# On what principles can a hadith in Bukhari be rejected, and may ordinary Muslims do so?

*Creed requires mutawatir hadith; Mufti Abu Layth's three principles for rejecting a report; the gecko hadith*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmsmkldegso/s/5/
- Date: 2018-04-01 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Reflections on Sh. Hassan Ali's video of Jesus Christ's 2nd coming - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (18:17–22:12)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMSmkLdEgSo&t=1097s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmsmkldegso/

**Topics:** Text criticism, reason and the Quran; Mutawatir and certainty; False and fabricated hadith

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** A valid chain is not enough: a report must not go against reason, the established Quran and Sunnah, or the principles of Islam, and the Hanafi-Maturidi majority require mutawatir hadith for creed. Lay people may suspend a hadith that troubles them while seeking guidance; the gecko hadith is given as a report Mufti Abu Layth considers made up.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that a hadith with a valid chain must still be rejected if it goes against reason, the established Quran and Sunnah, or the principles of Islam, that creed requires mutawatir reports according to the Hanafi and Maturidi majority, that lay people may suspend a hadith that troubles them while seeking guidance, and that the gecko hadith is made up.

**Evidence, his words at 20:00:** “there you go that's my methodology and if any hadith clashes with these things it's unacceptable unacceptable” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMSmkLdEgSo&t=1200s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth corrects Hassan Ali's claim that any hadith can be made part of aqidah: according to the Hanafis and Maturidis, who make up the bulk of Sunni Muslims, only firmly established, mutawatir hadith can, and the debate over ijma and tawatur was originally a matter of usul al-fiqh and creed, brought into hadith studies only later by Ibn al-Salah; Hassan Ali may hold otherwise, but that is not the Hanafi method he represents. To the consistency challenge, whether one who rejects a hadith in Bukhari will be consistent, he answers yes, and states his principles: once a chain is checked and valid, a report cannot go against reason, which the books of hadith terminology put first, cannot go against the established Quran and Sunnah, and cannot uproot the principles of Islam, as found in Ibn Hazm [?], Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Suyuti and others [?]; any hadith clashing with these is unacceptable. Asked whether lay people may do this, he says the common people have not studied the science and should consult scholars, but if a hadith troubles them as going against Islam they may safely suspend practising it while seeking clarification. As an example he gives the hadith in Bukhari and, he believes, Muslim, that killing a gecko earns a hundred rewards in the first strike, fewer in the second and third, because a gecko blew on the fire of Ibrahim; he says one lizard could not have affected the fire, that lizards are not conscious planners, and that the hadith is made up.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Hassan Ali
- aqidah
- mutawatir
- ijma'
- Hanafi school
- Maturidi
- usul al-fiqh
- Ibn al-Salah
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Sahih Muslim
- a hadith must not contradict reason, the Quran and established Sunnah, or uproot a principle of Islam
- Ibn Hazm [?]
- Ibn al-Jawzi
- al-Suyuti
- report: whoever kills a gecko in the first strike has a hundred rewards
- Ibrahim (Abraham)

## Transcript (machine tier, 18:17–22:12)

[18:01] his principles he says I would like to fair play to him though he said about each man and stuff this kind of stuff is always debated and motiroti he does make a point in saying he feels that in motiroti any hadith can be made into art either - correct - correct the chef now according to the Hadees and the motto leaders who make up the bulk of the Sunni Muslims that is not true okay only firmly established hadith like so many what they do call whatever you know this discussion on what Awad there was actually an updated discussion first had nothing to do with hadith it was even a

[18:41] Salah who kind of brings it into hadith but these people it was nothing to do with hadith initially it was to do with soon o solar effect and soon of Ikeda right so he says that they don't have to be motivated that's not true according to the majority of the scholars they do have to be motivated so just to correct the sheriff that he that might be his opinion I respect that but that's not the the method he represents like the hanafi madhhab that's not the Hanafy method right so right he highlights f7 or so argument which he can summer he asks look if a person if you reject a

[19:21] hadith in Bukhari will you be consistent of course I will I'll be consistent in rejecting and he asks what is your principles look my principles are simple I'll highlight them to see if I have eath is valid you check the chain once that's fine then three these are the principles right here as they in the books of hadith by the way these are in masala hadith by even has imbibed nor Josey even to the rebar ah we've so UT they all mentioned these things that it cannot go against reason number one that's a they actually put it as number one it cannot go against the established

[20:00] Quran and Sunnah and he cannot approve the prints of Islam that's my principle I'm happily shaved my principles with you he asked that what are the principles of methodology there you go that's my methodology and if any hadith clashes with these things it's unacceptable unacceptable he said would you allow other people to do this of course as to the common lay people look I as I've said before in my dialogue on the AMA in my lecture on the age of Aisha common people don't understand like they don't haven't studied this science so I would say to

[20:39] them if they confused about hadith they should speak to scholars but if it bothers them but they feel that this hadith must goes against Islam for them in the understanding then I would say it's safe for you to not practice that honey even if you haven't consulted but if you felt it went against your understanding of Islam you can suspend it right that's absolutely fine and then you can seek guidance on it and you can seek clarification nothing wrong with that so if you find a hadith for example saying you know let's say that you find a hadith about I don't know something

[21:17] saying you can kill yourself or you can do these or you think I don't think my understanding of Islam doesn't allow that well you find this hadith that says oh every time you kill a lizard a gecko you get all these rewards which is in Buhari and by the way and in I believe it's in Muslim as well but it's so every time you kill a lizard you get all these rewards and and that hadith makes no sense okay because the hadith says the reason you kill them is because the gecko the small lizard blew into the fire of Ibrahim Ali sanam to kind of

[21:51] make it heat it up you think come on so what would one lizard do to the fire of ibraheem alehissalaam and even if you didn't want to kill that lizard why are you killing all these lizards like a doubt it these lizards did that and it's I doubt it lizards or conscious beings like they don't plan I think I'm gonna get you back like so lizards and it says if you kill the lizard in the one go you get a hundred rewards and if you kill it in two girls you get like I think fifty or something and if you kill it in three girls you get ten or something it mentions this

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment ZMSmkLdEgSo/s/5. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmsmkldegso/s/5/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.