[jinnzaman]

The Indian-African Connection

The hadeeth scholarship connection from India shifts to Africa through scholars such as Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abd al-Hadi al-Sindhi and Murtada az-Zabidi, both of whom were the forefathers of the African intellectual tradition that culminated in the formation of the Sokoto Caliphate under Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio. Two of the Shehu’s teachers can be directly linked to the Indian scholars of hadeeth. Perhaps the best work on Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio is Abdullah Hakeem Quick’s dissertation “Uthman Fudi”. Dr. Quick points out that one of the earlier teachers of the Shehu was his uncle Muhammad bin Raaj, who studied under the other Naqshbandi Indian scholar of hadeeth, Abu’l Hasan Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Hadi al-Sindi, not to be confused with Muhammad Hayat al-Sindhi (the teacher of Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab and Shah Waliullah). Recall that Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Hadi al-Sindhi and

Abu’l-Tahir Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Kurani (the teacher of Shaykh Muhammad Hayat al-Sindhi who was the teacher of Shah Waliullah) were both students of lIbrahim ibn Hasan al-Kurani, the scholar discussed at the beginning of the article. Thus, Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio’s intellectual lineage emanates from Shaykh Ibrahim ibn Hasan al-Kurani through two distinct but interrelated chains of transmission of knowledge.

Stefan Reichmuth has an excellent biography of “Murtada az-Zabidi” who was from Bilgram in India. At a young age, he met with Shah Waliullah before moving to the Hejaz to pursue hadeeth studies and joined the Qadiri and Naqshbandi tariqas before becoming a famous teacher of hadeeth himself whose students included Shaykh Haji Jibril (the most influential teacher of Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio) and also another man who was the grandfather of the Algerian resistance hero, Shaykh Abdulqadir al-Jazairi.

The Significance of the Sunnah in Revival and Unity

Some might wonder what the connection is between the science of hadeeth and Islamic revival. Perhaps Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio said it best when he pointed out that the only way to unify the Ummah was through the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa sallam):

“Realize that which saved the Umma from discord was the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (SWT), may Allah (SWT) (SWT) bless him and grant him peace, being among them. And nothing will save them from the appearance of discord after him except the revival of the Sunna. Thus, the revival and adherence to his Sunna is obligatory upon you forever. And you should avoid innovation because all good is contained in adherence, while all evil is contained in innovation.”

The notion that the Sunnah through the science of hadeeth is the best path of reviving and unifying the Ummah is found in hadeeth themselves.

The Sunnah is instrumental in our salvation in the Akhirah, as the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“My Ummah will face the same conditions faced by the Bani Isra’il. The kind of evil practices in which they got involved will also affect the people of my Ummah. The Bani Isra’il had split into seventy two sects. My Ummah will break up into seventy three sects - all of them will go to Hell, except one. The Sahabah asked about the group which would be so blessed with salvation. He said: That on which I and my companions - that is, the collective body of people which follows my way and the way of my Sahabah will be blessed with salvation.”

In addition to spiritual salvation, the Sunnah is important in this life as well in order to promote unity, tranquility, and subservience to Allah (SWT) (subhana wa ta’ala). The Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Those who live after me will see many differences. Therefore, (I order you that) you should, abiding by my Sunnah (way) and the Sunnah of my rightly-guided successors (Khulafa ar-Rashidin) strictly, keep doing what you do while adhering to nothing but these, avoid the temptation of falling for new methods because everything introduced anew into the religion is Bid’ah, and every Bid’ah is error and straying.”

In particular, the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) commanded us to follow as-Sawad al-Azam:

“Follow the great mass (as-Sawad al-Azam) for he who kept himself away from it, in fact would be thrown in Hell Fire.” (Ibn Majah)

While there is some difference of opinion as to what the term Sawad al-Azam implies. The overwhelming majority of the scholars are of the view that As-Sawad al-Azam means the largest group of the learned scholars and pious persons whose opinions are held in high esteem in Islam.

This can be reinforced by the following narration concerning the victorious group. The Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:



“… Uqba said, ‘He knows, so far as I am concerned, I heard the Prophet (Peace be upon him) say: A group of people from my Ummah will continue to fight in obedience to the Command of Allah (SWT), remaining dominant over their enemies. Those who will oppose them shall not do them any harm. They will remain in this condition until the Hour over takes them.’ …” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Who is the Victorious Group? The ‘Ulema!



Imam Nawawi (d. 676/1277, Rahimahullah) said in his Sharh Muslim (vol. 2, pg. 143):

– “The group of people (mentioned in the above Hadith) consists of scholars, jurisprudents, authorities on Hadith, those who enjoin Good (Maroof) and forbid Evil (Munkar) and all such persons who do good deeds. Such righteous persons may be found spread all over the world.“

Imam al-Tirmidhi (Rahimahullah) said:

– “The explanation of al-Jama’ah according to the people of knowledge: They are the people of fiqh, knowledge and Hadith.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 4/2167; Ahmad Shakir ed’n)

Imam Bukhari (Rahimahullah) stated in his Sahih (vol. 9, chapter. 10, English ed’n),

– “The statement of the Prophet (Peace be upon him): ‘A group of my followers will remain victorious in their struggle in the cause of the Truth.‘ Those are the religious(ly) learned men (Ahl ul-Ilm).“

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Rahimahullah) said about this group:

– “If it is not the people of Hadith, then I do not know who they may be.” (Sahih Muslim Sharif-Mukhtasar Sharh Nawawi, vol. 5, pg. 183, W. Zaman)

The indication in these hadeeth that the victorious group will be the scholars of hadeeth and the ‘Ulema generally can be substantiated by the historical record. The best illustration of the veracity of these hadeeth is in the study of the hadeeth scholarship revival in the modern era.

Conclusion

My sincere advice to Muslim youth is not to get over involved in any other movement (Ikhwan al Muslimeen, Hizb e Tehrir, Tanzeem i Islam, MSAs, CAIR, Tableeghi Jamat, and social work) and focus instead on acquiring ‘ilm (especially the knowledge of hadeeth) and perfecting the application of the inward and outward Sunnah. I am not advocating people abandon their participation in those organizations, but do not make that the sole focus of your activities. They should realize that the only true way of uniting the Ummah is through the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa sallam).

If we seek the liberation of the Ummah from Western hegemony and to unify all Muslim lands, then we must first push for an intellectual revolution rooted in a dynamic study of the classical texts by sitting at the feet of the ‘Ulema, particularly the scholars of hadeeth. It is only through the Sunnah that victory in this life and the next can be attained.

May Allah (SWT) (subhana wa ta’ala) grant victory to this Ummah and preserve our ‘Ulema. Ameen.