Nabuwwat and its Functions in the light of Basic Islamic Beliefs (2)

In the part (1) of this article we have seen the basic Islamic Beliefs regarding Quran and nabuwwat/resalat are that requirements of believing in Quran are different from the requirements of believing in nabuwwat/resalat. The basic requirement of believing in Quran is that we must believe Quran is Allah’s Words, revealed to our Nabi/rasool s.a.w.w. through Gabriel and these Words of Quran are meant for complete guidance for humanity till Qiyamah. The basic requirement of believing in our nabi’s s.a.w.w ‘nabuwwat’ is that interpretation/meanings of Quran have been revealed to our Nabi s.a.w.w  through Gabriel and we must understand Quran on the basis of interpretation done by our Nabi s.a.w.w because it is the basic function of nabuwwat to interpret the revealed Book. The wahi in the light of which our nabi s.a.w.w used to interpret Quran is called ‘wahi e khafi’; ahadith are outcome of ‘wahi e khafi’.

The groups like Ghamdi cult and Ahle Quran cult, and non-Muslims like Qadyanis are distorting the basic Islamic Beliefs particularly regarding Quran and Nabuwwah. 

Before we turn to the distortions made by these groups in the basic Islamic beliefs, it is pertinent to have a look into the nature of ‘wahi e khafi’ which is source of ahadith (sunnah).

A Nabi does not receive wahi in the form of Kalamullah/ Words of Allah (e.g. Quran; Bible); rather a Nabi (a.s) always receives wahi in the form of Allah’s Ideas which are translated into words by the Nabi (a.s) himself or by Gabriel (a.s). When translated by Gabriel, it is called ‘Hadith e Qudsi’; when translated by the Nabi (a.s) himself, it is called ‘Hadith e Nabi’. Such wahi received by a Nabi (a.s) is called ‘wahe e khafi’/ ‘ghair matlu’. Through ‘wahi e khafi’, a nabi (a.s) receives interpretation of the Book/ Words of Allah. If a prophet is rasool and nabi combined, he receives, as a rasool, wahi in the form of Book/Words of Allah, and he receives, as a nabi, interpretation of the Book/ Words of Allah in the form of ‘wahi e khafi’/ ‘ghair matlu’. Whatever was done or said by our Nabi s.a.w.w was the outcome of wahi e khafi/ ghair matlu. It does not mean every time our Nabi s.a.w.w delivered a statement or performed any act, a wahi e khafi regarding that saying or act was received by our Nabi s.a.w.w. Rather it was enough if wahi e khafi was received by our Nabi s.a.w.w. only once regarding any saying or act. For instance, it was not that every time our Nabi s.a.w.w. offered prayer, he s.a.w.w. used to receive wahi e khafi regarding procedure of offering prayer; it was enough, if only once wahi e khafi was received by our Nabi s.a.w.w. regarding procedure of prayer. After receiving wahi e khafi regarding procedure of prayer, our nabi s.a.w.w. offered prayers in various manners but keeping in line with what wahi was sent to our nabi s.a.w.w. in that regard.  That is why we find various manners/ways (for instance various ways of resting hands etc.) in various ahadith. It does not mean that ahadith are not authentic; it only means that our nabi s.a.w.w. offered prayers with various manners but all those manners were in line with what was required under the wahi e khafi received by our nabi s.a.w.w. in that regard.

In other words. No manner of our nabi s.a.w.w. was contradictory to what was revealed to our nabi s.aw.w. When our nabi s.a.w.w. received  wahi e khafi, he s.a.w.w. used to keep acting upon that wahi, when time for implementing that wahi came, in various manners (varying manners were not adopted in all cases) but ensuring that no contradiction of wahi e khafi occurred. It is in this sense that every saying and action of our nabi s.a.w.w. is in complete accordance with what was revealed to our nabi s.a.w.w. through ‘wahi e khafi’/ ‘ghair matlu’. That is why if various ‘ahadith’ state about various ways of performing the same act at different times/ situations, it does not mean ahadith are incorrect; it may only mean that act has been performed by our nabi s.a.w.w. in different ways, but not in contradiction to ways informed through the wahi khafi received (for difference between Different and Contradictory plz see . https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2015/07/khilafah-and-imamah-not-contradictory.html).

The foregoing leads us to believe that all saying and acts- whether different in different situations or not- were performed by our Nabi s.a.w.w. in accordance with wahi e khafi/ ghair matlu. As already stated in part (1), all acts and sayings of our Nabi s.a.w.w. are, in fact, interpretations of Quran, which have been revealed to our nabi s.a.w.w. through wahi e khafi/ ghair matlu.

Now we turn to requirements of basic Islamic beliefs and how Munkareen e hadith, mentioned above, are distorting these basic beliefs. These ‘munkareen e hadith’ may be divided into two types. The first are non-Muslims called Qadyanis which do not believe that our Nabi s.a.w.w. is the last prophet; they believe in prophet-hood of Mirza Qadyani. This group of munkareen e hadith does not believe in such  ahadith which reject Qadyanis’ ideology; in other words they do not believe that ahadith are interpretations of Quran and as such have to be complied with by them irrespective of fact whether or not ahadith reject Qadyanis’ ideology. In other words, Qadyanis primarily believe in prophet-hood of Mirza Qadyani who is to be followed in all cases, and our Nabi s.a.w.w. is not the last prophet and as such following our nabi s.a.w.w. is subject to following Mirza Qadyani.

As against Qadyanis, the second type of ‘munkareen e hadith’- like GHamdi cult and Ahl e Quran- believe in Nabi s.a.w.w as the last of prophets but they do not fulfill the requirements of believing in ‘nabuwwah’ of our Nabi s.aw.w. As has been mentioned earlier, the requirements of believing in Quran are different from requirements of believing in nabuwwah.   The basic requirement of believing in our nabi’s s.a.w.w ‘nabuwwat’ is that interpretation/meanings of Quran have been revealed to our Nabi s.a.w.w  through Gabriel (as has been explained in part (1) through al-qiyamah-19) and we must understand Quran on the basis of interpretation done by our Nabi s.a.w.w because it is the basic function of nabuwwat to interpret the revealed Book. This basic function of nabuwwah has been described in Quran.

 Quran says: "Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. The 'Nabis' who submitted [to Allah] judged by it for the Jews..." (al-maidah-44).

Law (shariah) was contained in the Torah, and 'Nabis' used to interpret this law to judge between the people. We know interpretation of law is itself an extended form of law, and this extended law (interpretations) was revealed to 'Nabis' through 'wahi'; as such this 'wahi' constituted 'shariah' and  was compulsorily to be accepted/complied with by the people. In other words, 'Nabis'  added laws to the law (shariah) orignally revealed in the form of Book to a 'Rasool', and such added/extended laws revealed to nabis were part of Deen.  The wahi in the light of which our nabi s.a.w.w used to interpret Quran is called ‘wahi e khafi’; ahadith are outcome of ‘wahi e khafi’.

Ghamdi cult and Ahl e Quran do not believe that meanings of Quran have been revealed to our Nabi s.a.w.w. in the form of hadith, and as such they do not consider hadith as a part of Deen. In this way they distort the basic Islamic belief of nabuwwah whose basic function is to interpret the Book revealed to a rasool (a.s). By disbelieving in hadith as revealed meanings of Quran to our Nabi s.a.w.w., these groups actually fail in fulfilling the basic requirement of believing in our Nabi’s s.a.w.w. nabuwwah (continued).