The present research(here only presentation is being shared) is about the scholar work on Fabricated traditions: from origin of fabrication to its detection and separation from Original text to its present collection. The document also analysis the need to 21st century research and criteria to check and separate the fabricated tradition. Engr.Sumera Khalid 1/10/2014

1. They said, "Exalted are You; we have
no knowledge except what You have
taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the
Knowing, the Wise."

2. EFFORTS OF SCHOLARS IN
ELIMINATING DOUBTS UPON THE
COLLECTION OF FABRICATED
AHADITH
Engr. Sumera khalid

3. PROJECT OVERVIEW
Introduction
Definition of fabrication
Origin of fabrication
Causes of fabrication
Qur’anic verses refuting fabrication
Prophetic tradition refuting
Fabrication
Early efforts to separate fabricated
traditions
Methods of detecting fabrication
Means of eliminating fabrication
Scholars contribution
Books and literature
Efforts to eliminate doubts upon the
collection of fabricated Ahadith
Doubts raised by the scholars on
collection
Method to eliminate these doubts
Refined books of collection of fabricated
Hadith
Conclusion
Summary of project
The research methodology
The outcome of research

4. Introduction

5. Definition:A forged hadith or al- muwdu’, may be defined as
report, invented by a liar, who has attributed it to
Prophet and it may include either the text or both
the text and the isnad of the report.
Numerous names are associated with forgery:
• Aban b.Jafar al-Numayri
forged a large
number of ahadith after Abu Hanifa,
• and
• Ibrahim b.Zayd al-Aslami did so in the name of
Imam Malik.
• Jabir b. Yazid al-Jafi,
• Ahmad b. Abdullah al-Juybari,
• Muhammad b.Shajja al-Thalji

6. Origin of Fabrication

early decades of the advent of
Islam.

It is believed to have begun
following the turmoil over the
murder of the third
caliph, Uthman, which dealt a
heavy blow to the unity of the
Ummah.

This momentous event is held
responsible for the emergence of
serious political differences and
partisan groups such as
Shia, Kharijites and Mutazila, as
well as the onset of forgery in

7.  Ahmad Amin held that the fabrication
began during the lifetime of the
Prophet. To support his view he cited
the frequently quoted hadith which
reads, “Who deliberately lies about
me, let him seek a place in Hell”
(Muslim).
 As-Siba`i interpreted the abovementioned hadith to mean that the
Prophet only warned his audience
with this hadith

8. Causes of Hadith Fabrication
Sunan Ibn Majah, has given examples of fabricated Ahadith
under the following eight categories of causes of fabrication
1.Political differences;
2.Factions based on issues of creed;
3.Fabrications by zanadiqah (enemies-within spreading
heretical beliefs);
4.Fabrications by story-tellers;
5.Fabrications by ignorant ascetics;
6.Prejudice in favour of town, race or a particular imam;
7.Inventions for personal motives;
8.Proverbs turned into Ahadith

9. Qur’anic verses refuting fabrication

10. It is stated in Al-Qur’an
“When a transgressor(fasiq)comes to you with
news, then investigate(its veracity)so that
people are not afflicted with adversity due to
ignorance and then you regret what you have
done”(al-Hujurat,49:6).

11. Another Quranic passage that is
quoted in this context is “the one
which validates the testimony of two
persons for proof of unsubstantiated
claims” (al-Baqara, 2:282).

12. At another place it is sated that,
“But there, among the men, those who
purchase frivolous hadith, without
knowledge to mislead (men) from the path
of Allah and throw ridicule (on the
path).For such there will be a humiliating
penalty”. (Surah 31:6)

13. 

Narration and transmission of
hadith are no less important than
testimony and they are both
accepted only from upright and
trustworthy individuals.
Owing to the great sensitivity of
this matter, some “ulama” went so
far as to say that intentional
propagation of lies in the name of
hadith amounted to disbelief
(kufr) and validated the death
punishment for its perpetrator..

