What is Ilm Al Hadith (Science of Hadith) Monday, March 2, 2020

Define Ilm Al Hadith (Science of Hadith)

Ilm al hadith means Science of Hadith, which refers to the Knowledge of the scrutiny of hadith literature. Basically every hadith has a chain (isnad) of narrators that are going all the way back to the Prophet ﷺ. Studying biography of each narrator in a chain who transmits the hadith, in addition to comparing it with other chains of that same hadith, if any, including studying linguists of text as well as circumstances involved when particular hadith was narrated and others factors involved in recording are all included in the subject of ilm al hadith. There exists a few common misconceptions that the collection of hadith took place many years, in most cases 200 years, after the Prophet's death or that its initial collection was started by the students of the companions, and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions never supported or indulged in this activity. Such misconceptions are false because there is evidence that hadith were being collected during the Prophet's life (discussed in subsequent posts) and in fact the foundation and practice of Ilm Al hadith (Science of Hadith) was initiated by his companions, in a more organized manner especially during the rule of Umar ibn Khattab (r.a), the 2nd successor of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Foundation of Ilm Al Hadith (Science of Hadith)

Umar (r.a) was the first to realize the necessity of the proper sifting of the hadith narrations. Those who narrated any hadith were required to produce some witnesses in support of the tradition. In this way a rich corpus of Hadith was built up. Umar (r.a) classified the traditions in two broad categories. One category of traditions pertained to religious, moral and social affairs pertaining to the community at large. The other traditions revolved round the person of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and pertained to his words and deeds as a human being i.e. the Prophet's Sunnah. Umar (r.a) distinguished between these two categories.[1] All matters falling in the first category were binding and had the status of law. Umar (r.a) evolved the following principles on the basis of which the traditions were to be accepted:

(1) The report should be literally faithful;

(2) Every Hadith narrated should carry with it the name of the narrator and the chain of narrators;

(3) The narrators must be men of proven faith and integrity;

(4) In judging the veracity of a report the occasion and circumstances involved should be taken into consideration;

(5) The report should not be repugnant to the Holy Quran;

(6) The report should be rational.

Subsequent Developments in Ilm Al hadith (Science of Hadith)

By the end of 1st century Hijrah (100 AH - 720 CE) majority Companions passed away leaving their compilations behind including the framework and process for hadith evaluation taught to Tabi’een (their students). However this process needed to be a bit more supervised especially to avoid and separate the unauthentic traditions that began circulation in subsequent years. Therefore, during the rule of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (r.a) (717 - 720 CE), one of the Ummayad Caliphs (also known as 2nd Umar due to his piety), ordered the collection of ahadith on a large scale. He assigned learned scholars and hadith experts of Madinah such as Abu Bakr Ibn Hazam (Qadi of Madinah) and famous Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, who were also students of Prophet's companions, Ayesha (r.a) and Anas bin Malik (r.a), expert hadith specialists and teachers. During the mid of 2nd century Hijrah (150 AH), hadith centers came to exist and scholars like Imam Malik (Died 179 AH) and Sufyan Thauri (Died - 168 AH) and several others opened their centers to teach hadith with rules as laid down by their predecessors.

In subsequent years rules of hadith collection were expanded and further conditions were added such as ilm al rijal (names of narrators and their biographies) and each hadith that included a chain (isnad) of narrators was classified based on the reliability of the narrators such as their piety, intelligence, if they were of forgetful nature, or if they were known to ever have lied. It was based on the strength of the narrators is how each hadith came to be classified with a status such as Dhaeef (weak), Sahih (authentic), Mutawattur (narrated through several chains), Hassan (good - lesser than Sahih), Ghareeb (strange due to some interruption in chain). Based on each status later compilations were made such as Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, with sahih meaning they are very authentic due to evaluation involved in their chains. One of the authors of Hadith book comments on this unique process: “Every Muhaddith (hadith expert) even today, when describes a hadith, he suffixes it with a specific name of a hadith denoting its level of authenticity (such as ‘Hassan’ or ‘Sahih’), then quotes the book of hadith where its documented (such as Musnad of Ahmad) and then prefixes it with an unbroken chain of narrators spreading over the last 1400 years through whom he received the hadith. No other religion, nation, party or even small group of people can show the parallel of what early Muslims did to ensure the authenticity of hadith and Sunnah.”[2]

In subsequent centuries scholars studied these ahadith, added their comments to explanations given by their teachers and developed upon the wisdom and knowledge, resulting in science of Fiqh (practices/ruling) & Shariah (Islamic law). It is extremely sad to see that today many Muslims doubt the authenticity process of all hadith or some of it, without researching. And worst is that some even compare the uniquely systematic collection of this literature with collection of Christian Gospels that clearly lacked any consistent methodology and process in its compilation.

References:

[1] Masud-ul-Hasan, Professor. 1982. "Khalifa bin al-Khattab - Hadith and Fiqh." Alim - The world's most useful Islamic software. Accessed 03 05, 2019.  . (Masud-ul-Hasan 1982)

[2] Kazi, Mazhar. April 1, 2007. Guidance from Hadith & Sunnah. Al-Huda Publications - (Kazi April 1, 2007)

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

Hadith Collections in Early Islam Sunday, March 1, 2020

​Hadith are the Prophetic words and Sunnah are the Prophet's actions. Alongside memorizing and writing the Quran, many companions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ memorized and copied his hadith and sunnah in to writing format, especially those that had very close interactions with him and spent more time with his blessed personality. The companions memorized and collected the Prophetic traditions when accompanying him, and after his passing away learned those that were missed from other more learned companions.

