WHY HADEETH ARE CURRENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD (PLUS Response to True Muslim)

WHY HADEETH ARE CURRENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD (PLUS Response to True Muslim)

By Rahman Celcom

We see so many instances of anti-hadeeth exponents spreading their teaching claiming their so-call total submission to the Quran. They came up with numerous argument arguing against Al Hadeeth of the Prophet.

In this article, I will attempt to show why such misunderstanding occurs. In one word, the main reason for such confusion is ignorance. Specifically, ignorance in the the Arabic language.

One will notice that the Modus Operandi of every Anti Hadeeth is to take the literal translations of the Hadeeth and then make commentaries on them. All of their criticism against Al Hadeeth is solely based upon the literal translation of the hadeeth.

The trouble with this method is that the Arabic language doesn’t exist only in the literal form. The Arabic language also exist in the figurative form called Majaz.

By taking a hadeeth in from it’s literal meaning is not doing the hadeeth justice since not all the hadeeth is spoken to refer to it’s literal meaning.

For example, the hadeeth that True Muslim likes to quote:

‘Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Number 232: Narrated Abu Huraira: “Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established till the buttocks of the women of the tribe of Daus move while going round Dhi-al-Khalasa." Dhi-al-Khalasa was the idol of the Daus tribe which they used to worship in the Pre Islamic Period of ignorance. ‘

Because TM is dumb when it comes to Arabic language, he fail to see that the phrase “the buttocks of women….move…” refers to “dancing around the Dhi-Al-Khalasa”. In making fun of this hadeeth, he makes a complete fool of himself.

Another example TM quotes:

Allah’s Apostle said, “The woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break. So if you want to get benefit from her, do so while she still has some crookedness.” - Volume 7, Book 62, Number 114

The word “while she still has some crookedness some crookedness” here actually refers to how to deal with a women by using methods somewhere between hard and soft. In other words, the Prophets says that in dealing with women one should not be too hard or too soft. Those who understands Arabic don’t find this hadeeth weird.


And you will see this pattern throughout the entire anti hadeeth literature. And u will also see TM’s brand of ignorance throughout their hadeeth criticism when it comes to Anti Hadeeth.

It is also unfortunate for anti-hadeeth, Majaz also exist in the Quran. For instance in 02:187

[2:187 ……, and eat and drink, until the white thread appears to you distinct from its black thread…….]

By Anti Hadeeth methodology timing for fasting during Ramadhan is determine by visual differentiation between a white thread and a black thread. But how can this be?. Everyone knows that if we put a black and white thread in a dark room, we can never tell the difference between the two. Furthermore, one’s eyes is able to tell the difference between them whether it’s night or day.

The real meaning of white thread is dawn and black thread is dusk. The words “black thread” and “white thread” are figurative and cannot be taken literarily.

Another example of Majaz in the Quran is 59:21-22

21. Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily, thou wouldst have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect.

22. Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Taking the literal translation of the verses above would force us to believe that mountains have the same faculties and abilities as humans. But, logic tells us that this is ludicrous.

To adopt the anti hadeeth’es methodology would render the Quran as ludicorous.

The verse above demonstrates to us another type of Majaz of the “similitude” type. It is used to signify the heavy responsibility of the Quran upon human beings.

Bear in mind there exist many types of Majaz in the Arabic language and the Quran uses them all.

One will noticed that each time the anti hadeeth methodology is applied, it carries similar implication upon the Quran.

OTHER FACTORS IN UNDERSTANDING THE HADEETH PROPERLY

Among factors to be considered when interpreting the hadeeth are as follows:

v Context : The context of a hadeeth must be considered. Sometimes a hadeeth may sound strange when taking out of context but when it is put into it’s context it makes perfect sense. For example the hadeeth:

“……meats become bad because of the Jews…” (Bukhari).

The context of the hadeeth was uttered during the “Khandak” war. After the Musyrikeen had withdrawn from the Madinah lines, the Prophet was ordered to deal with the Jewish for treason. As the order was to be executed immediately, the army of the Prophet had to march all day until the reach the Citadels where the Jews lived. As a result, meats that was prepared for celebration of victory became bad after being exposed for a long time. Thus, such words was uttered signifiying the Prophet’s frustration in the Medinan’s Jews’es treachery.

v Aborogation : Certain decrees were made by the Prophet as a temporary measures which in turn the Prophet SAW had repealed. In short, aborogation. Examples such as the prohibition of writing down of the hadeeth of the Prophet, the prohibition of women from visiting the grave and many more.

v Timing : Certain hadeeth is spoken in the time of peace and certain hadeeth are spoken in the time of war. If understood within the correct timing, they provide a clear picture.

v Arabic Local Slang (Ammeyyah): The Prophet SAW uses figurative, metaphorics in his hadeeth which is prevalent among the people of his time. For instance the hadeeth:

” The Hadith mentions that "fever" is from the "heat of hell" [Hadith 621,622, page 417, vol 7].

The truth is, it is common among Arabs at that time to use the “heat of hell” as
comparison to high fevers.

v Expression of Miracles of the Prophet: Example, the drinking of camel urine, the separation of the moon into two parts and many more.

v Usage of Arabic Figurative or Sayings: The hadeeth “ My community will be divided into 73 sects” does not refer to the number 73. When the Arabs uses the word “seventy” or any of it’s derivatives, it means numerous.

IGNORANCE IS THE MAIN FACTOR BEHIND ANTI HADEETH IDEOLOGY

I have stated this once and I will state this again. Ignorance is the main reason why anti hadeeth thrives. They are completely ignorant of the Arabic language and choose to interpret Islam while being void of knowledge.

The other push-factor towards this ideology is total fanaticism towards western secular liberal paradigm. These people are afraid to call themselves Muslims and feel ashamed of Islam.

They, then, uses the Anti Hadeeth ideology to misinterpret the Quran to fit it into the western secular mold.

CONFUSION INTRODUCED BY ANTI HADEETH IDEOLOGY

The version I sent to Raja Petra contained tables and cannot be published on the blog, this particular part of the article was not presented properly.

1) Confusion No. 1: Punishment For theft and fornication as stated in the Quran (05:38 and 05:02)
Anti Hadeeth Way: Punishment can be carried out without due process because the Quran does not prescribe due process resulting in chaos and absolute anarchy in the society.
The Truth: The way punishment is carried out as stated in 05:38 and 05:02 is shown by the Prophet SAW. In the hadeeth, due process was clearly demonstrated to us.

