Will you give information about mutawatir hadiths? How many mutawatir hadiths are there? What is the decree of denying mutawatir hadiths?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The first three centuries after the Migration are the period of the formation of the Islamic sciences. The materials to be needed in the centuries to come were collected; some of them were processed and some were made ready to be processed. Many scientific branches whose outlines were determined date back to that period.   

No science forms wholly in a short period of time like the lifespan of a person and becomes perfect. Perfection can occur based on its own conditions. Undoubtedly, the sound determination of the foundations is the basic condition for being unsurpassable. From this point of view, these early efforts, which would later serve as a cradle for a society, a civilization, a mindset and deep spiritual life initiatives, give the impression of a liveliness above any appreciation. The Companions were intertwined with the Messenger of Allah; Tabiun were intertwined with the Companions and the Era of Bliss. Therefore, when Tabau Tabiin came to the world as the third generation, they found themselves in a lively and sincere environment of science. They added more color and harmony to this scientific environment. 

The Quran and hadiths were the most important work and duty that filled the lives of Muslims with everything at that time. Methods were developed in order to understand the divine meaning and the wisdom of the Prophet at the highest level. The Quran and hadiths, which are the two main sources of the religion of Islam, began to be divided into branches, each of which would later become an independent branch of science, in this early period.

Hadith sciences are used as a common name for a large library of sciences divided into many branches and classes. The subject we deal with in this article is shaped within the framework of mutawatir hadiths, which have a very special place in this rich library. 

The main material of the science of hadith is formed by the part that we call “ahad hadith”, which is the subject of research in terms of the criteria of text, chain of narrators and narrator. Mutawatir hadiths are not searched in terms of chain of narrators and narrators due to their characteristics. Therefore, the parts on mutawatir hadiths in works related to hadith methodology are rather short. What is more, they are considered as a part of famous (mashhur) hadiths. Ibn Hajar states that there is a one-sided generality-specificity between mutawatir hadiths and famous hadiths: Every mutawatir hadith also has the characteristic of a famous hadith. However, not all famous hadiths are mutawatir.

As for the independent works (separate books) related to mutawatir hadiths, it is known that they were written quite late.

Before entering into details related to the issue, we need to explain briefly some of the terms that will be repeated a lot.

Tabaqa (Generation): It lexically means a congregation or group whose individuals resemble one another.¹ Terminologically, it means those who are close to one another in terms of age and hadith narrators or those who are at the same level in terms of hadith narrators. Accordingly, the Companions are a tabaqa. Tabiun are a tabaqa. Tabau Tabiin are a separate tabaqa.² 

Yaqin (Certainty): This word, which is widely used in the terminology of Islamic sciences, is used in the sense of the knowledge that mutawatir news (khabar) will produce in man. It means a creed in compliance with the reality, free from all worries of doubt and contains certainty, which is produced by mutawatir news.³ 

Ilm Daruri (Certain/Necessary Knowledge): It means knowledge that can be obtained and reached without needing any evidence or scientific research. To obtain ilm daruri is a distinctive quality of mutawatir hadith. Mashhur and ahad hadiths are not regarded as ilm daruri even if they are strengthened by some external evidences; they are regarded as ilm nazari.⁴ 

Ilm Nazari (Acquired Knowledge): It is the knowledge that a person acquires based on evidence and research. It is necessary for the addressees to be in a state to understand the evidences put forward to prove the issue for this knowledge to be meaningful. Ilm nazari is a quality of ahad hadiths.   

