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SERMON 210Someone (1) asked Amir al-mu'minin about concocted traditions and contradictory sayings of the Prophet current among the people whereupon he said:Certainly what is current among the people is both right and wrong true and false repealing and repealed general and particular definite and indefinite exact and surmised. Even during the Prophet's days false sayings had been attributed to him so much so that he had to say during his sermon that "Whoever attributes falsehoods to me makes his abode in Hell." Those who relate traditions are of four categories (2) no more. First: The lying hypocritesThe hypocrite is a person who makes a show of faith and adopts the appearance of a Muslim; he does not hesitate in sinning nor does he keep aloof from vice; he wilfully attributes false things against the Messenger of Allah - may Allah bless him and his descendants. If people knew that he was a hypocrite and a liar they would not accept anything from him and would not confirm what he says. Rather they say that he is the companion of the Prophet has met him heard
(his sayings) from him and acquired (knowledge) from him. They therefore accept
what he says. Allah too had warned you well about the hypocrites and described
them fully to you. They have continued after the Holy Prophet. They gained
positions with the leaders of misguidance and callers towards Hell |
![]() ![]() not commit mistakes but retains (in his mind) exactly what he heard (from the Prophet) and he relates it as he heard it without adding anything or omitting anything. He heard the repealing tradition he retained it and acted upon it and he heard the repealed tradition and rejected it. He also understands the particular and the general and he knows the definite and indefinite and gives everything its due position. The sayings of the Prophet used to be of two types. One was particular and the other common. Sometimes a man would hear him but he would not know what Allah the Glorified meant by it or what the Messenger of Allah meant by it. In this way the listener carries it and memorises it without knowing its meaning and its real intention or what was its reason. Among the companions of the Messenger of Allah all were not in the habit of putting him questions and ask him the meanings indeed they always wished that some Bedouin or stranger might come and ask him (peace be upon him) so that they would also listen. Whenever any such thing came before me I asked him about its meaning and preserved it. These are the reasons and grounds of differences among the people in their traditions.
(1). This was Sulaym ibn Qays al-Hilali who was one
of the relaters of traditions through Amir al-mu'minin.
(2). In this sermon Amir al-mu'minin has divided the
traditionists into four categories.
The first category is that of a man concocts a tradition and attributes
it to the Prophet. Traditions were in fact falsified and attributed to him and
this process continued with the result that numerous novel traditions came into
being. This is a fact which cannot be denied but if anyone does deny it his
basis would be not knowledge or sagacity by oratory or argumentative necessity.
Thus once 'Alamu'l-huda (Ensign of Guidance) as-Sayyid al-Murtada had a chance
of meeting the Sunni 'ulama' (scholars) in confrontation and on this occasion
as-Sayyid al-Murtada proved by historical facts that the traditions related
about the merits of the great companions are concocted and counterfeit. On this
the (Sunni) 'ulama' argued that it was
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