The collection of Abu Bakr (r.a)

According to Ayesha (r.a), Abu Bakr (r.a) had originally a collection of over five hundred traditions, and he deposited the compilation with her for custody. Ayesha (r.a) relates that one night she noticed that Abu Bakr (r.a) felt very restless. He tossed about in the bed, and could not sleep. Ayesha (r.a) got worried whether he was suffering or was worried. He made no reply, but remained restless throughout the night. The following morning he asked Ayesha (r.a) to bring him the collections that he had deposited with her. She brought the compilation and he set fire to it. On the inquiry of Ayesha (r.a), Abu Bakr (r.a) explained his conduct: "The collection contained many traditions that I had heard from other people. I thought that if I died and left behind traditions accepted by me as sahih (authentic), but really not so, then I would have to answer for that."[1] Thus Abu Bakr (r.a) collected himself and in fact did not condemn in any way this act of collecting traditions but burned them only due to fear of personal accountability before Allah ﷻ, if even one of them resulted in being incorrect. Therefore its not the collection he disliked but his personal accountability due to deep consciousness of Allah ﷻ that he feared.

Hadith collection during Umar's rule

It was during his rule that Umar (r.a) laid the foundation for the practice of ilm al hadith (science of hadith), process used for the hadith preservation by subsequent generations of Islamic scholars. The practice with Umar (r.a) was that if any new problem cropped up, he announced the issue in the public assembly, and inquired if any of them remembered any tradition of the Holy Prophet ﷺ on the subject. Those who narrated any tradition were required to produce some witnesses in support of the tradition. If such statement was duly corroborated and was in accordance with the spirit of the Quran as well as common sense it was adopted and applied to the facts of the case in hand. In this way a rich corpus of Hadith was built up. To read more on the agreed principles for acceptance of a hadith in his era please read: ​What is Ilm Al Hadith (Science of Hadith).

Hadith collections by prominent sahabas (companions)

​Its stated the Abu Ayyub Ansari (r.a), the famous Ansari companion, traveled for a month’s journey to Egypt listen to a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ directly from its narrator Uqba ibn Amir (r.a) who said that Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever cover the faults of the believer Allah will cover his faults on Judgment day.” (Bukhari & Muslim). After hearing he did not even change his saddle of the horse and immediately left to come back. Jabir bin Abdullah (r.a) went a month’s journey from Madinah to Syria to secure authenticity of a tradition from Abdullah ibn Amr (r.a) as Abdullah used to himself write hadith. Abdullah (r.a) reports: "I used to write everything i heard from the Messenger (saw) as i wanted to Preserve it. The Quraish forbade me, saying "Do you write down everything that you hear (from him) and The Messenger ﷺ is a human being who sometimes speaks in anger and joy? (that is that he may say something emotionally that may not be worth writing)." So I stopped. Then i mentioned this to Allah's Messenger ﷺ. He pointed with his finger to his mouth and said "Write! By the One in Whose Hand is My Life! Nothing comes out of it (His Mouth) except the Truth!" [2]

Said ibn Al Musayyib (r.a) used to travel days and nights to listen to a single hadith from its original narrator. It is on record that companions like Ali ibn Abi Talib (r.a), Abu Huraria (r.a) and other companions collected their own sahifa (scripture) of Prophetic Hadith such as:

• Sahifah (scripture) of Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a)
• Sahifah of Abdullah ibn Abi Auf (r.a)
• Nuskah of Samurah Jundab (r.a)
• Kitab of Abu Huraira (r.a)
• Sahifah of Jabir Bin Abdullah (r.a) [3]

It was these books from which was derived most of the hadith literature later found in the authentic collections that we famously know today as Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi etc.

References:

[1] Masud-ul-Hasan, Professor. 1982. "Khalifa Abu Bakr - Mushaf, Hadith, Tasawwuf, Fiqh, and Poetry." Alim - The world's most useful Islamic software. Accessed 03 05, 2019. . (Masud-ul-Hasan 1982)

[2] Sunan Abu Daud of Imam Abu Daud, Hadith #3161

[3] Kazi, Mazhar. April 1, 2007. Guidance from Hadith & Sunnah. Al-Huda Publications - (Kazi April 1, 2007)

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

The Prophet's Authority in Islam Thursday, January 23, 2020

In Islam a Muslim Believer has to accept whatever decisions Allah ﷻ and His Prophet ﷺ has already made for them and they know better for the believers than the believers know whats better for themselves and that is the essence of Imaan (Islamic faith): "It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair."[1] When Allah ﷻ says He has made a decision, and His Messenger has made a decision, then as believers we do not differ as that could impact our Imaan. 

In another verse of the Quran we are informed of the Prophet's status in relation to the Quran and how significant are his teachings: “Allah did confer a great favor on the Believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, who rehearses to them the Signs (Verses) of Allah, purifies them, instructs them in Scripture, and teaches them Wisdom, whereas previously they had been in plain error.”[2] The words "purifies them", "instructs them in scripture", "teaches them wisdom" implies his teaching the Quran, living in accordance to the Quran, expressed in His Actions (Sunnah) and Words (Hadith) to those around him in the first instance, and then for all generations to come. 

Therefore any objection to the Prophetic teachings is an objection to the statements of Allah ﷻ in the Quran, that puts a question mark on our faith.

References:

​[1] Al Quran 33:36

[2] Al Quran 3:164

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

What is the Importance of Hadith in Islam? Sunday, January 19, 2020

Rasool Allah ﷺ said: “From Adam to me, Allah sent a hundred and twenty-four thousand Prophets, of whom three hundred and fifteen were Messengers (i.e. entrusted with a book).” [1] A simple difference between a prophet and a messenger is that the former was chosen for prophethood but not revealed a book while the latter was not only honored with prophethood but also received a divine message which his followers collected in a book format. Apparently the hadith seems to provide no more than a figure of Prophets & Messengers that lived in the past. But if we ponder closely over the wording and ask why more prophets than messengers, we actually learn a profound lesson. It helps us gain an understanding about the very institution of prophethood. If the role of a prophet was simply to deliver the book, as some misguided people tend to argue, there should have been as many books and messengers as the prophets! But the very fact that there have been many prophets without a book firmly establishes the need for real life examples is greater than books. Real life examples are absolutely necessary as they are the prime source of inspiration just as the saying "actions speak louder than words". Its just like I have a book with info & instructions but if I do not have a teacher to teach and practically show me how to implement those teachings then most likely I am bound to make tons of mistakes. In the case of Imaan (faith) which is a matter of hereafter we need to act with utmost care, as there's even more at stake than life or death, its a matter of eternal paradise or eternal hellfire.

