept the speech of every Muslim. Accepting and relating the speech from others required one to act with caution. Ibn Sireen “The scholars of Hadeeth didn’t use to ask about the chain of narration.  When the fitnah occurred, they would question others by asking: “Tell us the names of your men?”  Following this, they would look at ahlus-Sunnah and accept their hadeeth.  Along with this they would look towards ahlul-Bid’ah and reject their hadeeth.”  Let’s pause here for a second; the fitnah in that period forced them to be on alert. So, what about today? A time when every Tom, Dick and Harry can express himself. Social media channels allow them to speak. Unfit missionaries taking the Minbar, opening blogs and monitoring forums is today’s epidemic.

Ibn Sireen said: “This knowledge is religion so pay attention to who learn from.”  Islam is a religion with the narration of reports through an isnad. The isnad must be intact before we can act on or believe the report. Can we accept reports from anonymous relaters?  Should we convey news broadcasted from notorious sinners? Is it just so simple to retell an event from a person with a fictitious account and accept it to be factual?

The following points address the social ills affecting Muslims through viral communications. These points are built on solid foundations. Some  principles from  the scholars of  Ahlul  Hadith are briefly discussed in , “ Whose speech do we accept or reject? Your narrators are in question on social media.”

Scholars of Fiqh and Hadith collectively agree the conditions to accept a person’s narrations are four. The relater is a Muslim in the age of puberty with sound intellect and not known as a sinner. He should not do things that contradict the social norms of his society. A person’s integrity can be in question if he goes against the social norms from his community. Next, the Muslim must be precise when he relates the speech of others.  Being accurate is either from the memory or from the place its recorded. Along with this, if he narrates reports by their meaning they must be error-free.

These are the requirements for a person to be considered reliable. So, let’s take each condition and look at it in a few words. We use these conditions to relay the speech of the Prophet, the scholars, or retell an event. Please pay close attention to these conditions.

Condition # 1

The narrator must be a Muslim. This removes the narration of a Kafir. We reject  the narration of a disbeliever according to the consensus of the Jurists.

Condition # 2

The reporter must be an adult and not a child, even if he has reached the age of discernment.  We are able to accept the report of a child if he narrates it after puberty.

Condition # 3

The Muslim adult delivering the speech of others must be of sound mind.  Sound mind is when a person is sane, awake and conscious. The individual asleep, crazy and unconscious isn’t attentive.  The narrative of   a person who heard information while he was absent-minded is rejected.

Condition # 4

The narrator isn’t known for  his disobedience to Allah or  acts  of oppression towards people.  A judge denies the  sinner’s  testimony in a court . Reason being, he’s not righteous and honest so his speech remains in question.  A sinner isn’t called trustworthy. A sinner is the person known to commit major sins or regularly practice minor ones. If this is the case of a narrator in Allah’s deen then his speech and testimony are of no value.  Any act that causes people to doubt a person’s integrity must be shunned . [1]

Before going on to the other issues what have you learned?

1. There are ________conditions for a narration to be accepted.
2. The Kafir’s narrations are accepted. ( T / F )
3. The minor and adult’s speech are equal in reporting facts. ( T / F )
4. A Muslim is Thiqa(Trustworthy) we he meets 4 requirements. ( T / F )[1]

Those are the primary issues of dealing with the exposure of news and reports from others. These four conditions allow us to accept their information. Scholars have discussed this topic in the books for Hadith terminology in detail. This isn’t the proper place to define all the detail of those chapters.  The following subjects discuss narrations we are able to reject or need extra inquiry.

The narration of reports from liars.

If the experience of the world is worth anything we are certain a liar can’t be trusted. A liar is a person who informs others about speech and events in an imaginary way. There are different categories of lying. Fabricating information about Allah and His Messenger is the most atrocious. The hadiths that warn against this heinous act are galore in the Sunnah.

Reporting things about people which aren’t true is also a major sin. Forging information results in a punishment in this life and in the next. The retribution for the liar in this life is the rejection of his narratives.