2) Confusion No. 2: Inheritance to children who had murdered their parents (04:11 states on inheritance)
Anti Hadeeth way: The murdering children are allowed to receive their inheritance. Hurrah for the Menendez brothers.
The Truth: There is a hadeeth stating exceptions to children who murder their parents.

3) Confusion No. 3: Consuming the carcass of dead animals (The Quran prescribe to it’s followers that animals which are to be consumed must be properly slaughtered - 05:03)
Anti Hadeeth Way: It will cover all types of animals including sea animals. In short, the next time the Anti Hadeeth open their can of sardines, they will have to ensure that the sardines are slaughtered properly.
The Truth: There is a hadeeth making -exceptions to sea-living animals i.e. fish, squid

4) Confusion No. 4: In 05:38, there is no mention of minimum limits for a thief to be qualified for amputation
Anti Hadeeth Way: Even if a man steal a clove of garlic, he will be amputated.
The Truth: There is a hadeeth stating that only is the value of loot is more than ¼ of a deenar will a thief have his hands amputated.

5) Confusion No. 5: The Quran states many times about Az Zakah
Anti Hadeeth Way: There is simply no methodology at all for the anti hadeeth to follow.
The truth: The methods are clearly mentioned in the sunnah, ijma and qiyas.

6) Confusion No. 6: Various ibadah clearly mentioned in the Quran, i.e fasting, solat, al hajj, jihad, sadaqah, inheritance, marriage, divorce, commerce etc
Anti Hadeeth Way: AN ABSOLUTE MESS. There is absolutely no methodology shown in the Quran, so the anti hadeeth will be practicing such ibadah at best by guessing.
The Truth: The method to carry out all the ibadah above is as shown to us by the Prophet as recorded in the Al Hadeeth.

RESPONSE TO TRUE MUSLIM

I’m sorry for the rather late response to True Muslim (TM) ridiculous rant on Hadeeth but allow me to highlight some of his grave mistakes. We should start by highlighting TM’s inherent weaknesses in his understanding of the Quran:

1. In spite of his reference to 17 occurances of the word Hadeeth in the Quran, he has failed to show that any of them refers to the Al Hadeeth of the Prophet SAW.
2. He has failed to disapprove the existence of death penalty in the Quran. His reference to Sigmund Freud in interpreting 02:54 is not only laughable but also the biggest joke to date
3. He has failed to provide us methodology on how he interprets the Quran since he rejects the “Arabic Grammar” altogether as being human-made. Any linguist can tell u that grammar is derived and never made by anyone.
4. He fail to bring proof of Imam Bukhari declaring other than the 7000 hadeeth in his As Sahih as being unauthentic. To me that makes TM a blatant liar.
5. Since he claims that Hadeeth comes from the Bible, then he also must answer, based on his parallel, why Al Quran is also not from the Bible based on the prohibition of pig example. To date he has been clueless.
6. Al Kitab and Al Hikmah is not the same as Al Hikmah when it is spoken alone. This proves the existence of a second form of Revelation which TM has failed to deny until now.

and many more. What is weird is that despite his inability to provide decent explanation to his own inconsistency, he goes on to write about other topics.

THE ISSUE OF WHO WROTE SAHIH BUKHARI RAISED BY TM (http://www.malaysia-today.net/blog2006/letters.php?itemid=2891)

TM’s entire case is based on the booklet found at http://www.central-mosque.com/biographies/asqalani2.htm which is a secondary source. His entire case cannot be considered credible at all since he didn’t really refer to the original text. That explains why in his article no reference is made to his source at all.

So, what he’s trying to debunk is merely what somebody else says about the Sahih Bukhari and not the book itself.

TM FRAIL ATTEMPT TO DRAW SIMILITUDE BETWEEN AL HADEETH AND THE BIBLE

This is also a very strange claim made by TM considering there exists similarities between the Bible and Al Quran. Although he quotes this verse:

“

[2:97] Say, “Anyone who opposes Gabriel should know that he has brought down this (Quran) into your heart, in accordance with GOD’s will, confirming previous scriptures, and providing guidance and good news for the believers.”

and argues that the Quran can confirm certain parts of the bible in it’s truthfulness. The Hadeeth on the other hand cannot do that.

The problem with this argument is that the Bible is not Injil. The word “previous scriptures” above refers to INJIL and not the Bible. There is no evidence showing the the current Holy Bible is derived from the Injeel? Even the Quran does not confirm that the Holy Bible is the derivation from Injeel? What is understood from 02:97 is that that the Quran confirms the truthfulness of the Injeel without any reference to the Holy Bible of current time.

Again we see how confused and deranged this TM character is. Please visit my blog for more information at antiantihadeeth.blogspot.com.

Read more!

What’s Good For The Goose Is Not Good For The Gender (Part 1)

by Abdul Rahman Abdul Talib, Dokki Cairo

Dear Editor,

With reference to the letter Apostasy - what’s good for the goose also good for the gander? especially and many other letters, allow me to present my views in two parts. Below is Part 1 of my response.

I find it strange that Singaporean view Malaysian as “Talibanizing” ourselves. This is because the apostasy law has existed LONG before the Taliban I know Syed Alwi doesn’t speak for all Singaporeans but Dr Syed Alwi needs to get his timeline corrected. If what Dr Syed Alwi claim about the “Singaporean perception” is correct, then, Singaporeans need to get their timeline correct too.

Dr Syed also spoke at length for reinterpretation of Islam. But, he fail to provide any justification for it and keep repeating the same 10^th Century excuse. He quotes the Crusades example of Darul Harb vs Darul Islam. The trouble is that Crusade happened at least 200 yrs after the Apostasy law is enacted so it has no connection.

I’d like to remind Dr Syed that just because others look different unto you does not make u wrong, For instance, the Americans clearly supports “Capital Punishment”. It is sanctioned by 38 states as well as the US Federal government and the military. They are criticized by the European for it. However, in the end, scientific proof has shown that Capital Punishment is effective in curbing violent crime much to the embarrassment and dismay of the Europeans.

As for hypocrisy, I guarantee Dr Syed that abolishing laws of apostasy does not deter hypocrisy nor will it curb them. Abolishment of laws of hypocrisy will only breed apostasy more. Hypocrisy, on the other hand, will continue to flourish despite the repeal.

