. JI ದ : ; (cont.)

Those hadith make it fairly clear that whatever Allah is silent about is permissible and one should accept it as permissible. The hadith under discussion here says that one should not study or seek those matters that Allah is silent about. This is a completely different teaching. As to be noted below, the commentators understood this to mean asking about such things during the time of the revelation or researching very difficult matters. It does not mean that everything not mentioned in the texts becomes permissible a priori. Therefore, those narrations cannot be used as supporting evidence for this particular hadith. Furthermore, although this is not the proper place to discuss them in detail, those other hadith are also weak and unacceptable in this author's opinion. Their chains are problematic and their texts contradict other stronger hadith. Allah knows best. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi asked about or researched. There are many acts possible today that are not mentioned in the Quran or sunnah while it is clear that they could not possibly be permissible or it is equally clear that the ruling for them needs to be researched. For this reason, the scholars gave a number of different explanations for the last part of this hadith, "And He has been silent about some things, out of mercy upon you and not out of forgetfulness, so do not seek after them." Al­ Baitaar has summed up the three different possible explanations as follows:1 (1) The prohibition was something particular for the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). As was discussed in the commentary to Hadith Number 9, there was a general prohibition of asking the Prophet (peace be upon him) concerning matters that were not yet discussed in the Quran and sunnah. (2) A second interpretation is that the prohibition is for all times but it is particular with respect to the kinds of research and questioning prohibited. It is only with respect to the difficult, detailed, impractical or irrelevant questions. These are the types of matters that one should not ask about. In general, they do not affect a person's actions and may lead to confusion more than anything else. (3) The third interpretation is that the prohibition is with respect to the general masses only and not with respect to the scholars. The laymen may get into heated debates and discussions without any fruitful results. They are not the people who should be debating or discussing the issues that are not clearly discussed in the Quran and sunnah. This role is left to the scholars only. It is the scholars' job to research such questions and then to give their conclusions and rulings to the general people. It should also be noted that this hadith is used by the Dhahiris (Literalists) to support their contention that analogy is not valid and that one must follow the apparent meaning of the texts only. Nonetheless, this is a weak hadith and, therefore, cannot be used to support their contention. In addition, there are many other clear evidences that support the use of analogy and so, even if one assumes that this hadith is authentic, one would be forced to interpret it in such a way that it does not forbid analogy. About the Narrator: Abu Thalaba Abu Thalaba came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to accept Islam when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was about to embark on the Campaign of Khaibar. Abu Thalaba embraced Islam and went along with the Muslims. The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him a portion of the bounty from the conquest. 1 Al-Baitaar, p. 1 86. Hadith #30: "Allah has obligated the Obligatory Deeds . . . " It is also said that he was present at the Baiat al-Ridhwaan (the oath of allegiance concerning which Allah declared His pleasure in verse 18 of surah al-Fath) during the treaty of Hudaibiyah. During the civil strife that broke out among the Muslims, near the end of Uthmaan's caliphate and afterwards, Abu Thalaba remained away from all of the controversy and did not take part in any of the fighting. He lived in Greater Syria. He died in the year 75 A.H. while he was in prostration during the late-night prayers. Forty hadith have been narrated on his authority. Recorded by al-Daaraqutni Imam al-Daaraqutni Ali ibn Umar al-Daaraqutni al-Shafi'ee lived from 306 A.H. to 385 A.H. He was born in a part of Baghdad known as Daaraqutn. By the age of ten, he was sitting in the hadith sessions in Baghdad. At an early age, his reputation for having an excellent memory started. He studied hadith intensely and became one of the best scholars in noting the defects and problems in hadith. He was also an expert in the recitation of the Quran. To further his studies of hadith, he traveled to Kufah, Basrah and Wasit. In his later years, he also traveled to Greater Syria and Makkah. He studied under more than two hundred teachers, including Abu Ishaaq al-Azdi, Abu al-Hasan al-Baghawi and Abu al-Abbaas al-Shaibaani.