Kempen ‘Semak Ḥadīth Sebelum Sebar’ Antara Tradisi Ahli Ḥadīth Dan Dakyah ‘Wahabi’

Abstract

The Noble Qur'an and ḥadīth are two main sources of revelation that serve as crucial pillars for the Islamic faith. However, there are several significant differences between these two sources of revelation. The most notable difference lies in terms of thubūt (the authenticity of the transmission of the revelation to its source). Unlike the Noble Qur'an, which has reached the Muslim community through mutawātir (mass-transmitted) chains of narration, the majority of ḥadīth have been transmitted to Muslims through āḥād (singularly transmitted) chains, which are open to criticism regarding their authenticity (ṣādiq) or falsehood (kāzib) in their transmission to the original source, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Scholars from various fields, such as muḥaddithūn (ḥadīth scholars), fuqahā’ (jurists), and uṣūliyyūn (theologians), have laid down various criteria for evaluating the acceptance of a ḥadīth (maqbūl). If a ḥadīth fails to meet any of the established criteria, it is deemed rejected (mardūd). Given the reality that a ḥadīth could be true or false in its attribution to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), many contemporary ḥadīth researchers in Malaysia have launched the campaign 'Check the Ḥadīth Before Spreading.' On the surface, this campaign is commendable and in line with the tradition of ḥadīth scholars who have always emphasized the importance of verifying the status of ḥadīth before accepting or disseminating them. However, there are some who seemingly do not support this campaign and even argue that it is a 'Wahabi' propaganda in Malaysia, attempting to surpass the wisdom of past ḥadīth scholars who never engaged in such a campaign. This reaction has sparked controversy within the discourse of contemporary ḥadīth studies in Malaysia. This paper aims to unravel these issues and shed light on the status of this campaign according to the principles and methodologies of knowledge within the tradition of Islamic ḥadīth studies.