The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 138
138. Essence of Islam II for certain. To suppose that we cannot derive any certain and conclusive truth from the Aḥādīth would amount to destroying a great portion of Islām with our own hands. . The true and correct position is that we must accept whatever is stated in the Aḥādīth unless it should be opposed to the Qur'an in clear terms. It is admitted that it is natural for man to tell the truth and that recourse is had to falsehood under some compulsion, for falsehood is unnatural. To doubt the conclusiveness and correctness of the Aḥadīth, which through practice had become a characteristic of the different groups of Muslims, would amount to insanity. For instance, if anyone were to contend that the number of rak'as performed by the. Muslims in the five daily services is a doubtful matter, inasmuch as there is no verse in the Qur'an prescribing two rak'as for the dawn prayer (Fajr) and two for the. Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) and two each for the two 'Eid services and that most of the Aḥādīth are unreliable, would such a one be in the right? If such an opinion were accepted about the Aḥādīth, we would first have to forego the Prayer services, for the Qur'ān has not prescribed anywhere the method of performance of Prayer services and they are performed only on the basis of the accuracy of Aḥādīth. . . . . This is a serious mistake which has drawn the followers of nature in this age far away from Islām. They imagine that all Islamic practices and ceremonial and worship and biographies and history in connection with which reference is made to Aḥādīth, are established only on the basis of a few Aḥādīth. This is a clear error. The practice which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be on him) had established with his own hands, had become so common among millions of people that even if there had