The Concept Mutawatir

Mutawatir is a word that grammatically indicates a doer. It means to appear one after another, or to appear with some pauses one after another.⁵ 

Tafsir scholars interpret the word “tatra”, which is derived from the same root as “mutawatir”, mentioned in the Quran as “following one another with some pauses”. Imam Suyuti explains the word “tatra” in verse 44 of the chapter of al-Muminun as “sent one after another (with a long time of pause between)”⁶; Tabari explains it in a narration from Ibn Abbas as “some of them following or after others”⁷ M. Hamdi Yazır translates it as follows: in his tafsir: “Then We sent our messengers in succession (one after another).”⁸ 

As a term, mutawatir is sometimes defined concisely and sometimes in detail, in a way that includes its conditions. Khatib al-Baghdadi defines it concisely as follows: “The news reported by a group that is impossible to agree on a lie. When some news reaches tawatur through this way, it expresses ilm daruri.”⁹ 

A more detailed definition that includes its conditions is as follows: The news received by a group that is impossible to agree on a lie from a group like them in terms of number; this chain reaches the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) like that. Such a relationship is possible when there is no interruption between groups; if those conditions exist, the news in question becomes true as if it was heard from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).¹⁰ 

Conditions of Mutawatir Hadiths

As it is understood from the content of the definition above, the news has to have the following three conditions to be mutawatir: 

1. The news must be reported by a group that is impossible to agree on a lie. Different numbers were mentioned about the number of the people in this group based on different evidences (four, five, ten, twelve...) but since the evidences were related to a different issue each, they were not accepted.¹¹ For, what matters here is not a certain number but the narration being reported by a group that is impossible to agree on a lie. Ibn Hajar states that a certain number is not in question regarding the issue and that it must be reported by a congregation in each generation.¹² 

2. The news must be related to an incident that was seen or heard. The plenitude or fewness of the witnesses for the things that are possible to prove or refute with evidences will not change the truth; therefore, it is not significant. For instance, there is no need for witnesses to prove that two plus two equals four because it does not affect the result; it is a mental issue.¹³ 

3. The news must have the quality of tawatur in all generations. For the hadith, it is necessary to have a big congregation to enable tawatur in the eras of the Companions and Tabiun. If the number of narrators is not enough for narrators in any generation, the news will not be mutawatir. As a matter of fact, many ahad khabars were narrated by a big congregation in the periods that followed. Similarly, if the news has tawatur in the first generation but if it cannot have tawatur in any of the middle or last generations, it will lose the quality of being mutawatir.¹⁴ 

Some other conditions are also mentioned in addition to those conditions. Some hadith scholars laid it as a condition for the narrators to be Muslims for tawatur. However, this condition was regarded as a special condition by hadith methodologists since the quality of the narrators, their being Muslims or belonging to other religions will not change the quality of mutawatir news.¹⁵ 

Parts of Mutawatir News

The mutawatir hadiths having the conditions mentioned above are divided into two in terms of the way of narration:

1. Mutawatir Lafzi (in Words): They are the hadiths that the narrators agree unanimously on the words of the hadith they narrate; when the word “mutawatir” is used in general, mutawatir lafzi is understood. The Quran’s reaching us through centuries by having all conditions of tawatur and by the unanimous agreement of the ummah in its original form is an example of mutawatir lafzi. This reality is accepted by the whole ummah. Nobody feels the need to ask the questions, 'Who are the narrators of the Quran? Do the narrators have the conditions of narration?'

Hadith scholars give the following hadith as an example of mutawatir lafzi hadiths:

“If a person tells a lie about me deliberately, let him get ready for his place in Hell.”¹⁶

Ibn Jawzi states in his book called Mawduat that sixty-one Companions narrated this hadith and he mentions the hadith with the narrators.¹⁷ Imam Suyuti states that the same hadith has more than a hundred narrators.¹⁸ 

Munawi states in the explanation of Jamius-Saghir that this hadith was narrated by two hundred Companions with the same meaning and similar words.¹⁹ Ibn Hajar states that ashara al-mubashshara (the ten Companions that were given the glad tidings of Paradise) narrated only this hadith unanimously, but no other hadiths.²⁰ 

2. Mutawatir Manawi (in Meaning): They are the narrations reported by the narrators having the conditions of tawatur about a common topic; they do not have to agree unanimously on the words of the hadith. What matters is agreeing unanimously on the common topic. The conditions of mutawatir manawi hadiths are evaluated from a different viewpoint compared to mutawatir lafzi hadiths; though they are reported with different words, they strengthen a common meaning and show that the topic is definite. Raising the hands in dua (supplication)²¹, the mischiefs to occur at the end of time, the pond (hawd), the splitting of the moon and hadiths in similar topics were reported like that. Mutawatir manawi hadiths are more than mutawatir lafzi hadiths in number. Besides, mutawatir manawi hadiths are divided into sahih (sound) and hasan and are examined by the science of hadith.     