Many Muslims don’t realize that the 1st chapter of the Quran i.e. Surah Fatiha which we recite 17 times a day (in 5 times salaah) has the following words in one of its verses: "Guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace. Not the path of those who earned your wrath and niether of those who go astray” [2] Notice that Allah ﷻ did not instruct us to recite "Guide us to the path of book or Quran", no! In fact what He has instructed us to ask to be guided on the path of “Those upon whom you have bestowed Your Grace” obviously meaning that we are asking Allah ﷻ to provide us a model, a practical example. Thus what could be best than emulating the life of the best teacher and man to ever have walked on the face of this earth: "Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example..."[3] The Hadith and Sunnah literature in Islam was not just collected for historical record. What Muslims have collected is unprecedented science of knowledge which no other nation has of their Prophet. Its equivalent cannot be found in other religions. Hence the importance of this literature in the contemporary lives of the Muslims is greater than ever.

To understand how and why Allah ﷻ has declared in the Quran that Prophet Muhammad's example is the best for entire human race, please read this topic - Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The Best Role Model For All

References:

[1] Musnad Ahmad Hadith # 21257

[2] Al Quran 1:6–7

[3] Al Quran 33:21

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

Why Quran Often Refers to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a Messenger?

Originally answered on August 5, 2019 on Quora - In the Qur'an Allah says 'Obey Allah, obey the messenger'. Why did Allah use the term 'messenger' and not use the name of Muhammad?

​This is because the official designation of ‘Messenger’ as opposed to ‘Muhammad’ carries importance with the listeners so they take his authority seriously especially when it comes to revelation & guidance. Such as when a country’s President addresses the nation and makes an important decision then they are informed through official channels that ‘President has made the decision’ and not ‘xyz has made a decision’ as then the decision is coming from his position of authority and not just his person so they follow what has been decided and realize its importance. 

​Knowing the importance attached to the ‘Messenger’ designation, we may now understand why Allah ﷻ separately mentioned ‘Obey Allah’ and ‘Obey the Messenger’ in the Quran, such as the following set of ayahs (Al Quran 4:59–65). They specifically indicate Prophet’s independent authority and Allah ﷻ, in His divine wisdom, chose to give him this authority because the Prophet ﷺ came not merely to deliver a message but also explain its details using his individual wisdom and practically live accordingly to it so Muslims will always have his example as a reference for religious (and non-religious) matters if and when they require:

​(Al Quran 4:59–65) Believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those from among you who are invested with authority; and then if you were to dispute among yourselves about anything refer it to Allah and the Messenger if you indeed believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and more commendable in the end….(O Messenger!) Have you not seen those who claim to believe in the Book which has been revealed to you and in the Books revealed before you, and yet desire to submit their disputes to the judgement of taghut (the Satanic authorities who decide independently of the Law of Allah)…(And tell them that) We never sent a Messenger but that he should be obeyed by the leave of Allah…But no, by your Lord, they cannot become true believers until they seek your arbitration in all matters on which they disagree among themselves, and then find not the least resistance in their hearts over what you have decided, and accept it in willing submission.

The set of ayahs from 4:59–65 and the highlighted parts indicate that Allah ﷻ approved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ authority to act independently because of his status as well as his importance as a Messenger in deciding matters required for the completion of Islam. Its compilation is found in the Hadith/Sunnah literature which holds authority after Quran.

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

The Correct Manner of Approaching Hadith Literature Thursday, January 16, 2020

"O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the Prophet’s, do not raise your voice when speaking to him as you do to one another, or your [good] deeds may be cancelled out without you knowing." [1]

From the inception of Islam, the Muslims have received knowledge mainly through 2 primary sources and those are Quran and Hadith/Sunnah. This knowledge has been given to us for learning and practicing, however there are certain guidelines that Quran, Prophetic example and the example of the Companions teaches us when dealing and handling such knowledge. In this age of technology where information lies on our fingertips we also come across many ahadith and the apparent wording of their text makes us doubtful and we ask questions like "why does this hadith seemingly contradicts the Quran?" or "why do we feel this hadith is not right?" The hadith that seemingly contradict the Quran or appear incorrect to some minds is not due to the errors that it carries, but due to the lack of understanding that the minds carry. 

One of the salaf (earliest Muslim generation) named Ibn Uyayna (r.a) said something extremely wise about hadith literature: “Hadith are a source of misguidance to those who do not take them from its people (muhadditheen)” Muhadditheen are scholars and experts who study and carry expertise in the ilm al hadith (sciences of prophetic traditions). This means that if individual minds were to study hadith without necessary knowledge and guidance from scholars, they might very well be misguided due to the apparent wording of the text even though its supposed to guide them. Just as if a Quranic verse about a particular subject were to be taken in isolation and all other verses related to that same subject were ignored, we can make grave errors in understanding the subject. Same applies towards understanding hadith that are recorded in several books. If we pick one and try to understand in isolation then there is a great chance of us misunderstanding the lesson being given, as we did not consult other books of tradition that might carry part of that same lesson. 

