The Revival of Hadith Study in Modern Time

The Influence of Islamic Reformist

Islamic dark-age that started from the 16th century has led most Muslims into a deep state of ignorance, superstition and heresy practices. Fabricated hadiths spread widely due to little religious figures who have adequate knowledge in hadith verification methods. Under these circumstances, some prominent scholars in the 12/18 century have initiated a reform movement that aims at bringing Islamic society out of this poor condition. The movement gives special effort in reviving ijtihad spirit and pays great attention in hadith authenticity. It is difficult to determine specifically the person behind the reform idea for the first time. All we know is the idea has spread out at that time in holy cities of Mecca and Medina where scholars from all over the Islamic world gathered and exchanged knowledge. Azra (2013: 124) described the two cities were like “a melting pot” where “small traditions” melted to give birth to a “new big tradition”.

In this reform climate, neo-sufism becomes the trend among the activist of reform. It sought to reconstruct Islamic society by bringing it back to the original sources, namely Quran and Sunna. And the group of scholars who played the most important role in this trend is hadith scholars. One of them was a muhaddith -hanafite Muhammad bin Ḥayāt al-Sindi (d. 1750) who migrated from Sind to live and disseminate hadith sciences in the holy city of Medina. His reformist thought can be seen in his book titled Tuḥfa al-Anām fi al-'Amal bi Ḥadīth al-Nabi 'Alayh al-Ṣalāt wa al-Salām (The gift for mankind in suggesting to practice the hadith of the prophet) in which he strongly advocates the importance of practicing the legal content of hadiths even if it contradicts the ruling of traditional jurisprudence schools. Sindī’s scholarship is often associated with the controversial Hijaz reformer Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhāb (d. 1791). It is said that Sindī's teachings have left a deep influence on Ibn Wahhab’s understanding of the basic concept of Islamic creeds.

Other than Hijaz, the reform idea finds its way to other parts of Islamic countries. In Yemen, there was a Zaydite scholar Muhammad bin Ismā'īl al-San‘ani (d. 1768) whose reform project continued by the Judge Muhammad bin 'Ali al-Shawkānī (d. 1839). Both scholars censured taqlid , exercise an open mind attitude when discussing religious matters, and prefer hadith over rulings of traditional authorities. The wind of reform reaches India via Ahmad bin 'Abd al-Raḥīm al-Fārūqī, better known as Shāh Walī Allah Dihlawī (d. 1762). He left for the holy city of Medina and Mecca to learn from the scholars of the holy cities in 1731. Two years later he returned to Delhi and started a reform agenda that focused on education sectors. Hadith studies were at the very heart of his reform movement. His hadith scholarship lied a strong foundation for the rise of hadith study in India from where it spread to the entire of the Islamic world ( Al-Ḥasan, 2017).

Entering the 19th century, the spirit of reform begins its new chapter when it finds fertile ground in Egypt, the city of knowledge. Due to Western military and science superiority, the main focus of Egyptian reformists was to find an appropriate solution to keep Islam relevant to modern challenges. Influenced by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1897), many Egyptian youths called on Islamic scholars to revamp their traditional views on Islam. One of whom was Muhammad ‘Abduh (d. 1905) who after his appointment as the grand mufti of Egypt he gives his best to make major reform in Azhar’s education system. On the recognition of his reform efforts, many has refered him as "the maker of Modern Egypt" and "the founder of Modern Islam.” Despite their strong emphasize on Islamic purity, both Afghani and ‘Abduh did not touch directly on hadith related issues. It is ‘Abduh’s pupil, Rashid Riḍa (d. 1935) who subsequently rised up the discussions on hadith criticism through his al-Manar publication. As Charles Adams ( 1933) observes, Rida’s mastery in hadith studies is one of the most outstanding characteristic in his personality. The way he scrutinizes the authenticity of hadiths from which he then concludes legal rulings has left a significant impact on the rise of hadith studies in Egypt and other Islamic countries. If ‘Abduh is known as the father of new Egypt, then Rida without doubt is the reviver of hadith study in modern time. Due to his contribution, hadith sciences regained its proper position in every discussions regarding Islamic creed and jurisprudence. Riḍa's thought paves way for the birth of the most respected muhaddith among modern Salafi: Muhammad Naṣir al-Din al-Albani (d. 1999) whose passion in hadith study ignited after reading Rida’s works and convicted with his ideas. And along with the spreading of Albani’s voluminous works, hadith study has come into its climax.

