A while ago, I wrote an article about Gog and Magog which has passed under the readers’ gaze of the magazine. On the same topic, I also spoke in my weekly lecture. A learned friend made a written comment on this talk, raising some objections. I have responded to these objections in a letter, which discusses many things regarding the Hadith knowledge and Gog/Magog that will not be devoid of interest and benefit for the readers. Today’s meeting presents this letter for your service. However, the personal style of the letter has been changed and it has been compiled like an article.
My letter:
I am grateful to you for listening to my points and taking some time out of kindness to write your comments on them. I am very obliged for your attention and kindness. You have generally agreed with my conversation, which is also a source of encouragement for this student because if a person of scholarly mind like you find my viewpoint correct, then I consider it a great honor. Regarding the matters on which you have expressed your disagreement, I assure you that no resentment has arisen in my heart because it is the responsibility of knowledgeable people like you to correct us students. I understand the importance of the points you have brought attention to. However, regarding the matters related to my points that need clarification, I consider it my responsibility to respond. In this background, some submissions are presented for your service.
My viewpoint regarding Hadith:
Your first point is related to a Hadith. Before responding to it, I want to state my fundamental viewpoint regarding Hadith. I am completely satisfied with the standards set by the Hadith scholars (Muhaddithin) for accepting Hadith, and if a narration fulfills them, then deviating from it and refusing to accept it, I consider contrary to faith. However, if a narration does not meet these principles, then scholars have always discussed such narrations and will continue to do so. The reason is that then the attribution of such narrations towards Prophet Muhammad becomes doubtful. It is much better to adopt a cautious approach than to attribute a false and dubious statement to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Regarding Hadith, this path seems the safest to me.
The reality of the narration related to Gog and Magog:
After this fundamental point, now let’s turn to your objection. You write in your letter, “In the lecture, the narrations about Gog and Magog were called stories and ridiculed. The hadith referred to, was although weak, but other authentic hadiths also contain strange and unusual events about Gog and Magog. To declare all narrations as stories without distinction is equivalent to casting doubt on the entire treasure of Hadith.”
Your statement is not based on fairness that ‘I declared all hadiths as stories without exception’. The reality is that in my talk, I only mentioned one hadith and used the word “story” only in its context. Therefore, it is fair to limit the discussion only to that one hadith, referred to in the lecture. Regarding this, although you have also stated that it is a weak hadith, I would like to present what Maulana Hifzur Rahman Seoharwi, the author of “Qasas-ul-Quran”, has written about it, citing other scholars, so that you realize that the word “story” was not from this “worthless”, but big names are involved in this “crime.” Maulana in his book first states the text of the hadith:
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that Gog and Magog daily dig through the barrier (wall) of Dhul-Qarnayn, and when the time of sunrise approaches, they say to each other, ‘Stop your work now; it has become such that tomorrow you can dig through it and collapse it. But when they return to this task the next day, they find the barrier even more solid and robust than its original state. This continues until the time of their appointed term arrives, and Allah wills that they spread over the human world, then on that day also, they will dig it as before, and when the time of sunrise approaches, the ones giving orders will say to the workers, ‘Go back; tomorrow, insha’Allah (God willing), you will be able to dig through it and make it level.’ And because they said Insha’Allah that day, when they return, they will find their effort correct, and at that time, they will complete their effort and collapse the barrier and burst upon people, and they will drink up all the water on the face of the Earth, and people, out of fear of them, will hide in fortresses and shelters. Then, thinking they have conquered the world, they will throw arrows towards the sky to fight with God and the higher realm. Allah will return their arrows blood-stained, and they will think they have also conquered the higher realm. Then Allah will create lumps in their necks, from which they will die on their own.” (Tirmidhi, Surah Kahf), (Qasas-ul-Quran, Vol3, P214-215)
This is the text of the hadith. Now see what Maulana Seoharwi comments about it, citing scholars. The words underlined are done by me:
However, Tirmidhi, after mentioning this Hadith, gave the verdict on its status that ‘this Hadith is Hasan Gharib, and we learn such astonishing things through such chains of hadiths’.
That is, according to Imam Tirmidhi, this narration, in terms of its reliability, is a strange and astonishing (unusual) hadith, and Hafiz Imad-ud-Din Ibn Kathir, after narrating this Hadith, gives this verdict on it:
This Hadith has strangeness (foreignness) in terms of its content, and attributing it as Marfu’ (raised to the Prophet Muhammad) is incorrect. The real issue is that an identical Israeli story is transmitted from Ka’b al-Ahbar, and all these things are mentioned in it in the same way. It seems that perhaps Abu Hurairah, who often used to narrate Israeli tales from Ka’b al-Ahbar, narrated it as an Israeli story, which a lower narrator thought to be a narration of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In reality, it is nothing but the narrator’s misconception.
This Hadith’s attribution, as I have stated, is not merely my opinion but also what Imam Hadith, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, states. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol 3, p.105), (Qasas-ul-Quran, Vol 3, p.215)
After these scholars’ comments, Maulana himself comments in the next line:
“After the explicit statements of Tirmidhi, Ibn Kathir, and Imam Ahmad, this narration’s status does not remain more than that of an Israeli story.” (Qasas-ul-Quran, Vol 3, p. 215)
Consider what level of people are describing this hadith as an Israelite story and tale, instead of attributing this hadith to the Prophet. The words “story” are not mine; they belong to those who you also cannot doubt being great scholars. Would you also hold the same opinion that they ridicule the hadiths? Not at all. It’s an honest attempt to prevent a false statement from being attributed to the Prophet. Someone might disagree with these scholars, but accusing them of ridiculing the hadiths would not only be a clear violation of the Quranic command ‘Qaul-e-Sadid’ (just speech) but also a sign of utmost carelessness in moral matters.