Another concept that can be evaluated as mutawatir manawi is “mutawatir amali (in deeds)”.²² The times of prayers, the number of rak’ahs of prayers, eid prayers, janazah prayer etc. are practices like that. In addition, they resemble the consensus of a Muslim congregation about an issue. Thus, the issues that have tawatur have the consensus of this ummah, which is given the guarantee of not agreeing unanimously on something wrong.²³ 

Some scholars state that there is no mutawatir lafzi except the Quran since it is difficult for the conditions of mutawatir hadiths to occur²⁴ but the evidences they put forward were interpreted differently. The views of Ibn Salah regarding the issue were answered by Zaynuddin al-Iraqi²⁵ and Ibn Hajar; they attracted attention to the importance of mutawatir hadiths in the hadith collections.²⁶ 

The Decree of Mutawatir Hadith

Hadiths are indisputably important in terms of shaping the lives of believing people. At first, this effect is generally dominant in practical life without needing the division of mutawatir, mashhur and ahad; it can be said that there is consensus about it in the ummah – if some exceptional tendencies are not considered – regarding the issue. 

Mutawatir hadiths have a separate importance in that they form the basis for fiqh decrees. A khabar that is accepted by the whole ummah shows the immunity of the consensus of the ummah regarding the issue. Imam Sarakhsi deals with the issue in detail in his book called Usul. According to him, mutawatir hadiths are a manifestation of the wisdom of God Almighty. This principle has a separate value in that divine decrees do not end but continue with the death of messengers and it particularly shows the permanency of the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah up to the Day of Judgment. This connection can occur in its real sense through definite knowledge.²⁷ The Muslims who did not live in the Era of Bliss can attain that strong connection that they desire by reaching some issues as if they listen to them from the mouth of the Prophet. 

Imam Sarakhsi states the following regarding the decree of mutawatir hadith: “According to the scholars of our madhhab, every khabar (news) that is definite based on tawatur shows ilm daruri.”²⁸ 

The writer of Hujjiyyatus-Sunnah states the following when he mentions the quality of hadith as religious evidence: “A person who denies mutawatir khabar becomes an unbeliever because he denies something that comes from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), that is, he denies something that is related to the religion. Why should a person who denies the existence of Baghdad become an unbeliever?”²⁹ 

Fakhrul-Islam Bazdawi states that a person who denies a khabar that is determined as mutawatir hadith and who acts contrarily to that khabar will become an unbeliever.³⁰ Al-Qasimi states that it is obligatory to act in accordance with mutawatir news because such news shows ilm daruri.³¹ 

In conclusion, it can be said that mutawatir hadiths are definite bases of religious decrees. If a person denies a mutawatir hadith whose conditions occur fully, he faces the danger of becoming an unbeliever.

The Books on Mutawatir Hadiths

Books about the sciences of hadith started to be written in the first period. Hadith literature has a very rich book collection that grew every century with original books. 

Mutawatir hadiths are mentioned together with their narrators in sound hadith books in the places about their topics. Imam Sahawi mentions a book of Imam Zarkashi about mutawatir hadiths but he does not include any information about the book.³² 

Imam Suyuti, whom we owe a lot regarding many issues, breaks new ground here and compiles the necessary information:

“I intended to write a book on mutawatir hadiths that nobody had thought of writing before. I arranged the mutawatir hadiths according to the order of the chapters and included them in the book I named 'al-Azharul-Mutanasira fil-Akhbaril-Mutawatira'. Then, I summarized this book under the name 'Qatful-Azharil-Mutanasira fil-Akhbaril-Mutawatira'. I mentioned the ten Companions that narrated the hadith and famous hadith books that included this narration.”³³

Suyuti included a hundred and thirteen mutawatir hadiths in this book, which he introduced with the statement above. The book was printed in Beirut in 1985 as 312 pages. 