The Impact of Printing press

If the discovery of paper has changed the way we preserve knowledge, the invention of the printing machine has changed the way we disseminate ideas in modern times. Long before the machine was invented, publishing a single book needs a long significant time and effort. Book publishing costs a reasonable time and energy not to mention the price ( Behrens-Abouseif, 2018). Because of which the dissemination of knowledge is often limited only among intellectuals. In 1450, Johannnes Guttenberg invented a machine that could cut time and cost in the book production process. When this technology brought to Venice and Italy, it becomes one of the important tools to reshaping people’s thought that leads to the European Renaissance. It is not surprising, therefore, if Francis Bacon (1993) named the printing press as one of the greatest tools that changed the face of the world.

The Islamic world has come into knowledge about the existence of the printing press since the 9/15 century. But it took three centuries for Muslims to accept the technology as part of their culture. For some reason, the use of the printing press is prohibited to print religious materials in all of the Islamic countries under the Ottoman Caliphate. However, it changes when Egyptian ruler Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha successfully convinced to found a printing company called Matbaa al-Emiriyya (The Prince Printing Press) in 1819. When it was moved to Bulaq district, the company became popular with a new name: The Bulaq Printing Press. The company is benefitted from the expertise of prominent Azhar scholars, who was officially included in its editorial team, and valuable insights from Egyptian intellectuals such as Muhammad ‘Abduh, Hamzah Fath Allah, Muhammad Khuḍari and Muhammad ‘Abd al-Mu'alib ( Tanahi 1984). By the end of the 19th century, Bulaq has managed to publish 603,890 manuscripts in various disciplines ( Sarkis 1928). Apart from its large quantity, Bulaq’s printing products earned wide recognition among Islamic and western scholars for its fine quality.

In term of Hadith publication, Bulaq has contributed to producing a high quality printed version of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. The voluminous book was published in 1897 based on a manuscript belongs to a prominent hadith scholar Sharaf al-Dīn ‘Ali bin al-Ḥusayn al-Yunini (d. 1301). The book equipped with a careful comparison of various manuscripts in specific codes. Despite having limited facilities, the Bulaq version remains the best of its kind until today ( Tanahi 1984). The other significant contribution by Bulaq is al-Shāfiʻī’s Kitāb al-Um which was published for the first time by the funding of Ahmad Bik Ahmad al-Ḥusayni. It was said that al-Husayni had to sell his piece of land to obtain the printing cost. The book was published in seven volumes in four years starting from 1903 until 1907. Printed at the side of this book three equally important books namely Mukhtaṣar al-Muzanī, Musnad al-Shafii, and Ikhtilāf al-Ḥadiṭh .

In India, the largest publisher for Islamic materials is Dā'ira al-Maʻārif al-'Uthmāniyya which located in Haydarabad. Since its foundation in 1888, the institution managed to obtain valuable manuscripts and microfilms from all over the world. It has a capable team of editors who are experts in Islamic studies besides many western orientalists who conducted their research in the Islamic manuscript. Among others, Da’ira al-Ma‘arif gives its greatest attention Hadith literature especially biographical dictionaries such as al-Istīāb fi Ma'rifah al-Aṣḥāb, Tadhkirah al-Ḥuffāẓ, Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb , al-Bukhari’s al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr , and Ibn Makula’s al-Ikmāl ( al-Tanaḥi 1984). Pertaining this matter, ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Mu‘allimi noted: “Whoever observes material outcomes of Islamic revival in the 14/20 century in India, Egypt and Levant, he will find that India, especially Haydarabad al-Dakan, has given the greatest contributions through its publication in hadith literature and its transmitter dictionaries.” ( al-Suaylik 1995)