Ibn Mubarak said: “The punishment for the liar is his truth isn’t accepted.”

Sufyan At-Thowri said: “Whoever lies will become covered with shame.”

When a person fabricates information from someone he never met this is intentional.  That report is dismissed as well as his future narrations until he repents. If he repents after being exposed then his speech is accepted.  If he recants saying, ” I made a mistake, or I misinformed you about …etc, you must accept it from him. Those kinds of words show sincerity and honesty. Sincerity and honesty make it a must to accept his retraction and narrations.  And Allah knows best.[1][2]

The narration from a noted sinner

The noted sinner is a person who acts immorally or has strayed from the right course.  The noted sinner here is a person whose sins don’t take him out of the fold of Islam.  This sinner isn’t a person known to lie on the Prophet. The word used in the Quran to describe the disobedient or disbeliever is  Fasiq. A Fasiq abandons obligations and does prohibitions. The scholars agree a noted sinner’s statement or account is rejected.

Ibn Al-Arabi said: Talk and information from a noted sinner isn’t accepted. There is an Ijma for this position. Conveying information is a trust and sins weaken a person’s trustworthiness.

Ash-Shanqeeti said : “Allah said: O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it.(Al-Hujjarat 6). This verse proves  we reject a known sinner’s reports. Allah also informs us that an evildoer’s testimony is dismissed in court. Allah said: …”and reject their testimony forever, they indeed are the Fasiqun (liars, rebellious, disobedient to Allah).”(An-Nur 4) . There is no difference of opinion about the testimony of a sinful person.[2]

Narrations and speech from impudent and lewd Muslims.

The topic of conveying speech in Islam is serious. Scholars reject narrations from people known to have sexual indecency with women. Ahl Hadith didn’t accept reports mentioned from people who were dissolute.

Whenever the scholars of Hadith wanted to record a person’s reports they would watch him. They would observe his prayer, character and appearance. People who were lewd and acted foolish were avoided.

Ibn Munathir used to love Sufyan ibn ‘Uyanah. He was considered a scholar of  hadith. Ibn Munathir had strong feelings for Abdul Wahhab At-Thaqafi. He used to flirt with women in the street. The king of Basra exiled Ibn Munathir from the city. His character was lewd and he used to play pranks on other Muslims. Ibn Munathir used to unleash scorpions at the Ka’bah so they could sting people. During the night he would pour ink at the Wudu station so the people’s faces would turn black. For those reasons no one narrated from him.[3]

It is no exaggeration to say the first three people mentioned have major character flaws. Now observe how we deal some others.

 News and broadcasts from anonymous and unnamed reporters

Knowing the narrators is an extensive topic in the books for Hadith lingo. Having anonymous reporters in a chain is among the quickest approach to reject a hadith. This topic defines the identity of narrators’ names, fathers’ names, and grandfathers’ names. The subject for lineage, region, birthdates, and death plus more are also included.   People writing on forums need to  identify themselves by their kunya or their first name. After mentioning those names they state their father’s name followed by their surname. So, how is it we stay tested with unknown tweeters .  Names like Salafiboy, or Akhiof Akhis, or even unknownakh, and Sunnitothebone  are false lineages.[2]

These kinds of names lead us to classify the people as being anonymous (Mubham).  Nameless reporters aren’t accepted even if the person narrating on him mentions him as being,  Thiqah (“Trustworthy”). Let’s get to the facts here whenever a scholar or a person says a trustworthy person told me such and such, it’s a must that the person’s name be mentioned. Otherwise he’s anonymous as well because he might be viewed as being trustworthy with one scholar but his reality may be totally different.[3]  Imam Ash-Shafi’ used to narrate hadith using the word, “A Trustworthy person informed me”. Sometimes he was referring to Imam Malik or Imam Ahmed, but at other times he was referring to Ibrahim ibn Abee Yahya. Imam An-Nisa’I said Ibrahim ibn Abee Yahya is a liar.[4]

There are many reasons for this but perhaps the most applicable cause relates to homeland. It’s a general rule that the people from their country know their citizens the best. Yahya ibn Ma’een considered Abdur Rahman ibn Mua’wiyyah Al-Madanee a trustworthy man. Imam Malik held him to be unreliable. Imam Malik’s speech takes precedence over Imam Ibn Ma’een’s as he was from Madina and knew Abdur Rahman better.[5]

The spread of information from unknown narrators.