The wrong way of expressing disagreement:
Please consider that accusing someone of ridiculing hadiths, is how much a severe attack on his faith and religious status. At least, I expected from a scholar like you that before making such remarks about someone, you would inquire about the reason behind his statement, ponder seriously upon the matter, or investigate it yourself. Speaking in such an incautious manner about others without investigation has unfortunately become a part of our religious tradition, and even righteous people like you fall prey to it. However, based on the affection I have for you, I want to highlight the seriousness of this matter in light of a Sahih (correct) Hadith:
‘Whoever calls another person with the attribution of disbelief or says, ‘You are an enemy of Allah,’ and he is not so, then it will revert to him.’ (Muslim, Book of Faith, Number 93)
If possible, reconsider your statement in light of the principle stated in this Hadith because this matter is going very far. As for me, I have chosen the mission to convey the religion and its message brought by our Prophet to people without any deletion or addition, and I am ready to hear all kinds of things in this path.
غیروں سے بھی چھوٹا نہ کوئی ناوک دشنام
اپنوں نے بھی چھوڑی نہ کوئی طرز ملامت
اس عشق نہ اس عشق پر نادم ہے مگر دل
ہر داغ ہے اس دل میں بجز داغ ندامت
‘Neither any small arrow of slander from strangers,
Nor any style of criticism left by our own.
But this heart, is not regretful of this love or that love,
This heart has every mark except the mark of regret.’
Culture of weak and fabricated Hadiths:
I strictly follow the principles of Muhaddithin (Hadith scholars) in accepting isolated hadiths (Akhbar-i-Ahad) to defend my Prophet and prevent any wrong statement from being attributed to him. The reason is that our scholars, especially those from the Indian subcontinent, have developed a practice over the past centuries to present whatever comes in front of them in the name of Hadith without knowing its chain of transmission and text as the saying of the Prophet. Even today, our great scholars recite a verse of the Quran in one breath and then, with full confidence and conviction, narrate a weak or fabricated hadith in the same breath. As a result, many things have spread among the general public and elites in the name of religion that have no reality or basis. If someone clarifies the mistake of a narration based on the universally accepted standards of the Hadith scholars, he faces adversity. But people do not consider that attributing a weak statement to the Prophet is a great audacity. In my view, this approach is highly inappropriate, especially in light of the warnings about Hell for those who attribute lies to the Prophet. I believe that scholars should strictly adopt the principle stated by the greatest Imam of Hadith, Khatib Baghdadi, in his book ‘Al-Kifaayah’:
“A hadith is not accepted when reason gives its verdict against it; it is against a proven and decisive command of the Quran; against a well-known Sunnah or an act that is as customary as Sunnah, or when it is clearly contradictory to any definitive evidence.” (Al-Kifaayah fi Ilm ar-Riwaayah, p. 432)
A question related to Gog and Magog:
This particular hadith raises another question of a rational nature, but after presenting Khatib Baghdadi’s statement, I should at least be allowed to raise a rational question. It is accepted by everyone that Gog and Magog belong to the human race, they live on this Earth, and are not an extraterrestrial creature. After accepting this, doesn’t a rational question arise: where are Gog and Magog currently found? Until 50 years ago, the answer to this question was that people had not yet seen the entire world, but today this answer has become meaningless. Today, every nook and cranny of this Earth has been explored, its mountains, deserts, oceans, and every rise and fall have been scoured. Thousands of satellites in space are monitoring every inch of the Earth, and no corner is hidden from their eyes. The question is, where is that specific group named Gog and Magog, mentioned in the discussed hadith, and whose population cannot consist of less than millions of individuals, currently located on this Earth? This question was answered by someone some time ago that Gog and Magog are hidden under the ice layers in the icy Atlantic Ocean. It’s possible that this answer might satisfy many people, but what to do about the fact that the people mentioned in the Hadith are humans, not fishes that swim under the ice.
Brother, the issue is not that the prevalent concept about Gog and Magog is against reason; in fact, this concept is against reality. If you consider this a lack of understanding on my part, please kindly respond to the question I have raised above, and if this matter is indeed contrary to reality, then consider how audacious it is to attribute such a contrary-to-reality statement to the Prophet. The rest, whatever is mentioned about Gog and Magog in other hadiths, I did not discuss it in my talk. Even if it is strange, I don’t consider it right to abandon the Hadith due to its strangeness. However, scholars have always been determining the purpose and meaning of such matters, and it will continue to be done today. Whatever is said will be evaluated in the light of knowledge and evidence. The author of ‘Qasas-ul-Quran’ himself has narrated the opinions of scholars on the famous hadith in Bukhari and Muslim, which mentions the Prophet’s dream about a hole in the wall of Gog and Magog. Reading it will give you an idea of how scholars differ in interpreting prophecies.
If you felt anything unpleasant, I request an apology.