14. Prophetic tradition refuting
Fabrication
Although the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him),
has in principle encouraged diffusion of the knowledge of
his teachings and Sunnah, he has in the meantime warned
the believers in such terms:
“If any tells a lie about me intentionally, let him be sure of
his place in the Hell fire”

15. In another hadith he is reported to have said:
“If anyone speaks of a hadith in my name
while knowing that I have not said it, he is a
liar”
These and similar other warnings influenced
the companions and subsequent generations of
Muslims to exercise caution in the transmission
of hadith.

16. EARLY EFFORTS TO SEPARATE
FABRICATED TRADITIONS
METHODS OF DETECTION OF FABRICATION

17. Kamali in his book “a text book of hadith studies “ discusses the
methods used by the scholars to identify forged isnads. He also
outlines how forgery can be detected in the text of a hadith. He lists
seven factors:
 The use of crude language since the Prophet was known for his
eloquence.
 Irrational language, for example "the arc of Noah circumambulated
the Kaaba seven times and then prayed to units of Salah at the
end" is evidently unreasonable.
 Statements which stand in clear opposition to the Quran. For
example "The offspring of zina [unlawful sexual relations] shall not
enter Paradise down to seven generations" was rejected by the
Prophet’s widow Aisha since it violates the clear text of the Quran
that "no soul shall carry the burden of another soul" in Quran
6:164.
 Where the text is a historical anachronism.

18. 
5. Where the hadith shows scholastic fanaticism.

6. Where the hadith is supposed to have been known to
large numbers of people but only one person has actually
reported it. For example the so-called hadith that "Anyone
who touches his sexual organ must take a fresh ablution." If
this were true, the entire Ummah would have known it and
have practiced it; as that is not the case, is likely to be a
forgery.

7. They hadith which promises disproportionate rewards or
excessive punishments for a small act that clearly does not
warrant the stipulated consequences. Kamali gives the
example of "the report ‘anyone who says "there is no God
but Allah", Allah will create for him a bird with 70,000
tongues each of which speaks 70,000 languages and all will
be praying for him."

19. MEANS OF ELIMINATING
FABRICATION

20. • Examining the character of the narrator.
In order to be considered reliable, Hadith transmitters
must possess personal integrity and must be able to
provide flawless isnads for their hadiths.
• Making a textual comparison.
This method was applied to make cross comparisons
between the hadiths, for example, comparing the
hadiths of different students of the same scholar.

21. 
Comparing the statements of a single scholar at
different times.
This method of criticism was applied to check whether
the transmitter added something to the hadith or if it
remained the same as he transmitted it before.
 Comparing written documents with a hadith
transmitted from memory.
According to the Hadith scholars (muhaddithun), the
information gained from books is more authentic and
accurate than what is based on one’s memory.

22. Comparing the hadith with related verses of the
Qur’an and other hadiths.
Another factor is if the hadith contradicted the Quran, in
such a way that there was no way to reconcile it
interpretation. For example the fabricated hadith “the
offspring of zina will not enter paradise for 7
generations” contradicts the verse “no soul shall carry
the burden of another soul

23. Scholar’s contribution
Muslim scholars took this attempt at falsification as a challenge, and
their services in this regard may be classified into six categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Development of the sanad system in the Prophetic traditions.
Campaigning for Hadith narration only from most reliable
sources.
Investigations of the reporters of hadith.
Biographical dictionaries about the reporters.
Compilation of works on genuine tradition of the prophet.
Compilation of works containing unreliable and fabricated
traditions.

24. EARLY LITERATURE ON FABRICATED
HADITHS (AL-MAWDU ‘AT)

25. Traditions fabricated in the name of the Prophet
should have been discarded centuries ago, yet they
were not.
Instead and despite labeling them as such, Hadith
scholars memorized and transferred them to the
next generation with a clear message that they
were lies attributed to the Prophet.
Later generations of scholars preserved them with
a view to reminding future scholars and students of
what had been fabricated, how and by whom. These
compilations are few in number,