The rise of the Islamic publishing industry in India could not be parted from outstanding efforts given by local reformists. One of them was the Bhopal ruler Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān (d. 1890) who deliberately founded four printing companies, namely Sakandari Printer, al-Shāh-Jahani Printer, Sulṭan Printer and Ṣiddiqi Printer. He also built a strong relationship with foreign Islamic publishers to obtain rare manuscripts. He has spent 600 gold dinars to acquire Fatḥ al-Bari manuscript written in the handwriting of a hadith scholar: Muhammad ‘Ali Ibn ‘Allan (d. 1647). He then has it published in 14 volumes in Egypt. He also spent 20 thousand rupees to publish Ibn Kathir's famous book of tafsir, and another 25 thousand rupees to publish al-Shawkānī's Nayl al-Awṭār ( Tanaji 1984). These books subsequently sold to the public at an affordable price or granted as gifts to certain scholars. This effort indirectly contributed to facilitating the revival of hadith study in modern times.

The Challenge of Orientalism

In addition to internal factors described above, the revival of hadith study in modern time is also a result of certain external factors. One of which is orientalist’s theories on Islamic history and creeds that challenge the traditional views. As an agent of colonialism, orientalism is mainly to provide information that helps colonial governments in their effort to sustain their grip on occupied Islamic countries. It is why studies published by the orientalist concerning Islam and Muslims are generally biased ( Said 2003). Nevertheless, they have contributed partly to the preservation of Islamic heritage through the publication of classical manuscripts and documents.

The earliest orientalist known to conduct critical studies in hadith is Aloys Sprenger (d. 1893). He then becomes the first to state that most hadiths associated with the prophet should be regarded as fabricated. Nevertheless, his western colleagues such as Gustav Weil (d. 1889), William Muir (d. 1905), and Rienhart P. A. Dozy (d. 1883) hold a more positive stance. They asserted that at least half of the hadiths in Ṣahiḥ al-Bukhari can be considered as authentic ( Brown 1996). However, the most influential orientalist in hadith studies is Hungarian Ignaz Goldziher (d. 1921) who conducted a comprehensive work on Islamic history in his Muhammedanische Studien . He concludes that it is hard to find hadiths that reflected the actual sayings of the Prophet. Most of the hadiths are the product of religious, historical and social evolution of the first two centuries of Islam. Goldziher's legacy subsequently developed by Joseph Schacht (d. 1969), a German scholar, in his book entitled Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence. Supporting past orientalist’s opinion, Schacht noted that most of the Hadiths are false and only a few can be academically attested as actual words of the Prophet. He also added that the isnad (hadith’s chain of transmission) tends to grow backward.

Orientalist’s theories on hadith drew long debate and criticism from both Muslim and Western scholars alike. In their rebuttal, Islamic scholars highlighted severe mistakes and fact distortions allegedly found in orientalist theories. This project was spearheaded by Syrian scholar and activist Muṣṭafā al-Siba‘i (d. 1967) since he was a student in the postgraduate program at Azhar University. He wrote an extensive study to contend the opinion of Golziher and other orientalists on hadith in his thesis entitled al-Sunnah wa Makānatuhā fi al-Tashrī 'al-Islāmī (Sunna and its position in Islamic jurisprudence). His research marked the beginning of systematic movement among Muslim academicians in their effort to clarify negative conception about hadith. More studies have been produced ever since to finish what al-Siba‘i has started. As Ḥamādah ( 2007) pointed out, although the number of studies on this topic still relatively limited but yet it is effective in clearing up misconceptions. It undoubtedly contributes to the rise of modern hadith studies as we have seen today.