Testimony of the Holy Quran — Page 13
H A D R AT M IR Z A GHU L A M AH M AD A S 13 or a century-and-a-half ? Did they not offer the daily Prayers? Did they not pay zakat? Did they not perform the hajj? Were they unaware of all the matters pertaining to Islamic doctrines men - tioned in the a ha d i th? Certainly not! Never! The ignorance of any person who entertains such a thought is beyond belief. Islam was as verdant and thriving before the era of the Imams of Hadith—namely Bukh a r i , Muslim, etc. —as it was after their compilations; therefore, how unreasonable and unfair is it to believe dogmatically that Islam flourished only on the basis of what is known today as a ha d i th, which were compiled in the second century. It is a pity that not only opponents but also igno - rant Muslims labour under the misconception that the Muslims were made to believe in many matters pertaining to Islam after a long time through the reports of a ha d i th; and that they were utterly unaware about them before those compilations. On the contrary, the plain truth is that if the Imams of Hadith have done any favour to the people, it is only that they researched and investigated the chain of narrators to confirm the continu - ous practice that a world of people accepted since the beginning. They demonstrated that the beliefs and practices of the Muslims of their time were not innovations that were later intermixed with Islamic teachings; rather, they were the same practice and verbal teaching that the Holy Prophet s as imparted to his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. It is a pity that, by misconstruing this correct and factual matter, short-sighted people fell prey to an egregious error, due to which they have intensely looked down upon a ha d i th to this day. True, those a ha d i th that are outside the chain of oral tra - dition or practices, or which the Holy Quran does not verify,