26. The most famous among existing compilations are:
1. Al-Mawdu ‘at by Abu Said Muhammad ibn Ali alAsfahani (d.414 AH).
2. Tadhkirah al-Mawdu’at by Muhammad ibn Tahir
al-Maqdisi (d.507 AH).
3. Al-Abatil by Abu Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim
al-Juzqani (d.543 AH).also known as Al-Mawdu`at
min Al-Ahadith Al-Marfu`at .
4. Al-Asrar al-Marfu’ah fi al-Ahadith al-Mawdu’ah by
Nur al-Din Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari (d.1014 AH).
5. Al-Fawa’id al-Majmuah fi al-Ahadith al-Mawduah
by Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani (d.1250 AH).
6. Ahadith Al-Qussas by Ibn Taymiyyah

27. Efforts to eliminate doubts upon the
collection of fabricated Ahadith
 Al-Hafiz Abu'l-Faraj, Abd al-Rahman Ibn al-Jawzi’s (d.597H) book entitled
Al-Mawdu’at Al-Kubra is a renowned work on forgeries, which became the
focus of attention of several follow-up works.
 Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti(d.911) wrote a follow-up on this entitled
Al-Ta’ aqqubat al -Mawdu’at, and also a summary of Ibn al-Jawzi’s book
bearing the title Al-La’ali al-Masnu’a fil-Ahadith al-Mawdu’a.
 Many have noted, however, that al-Jawzi all too readily classified even
good ahadith as forgeries.
 Abu Hafs Umar b. Badr al-Musali’s(d.622)Al-Mughni’an al-Hafz wa’l-Kitab
isolated themes and chapters that had become liable to forgery, and Abu’lFadl Muhammad Ibn Tahir al-Maqdisi’s(d.507)Tadhkirat al-Mawdu’at
identified ahadith narrated by liars and discredited individuals and their
abundant works.

28. DOUBTS RAISED ON AL –MAWDU
AT BY IBN AL JAWZI:

29.  Al-Jawzi’s classification of recorded traditions as fabricated
has been based not on analysis of text but examination of
chain only, although all the traditions compiled in this work
could easily have been rejected merely on this basis of text
alone, without having to look at the position of the chain.
Despite this, the book’s headings speak volumes of Ibn al
Jawzi’s inclination towards authentication of tradition form
a textual angle, although he remains short of declaring any
tradition in his work to be fabricated in terms of textual
analysis.

30. Ibn al Jawzi has classified the traditions mentioned in the
authentic collections of hadith, including al Bukhari and
Muslim, into six categories:
(1)Those traditions, which are unanimously authentic.
(2)Those tradions which are authentic but have only been
recorded by al – Bukhari or Muslim.
(3) Those traditions which are claimed to be authentic but
neither al Bukhari nor Muslim have recorded them.
(4) Those traditions which are weak in nature.
(5) Those traditions which are extremely weak
(6)And those traditions which are nothing but lies
fabricated in the name of the Prophet.

31. Doubts raised by Mustafa Azami:
 Methology of usul-al-hadith has not been
accurately observed in work of Abu’l- Faraj ibn alJawzi (597 H) entitled Al-Mawdu’at ,
 Mustafa al Siba’i who recorded this information
added that subsequent Scholars especially Ibn- eHajar Asqalani (d.825H) and jalal al-Din Suyuti
(d.911)followed up Ibn al-Jawzi’s work and
although they disagreed with it in some
respects, they nevertheless endorsed most of the
Ibn –e- Al Jawzi’s conclusions on the Presence of
Weak Hadith in the Standard collections

32. METHOD TO ELIMINATE THESE DOUBTS

33. Efforts of Ibn al –Qayyim:
Ibn al –Qayyim (d.751AH) was the first to
categorically construct some level of criteria for
authenticating Hadith through analysis of text.
Those criteria developed by him are:
(1) The hadith must not contradict the Qur’an,
(2) The hadith should not go against highly
authentic ahadith,
(3) The hadith should not negate true observation,
(4) The hadith should not describe reward and
punishment in a disproportion ate manner,
(5) The hadith should not contain an unsound
statement, and
(6) The hadith should not praise or condemn
illogically any place, person, profession, or thing.

