Testimony of the Holy Quran — Page 9
H A D R AT M IR Z A GHU L A M AH M AD A S 9 doubting the conclusiveness and reliability of those a ha d i th that had—through becoming a consistent practice or collective belief—developed into a characteristic of different groups of Muslims, is really a type of insanity and madness. For instance, if anyone were to contend that the number of rak‘ a t the Muslims perform in the five daily prayers is a doubtful matter, inasmuch as there is no verse in the Holy Quran prescribing two rak‘ a t for the morning Prayer and two for Jumu‘ah, and two each for the two Eid prayers, and that most a ha d i th are a ha d and thus unreliable, would such a one be in the right? If such views were accepted about the a ha d i th, then the first thing to be lost would be prayer itself, for the Holy Quran has nowhere prescribed the method of offering prayers; rather, they are offered only on the basis of our reliance that the [relevant] a ha d i th are correct. Now, if an opponent raises the objection that the Holy Quran does not teach how to offer prayer and the way the Muslims have adopted for offering prayer is to be rejected because the a ha d i th are unreliable—and if we, too, adhere to the same principle, that the a ha d i th are worthless—how could we respond to this objec - tion, except to accept it? Indeed in such a case, Islam’s funeral prayer would also become utterly futile, because nowhere does the Holy Quran mention any prayer without prostration and bowing. Now ponder and see what is left of Islam if the a ha d i th are discarded. Besides, the very notion that the sayings of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, are considered authentic merely because of the supposed authenticity of the reports of one or two narrators is a matter resulting from a lack of reflection. The fact is that the a ha d i th constitute a branch of