Additionally, each prophetic hadith has a background just as each verse of the Quran has a background of its revelation. In most cases the backgrounds need to be kept in mind when understanding any particular hadith. To prevent these sort of mistakes is why Allah ﷻ has advised the Muslims to consult the people of knowledge: "...So ask the people of remembrance (i.e. learned), if you do not know..." - "….If they referred it (i.e the knowledge) to the Messenger and those in authority among them (i.e. the scholars), those seeking its meaning would have found it out from them. If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy towards you, you would almost all have followed Satan."[2]

References:

[1] Al Quran 49:02

[2] Al Quran 16:43 - Al Quran 4:83

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

The Matter of Hadith Rejecters Wednesday, January 15, 2020

The Prophet ﷺ predicted hadith rejection

Narrated Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib (r.a) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Beware! I have been given the Quran and something like it (i.e. Sunnah & Hadith), yet the time is coming when a man replete on his couch will say: Keep to the Qur'an; what you find in it to be permissible treat as permissible, and what you find in it to be prohibited treat as prohibited.” [1]

The prophetic hadith predicts the appearance of such persons among the Muslims who will openly reject the hadith and challenge them while sowing doubts in the hearts of others of their soundness. Such people have come to appear in our times who proudly refer to themselves as "Ahle Quran" i.e. the people of the Quran, a misleading term because they are not identified by affirming the Quran but by the rejection of hadith. If they were truly affirming the Quran then there is no dearth of ayahs in the Quran that explicitly say to "follow the Prophet" or "obey him" or "take whatever he gives’"etc. Therefore the correct term for them would be Munkareen e Hadith i.e. those who reject hadith or Hadith Rejecters.

Please note that these Hadith Rejecters are not one type, they are 3 main types. The flagship of misguided groups is that they are prone to further divisions. Khalid Baig, an Islamic writer from South Africa has divided them in to 3 Groups and explains each:

1. The first group holds that the job of the Prophet ﷺ was only to deliver the Quran. We are to follow only the Quran and nothing else, as were the Prophet's companions. Further, Hadith is not needed to understand the Quran, which is sufficient for providing guidance.
2. The second group holds that the Companions were required to follow the Prophet ﷺ but we are not as we're not the companions.
3. The third group holds that, in theory, we also have to follow Hadith but we did not receive Hadith through authentic sources and therefore we have to reject all Hadith collections.

First Group

How can this group hold the first position yet profess belief in the Quran while it clearly says: "And We have sent down unto You the Message so that you may explain clearly to mankind what was sent down to them, and so that they may give thought."[2] "Allah did confer a great favour on the Believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, who rehearses unto them the Signs of Allah, purifies them, instructs them in Scripture, and teaches them Wisdom, whereas previously they had been in plain error."[3] Verses like these clearly mentions words like "explain clearly", "instructing them in scripture" which anyone with common sense would agree as to be Prophets words and actions.

Second Group

How can anyone hold the second group's position, limiting the Prophethood to 23 years, yet profess belief in the Quran, while it says: "We did not send you except as Mercy for entire universe."[4] "And We have not sent you (O Mohammad) except as a giver of good news and a warner to all mankind."[5] These 2 Verses mention that Prophet ﷺ was sent to all generations i.e. for the past, present and future generations, so if he was alive and explaining the early generation to whom he was sent then naturally for the upcoming generations would be his hadith or words as he himself would not be present, simple.

Third Group

The Third group's position is that since they didn't receive the hadith then how can they follow it? This obviously is contradicting because the people who collected the Quran are the same people who collected hadith, hadith has come to us through the same channel as Quran i.e. Companions of the Prophet. Since Allah ﷻ has promised to protect the Quran (Al Quran 15:09) then if the same Allah orders us to 'Obey the Prophet' in the Quran, don't you think He would preserve sources of Prophetic words? After all who inspired the early Muslims to compile the Prophet’s words and actions in a systematic way through a branch of knowledge that we know today as science of hadith (ilm al hadith). This effort of their’s is unparalleled as compared to achievements of all other non-Muslim nations and their scholars. No doubt they could not have succeeded in it had it not been Allah’s will. It should be common sense for a Muslim believer.

How did Hadith Rejecters appear?

The hadith rejection concept was alien to the Muslims till about 150 years ago when Muslims were colonized. This was the first time that the majority of Muslim world came under domination of such powers that were secular in their approach towards everything, even education. When their way of life came to dominate the Muslim world amid the weakening of the Ottoman Empire then the new Muslim generation influenced by the way of life of the West was inspired to believe that the only way to have success in this world materially is by abandoning the traditional Islamic knowledge of their ancestors as the Western people have done of their’s after Renaissance. Hadith knowledge was seen as an obstacle by some modern Muslim thinkers inspired by secular philosophies. This led towards them promoting this theory that Muslims do not need hadith if they choose to be "developed". The efforts to reinterpret the Islamic texts led towards birth of many confusions among Muslims which are still observable. Hadith rejection is one of such confusions of which the Prophet ﷺ warned us more than 14 centuries ago.

References:

[1] Sunan Abi Dawud 4604 - www.Sunnah.com

[2] Al Quran 16:44

[3] Al Quran 3:164

[4] Al Quran 21:107

[5] Al Quran 34:28

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

The Systematization of Hadith & Fiqh Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Fiqh means the practices and rulings of Islam deducted by Islamic scholars from Quran and Hadith, the 2 primary sources of guidance. The need for systematization of Islamic knowledge such as Fiqh (practices and rulings) and other sciences such as ilm al hadith (sciences of hadith), Tasawwuf (science of spirituality) and all related subjects came to be developed later due the need of time.