Another book is Ibn Tulun's (d. 953) “al-Laalil- Mutanasira fil-Ahadithil-Mutawatira”.

Abul-Fayd Muhammad Murtada al-Husayni az-Zabidi (d. 1205), who is known as Zabidi, summarized this book of Ibn Tulun and named it “Laqtul-Laalil-Mutanasira fil-Ahadithil-Mutawatira”.

Imam Zabidi mentions about sixty hadiths with their narrators and sources separately in the book which was published as critical edition for the first time in 1985; another feature of the book is that the places of the mutawatir hadiths mentioned in the book are shown in the books written on mutawatir.

Imam Zabidi mentions ninety-nine narrators of the hadith starting with “Man kadhaba...”³⁴, states that fifty people narrated the hadith of “Havd”³⁵ and mentions twenty-seven narrators of the hadith about “Isra”³⁶. He gives the names of twelve narrators for the hadith of “Shafa’ah”.

Sayyid Sharif Muhammad b. Jafar (d. 1345), who is known as al-Kattani, added the hadiths in Imam Suyuti's book al-Azhar to the mutawatir hadiths he determined, separated them into independent chapters and formed his book called “Nazmul- Mutanasira minal-Ahadithil-Mutawatira”.

Al-Kattani mentioned about three hundred and twenty mutawatir hadiths with the names of the Companions and Tabiun; then, he included the views of scholars –though briefly – about every hadith he mentioned. 

Although there is no limitation for the quantity and quality of the narrators in mutawatir hadiths, the names of the narrators are important in terms of giving an idea to the reader. Al-Kattani gives valuable information about mutawatir in detail at the beginning of his book. However, a technical work is necessary at least like the one in Zabidi’s book for this book to be more practical.    

Chain of narrators is a grace of God Almighty and a feature of this religion in terms of the importance and wide meaning it has for this ummah.³⁷ 

When the historical information that is fully based on reporting is taken into consideration, the advantage Islamic resources have will be understood better. The unnecessary and nonsensical things that can penetrate into historical incidents that are deprived of such protective sensitivity are too many to count. Ahmet Naim Efendi deals with the issue in detail and skillfully in the first volume of his “Tajrid Translation” in the articles called “Metodoloji'den Bir Bahis (A Topic from Methodology)”³⁸ and “Bir Mukayese (A Comparison)”³⁹. 

As we have mentioned above in some places, a person who does not accept the existence of the continent of America is thought to have a mental problem. However, when the issue is related to the Prophet of Allah, the criteria of the religion step in. Therefore, a person who denies a mutawatir hadith becomes like a person who does not accept one of the hadiths that are among the basic resources of the religion.

The first three centuries, which are “the Golden Age of the Islamic Sciences”, were the scene of the efforts of showing worthiness in the face of Allah's grace. The strong principles that were established are the products of the excessive efforts of the people of that era.

“They listened, memorized, searched, practiced and reported... Thus, the Sunnah started from those pure channels, passed through those through channels and reached us like the Book (the Quran)... And it will continue up to the Day of Judgment with centrifugal force...”40 