In addition, abolishing laws on apostasy will only render Islam into becoming a mere belief-system. It contradicts the true nature of Islam, which is a complete-way-of-live encompassing every aspect of human’s social and individual domain.

I am still waiting for one definite justification from all the readers as to why Islam need to change it’s policy on apostacy? Just one. The mere utterance of a need “to adhere to modern time’s call and trend” is not an adequate justification seeing that even modern time’s prevalent system is not without it’s imperfections.

That’s why one sees major differences when adopting the secular agenda even among secular countries. For instance, the Capital Punishment is strongly sanctioned by America while Europeans secular states opposed them. In the issue of abortion, the fact remains that secularists have to rely on the US Supreme Court ruling (Roe vs Wade) as no state legislative body would pass a bill to support abortion because of it’s unpopularity. The Europeans, on the other hand, largely allows abortion. And many more.

As a result, I am now hard pressed to find a single viable justification for Islam to change itself to fit the modern world’s demand for such reasons:

a. The current global secular agenda is itself riddled with flaws and confusion for it to warrant others to follow in it’s footsteps.

b. Whatever the challenges of a modern world is adequately handled by Islam’s “Ijtihad” process. And, this is not the first time Islam has to adapt itself to “current changes”.

c. Islam cannot change itself up to a point of self-destruction. For secular liberalists to demand such change is akin to demanding the total destruction of Islam.

d. Islam is a total way of life. The apostasy law is not about “group dynamics” or “herd mentality”. It’s about maintaining the sanctity of Islam as a comprehensive system of life. To allow one to jump in and out of Islam as he/she pleases would entail severe legal and systemic complications within the framework of a comprehensive system of life.

e. Thus, it will render Islam into a mere ridicule and demoted to the status of a belief system open to ridicule and disrespect.

f. There is no need to repeal the apostasy laws as Islam is very clear on the issue of coercing others into adopting Islam. Just as Islam is tough on apostasy, so is Islam is also tough on coercion (into Islam). Islamic government are strictly prohibited in the coercion of others so much so that they are forced to adopt equality in their governmental policies. This is to avoid an economic and social condition whereby adopting Islam would serve as a convenient tool towards government aids and assistance. Such aid is viewed by Islam as a form of coercion.

g. Islam exempts non-muslims from being subjected to Islamic laws and regulations.

h. It’s the secular liberalist who now have to answer for their perceived coercion of Islam to change itself into a secular mould under the pretext of “adapting to modern times”.

(End of Part 1 of my letter)

Read more!

Debate WIth Anti Hadeeth in Malaysia-Today PArt 2

07/01: Anti Hadeeth From Another Persepctive – Part 2

Category: General

Posted by: Raja Petra

GUEST COLUMNISTS



By Rahman Celcom (cabearth4@yahoo.ca)

Dear readers,

My earlier postings were replied in two parts by True Muslim (TM). I however feel that I have more to add to my earlier postings. Considering the poor quality of response by TM, I think I should just go on to add to my earlier article and reply to his reply in a separate article.

Readers should share my disappointment when I am forced to reply points like below:

1) TM says: “Also, note that Rahman has tabulated ONLY 17 occurrences of the word 'hadith'. Rahman surely you know that there are more than 17 occurrences of 'hadith' in the Quran.”

My response: So what if it occurs more than 17 times. I never said that it had occurred less than 17 times. My point is that the word Al Hadeeth carries more than one meaning throughout the entire Al Quran. This is something TM has failed to disapprove.

2) TM also says: “But Rahman forgets that the Quran was revealed in Arabic. In Arabic the word used is 'hadith' and 'hadith' only (in 39:23, 45:6 etc). It is Rahman's English translation which has used different English words like message, explanation, exposition, story, etc.”

My Response: Let’s apply TM’s definition of the word “Al Hadeeth” (TM translates it Revelations) to the other verses, say 23:44.

wajaalna hum ahadisa

Using TM’s definition: “we turn them into a Revelation/Quran????”
The right translation: “we turn them into a tale/story”

The question I ask TM is that why would God wants to turn the people who rejects His Prophets into REVELATIONS?

So the moment we adopt TM’s way of translation, the entire Quran goes haywire. In any case, the verse above proves beyond any doubt that the word Al Hadeeth carries many meanings in the Quran.

3) After that, TM comments on dream and the word hadeeth. He says:

“In 12:06 the word hadith does not mean 'dream'. The Arabic word for dream is 'rukya' which appears in the previous verse 12:5. In 12:6 Allah taught Joseph to understand the message (wayu - allimuka min ta' weeli al-hadeethi) of the rukya or dream that he had in 12:5. Please double check your Arabic..”

My Response: Since the word Hadeeth in 12:06 is connected with an alif-lam called “alif lam maa’rifah”, in the Arabic language, it then takes the meaning of the word “dream” as mentioned in 12:05. In short Alif Lam Maa’rifah makes it possible for it to take the meaning of the word “dream”.

MEANINGS OF AL HADEETH IN 45:06 and 39:23

Despite his all out effort to discredit me by picking on small mistakes that I make (due to hastiness since I was alone in writing this article), TM fail to deny the fact that the word Al Hadeeth in the Quran takes many meanings.

The question is now is the Al Hadeeth mentioned in the verses he quoted (45:06 and 39:23) can be referred to the “Al Hadeeth An Nabi” or not?

We know that the word Al Hadeeth in 45:06 takes on the meaning “exposition”. TM tries to argue that exposition and explanation has the same meaning. Yet, exposition can also take the meaning “the act of presenting to view; display” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exposition.) which is more accurate considering the context of the verse. It also explains why Yusuf Ali did not use the word “explanation”. Or does TM only knows one definition of the word exposition?

As for 39:23, the right translation for the word Al Hadeeth would be “the message”. (I mistakenly put it under “explanation”). However, the verse 39:23 only states that the Quran is “The Most Beautiful Message”. It did not say anything about the Quran being THE ONLY MESSAGE.

Therefore, none of the verse quoted by TM negates the “Al-Hadeeth-An-Nabi”. The anti hadeeth claim on hadeeth is baseless.

In addition, even the word Al Kitab has many meanings in the Quran:

02:02 : Al Quran, 18:49 : Book of Deeds, 11:110 : Torah

AL HADEETH IS ANOTHER FORM OF REVELATIONS FROM ALLAH SWT

The verse I quoted (02:129, 02:151, 03: 164, 62: 02, 04: 113) Allah mentions that God has revealed two forms of Revelations through the Prophet, Al Kitab and Al Hikmah. The word 'Al Kitab' and 'Al Hikmah' is connected with a 'wau' (and) and in the Arabic language this signifies TWO DIFFERENT ARTICLES.

