Introduction
“Ahl-e-Hadith—is it a new sect of Islam? Which school of thought do the Ahl-e-Hadith follow? When and how did the Ahl-e-Hadith movement begin?
Let’s discuss this.”
In September 1919, a weekly magazine of the Ahl-e-Hadith in British India, Akhbar Ahl-e-Hadith, announced a competition for its readers to define “Who is an Ahl-e-Hadith?” From September 1919 to February 1920, several scholars and laypeople participated in this competition.
Maulana Muhammad Basheer-ud-Din Bengali from Dinajpur (present-day Bangladesh) presented the following definition of Ahl-e-Hadith:
“An Ahl-e-Hadith is one who, in matters of Shariah, does not follow anything other than the Quran and Hadith.”
Later, Ahl-e-Hadith scholars widely endorsed this definition, and Maulana Basheer-ud-Din Bengali was declared the winner.
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History
According to the scholars and thinkers of Ahl-e-Hadith, “their movement is not a new one but rather the same ancient movement of the Qur’an and Sunnah that has been continuing since the time of the Prophet (PBUH) and the era of the Companions.” Ahl-e-Hadith scholars justify their movement by asserting that, during the early days of Islam, wherever the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) traveled, they carried with them the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith. Wherever these As-hab al-Hadith (Companions of Hadith) went in the world, centers for the study of Hadith emerged.
The Ahl-e-Hadith believe that only four years after the demise of the Prophet (PBUH), a caravan of Companions had already reached the Indian subcontinent, carrying the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith. The second wave of Hadith dissemination, according to them, came with the Tabi’een (followers of the Companions).
The third caravan consisted of Muhammad bin Qasim and his companions, while the fourth caravan was that of the Tab’ al-Tabi’een (followers of the Tabi’een).
The Ahl-e-Hadith school of thought considers all four of these caravans as part of the Ahl-e-Hadith tradition and believes that the Ahl-e-Hadith school of thought was the first to arrive in the Indian subcontinent. They assert that this predates the arrival of the followers of the legal schools of thought, such as Hanafi, Shafi’i, Hanbali, or Maliki.
Regarding the Sunni legal schools of thought and Shia Islam, they claim that these traditions arrived in the Indian subcontinent much later.
The Ahl-e-Hadith claim that, over time, local customs and the religious interpretations of these schools of thought significantly obscured the original essence of the faith. To restore Islam to its original form and to cleanse it of local customs, several movements emerged later, which were given various names. Among these, the name Ahl-e-Hadith is particularly noteworthy.
Shah Waliullah Dehlavi and Ahl-e-Hadith
Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad (late), former director of the Iqbal International Institute for Research & Dialogue at the International Islamic University Islamabad, explains the origins of the Ahl-e-Hadith in India in one of his papers as follows:
The Ahl-e-Hadith movement traces its roots in India to the Islamic intellectual thought of Shah Waliullah Dehlavi (d. 1762), a prominent Islamic thinker in 18th-century India. It was Shah Waliullah who revitalized the study of the Qur’an and Hadith by replacing the traditional emphasis on jurisprudence (fiqh) in the curriculum of religious schools (madaris).
Dr. Mumtaz states that Shah Waliullah’s Madrasa Rahimiyah in Delhi became a center for the study of Hadith. This tradition, which prioritized the Qur’an and Hadith over jurisprudence (fiqh), was carried forward and strengthened by his four distinguished sons: Shah Abdul Aziz, Shah Abdul Qadir (who was the first to translate the Qur’an into Urdu), Shah Abdul Ghani, and Shah Rafiuddin. All of them upheld and promoted their father’s legacy of prioritizing the Qur’an and Hadith among the Muslims of India.
Some trace the origins of the Ahl-e-Hadith movement to Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi, a scholar from the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s reign in the 16th century. He openly condemned Akbar’s Din-e-Ilahi (Religion of God), the practice of prostrating before the king, and other un-Islamic rituals. He worked to purify Islam of these practices, earning him the title Mujaddid Alf Thani (the Reviver of the Second Millennium), signifying his role in reviving the essence of Islam.