During the Prophet's life, his example was right in front of the companions and whenever verses of Quran were revealed they were direct witnesses to it. Therefore the companions had direct access and first hand experience of the revelation process and its implementation unlike Muslims of the later centuries. They not only witnessed but also recorded them. Additionally they were a smaller community, concentrated in to one large group within the 2 major cities of Islam i.e. Makkah and Madinah. If any companion erred or forgot about a particular practice or ruling of the Prophet ﷺ, he was immediately corrected by the other who was living within the same community. After the passing away of the Prophet ﷺ, gradually Islam spread throughout the region and it accepted new people in to its fold. When new people entered Islam especially during the Rashidun period i.e. during rule of first 4 successors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (namely Abu Bakr (r.a), Umar (r.a), Uthman (r.a) and Ali (r.a)) the companions also spread to different regions. There they focused on the preservation of knowledge they had learned from the Prophet ﷺ and focused on teaching to the local people. This is how schools of thought came to be developed in early Islam that were named after each companions such as school of Abdullah ibn Masud (r.a) in Kufa and Abdullah ibn Umar (r.a) in Makkah, Abu Darda (r.a) in Damascus, Muadh bin Jabal (r.a) in Palestine and other companions went other places. Therefore, the people of each town had their own set of teachings they acquired from them and were satisfied.

Later on these cities were exposed to the hadith and sunnah information of the Prophet ﷺ which was taught in other cities by other companions which led towards the developing stage of various sciences such as ilm al hadith (sciences of hadith), fiqh (rulings and practices) and better understanding of Shariah (Islamic law). This also caused the need for pious among the knowledgeable to learn more by travelling to those cities which they did and compiled books and knowledge, and taught there, which then led towards development of major schools of thoughts such as 4 (Maliki, Sha'afi, Hanbali, Hanafi) and subsequent systematic compilations of hadith books. Many of these scholars that hailed from each major city of the Islamic world were all students of the teachers who themselves were students of either those learned from the Tabi'een (second generation or students of companions) or lived longer to have claimed learning directly from the companions. Therefore this is a process of traditional knowledge which has been handed down from the time of Prophet ﷺ to later generations through medium of pious and knowledgeable ones in a systematized manner.

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

Isnad - The Key to Hadith Reliability & Preservation Monday, December 30, 2019

Sacred status of hadith/sunnah in Islam

The primary sources of revelation in Islam are the Quran and Hadith/Sunnah. Quran explicitly orders the Muslims to obey and follow the Prophet's teaching and example when learning the book: "Allah did confer a great favour on the Believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, who rehearses to them the Signs of Allah, purifies them, instructs them in Scripture, and teaches them Wisdom, whereas previously they had been in plain error." [1] Here, and many other places in the Quran, we are informed about the importance of Hadith & Sunnah because the entire practice of the Quran and how to live by it is found in the life of the Prophet ﷺ. Since Allah ﷻ promises in ‘Al Quran 15:09’ that He has protected the message of guidance from all corruption till the day of judgment therefore His commandment to follow Prophetic teachings also hold exact same surety of protection.

The role of Isnad in hadith preservation

The hadith literature is a sacred tradition alongside Quran and the key to this sacredness lies in something called Isnad which basically means "chain of transmission". An Isnad contains a list of narrators who memorized and transmitted a hadith through a chain, that directly reaches all the way back to the sacred person of the Prophet ﷺ. For example lets say Imam Zaid memorized and wrote down a hadith he heard from his teacher Imam, who learned and memorized from his teacher a Companion, who directly met and heard from the Prophet ﷺ. Now when Imam Zaid will go and teach it to his students they will memorize the tradition, write it down and in turn will teach to their students. Through this process not only the hadith got memorized by who were taught but also transmitted from generation to generation, oral and in writing, linked with a chain that reaches back all the way to the Prophet’s sacred personality, who himself was recipient of revelation from Allah ﷻ through Angel Jibraeel (alaihi salaam). But there is one major sacred & spiritual factor guiding the isnad process. Nazim Bakhsh, quotes in his writing Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, a leading Islamic scholar, who gives an overview of how scholars have made use of Isnad process from generation to generation through something called Ijaza: "Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, has often said that isnad is the secret of this Ummah and a gift from Allah. Without isnad the entire tradition could very well collapse. The system of ijaza (teaching licenses) is intricately linked to isnad in that one takes his knowledge from noble men and women who took their knowledge from those who took their knowledge from those….all the way back to that model community (companions) and to the blessed Messenger himself, whose knowledge, without a shadow of doubt, came from the Lord of the Divine Throne through his messenger, the Angel Gibril (Gabriel), upon him be peace.” [2] Ijazas are teaching licenses given by a Sheikh, well versed and knowledgeable in Islam to those of his students whom he approves to be fit of transmitting hadith and other knowledge directly from himself. This has maintained the transmission process called isnad not only on the academic level but also on a spiritual level.

As discussed earlier, Isnad is part of a wider process called ilm al hadith (sciences of hadith), that maintains the unanimous position of the Islamic scholars who not only recorded & memorized the hadith but also scrutinized them making it clear which of them fall under category of sahih (authentic), mursal (interrupted), dhaeef (weak), munkar (rejected), mawdoo (fabricated), in terms of their chain of narrators. They were familiar with who the forgers were and who were the unknown narrators, who should not be considered fully trustworthy in the chain. All of that is due to the position and importance of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as the seal of all the Prophets and leader of humankind. Hence it is these sacred factors that have guided the systematic process of hadith collection and preservation due to which forgeries and interpolations have not been able to be attributed to him and to be accepted by the majority consensus of Islamic scholars.

References:

[1] Al Quran 3:164 - Asad Translation

[2] Baksh, Nazim. 2015. In The Spirit of Tradition. January 5th. Accessed January 7th, 2020. 

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

1st Century Hijrah Hadith Texts Saturday, December 28, 2019

There has been discovery of several hadith texts belonging to the 1st Century Hijrah (Islamic year) whose contents were compared by modern Muslim & Non-Muslim scholars and researchers, with the canonical collections of the 3rd century Hijrah (9th century CE) of Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam Ahmad etc. Their findings reveal that the hadith were almost identical with no issues. Among those that were subject to such research in the recent years in particular were Sahihfa (scriptures) of Hamam ibn Munabbih and Musannaf of Abdul Razzaq of the 1st Century. Below are some of their findings which support the fact that not only were hadith being collected in the first century but also their authenticity has been proven to be correct.