Since, Al Hadeeth is nothing more than the collections of the teachings of the Prophet other than the Quran it is therefore a Revelation from Allah SWT. In short, the Quran refers to the Hadeeth as Al Hikmah.

TM tries, in vain, to bring forward an alternative explanation by quoting 36:02, 'wal quranilhakeem'. Yet, one can easily see that the word Al Quran and Al Hakeem is not connected with any “huruf atf” (connector). So, 36:02 is not the right explanation for all the verses I quoted above.

And in his answers TM repeatedly exhibits his ignorance of the Arabic language. For instance, when he questions the verse 16:44 he says:

“TM: Ah yes, Rahman, your famous 16:44: We provided them with the proofs and the scriptures. And we sent down to you this message, to explain for the people everything that is sent down to them, perhaps they will reflect. So you say ‘to explain’ (li tubayyi linnas) is referring to the al hadith. Rahman, as I said the word Al Hadeeth is not found anywhere in these verses.”

My Response: How can one compare the word 'Li Tubayyin' with the word 'Al Hadeeth' when the former is “verb” (Al Feel) and the latter is a noun (Al Ism)? To answer him, the word Al Hadeeth is not mentioned because it does not fit the sentence.

HADEETH ARGUMENT IS BASED ON THE QURAN

By now I’m sure that readers can tell that all my arguments supporting Al Hadeeth is solely based upon the Quran. In short, I have quoted nothing more than the Quran

At the same time, TM and the Anti Hadeeth sect argues from the Quran standpoint.

The sole differentiating factor would be that my argument is based upon the Arabic language (among all) while the Anti Hadeeth sect relies on whimsical and free-hand interpretation of the translation of the Quran.

The fact that TM is unaware of the many meanings of the word Al Hadeeth in the Quran is a fine example of clear deficiency in the Arabic language.

He tries to cover his weakness by attacking small typo mistakes here and there. But the typo mistakes only prove that the article is the work of one man, that is myself and not that of a committee. In fact, it took me less than two days to write.

DRAWING PARALELS BETWEEN THE QURAN AND BIBLE

TM’s explanation on this issue is wishy-washy at best. Here’s why:

a. First he confirms that the Bible is not Injeel that was revealed to Isa AS.
b. Then he quotes 02:97 which states that the Quran confirms previous scriptures.

Since the Bible is not Injeel, therefore, 02:97 DOES NOT CONFIRM the Bible as previous scriptures. The Injeel, however, is Revelations from Allah SWT.

Yet, the prohibition of swine example that I quoted was from THE BIBLE and not INJEEL. And the same prohibition can be found in the Quran. Since the Bible is NOT INJEEL as TM has stated so eloquently. Therefore, by TM’s logic, the Quran also speaks in the language of the Bible.

At this point anyone can see how confused and dazed TM is. His entire theory is blown to smithereens.

Also, the verse 03:71 is too general anyways. It could mean anything.

UNANSWERED QUESTION ON SAHIH BUKHARI BY TM

In spite of all the words uttered, TM still has not furnished us with one proof of his claim on Imam Bukhari. He claimed that Imam Bukhari had declared other than the 7000 hadeeth he puts in As Sahih is unauthentic.

Those learned in Ulum Al Hadeeth would know that Imam Bukhari had never declared other than the 7000 hadeeth to be unauthentic.

My only comment is for those who accuses Imam Bukhari of something and fail to provide proof, he/she is an outright liar.

As for the question of who wrote Sahih Bukhari, let me remind all of us that the works of Imam Bukhari have been studied by all scholars, muslims and non. Yet, not a single one of them ever doubted that the Sahih was written by Imam Bukhari.

DEATH PENALTY AND 02:54

Here we see clearly how the Anti Hadeeth sect uses their whims and fancies to fit the Quran with the western liberal ideology.

'anfusakum' is plural to the word 'nafs' which means “oneself”. 'Anfusakum' means “yourselves”. I am perplexed where how TM managed to turn the original meaning of the word into something totally far from its real meaning? What is his basis for doing so?

Also, at the start of the verse, Moses is said to be addressing His People and he said “O my People”. 'Qala Musa Liqaumihi, Ya Qaumoihi'. If we go by TM’s interpretation, then Moses would have been addressing his people’s EGO instead.

And it would have been silly for Moses to ask his people to “kill their ego”? How can one kill their ego? The only possible way of doing that is by killing oneself.

What’s clear is that Anti Hadeeth sect refuse to consider any verses in the Quran that contradicts their liberal ideology. Instead of accepting the verse as it is, they try to reinterpret 02:54 in accordance to their whims and fancies.

Also, please bear in mind that if the punishment for apostasy has been abrogated, then 02:54 need not have been mentioned.

(Incidentally, the same penalty is mentioned in Exodus 28-29 which by TM’s logic would indicate that the Quran also speaks in the language of the Bible).

As for 02:55, the verse refers to a totally different incident and certainly not the incident in 02:54. For one, it was referring to the time when the Bani Israel was demanding to see God and God struck them with lightning bolt. Notice the word 'wa iz' at the start of the verse. It’s a clear indication that it is referring to a totally different incident.

ANTI HADEETH IS STEEPED IN ORIENTALIST WRITINGS

After 1,400 years of scholarly work by generations of Islamic scholars, one is forced to find writings of anti-hadeeth nature not is Islamic literatures of the past 1400 but in Orientalist writings back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Examples are as follows:

I. I. Goldzeiher - Muhammedenishe studien
II. J. Sacth - The Origins Of Muhammaden Jurisprudence
III. A.Guillaume - The Traditions Of Islam
IV. S.Mackensen Ruth - “Arabic Books and Libraries In The Umayyad Period” American Journal Of Semantic Journal and Literature.

The trouble with orientalists is that none of their criticism holds water. For one, they tend to contradict themselves. For instance, the strong criticism of the Isnad system in hadeeth by orientalist was rebutted by other orientalist like J. Robson and W.W. Watt. J. Robson wrote in The Isnad Of Muslim Tradition that the Isnad system has already existed in the middle of First Hijrah Century.

In any case, countless work from Islamic scholars, namely Yusuf Al Qardhawi and specifically in Al Hadeeth, Muhammad Mustafa Al Azami, has effectively put to rest various criticism made by orientalists on the Hadeeth and the Isnad system.