Any narrator is unknown when there isn’t any praise or criticism from a scholar with his name. Whenever a person is praised or is criticized from a scholar this removes him from being unheard of. Unheard-of people who retell reports on religious events, scholars’ Fatawa need to be identified   . In contrast if someone reliable conveys the same report, then we are able to accept it.

A person is unknown when he names himself with a name, a nickname, or a description which he isn’t known. Moreover, if the person isn’t known for seeking knowledge or if scholars don’t know him then we can classify him as Majhoul ‘Ayn. Ibn Hajr said : “ The Majhoul ‘Ayn is like the unnamed reporter. His narration isn’t accepted until someone attests to the trustworthiness of his religion.”[4]

Being known or unknown isn’t restricted to a  few individuals or scholars. In fact there are reports where scholars were unaware of others who were well-known. An example of this relates to Ibn Hazm’s speech about Imam At-Tirmithi being unknown.

Clearly, the invention of news and stories share harm in a Muslim’s honor today.  The mass spread of information retweeted or liked on Facebook has accelerated the spread of destruction of trust and Muslims’ honor exponentially. By implementing the guidelines from Ahlul Hadith we can reduce the spread of injury and abuse. The    propagandist potential, to spread misinformation on an unprecedented scale must be sidelined.  Their reports must be written with the forgotten voices.  Their oral contexts, in whatever mediums that they survive must remain in question. We must protect our tongues and set aside all broadcasts from liars and noted sinners. This not only preserves the honor of others but also safeguards our tongues. Allah said : Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).[ Qaf 18]. Be on alert when spreading news! Only accept reports from people you are certain who are upright and honest in character and speech.  Avoid all social media accounts from people you are unfamiliar with. Stay clear on letting your tongue lose with stories from anonymous accounts. You can’t be certain if what they are saying is true or if they are spinning some yarn. Protect your beliefs and your tongue. The Prophet said : Tuba for the one who protects his tongue.[6]”

[powr-hit-counter id=5034aace_1470579579607]

If you would like a PDF of this article emailed to your address please write to: lamontbattlejr@gmail.com

Prepared by

Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle

PhD Student (Hadith and Its Sciences)

Doha, Qatar 1436(c) 

 

 [1] Tadeqeeq Al-‘Iniyah fee Tahqeeq Ar-Riwayah, Ibn Abi Al-Damm (642H).

[2] An example of this is : Abu Ahmed Muhammad ibn Mustapha Blackman.

 [1] Al-Hadith Ad-Dha’eef wa Hukm li-Ihtaj bihi, By Shaykh Abdul Kareem Al-Khudir (may Allah preserve him) pg 154-155

[2] Ibid, pg 154-155

[3] Dawabitu Ar-Riwiyah, By Shaykh Muhammad Rslan (may Allah preserve him), Vol 2/ 200

[4]

[1] 1 (4), 2(F),3(F), 4 (T)

[2] Mu’jam Mustalahat al-Hadith, by Dr. Muhammad Al-Athami, pg 317

[3] Al-Ba’ith Al-Hatheeth Sharh Ikhtasar Ulumil Hadeeth, by Sh. Ahmed Shakir, vol1/ 290

[4]  Refer to Al-Tizam Ad-Diqah fee Tahqeeq Qowl Ash-Shafi Akbarana Thiqa,by Abu Asma Attiyah ibn Sadqi

[5] Hashiya Al-Mustadarak , By Shaykh Muqbil ibn Hadi , vol 1/ 332

[6] [ At-Tabbarani in Al-Awsot  graded as being Hasan Li Ghayrahi by Sh- Albani in Jami As-Saghir 7376.]