Differences With other Sects
What distinguishes the Ahl-e-Hadith from the broader Sunni community is their rejection of the doctrine of taqlid (imitation), which is the adherence to one of the four established orthodox Sunni schools of law—Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, or Hanbali.
For their religious rituals, personal laws, and other issues related to Sharia, people refer to the Islamic interpretations prepared by the four jurists, commonly referred to as fiqh.
The founders of these four schools of thought formulated their interpretations of Islamic law based on the Qur’an, Hadith, ijma (consensus), ijtihad (independent reasoning), qiyas (analogy), and opinion (ra’y).
Those who follow these jurists are called muqallid (followers of taqlid). In contrast, the Ahl-e-Hadith, who do not adhere to any specific jurist, are commonly known among the muqallid as ghair-muqallid (non-followers of fiqh). They are Muslims who seek guidance directly from the Qur’an and Hadith instead of relying on fiqh.
Maulana Hafiz Abdullah Rupuri, a renowned Ahl-e-Hadith scholar, writes in his book Ahl-e-Hadith: Key Distinctive Issues (Maktabah Dar-ul-Hadith, Rajowal, District Sahiwal, Pakistan, 1972):
- Ahl-e-Hadith insist that later generations of Muslims are not religiously obligated to follow the legal rulings formulated by these renowned jurists because their foundation was based on analogy (qiyas) and personal opinion (ra’i).
- Ahl-e-Hadith argue that the entire framework of the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) or the structure of Shariah adopted by the majority of Ahl-e-Sunnah is based on four distinct sources: the Quran, Hadith, analogy (qiyas), and consensus (ijma).
- In contrast, Ahl-e-Hadith rely solely on the Quran and Hadith.
- Some Ahl-e-Hadith scholars even regard following any fiqh as shirk (idolatry).
The Ahl-e-Hadith believe that most religious and legal matters are clearly stated and resolved in Islam’s two primary sources: the Holy Quran and the collections of Hadith.
Suppose issues arise for which these two sources do not provide direct or explicit guidance. In that case, they believe that Muslims should engage in ijtihad (independent reasoning) within the guidelines of the Quran and Hadith.
They assert that since the founders of the schools of jurisprudence were not infallible, we are not bound to follow their opinions and legal rulings.
The difference between Ahl-e-Hadith and other schools of thought is that followers of jurisprudence consider the interpretations of the Quran and Hadith provided by the founders of jurisprudence as authoritative. In contrast, Ahl-e-Hadith view these interpretations as based on “opinion” and, therefore, do not consider themselves religiously bound to follow any school of jurisprudence.
To make the teachings of the Quran understandable to the common Muslim in India, Shah Waliullah was the first to translate the Quran into Persian, which was the official language of the time.
For this, other scholars accused him of innovation (bid’ah) and issued fatwas of disbelief (kufr), claiming that by translating the Quran, Shah Waliullah had disrespected it.
Shah Waliullah faced assassination attempts as a result.
After Shah Waliullah, to convey the Quran’s message directly to the people, his son Shah Abdul Qadir translated the Quran into Urdu for the first time.
Connection with Wahabi Islam
Shah Waliullah’s son, Shah Abdul Aziz, declared India to be Dar-ul-Harb (a land of war), which led many Muslims to migrate from India to Afghanistan. Shah Waliullah’s grandson and Abdul Ghani’s son, Shah Ismail Shaheed, authored the renowned book Taqwiyat-ul-Iman during his time, in which he strongly condemned the innovations (bid’ah) prevalent among Muslims. Some critics consider Shah Ismail’s book to be a translation of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab’s book, Kitab al-Tawhid, the foundational text of Wahhabi Islam. However, many Ahl-e-Hadith in the subcontinent do not regard Shah Ismail as one of their own elders. Instead, Shah Ismail is considered a prominent figure of the Deobandi school of thought.
In his efforts to establish divine rule, Shah Ismail waged jihad against the Sikh rule in Punjab. Ultimately, he was martyred fighting the Sikhs in Balakot, located in present-day Pakistan. During the War of Independence in 1857, followers of the Ahl-e-Hadith school of thought actively participated against the British. As a result, after the war, the Ahl-e-Hadith movement became a target of British oppression.