Unfortunately, the Anti Hadeeth sect had refused to read counter arguments made against the Orientalist and adopted the Orientalist view wholesale.

HADEETH AND QURAN TRAVELS VIA THE SAME CHANNELS

One fact the Anti Hadeeth sect refuses to consider is that the Quran and Hadeeth was brought down to us over generations via the same channel.

In short, the same people that handed down the Quran are the same individuals that transmit the Hadeeth. For anyone to reject the hadeeth, it’s only a matter of time before he/she rejects the Quran.

CONFUSION INTRODUCED BY ANTI HADEETH IDEOLOGY

The version I sent to Raja Petra contained tables and cannot be published on the blog, this particular part of the article was not presented properly.

1) Confusion No. 1: Punishment For theft and fornication as stated in the Quran (05:38 and 05:02)
Anti Hadeeth Way: Punishment can be carried out without due process because the Quran does not prescribe due process resulting in chaos and absolute anarchy in the society.
The Truth: The way punishment is carried out as stated in 05:38 and 05:02 is shown by the Prophet SAW. In the hadeeth, due process was clearly demonstrated to us.

2) Confusion No. 2: Inheritance to children who had murdered their parents (04:11 states on inheritance)
Anti Hadeeth way: The murdering children are allowed to receive their inheritance. Hurrah for the Menendez brothers.
The Truth: There is a hadeeth stating exceptions to children who murder their parents.

3) Confusion No. 3: Consuming the carcass of dead animals (The Quran prescribe to it’s followers that animals which are to be consumed must be properly slaughtered - 05:03)
Anti Hadeeth Way: It will cover all types of animals including sea animals. In short, the next time the Anti Hadeeth open their can of sardines, they will have to ensure that the sardines are slaughtered properly.
The Truth: There is a hadeeth making -exceptions to sea-living animals i.e. fish, squid

4) Confusion No. 4: In 05:38, there is no mention of minimum limits for a thief to be qualified for amputation
Anti Hadeeth Way: Even if a man steal a clove of garlic, he will be amputated.
The Truth: There is a hadeeth stating that only is the value of loot is more than ¼ of a deenar will a thief have his hands amputated.

5) Confusion No. 5: The Quran states many times about Az Zakah
Anti Hadeeth Way: There is simply no methodology at all for the anti hadeeth to follow.
The truth: The methods are clearly mentioned in the sunnah, ijma and qiyas.

6) Confusion No. 6: Various ibadah clearly mentioned in the Quran, i.e fasting, solat, al hajj, jihad, sadaqah, inheritance, marriage, divorce, commerce etc
Anti Hadeeth Way: AN ABSOLUTE MESS. There is absolutely no methodology shown in the Quran, so the anti hadeeth will be practicing such ibadah at best by guessing.
The Truth: The method to carry out all the ibadah above is as shown to us by the Prophet as recorded in the Al Hadeeth.

ANOTHER EVIDENCE OF ANTI HADEETH IGNORANCE OF ARABIC

TM says:

“Anyway, let us see 2:129 which you quoted above to justify ‘God has indicated the existence of two forms of revelations’. Here is 2;129.

[2:129] Our Lord! And raise up in their midst a messenger from among them who shall recite unto them 1. Thy revelations, and shall instruct them in the 2. Scripture and in 3. wisdom and shall 4. purify them.

You say two things but Rahman it looks like there are four things here. The Rasul will:

1. recite revelations (Quran?) yatloo alaihim ayatika
2. instruct in the Scripture (what is this?) yu allimuhu kitaaba
3. instruct in wisdom (you say al hadith?) wal hikmata
4. and purify them (what is this?) yuzakeehim

Rahman, you keep harping ‘two things, two things’, because that is what Syafie told you. But look at this verse you yourself quoted. There are four things man. 1. Ayatika, 2. kitaaba, 3. hikmata and 4. yuzakeehim. Using your logic (borrowed from Syafie) it looks like Rasul has four things to do and not two.

Using your borrowed logic, there are now FOUR types of divine revelations!”

My Response:

TM cannot tell the difference between “verb” (Al-Feel) and “noun” (Al Ism). When the issue of “Revelations” (Wahi) is mentioned, we are talking about “nouns” not “verbs”. Allah’s Revelations are nouns and not verbs.

Take means “recite revelation”. It is “feel Amr” and cannot be a “revelation” because it is not a noun (ism). It’s a verb (feel amr). The same goes to 'yuzakeehim'. The only noun in the entire verse is 'Al Kitab' (The Book) and 'Al Hikmah' (The Wisdom)

Therefore, since what Allah SWT has revealed are “nouns”, then they are none other than “Al Kitab” and “Al Hikmah”.

ISM MAA’RIFAH, ANTI HADEETH, RAHMAN CELCOM AND ROPE MAILING LIST

TM says:

“What do you mean by ‘Al Hadeeth’? This is an isme ma’rifah? We all know Rahman Celcom’s famous isme ma’rifah don’t we?”

My Response:

ROPE use to be Anti Hadeeth sect’s mailing list. After spending a few months actively participating, the Rope mailing list curators have decided to ban me for life. Each time I enter the mailing list, I kept getting kicked out. It seems that their effort to convert me had backfired badly. Instead, most of their lies were exposed throughout the entire mailing-list making it difficult to convert new members.

One thing I noticed is that there is a complete ignorance of the Arabic language by the members of the sect. Why I kept winning arguments (against a myriad of characters) is by referring to one of the most basic concept of the Arabic language, Al Ism Al Maarifah.

Many times I caught their mistakes in interpretation of the Quran simply because they have totally neglected the existence of Ism Maarifah in the verses they quoted. Their entire case is blown simply by highlighting this small mistake.

And it is not true that the Anti Hadeeth sect respects the freedom of expression. My forced expulsion is a clear testimony.

ARABIC AND THE ANTI HADEETH

Anti Hadeeth has a weird belief that the Arabic language can be learnt from the Quran. It is as if the Quran is a self taught language book (A How-To book for learning the Arabic language).

But the truth of the matter is that one has to learn Arabic to understand the Quran. The Quran was not sent down by God to teach humans Arabic.

While it is true that the Quran revolutionized the Arabic language, it does not contain instructions in basic Arabic for beginners. One must learn Arabic first before one can understand the Quran.