Sahifah (Scripture of) Hamam Ibn Munabbih

Sahifah (Scripture of) Hammam ibn Munabbih (d. 101 AH) is perhaps one of the earliest known hadith collections, by 8th century scholar Hammam ibn Munabbih. It has been translated in the 20th century by Muhammad Hamidullah - a world-renowned Muhaddith, Faqih and scholar of Islam and International Law from Pakistan, winner of national award Hilal-e-Imtiaz in Pakistan. Hammam ibn Munabbih was the taba'een (student) of the Companion, Abu Huraira (r.a), the famous hadith transmitter. Dr Hamidullah published this Sahifa of Hammam around 1979 and it proves that hadith were collected in the Mid 1st century Hijrah. His research was also compared by orientalists such as, by R. M. Speight who mentions that: “… the texts in Hammam and those recorded in Ibn Hanbal, Bukhari and Muslim with the same isnad show almost complete identity, except for a few omissions and interpolations which do not affect the sense of the reports. On the other hand, the same ahadith as told by other transmitters in the three collections studied show a rich variety of wording, again without changing the meaning of the reports.” [1] Speight shared his analysis after comparing it (i.e., the Sahifa) with about the 1500 variant readings of the same ahadith found in the collections of Ibn Hanbal (Musnad), al-Bukhari (Sahih) and Muslim (Sahih); dating from 3rd Century Hijrah.

Musannaf Abdul Razzaq

Another book from the 1st century belonging to the famous early Muslim Muhaddith (hadith expert and teacher) named Abdul Razzaq Sanani (124 AH - 211 AH) was studied by another Western Non-Muslim writer name Harald Motzki. His analysis appeared in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies and he says that: “The works of ‘Abd al-Razzak are extremely important for the study of early Islamic jurisprudence, hadith and exegesis of the Kur’an because they contain older sources or materials which have otherwise been lost. ‘Abd al-Razzak had direct access to authors of the first extensive compilations of traditions arranged according to subject . . . like those by Ma’mar b. Rashid, Ibn Djuraydj, Sufyan al-Thawri and Sufyan b. ‘Uyayna. His own Musannaf is to a large extent compiled from materials received from these four scholars, and it is very probable that these materials came for the most part from their books. In general, ‘Abd al-Razzak’s transmission from these teachers of his seems to be reliable . . . While studying the Musannaf of `Abd al-Razzaq, I came to the conclusion that the theory championed by Goldziher, Schacht, and in their footsteps, many others - myself included - which in general, reject hadith literature as a historically reliable sources for the first century AH, deprives the historical study of early Islam of an important and a useful type of source.​” [2]

Even though as Muslim Believers we do not need the above findings to prove us the authenticity of the hadith literature, yet this confirms for us even more that the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ were collected through a science called ilm Al hadith which no doubt was an effective methodology and has produced for us results that helped Muslims guided for the past 14 centuries.

References:

[1] R. M. Speight, “A Look At Variant Readings In The Hadith”, Der Islam, 2000, Band 77, Heft 1, p. 170 

[2] H. Motzki, “al-Sanani, Abd al-Razzak b. Hammam b. Nafi, Abu Bakr al-Yamani al Himyari (IX 7a)”, in Encyclopaedia of Islam CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

Were Hadith influenced by Persian Literature? Friday, January 11, 2019

Originally written on ​July 12, 2020 on QUORA - Were Persians forced into accepting Islam? Did Islam borrow its Hadith & Quran Teachings from Zoroastrianism & Persian?

Some articles online, such as this Iranica Encyclopedia article, claim that hadith were influenced by Iranian ideas and practices. Such as Prophet’s prohibition on being despondent and gloomy at someone’s loss, the Prophet’s prohibition on urinating while standing, encouraging the use of sewak or meswak which may have originated from sawaag a Persian word for the same thing. The usage of odd numbers such as 3, 7 or 33 when mentioning the amount of dhikr, the number of rakaats (prayer rounds) or multiplying of deeds etc. The Prophet’s mount for Mir’aj called Buraq may be Arabicized form of baraag or baarag “a riding beast, mount” in Persian language, and his Mi’raj is the similar experience as recorded in Book of Arda Wiraz by a Persian Prophet or religious figure named Wiraz. It is also claimed that the Prophet ﷺ must have adopted many traditions from his Persian companion named Salman Al Farsi (the Persian).

