Testimony of the Holy Quran — Page 11
H A D R AT M IR Z A GHU L A M AH M AD A S 11 who are unaware of how and with what process these matters were authenticated. Let it be clear that the continuous practice of people estab - lishes the certainty of these matters with utmost satisfaction. For example, let us suppose that there are only two or three such a ha - d i th which relate that the number of rak‘ a t in the Fajr Prayer is X and the rak‘ a t in the Maghrib prayer is Y, and it is granted that these a ha d i th are no more than a ha d. Now, did the people not offer the prayer prior to this research and investigation? Was it only after authenticating the a ha d i th and learning of their nar - rators that the daily prayers were initiated? Nay, millions of peo - ple offered prayer in the prescribed way. Let us assume that the study of the chain of narrators of a ha d i th had not even existed, even then the continuous practice would definitively and categor - ically have established that Islamic teachings regarding prayer has remained the same generation after generation, and century after century. The existence of uninterrupted chains of narrators culmi - nating with the Holy Prophet s as serves to reinforce the continuous practice. In light of this principle, it would be an egregious mis - take to pronounce most of the a ha d i th —which are corroborated and supported by the chain of continuous practice—as no better than a ha d. As a matter of fact, this is the egregious mistake that has drawn the followers of nature in this age far away from Islam. They imagine that all Islamic practices, ceremonies, worship, biographies, and histories—which cite a ha d i th as references— are established only on the basis of a few a ha d i th. But this is a clear error on their part. The ta‘ a mul [continuous practice] that our Holy Prophet s as established through his personal example had