That is why we see ridiculous statement like:

“In 12:06 the word hadith does not mean 'dream'. The Arabic word for dream is 'rukya' which appears in the previous verse 12:5”

TM doesn’t know that the word Al Hadeeth can represent the meaning of the word Ar Rukya in 12:06. But, those who know Arabic can tell you that it is allowable.

Check with Yusuf Ali’s translation and even he says that Al Hadeeth in 12:06 is the dream.

CONCLUSION

I hope that readers exposed to Anti Hadeeth ideology would take some time to carefully study their points and argument. There is more than meets the eye when it comes to Anti Hadeeth ideology. It is not as rosy as it looks.

LINKS TO THE PREVIOUS POSTINGS IN THIS SERIES:

1) Reply To Rahman Celcom - Part 2
2) Reply To Rahman Celcom - Part 1
3) Anti-Hadeeth from another perspective - Part 1
4) Pas’ Bible Link
5) Who’s anti-Hadith? Read more!

A debate with Anti Hadeeth in Malaysia Today Part 1

By Rahman Celcom

An article (actually two) appeared in Malaysia Today written by True Muslim. Both articles attempt to establish the Anti-Hadeeth ideology as being an undisputed truth, vilifying PAS for following Hadeeth thus vilifying the entire Muslim ummah for following Al Hadeeth.

The word Al Hadeeth in the Quran

True Muslim started his salvo by quoting two verses from the Quran, 39:23 and 45:06, which contains the word “Al Hadeeth”. He interprets that these verses proves that the best Hadeeth is the Quran.

Unfortunate for True Muslim, the verses he quoted exposes his ignorance of the Quran (the same goes to the entire Anti-Hadeeth Sect). The word Al Hadeeth in 39:23 has a different meaning than in 45:06. In 39:23 -- the message while 45:06 -- exposition (according to Yusuf Ali).

In fact, the word Al Hadeeth has takes so many meaning in various places in the Quran. I summarize as follows:

No : Meaning : Verses : Frequency

1 : Explanation : 18:06, 31:06, 39:23, 53:59, 59:81, 68:44 : 6 times
2 : Words of Mouth or Utterances : 04:42, 87 & 178, 12:11, 66:03 : 5 times
3 : Dream : 12:06, 10 & 21 : 3 times
4 : Story : 23:44 , 34:19 : 2 times
5 : Exposition : 45:06 : 1 time

This fact points to the fact that True Muslim totally skewed the real meaning of the word in both verses he quoted. That means that the case he’s trying to build based on the two verses is also weak.

In short, due to the Anti-Hadeeth Sect (AHS) ignorance of the Arabic language, their interpretation of the translation of the Quran is not only skewed, they’re biased as well. It reminds me of a verse in the Quran:

‘Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say: ‘This is from Allah’, to traffic with it for miserable price! - Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby’. Surah 2 verse 79.

Ignorance of the Arabic Language

Ignorance of the Arabic language is the trademark of the Anti-Hadeeth ideology. If one has even basic Arabic, one would not have gone the anti-Hadeeth way. Their ignorance of the Arabic language is due to their insistence that the Arabic language is unnecessary to interpret the Quran since we already have so many translations. They also quote some verses of the Quran to support their case.

What they do not quote is at least ten verses in the Quran that states unequivocally that the Quran is in Arabic and none other.

In fact, their ignorance in the Arabic language is the main source of their confusion. If they had taken the time to learn even a bit of Arabic, they would’ve abandoned the anti-Hadeeth ideology in a heartbeat.

Misunderstanding of Al Hadeeth

If one were to study all of their criticism of the Hadeeth, one will find that all of them are based upon the translation of the various Hadeeth. Never have they studied the Hadeeth in its original language, Arabic.

Therefore, just like the Quran, their understanding of the Hadeeth is more often than not erred or skewed. It reflects their desperation to please their western masters.

Main motive behind anti-Hadeeth ideology

The main motivation for the anti-Hadeeth ideology is their apologetic feelings towards the west. They feel guilty because Islam is the way it is. They feel that Islam doesn’t fit the Western paradigm, and therefore Islam has to be altered. They needed a methodology and the anti-Hadeeth ideology came to birth.

Take for example their resistance to punishment on apostasy. True Muslim quotes two verses in the Quran 2:256 and 4:137 and claims these verses guarantees freedom for anyone who wishes to leave Islam.

Yet he conveniently left out verses like 02:54 which clearly spell out the death penalty for apostasy which started from the time of Moses and has never been abrogated.

The Anti-Hadeeth are embarrassed by this particular provision in the Islamic Jurisprudence because their western idols do not see it well. The Anti-Hadeeth know that the penalty for apostasy is mentioned in the Sunnah. So, the anti-Hadeeth ideology is a good excuse to save themselves from embarrassment in the eyes of their western masters.

Drawing parallel between Al Hadeeth and the Bible and Torah

Among the rants from True Believer is his attempt to draw parallel between Al Hadeeth and the content of the Bible and Torah. His examples are: death penalty for apostates, treatment of women which he claims to be second class in the eyes of Hadeeth, circumcision, wearing the hijab or tudung for women, the payment of religious tithes or zakat, the very contentious word ‘aqeedah’, punishment of stoning to death for adultery, the ownership of slaves, the halal certification of food, the wearing of beards, turbans and jubah and many more.

Based on these examples, he concludes: “the Bible speaks the same language as the Hadith”.

If one were to take True Believer’s logic, then we will be forced to conclude that even the Quran speaks the same language as the Bible.

Example: prohibition of pork:

Bible : Quran

1) "The pig also because it is a splitter of the hoof but there is no cud. It is unclean for you. None of their flesh must you eat and carcass you must not touch." (Deuteronomy 14:8 2)

“Who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places who eats swine's flesh and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;....." (Isaiah 65:4,5b RSV)

1) “Forbidden to you for (food) are: dead meat,blood and the flesh of the swine and thatwhich hath been invoked the name other than Allah." (5:42)

"Allah has forbidden you only what dies of itself and blood and the flesh of swine and that over which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked; but whoever is driven to (it), not desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (16:115 )

When reading the comparison above and adopting the anti-hadeeth’s skewed logic, one cannot but conclude that the Quran also speaks the same language as the bible.

Observe how contradictory the anti-Hadeeth ideology. It’s so contradictory that it never fails to amaze me. They can actually contradict themselves unwittingly.