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ never prohibited being gloomy, what he prohibited was wailing, a pre-Islamic ignorant act among Arabs was wailing and beating when in grief: “beware of the devil’s croaking! As long as it comes from the eye and the heart, it is coming from mercy; and as long as it comes from the tongue and the hand, it is coming from Satan.” (Narrated from Ibn `Abbas by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra) The Prophet ﷺ prohibited his Ummah to urinate while standing but he also urinated in a very unclean place standing which made sense to avoid dirtying his clothes. (Sahih al-Bukhari 2471) The meswak or sewak, tooth stick introduced by the Prophet ﷺ cannot be the Persian use of sawag because the use of meswak led towards a victory of Muslims in the battle against the Persian army. The book, Healing Body & Soul by Amira Ayad tells that Saad bin Abi Waqas (r.a), the army general and victor against Persian battles noticed that the Muslims were being defeated continuously. After evaluation he concluded that the Muslims had forgotten the Sunnah of meswak. He immediately ordered the Muslims to use meswak and ask Allah ﷻ for forgiveness. The Persian spies in the Muslim camps saw the entire army using meswak thought that they were sharpening their teeth for cannibalism which spread fear among the Persians and they were routed. This shows meswak may not have been a Persian tradition. As for the usage of odd numbers like 3, 7 or 33, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stressed this fact because the Quran stresses on this fact: (Al Quran 89:1) “By the dawn and the even and the odd.” The even is the creation and the odd is Allah ﷻ because every even number is divisible such as 2, 4, 6, 8, but every odd is indivisible such as 1, 3, 5, 7, the even is creation that has pairs and opposites while Allah ﷻ is unique and without pairs. This is not a Persian tradition I believe, its a philosophy of the Quran about Allah ﷻ and His creation. As for barag in Persian that means “a riding beast or mount” cannot be equivalent to Buraq in Arabic because this term was not in use among Arabs for any riding beast. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used this term for the supernatural conveyance. Buraq was a special animal of a special kind because buraq is derivative of root barq which means “intense” and “bright lightning” while Persian term does not carry the same meaning. On the other hand the Persian literature called Book of Arda Wiraz where Wiraz, supposedly a Persian Prophet, gave details of his dream journey where he saw insight in to hell, paradise and communicated with Ahura Mazda (Allah). The book is actually compiled in 9th and 10th Century CE during Islamic period, hence it could possibly have been influenced by traditions of Mir’aj. But even if this dream journey was authentic and pre-Islamic then Prophet’s of Allah ﷻ have received divine insight in to hell, paradise, day of judgment etc. But if one notices the details of the Mir’aj they conform to a physical journey experience than a dream, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had never traveled to Jerusalem, yet, to the amazement of disbelievers, gave the correct details of city, traveling caravans and places in between. In fact even in our times many recent scientific & astronomical findings explain the Prophet’s Mir’aj as well, please read the following writing:

• The Night Journey & Ascension - When Allah ﷻ Tested the Believers & the Disbelievers
• Did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Ever Travel To Jerusalem Before The Night Journey?
• Scientific Viewpoint of the Night Journey & Ascension.

Additionally there may be some misconception among certain Western academia, or others who hold the belief that the Salaah (5 times prayers) comes from pre-Islamic Persian tradition. What many forget is that initially prayers in Islam were 50 and were reduced to 5. At one point they were only 2, then increased to 5. As for Salman Farsi (r.a), he converted to Islam at the blessed hands of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during his prophet hood in the city of Madinah. Salman (r.a) was not present during first 13 years of the Prophet's mission in Makkah and this can be confirmed from all historical sources that mention the story of Salman (r.a) such as Salman the Persian. In fact during the Prophet's mission in Makkah there was no Persians that resided in the town and there was no influence of Zoroastrianism whatsoever.

References:

1. HADITH v. AS INFLUENCED BY IRANIAN IDEAS AND PRACTICES 

2. Ayad, Amira, and Jamila Hakam. Healing Body & Soul: Your Guide to Holistic Wellbeing following Islamic Teachings. pgs. 443-44

3. Isra Wa’al Mir’aj ​– Prophet’s Night Journey & Ascension

4. Salman The Persian 

5. Pic taken from ​https://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/12th-century-fatimid-tiraz

[Courtesy of  Zaid Shah | Rizqan Kareem | Most Excellent Sustenance]

What A Bad Person? Wednesday, May 4, 2011

'Aayeshah Radiyallahu 'Anha reports. "A person asked permission to present himself before Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam while I was with him. Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam said: 'What a bad person is he among his community'. 

After saying this, he gave him permission to enter. After the person entered, he spoke very softly to him. When the person left I said: 'O Rasulullah, you said what you said before he entered, then you spoke so softly to him,. Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam said: 'O 'Aayeshah, the worst person is that who stops speaking to one because of his indecency'".

Commentary
Most of the 'ulama have written that this person's name was 'Uyaynah. It is said that till then he had not sincerely accepted Islaam, but hypocritically and outwardly. Upto that time Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam treated the hypocrites in the same manner as he had treated the Muslims. Therefore he treated him in the same manner. After the death of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam when some people began turning away from Islaam (irtidaad), he also became a murtad, and openly declared the kufr that was in his heart. When he was brought before Sayyidina Abubakr Radiyallahu 'Anhu, the children of Madinah began jeering him that this person has also become a murtad (turned apostate). He replied: 'Since when have I been a Muslim that it may be said that I have become a murtad?

He later became a Muslim, and took part in jihaad in the time of Sayyidina 'Umar Radiyallahu 'Anhu. It is for this reason that Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam pointed out this fact before he entered.

Since this was intended to rectify (islaah) and to save others from harm, therefore this saying of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam cannot be termed according to the shari'ah as ghibah (backbiting). To mention a bad deed of a person with the intention that others may not fall into it, or be tricked into it, is not classed as those prohibited in ghibah. Some of the 'ulama have stated that this person was an open faasiq. It is permissible to make ghibah of the one who openly indulges in fisq and fujur. When he arrived in the presence of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam, to make him feel at ease and captivate his heart, Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam spoke softly to him, as was his noble habit. It was also the noble habit of sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam to speak softly to everyone. It is for this reason that Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam made this clear to Sayyiditina 'Aayeshah Radiyallahu 'Anha and others, so they may not feel that by the courtesy shown by Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam to this person, that this person is honest and a well wisher, and due to this one may be deceived and fall into some, calamity, or a secret may be said before him.

It is the habit of hypocrites to discuss the secrets of others so that they obtain special status and one's inner secrets. In the last sentence of the hadith the words 'worst person' could have two meanings. This may be referring to the person that presented himself. In order to keep away from his rudeness, he was treated in this manner, or this may be referring to the noble personage of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam that, 'When did you find me to be a rude person, that you were waiting for such a thing. He is an indecent person, and due to his indecency people will refrain from coming to him, and if I also speak like this, people must also stop coming to me'. As a result of which only he shall be a loser, but how could Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam tolerate him being a loser? [Tirmidhi 047:008 (333)]

The Khawarij Monday, April 26, 2010

We are pointing out some ahadith from Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim regarding the Khawarij, as they were a part of authentic Islamic history. How often is it that we see sects accusing each other of being Khawarij, so we are shedding some light upon this matter.We have summed up all their characteristics in the end; the readers can go directly to them while we would be narrating the entire hadiths that state from where all this started. 

