Attempts to Invalidate Individual Writings Can Never Refute Consensus Positions

Main Part · Full-text chapter from the writing Some Remarks on Developments in the English-Speaking World · Read as PDF

At this point, it must be emphasised once again that there are indeed many and increasing attempts today to reject individual early writings and to cast doubt on their authenticity. However, these very attempts by such persons already demonstrate that they can have no knowledge of the early literature.

Anyone who is familiar with the numerous books of the greatest personalities among the Muslims knows without any doubt that these are broadly transmitted consensus positions, and that invalidating individual writings accomplishes nothing at all and constitutes a futile endeavour.

In this context, Yasir Qadhi can be mentioned as an example, along with his attempt to invalidate the treatise as-Sunnah by al-Hasan ibnu 'Aliyy al-Barbahari and to deny its authenticity⁵. This, however, is not as simple as some people claim when discussing the handwritten manuscripts (Makhtutat).

Ultimately, however, the argumentation of such people amounts to rejecting the writing because one believes to detect inconsistencies in the content. It is ultimately a very superficial approach to say that a writing contains certain errors and therefore cannot originate from a recognised scholar. There are indeed explanations if one can adopt a prudent, scholarly approach and does not simply seek to refute by all means what one does not personally subscribe to. This is stated in general terms, even if this subject cannot be discussed in detail here.

More important, however, is the already mentioned principle that it is utterly absurd to think that one could invalidate the contents of this writing by denying the authenticity of this particular treatise. Whoever thinks such a thing merely demonstrates thereby that he truly has no knowledge of the early literature.

The same is attempted with other individual writings, such as the text Usulu s-Sunnah by Ahmad, the treatise as-Sunnah by Harb al-Kirmani, and others. But anyone who has even a slight insight into the texts of the Salaf has understood that these attempts must inevitably come to nothing.