Unbelievable ignorance on how Hadeeth is collected

True Believer and his sect repeatedly make this accusation. They claim that Imam Bukhari collected 700,000 hadeeth and only 7,000 are authentic, the rest are not. Anyone who takes the time to learn a little bit of Ulum Hadeeth can tell you that such a claim is ludicrous. For one, Imam Bukhari never claimed that other than the 7,000 Hadeeth, all of them are not authentic. It’s just that Imam Bukhari only took 7,000 of them and put them in his As Sahih. That’s all. As usual, the claim was never substantiated by the Anti-Hadeeth Sect.

This is just a tip-of-the-iceberg of the Anti-Hadeeth Sect’s ignorance on the Al Hadeeth.

The real status of Hadeeth based upon the Quran

Al Hadeeth is actually a second form of Divine Revelation. The verses from the Quran are as follows: 02:129, 02:151, Ali Imran: 164, Al Jumuah: 02, An Nisa: 113. In these verses, God has indicated the existence of two forms of revelations, Al Kitab and Al Hikmah through the Prophet. Al Hadeeth, by definition, are recordings of the Prophet’s words and actions in addition to the Quran. Therefore, the Al Hadeeth is the second form of Revelations.

Role of Prophet Mohammad SAW

1. To clarify or explain the Quran: 16:44
2. As an absolute legislator: 07: 157-158, 59:07, 33:21
3. The Quran and Sunnah are Revelations from Allah SWT: 5:3-4

The verses above clearly indicate the existence of Divine Revelations other than the Quran. Unfortunately, the Anti-Hadeeth Sect refuses to consider these verses at all. Their minds were already made up long before they opened the first page of the Quran.

Anti-Hadeeth ideology introduces unjustifiable confusion into Islam

Here are some examples:

No : Issues : Anti Hadeeth Way : The Truth

(Sorry, this part is a bit of a mess but this was how I received it. I wrote back asking for a cleaner copy but the writer did not respond: Editor)

1 Punishment For theft and fornication as stated in the Quran (05:38 and 05:02) Punishment can be carried out without due process because the Quran does not prescribe due process resulting in chaos and absolute anarchy in the soceity.

The way punishment is carried out as stated in 05:38 and 05:02 is shown by the Prophet SAW. That is where due process was shown to us by the Prophet.

2 Inheritence to children who had murdered their parents (04:11 states on inheritence)

The killer children are allowed to receive their inheritence. Hurrah for the Menendez brothers. There is a hadeeth stating exceptions to children who murder their parents.

3 Consuming the carcass of dead animals (The Quran prescribe to it’s followers that animals which are to be consumed must be properly slaugthered - 05:03)

It will cover all types of animals including sea-dwelling animals. In short, the next time the Anti Hadeeth open their can of sardines, they will have to ensure that the sardines are slaugthered properly. There is a hadeeth making -exceptions to sea-living animals i.e. fish, squid etc.

4 In 05:38, there is no mention of minimum limits for a thief to be qualified for amputation

Even if a man steal a clove of garlic, he will be amputated.

There is a hadeeth stating that only is the value of loot is more than ¼ of a deenar will a thief have his hands amputated.

5 The Quran states many times about Az Zakah There is no way, there is simply no methodology at all for the anti hadeeth to follow.

The methods are clearly mentioned in the sunnah, ijma and qiyas.

6 Various ibadah clearly mentioned in the Quran, i.e fasting, solat, al hajj, jihad, sadaqah, inheritance, marriage, divorce, commerce etc

IT WILL BE AN ABSOLUTE MESS. There will be absolutely no methodology shown in the Quran, so the anti hadeeth is in a total mess.

The Hadeeth laid down ways and methodology to carry out

Imam Syafiee, Anti Hadeeth, Ar Risalah, Al Umm and a big waste of time

The absolute truth is that the question of the position of Al Hadeeth has been explained to a point of absolute clarity in his monumental work entitled Ar Risalah and Al Umm. All that has studied Imam Syafiee’s work is satisfied and convinced of the status of Al Hadeeth (or As Sunnah) with respect to the Quran.

To summarize, Imam Syafiee states that As Sunnah is Revelations from Allah SWT. He based his entire argument on the Quran.

Anti-Hadeeth responded by, in short, lying about Imam Syafiee’s work. They misquote him, quote him out of context, leaving out most of his argument and of course applying whimsical and Arabic-ignorance interpretation on the verses quoted by Imam Syafiee.

Anyways, all of the lies on Imam Syafiee have already been answered. One such answer can be referenced in a book entitled “Islam dan Al Hadeeth: Dialog Bersama Kassim Ahmad” written by Abdul Halim El-Muhammady.

In short, questioning the status of Hadeeth is a big waste of time considering the issue has been resolved amicably close to 1000 years ago by Imam Syafiee.

Conclusion

I beg those who have been following the ways of anti-Hadeeth to re-examine your argument. It is still not too late to get back onto the right path and save yourselves from spending the rest of your lives in darkness and deviation. Please heed the warning stated by Allah SWT in the Quran.

‘Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say: ‘This is from Allah’, to traffic with it for miserable price! - Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby’. Surah 2 verse 79.

Links to the articles being replied to:

Pas’ Bible Link

Who’s anti-Hadith? Read more!

How Stupid These Moderate Muslims Are

Moderate Muslims are so stupid that they cannot see the truth anymore

Time For Moderate Muslims To Start Learning

by Abdul Rahman Abdul Talib, Dokki, Cairo.

Dear editor,

With reference to the letter entitled “Time for moderate Muslims to put their foot down”, allow me to provide my take.

I find it rather funny that Dr Syed knowledge of Islamic civilization only stops at Baghdad (and the fall of the Abbasid Chaliphate). It is a common knowledge that there exist other Islamic governments or Chaliphates after the fall of Baghdad.

One example is the Ottoman empire which existed after the fall of Baghdad. The empire existed for about 700 yrs until it’s fall in 1909. During the reign of the empire, it has thrived in all aspects of humanity including the area we call “Science and Technology”.

An instance of the Ottoman’s success in Science is can be found in Wilkepedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_Technology_in_the_Ottoman_Empire):

“Considered as the world's first institution of higher learning specifically dedicated to engineering education, Istanbul Technical University has a history that began in 1773.”

This is a slap in the face for the likes of Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad for assuming that Islamic contribution to science stops after Baghdad. In fact, the same entry from Wilkepedia states:

“The culturalist approach that blames "Oriental dogmatism" and "Islamic mentality" for the neglect of the scientific and technological achievements has been questioned as the collections on this subject are getting richer.”