New Face: Ahl-e-Hadith
William Wilson Hunter, the author of The Imperial Gazetteer of India, linked the Ahl-e-Hadith to the Wahhabi movement of Arabia’s Salafi branch, accusing them of rebellion against the British. In official gazettes, he referred to them as “Wahhabis.” Subsequently, the British began to view the Ahl-e-Hadith or Wahhabi movement as a threat and took measures to suppress it. The British also considered Madrasa Rahimiyah, founded by Shah Waliullah, a danger to their rule. They closed the madrasa and sold its building to a Hindu merchant.
By 1870, the British had suppressed the Ahl-e-Hadith movement, and its followers had scattered. On the other hand, followers of Wahhabi Islam had become infamous among other Muslim sects due to their demolition of the shrines of sacred Islamic figures in Karbala, as well as in Mecca and Medina, deeming them innovations (bid’ah). Similarly, in India, the term “Wahhabi” was also not viewed favorably.
At this critical juncture, some prominent Ahl-e-Hadith scholars emerged to revive the movement. Recognizing the changed circumstances, they emphasized the jihad of the pen over the sword. Among these were Maulana Muhammad Hussain Batalvi and Nawab Siddiq Hasan, the husband of the Queen of Bhopal.
Muhammad Hussain Batalvi submitted a request to the British Viceroy stating that he had no connection with the Wahhabi movement and that his sect should be referred to as Ahl-e-Hadith in official documents. In 1906, the members of this movement formally established a party called the All-India Ahl-e-Hadith Conference.
Distinct Practices
Dr. Mumtaz, in his thesis, and Saqib Akbar, in his book Pakistan ke Deeni Masalik (The Religious Sects of Pakistan), write about the prominent practices of the Ahl-e-Hadith that distinguish them from Muslims of other schools of thought.
- In congregational prayer, Ahl-e-Hadith recite Surah Al-Fatihah behind the imam, whereas followers of the schools of jurisprudence believe only the imam recites it.
- Ahl-e-Hadith advocate for Raf’ al-Yadain (raising the hands) during prayer, while followers of the schools of jurisprudence do not practice it.
- During prayer, Ahl-e-Hadith place their hands on their chest, whereas followers of Hanafi jurisprudence place their hands on their stomachs.
- In congregational prayer, when the imam finishes reciting Surah Al-Fatihah, the followers (muktadi) say “Ameen” aloud, while Hanafis say it silently.
- During Ramadan, Ahl-e-Hadith perform 8 units (rak’ahs) of Taraweeh, whereas Hanafis perform 20 units.
- Regarding divorce, Ahl-e-Hadith believe that three divorces cannot occur at the same time; they must be spaced out over at least three months. In contrast, Hanafi jurisprudence allows the immediate issuance of three divorces in one sitting, making the matter final.
- Ahl-e-Hadith believe that the funeral prayer (Salat al-Janazah) should be performed aloud.
Dr. Mumtaz also claims in his paper that most practices of the Ahl-e-Hadith appear to oppose those of the Hanafi school of thought more than the other three schools of jurisprudence. At the same time, Ahl-e-Hadith practices closely resemble those of the Hanbali school.
About Saints
Another significant characteristic of the Ahl-e-Hadith is their renewed emphasis on Tawheed (the oneness of God) and their opposition to popular practices such as visiting the shrines of saints, worshipping them, or invoking their names in prayers, which they consider forms of shirk (associating partners with God). Ahl-e-Hadith assert that they fully believe in honoring and respecting saints (awliya). However, they consider the traditions associated with these saints that are not found in the Quran or Hadith—or that contradict them—as un-Islamic.
After the partition
After the partition of India, the Ahl-e-Hadith established their centers and first madrassas in West Pakistan, in Lahore and Faisalabad. They also established a madrassa in Banaras, India, while in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), they opened a branch under the name Purbo Pakistan Jamiyat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith.
The population of Ahl-e-Hadith in East Pakistan remained relatively small. At the same time, a large number of Ahl-e-Hadith preferred to remain in India. It is estimated that the total number of Ahl-e-Hadith in India is 22 million, or 22 crore, which is the largest population of Ahl-e-Hadith in any country in the world. In Pakistan, the population of Ahl-e-Hadith is claimed to be 10 million. However, this large number has not been confirmed by independent sources.
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