FOOTNOTES

1) Ibn Manzur, Lisanul-Arab, 'TBQ' item. 
2) Zafar Ahmad at-Tahanawi, Qawaid fi Ulumil-Hadith, p. 47, 48; Mücteba Uğur, Hadis Terimleri Sözlüğü, p. 380.
3) Ibn Hajar, Sharhun-Nukhba Nuzhatun-Nazar fi Tawdihi Nukhbatul-Fikar, p. 40. 
4) Nawawi, Sahihu Muslim bi Sharhin-Nawawi, Vol. 1, p. 20.
5) Asım Efendi, Kamus Tercemesi, Vol. 2, p. 735.
6) Suyuti, Tafsirul-Jalalayn, Vol. 2, p. 47. 
7) at-Tabari, Jamiul-Bayan, Vol. 18, p. 24. 
8) Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur'ân Dili Vol. 5, p. 3455. 
9) Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-Kifaya fi Ilmir-Riwaya, p. 61; Ibn Abdilbar, Jamiu Bayanil-Ilm wa Fadlihi, Vol. 2, p. 34
10) Sarakhsi, Usulus-Sarakhsi, Vol. 1, p. 282-283. Abdul-Aziz al-Bukhari, Kashful-Asrar an Usuli Fakhril-Islam al-Bazdawi, Vol. 2, p. 671.
11) Ibn Hajar, Sharhun-Nukhba Nuzhatun-Nazar fi Tawdihi Nukhbatul-Fikar, p. 38. Abdul-Hay al-Laknawi, Zafarul-Amani Mukhtasarul-Jurjani, p. 40. Muhammad b. Abdulhamid al-Asmandi, p. 383.
12) Ibn Hajar, Sharhun-Nukhba, p. 38; Fathul-Bari, Vol. 1, p. 246.
13) Ibn Hajar, Sharhun-Nukhba, p. 39.
14) Ahmed Naim, Tecrid-i Sarih Tercemesi, Vol. 1, p. 102.
15) Laknawi, Zafarul-Amani, p. 43, 44; Ali Osman Koçkuzu, Rivayet İlimlerinde Haber-i Vahidlerin İtikad ve Teşri Yönlerinden Değeri, p. 61. 
16) Bukhari, Ilm, 38; Muslim, Iman 113; Abu Dawud; Ilm, 4; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 80; Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 4; Darimi, Muqaddima, 25; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 1, p. 65, 70, 78.
17) Ibnul-Jawzi, Mawduat, Vol. 1, p. 56.
18) Suyuti, Tadribur-Rawi, p. 177. 
19) Munawi, Faydul-Qadir Sharhu Jamiis-Saghir, Vol. 6, p. 216.
20) Ibn Hajar, Fathul-Bari, Vol. 1, p. 246; Laknawi, Zafarul-Amani, p.40. 
21) Suyuti, Tadribur-Rawi, p. 375.
22) Ibrahim b. Ali al-Kulayb, Muhimmatu Ulumil-Hadith, p. 91. 
23) Ibn Abdilbar, Jamiu Bayanil-Ilm wa Fadlihi, Vol. 2, p. 34. Muhammad b. Abdulhamid al-Asmandi, p. 383.
24) Ibn Salah, Ulumul-Hadith, p. 267.
25) Zaynuddin al-Iraqi, at-Taqyid wal-Izah, p. 265.
26) Ibn Hajar, Sharhun-Nukhba, 42.
27) Sarakhsi, Usulus-Sarakhsi, Vol. 1, p. 284.
28) Sarakhsi, Usulus-Sarakhsi, Vol. 1, p. 291; Abdul-Aziz al-Bukhari, Kashful-Asrar an Usuli Fakhril-Islam al-Bazdawi, Vol. 2, p. 659.
29) Abdul-Ghani Abdul-Khaliq, Hujjiyyatus-Sunna, p. 253.
30) Abdul-Aziz al-Bukhari, Kashful-Asrar, Vol. 2, p. 671.
31) M. Jamaladdin al-Qasimî, Qawaidut-Tahdith min Fununi Mustalahil-Hadith, p. 151; Ibn Hajar, Sharhun-Nukhba, p. 42. 
32) Sahawi, Fathul-Mughith, Vol.3, p. 44.
33) Suyuti, Tadribur-Rawi, p. 374.
34) Muhammad Murtada al-Husayni az-Zabidi, Laqtul-Laalil-Mutanasira fil-Ahadithil-Mutawatira, p. 263. 
35) az-Zabidi, ibid. p. 229. 
36) az-Zabidi, ibid. p. 78. 
37) Nawawi, Sahihu Muslim bi Sharhin-Nawawi, Vol. 1, p. 84.
38) Ahmed Naim, ibid. Vol. 1, p. 82.
39) Ahmed Naim, ibid. Vol. 1, p. 9.

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