Such is another slap in the face for the likes of Dr Syed Alwi for making such absurd and ignorant claim. In short, the contribution of Islam to science did not stop after the fall of Baghdad.

Dr. Syed Alwi is also advised to read my letter again. In it, I clearly state that apostasy is felony in Islam. This is the agreement of all scholars and it has been so for the last 1400 years, even during the glory years of Baghdad.

Also, the law of apostasy is a law from God that is enacted until the end of time. There are not many laws in Islam that is of this nature but apostasy in one of those. To say that following this rule is dogmatic is the same as saying that to follow the rule on “As Salah”(prayers) as dogmatic. Pretty soon, just about every ruling in Islam will deemed dogmatic.

For Dr Syed’s information, the law on apostasy in Islam is very clear. The argument is clear and the punishment is also clear. The law has been argued, debated and concluded for the last 1400 yrs. There exists volumes and volumes of argument on the subject and I wonder if Dr Syed had taken the time to read any of them?. One has to learn the argument first before one can accuse such law as being dogmatic.

Dr Syed’s claim of dogmatism is his manifestation of his own dogmatic nature in following the western secular liberal paradigm. In fact, he is so wrapped-up into it that he cannot see anything else as being true.

Dr Syed demonstrates what is really wrong with the so-call “moderate muslims”. They are so caught up with their western mentality that they fail to see the existence of an alternative explanation to what the West detests. They refuse to think outside the box and choose to exist in the abject ignorance.

Read more!

Taliban, the most feminist power in Afghanistan

Read more!

The New Straits Times, a liberal misguided agent of the Anti Hadeeth Beleifs

I have always viewed the New Straits Times as pruveyor of misguidance and fallacy when it comes to Islam. For instance, due to their abject ignorance, they decide to publish articles from Anti hadeeth sources freely.

In doing so, they reflect their true ideology of trying to impose western liberalism into Islam.
They strive to make muslims feel bad about their beliefs and instead opt for amendments of our teachings.

And, as a sign of clear desperation, the NST opt to publish articles based on writings of anti hadeeth ideologues based in Arizona. Little that NST realize, the so call Arizona based Anti Hadeeth followers are rejected by all muslims including the muslims living in the US.

By giving media space to these devianionists, the NST has lowered themselves to a bunch of rejects. They are lucky because the media is not free in Malaysia, and their political master much prefers the liberal ideology as to Islam.

Below is an url with an option to download a booklet refuting an article pubslihed by the NST:

http://www.e-bacaan.com/artikeli_FinalD2b.htm Read more!

Anti Hadeeth's Smoke Screen

The Anti Hadeeth movement/beliefs are nothing but a smoke screen based on skewed and misguided methods of understanding the Quran and the Sunnah.

The no 1. factor behind their obvious ignorance is their refusal to understand the Quran and Sunnah in it's original language, the Arabic language.

They resort to free-hand interpretation of the translation while at the same time attaching their whimsical interpreation of the phrases.

Their methods have been exposed time and time again. Yet, due to their pride, they still adamantly stick to their misguided beliefs.

A letter of mine to Malaysiakini on the issue of Death Penalty to Apostacy is proof of their ignorance:

Apostasy punishment not created by man

Abdul Rahman Talib Sep 26, 05 12:24pm Adjust font size:

In response to Haris Mohd Ibrahim’s letter entitled Punishment for apostasy contrived by man, allow me to present my letter in two parts. Part one: Haris quoted several verses (4:87, 7:185, 45:6 and 31:6-7) which contain the word “hadeeth”. He claims that the word Hadeeth in these verses refers to the Quran. Haris further contends that the meaning of the word Al Hadeeth in 39:23 to be the Quran. If this is true one is forced to question the status of Taurah, Injil, Zabur, Suhuf (being the other Revelations). Are they not beautiful and therefore can be rejected? While it is true that the Quran is the “most beautiful” revelation from God, the verse does not deny the role of other Revelations, and that includes the Hadeeth of the Prophet. In truth, the word “hadeeth” in the Arabic language has so many meanings. That is why in the verses Haris quoted, each of them carries a different meaning compared to the other: 04:87 : the Promise, warnings or cautions 45:06 : Exposition ( according to Yusuf Ali) 07:185 : Signs 39:23 : the Message. Furthermore, the Hadeeth of the Prophet is told to us by the Quran as being Revelation from God. In addition, the Prophet is given the task by God to explain the Quran to us (16:44) Notice that the word “Al Hadeeth” in 39:23, has a completely different meaning then the “Al Hadeeth” of the Prophet. In 39:23 it takes the meaning as “message” while the “Al Hadeeth” of the Prophet is “reports of the Prophet’s words, actions and agreements”. One may ask how this is so when both words are the same. The explanation lies in the Arabic grammar with reference to the topic “Ism Ma’arifah” (specific noun). The word “Al” is equivalent to the word “the” in English. Suffice to say that we find such variations in abundance in the Quran. For instance, the word “Kitab” is used in different verses for different meanings: 02:02 : Al Quran 18:49 : Book of Deeds 11:110 : Torah 06:89 : Books Revealed to all the other Prophets (but the word used is Kitab). The general translation of the word “Kitab” is “book”. This points to the fact that the “anti-hadeeth” tend to commit grave errors due to their lack of command in the Arabic language. Their dependence on English and Malay translations has brought them to the depths of misunderstanding and confusion regarding the Quran. Now for part two: In verse 02:54, Moses passed a sentence of death upon an entire tribe of Israelites for committing idolatry. The sentence is ordained by God. That particular order remains until today since there are no other verses in the Quran abrogating it. The order for the Israelites to take their own lives in 02:54 - their punishment for committing apostasy - is an irrefutable fact. It destroys all those who claim that the Quran contains no verse that points to punishment for apostasy. Also, since the Israelites number is large, it is more practical for the tribe to take their own lives rather than be executed. It is still a death penalty nonetheless. The only difference is that in our time, apostates are executed while in Moses time, they were to kill themselves. What remains, from the time of Moses until today, is the fact that apostates must be punished by death. This fact hasn’t changed no matter how many try to deny it. I also feel that Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad’s statement that certain hadeeth are now irrelevant due to changing time and realities is too simplistic. If the claim is true, what’s stopping us from changing the contents of the Quran for the sake of fitting into time?

Read more!