34. Ibn al Qayyim’s book al-Manar al Munif fi al Sahih
wa al Da if ,
contains fifty sections under each of which he
records traditions declaring them to be unreliable in
terms of both the chin and the text.
The total number of traditions recorded is
three hundred and forty seven.

35. Efforts of Misfir Gurm Allah al
Dumanyi:
al Dumanyi is the first scholar to have a
comprehensive book “ Maqaysis Naqd
Mutun Al_Sunnah “on the importance
of hadith analysis from a textual
perspective. His work was originally a
doctorate thesis submitted to and
approved by Umm al –Qura University,
Makkah .It is comprised of an
introduction and three chapters. The
three chapters, entitled
1.
Criteria of textual examination of
the Sunnah by the Companions,
2.
Criteria of textual examination of
the Sunnah by Hadith Scholars
3.
Criteria of textual examination of
the Sunnah by Jurists.

36. In Third chapter while exploring the
approach of Muslim jurists to Hadith texts,
Al- Dumayni identifies seven criteria
(1) Quran ,
(2) the Sunnah ,
(3) consensus of Ummah
(4) practices of companions
(5) logical analogy ,
(6) general principals ,
(7) and the impact of solitary

37. Refined books of collection of fabricated Hadith:
1. Ad-Durar Al-Masnu`at fi Al-Ahadith Al-Mawdu`at
by Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Salim As-Saffarini
2. Tahdhir Al-Khawas min Akadhib Al-Qussas
by As-Suyuti
3. Al-Mughni `n Al-Hifz wa Al-Kitab
by `Umar ibn Badr Al-Mawsili
4.
Al-Manar Al-Munif fi
5. Tanzih Ash-Shari`a Al-Marfu`a `an Al-Ahadith AshShani`a al-Mawdu`a by Ibn `Arraq Al-Kinani
To these sources one can add the
contemporary study of Al-Albani titled Silsilat
Al-Ahadith Ad-Da`ifa wa Al-Mawdu`a

38. FABRICATION IN TAFASEER AND FIQH &
SCHOLRS CONTRIBUTION IN
ELIMINATION
Engr. Sumera khalid

39.  renowned works of fiqh such as the Hadaya of Almarghinani →Al-Hafiz Jamal al-Din ‘Abd Allah al Zayla’i’s
(d 762) book entitled Nasb al – Raya fi Tarhrij Ahadith al
Hidaya.
 Ibn e Hajar al Asqalani (d 852) wrote a similar work on
Sharh al-Rafi bearing the title Talkhis al-Habir fi Takhrij
Ahadith Sharah al Rafi’ al-Kabir,in which he also
supplemented Al-Rafi’s reference to the hadith and
ascertained its reliability and accuracy or otherwise of
isnad .
 al-Zayla’i also authored Takhrij al ahadith wa’l-Athar al
Waqi’ a fi Tafsir al-Kashshaf lil- Zamakhshari on
Zamakshari ‘s tafsir al-Kashshaf.
 Hafiz Zayn al- Din Al Iraqi wrote a compendium on Abu
hamid Al Ghazali’s Ihya, ‘ulum-al-Din.

40. EFFORT OF CONTEMPORARY SCHOLAR YUSUF
AL-QARADAWI
regarding the weak hadith in the standard collections and his proposal for the
compilation of three encyclopedia’s on hadith:
• A comprehensive encyclopaedia on the narrators and their biographies.
• The text of all hadith available from the beginning down to the latter third
of the fifth century AH including all of their chains of transmission.
• The Sahih and Hasan hadith derived from the second encyclopaedia using
the biographical information and hadith methodology, with a
comprehensive index.

41. Summary
• The contemporary scholars put their efforts towards
the textual evaluation of the traditions and set
different criterion.
• As for textual examination of the Hadith, the most
prominent works are Ibn al- Qayyim’s and Al –
Dumayni’s.
• the methodology that the ulama’ of the hadith have
developed for the authentication of the hadith is
basically adequate , although new methods of
research , documentation and classification that are
now available due to better facilities could be utilized
to great advantage.

42. QUESTIONS?
JAZAKALLAH