Jabir b. Abdullah reported that a person came to the Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) at Ja'rana on his way back from Hunain, and there was in the clothes of Bilal some silver. The Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) took a handful out of that and bestowed it upon the people. He (the person who had met the Prophet at Ja'rana) said to him: Muhammad, do justice. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Woe be upon thee, who would do justice if I do not do justice, and you would be very unfortunate and a loser if I do not do justice. Upon this Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) said: Permit me to kill this hypocrite. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: May there be protection of Allah! People would say that I kill my companions. This man and his companions would recite the Qur'an but it would not go beyond their throat, and they swerve from it just as the arrow goes through the prey. [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2316]

In one narration the words are:

A person among the people then sought permission (from the Holy Prophet) for his murder. According to some, it was Khalid b. Walid who sought the permission. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam), said: From this very person's posterity there would arise people who would recite the Qur'an, but it would not go beyond their throat; they would kill the followers of Islam and would spare the idol-worshippers. They would glance through the teachings of Islam so hurriedly just as the arrow passes through the pray. If I were to ever find them I would kill them like 'Ad. [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2318]

Another narration explains the event:

That man then returned. Khalid b. Walid then said: Messenger of Allah, should I not strike his neck? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Perhaps he may be observing the prayer. Khalid said: How many observers of prayer are there who profess with their tongue what is not in their heart? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) said: I have not been commanded to pierce through the hearts of people, nor to split their bellies (insides). He again looked at him and he was going back.

Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: There would arise a people from the progeny of this (man) who would recite the Qur'an glibly, but it would not go beyond their throats; they would (hurriedly) pass through (the teachings of their) Deen just as the arrow passes through the prey. I conceive that he (the Holy Prophet) also said this: If I find them I would certainly kill them as were killed the (people of) Thamud. [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2319] 

This narration tells us that it was both of the companions asked the permission. 

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters and (the narrator) made a mention of elevated forehead, but he made no mention of tucked-up loin cloth and made this addition: " There stood up 'Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him), and said: Should I not strike his neck? Upon this he said: No. Then he turned away, and Khalid the Sword of Allah stood up against him, and said: Prophet of Allah. Shall I not strike off his neck? He said, No, and then said: A people would rise from his progeny who would recite the Book of Allah glibly and fluently. 'Umar said: I think he (the Holy Prophet) also said this: If I find them I would certainly kill them like Thamud." [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2320] 

Other narrations regarding the Khawarij state that the Prophet SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam said: There would arise in this nation a people and you would hold insignificant your prayers as compared with their prayers. And they would recite the Qur'an which would not go beyond their throats and would swerve through the Deen (as blank) just as an (swift) arrow passes through the prey. The archer looks at his arrow, at its iron head and glances at its end (which he held) in the tip of his fingers to see whether it had any stain of blood. [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2322] 

The Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) said: Leave him, for he has friends that everyone among you would consider his prayer insignificant as compared with their prayer, and his fast as compared with their fasts. They would recite the Qur'an but it would not go beyond their collarbones. They would pass through (the teachings of Islam so hurriedly) just as the arrow passes through the prey. He would look at its Iron head, but would not find anything ticking) there. He would then see at the lowest end, but would not find anything sticking there. He would then see at its grip but would not find anything sticking to it. He would then see at its feathers and he would find nothing sticking to them (as the arrow would pass so quickly that nothing would stick to it) neither excrement nor blood. They would be recognized by the presence of a black man among them whose upper arms would be like a woman's breast, or like a piece of meat as it quivers, and they would com! e forth at the time when there is dissension among the people. Abu Sa'id said: I testify to the fact that I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam), and I testify to the fact that 'Ali b. Abu Talib fought against them and I was with him. He gave orders about that man who was sought for, and when he was brought in, and when I looked at him, he was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) had described him. [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2323] 

Narrated Yusair bin 'Amr: 

I asked Sahl bin Hunaif, "Did you hear the Prophet saying anything about Al-Khawarij?" He said, "I heard him saying while pointing his hand towards Iraq. "There will appear in it (i.e. Iraq) some people who will recite the Quran but it will not go beyond their throats, and they will go out from (leave) Islam as an arrow darts through the game's body.' [Sahih Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 84, Number 68]

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) made a mention of a sect that would be among his Ummah which would emerge out of the dissension of the people. Their distinctive mark would be shaven heads. They would be the worst creatures or the worst of the creatures. The group who would be nearer to the truth out of the two would kill them. The Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) gave an example (to give their description) or he said: A man throws an arrow at the prey (or he said at the target), and sees at its iron head, but finds no sign (of blood there), or he sees at the lowest end, but would not see or find any sign (of blood there). He would then see into the grip but would not find (anything) sticking to it. Abu Sa'id then said: People of Iraq. It is you who have killed them. [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2324] 

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) said: A group would secede itself (from the Ummah) when there would be dissension among the Muslims. Out of the two groups who would be nearer the truth would kill them. [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2325] 

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) as saying: There would be two groups in my Ummah, and there would emerge another group (seceding itself from both of them), and the party nearer to the truth among the two would kill them (the group of the Khawarij). [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2326] 

'Ali said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) as saying: There would arise at the end of the age a people who would be young in age and immature in thought, but they would talk (in such a manner) as if their words are the best among the creatures. They would recite the Qur'an, but it would not go beyond their throats, and they would pass through the Deen as an arrow goes through the prey. So when you meet them, kill them, for in their killing you would get a reward with Allah on the Day of Judgment. [Sahih Muslim: Book 005, Number 2328]