إشكالية حديث الجارية: دراسةٌ حديثيةٌ نقديةٌ

The Problematic Phenomenon of the Hadith al-Jariyah: A Critical Hadith Study

Abstract

The noble Islamic religion is the religion that Allah has chosen for His servants and commanded us to follow. There is no real contradiction in its definitive texts. This research, in fact, stems from the doctrinal problem caused by the hadith al-jariyah (Hadith of the Slave Girl). In the Islamic creed, as affirmed by the early generations and later scholars, and agreed upon by the Islamic nation, it is established that Allah, the Exalted, does not resemble His creations. He is the Creator of space, time, the heavens, and the earth, and therefore, He does not need space, time, or anything from His creations. It is impossible for Him, Glorified and Exalted, to be contained or confined in the heavens or any other place. However, the apparent meaning of the hadith al-jariyah is misleading, suggesting a resemblance between Allah and His creation. It implies that Allah, the Exalted, is contained in a place, namely the heavens. This contradicts the clear verses of the Quran and authentic Hadith, as well as the consensus established in the works of scholars and the rational evidence that Allah does not need anything from His creations. In this study, the researcher employed three methodologies: the inductive approach, analytical methodology, and critical methodology. The inductive approach was used to explore the foundational heritage for information related to the topic from available books. The analytical methodology was employed to scrutinize the extracted information from its sources, aiming to understand its elements and intricacies in order to place it in its proper context. The critical methodology involved reviewing the extracted information from its sources to verify the accuracy of its elements and the soundness of its content, integrating them into the overall analysis. From this research, it is found that the hadith al-jariyah cannot be relied upon to prove the concept of place or any limitation for Allah, as it reveals the extent of disturbance and complexities within it, preventing its use as evidence in doctrinal matters.