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Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief Zulq'idah 16, 1428. November 26, 2007. #91

Pakistan: Latest: November 25, 2007: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, arrived in Lahore, on a Saudi plane, after nearly 7 years of exile and was greeted by enthusiastic crowds from his Muslim League Party [not to be confused with Musharraf's Muslim League]. Two Mercedes cars donated by Saudi Arabia took him from the airport in a miles long cavalcade through the night, with dances and drums along the way, to the shrine of Data Gunj Bukhsh, the most popular of the saints buried in Lahore. The city itself is the stronghold of Nawaz Sharif and his extremely wealthy landholding family. Speaking to the crowds and to journalists, Nawaz Sharif said repeatedly that he had not returned after making any deal with Musharraf. His deal, he said, is with "the people." There can be no compromise with Musharraf, he said, and on November 29 a decision will be made whether to boycott the elections being held by Musharraf or to take part. However by early November 26, Sharif had signed up to take part in elections.
New Trend predicted several months back, during our analysis of the Red Mosque tragedy, that the U.S. working with Musharraf will bring in Ms. Bhutto, and if that doesn't work, the next entry will be Nawaz Sharif. Sharif's first visited ended abruptly. However, during Negroponte's recent visit to Pakistan, Musharraf got some blunt advice from the U.S. [Israel] to restore "democracy." Within hours, 3000 of the 5000 prisoners Musharraf held were released. Then Musharraf personally went to Saudi Arabia and negotiated the immediate return of Nawaz Sharif.
New Trend's analysis is that the real struggle is between the forces of Islam and the Pakistan military backed by the U.S.-Israel. The Benazir, and now Nawaz Sharif, show is meant to create the impression that these secularist groups are genuine opposition to Musharraf and are retaking Pakistan for the Pakistani people. The facts we have on file indicate that just as Benazir represents the feudal lords of Pakistan [Sind in particular], Nawaz Sharif represents the big landholders, segments of industrialists and sections of the army.

These groups will try to pre-empt Jamaat-e-Islami and to include it in their "democratic movement." If Jamaat-e-Islami decides to oblige them, hoping to reach more segments of the middle class, a stamp of legality will be placed on the drama "for democracy" which is being played out.
For the real story on Pakistan, please SCROLL DOWN to our reports on HEAVY new fighting in northern Pakistan and attacks in Rawalpindi.

Our America

Growing Secularization of Religion: Nothing is holy for Many Americans

November 16, 17: Philadelphia: Eight churches were vandalized and ransacked during two nights of "fun" by unidentified groups of young people. As a result, Sunday services could not be held. [Source: KYW Radio, Philadelphia.]November 20: Decatur, Georgia: Archbishop Paulk, the Pastor of a mega church, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church, committed incest with his brother's wife. He passed off his child from the sin as his "nephew" for years till the child grew up. DNA testing has now shown that the "nephew," D.E. Paulk, himself a Pastor now, is the Pastor's son. The paternity test came owing to a law suit. [Source: Fox News.] The church several years back legitimized homosexuality.

Larry King for once is snubbed, live, on air by Dr. Jan Adams! Hegemonist Permits no Criticism of His "Dramas"

November 21, repeated November 24 on CNN
In a very rare snub, Dr. Jan Adams, the physician of Dondo West, Kanye's mother, who died in surgery, walked off Larry King's show. King is well established and never permits anyone to criticize him. His interviews are set up in such a way that he is the only one who cannot be questioned.

Dr. Adams had come on the set to talk to King but walked off after getting a message from the West family. Kanye was among the first celebrities to condemn Bush and the war on Iraq. Larry King is a Zionist Jew who has not only never permitted criticism of himself but also of Israel.

War will Continue: Bush Rejects Murtha-Obey Plan to Start withdrawal in December 2008

November 20, 2007: Congressmen Murtha and Obey offered a $50 billion dollar package to President Bush to support the U.S. forces in Iraq if Bush would agree to withdraw U.S. forces starting December 2008 [about one year from now]. Bush rejected the bill.Thus the war remains open ended.

In November 2006, American voters supported the Democrats on the basis that they would start IMMEDIATE withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Over a year later the Dems are offering the START of withdrawal in December 2008 and are rejected by Bush. Is this democracy? You gotta be kiddin'!

Books from New Trend
Zionism: The Myth and the Reality by Dr. Ismail Zayid. Valuable and factual documentation of the real issues related to Israel. Deserves wide circulation. Dr. Zayid, a Palestinian intellectual living in Canada, is known for his consistent stand on the rights of the Palestinian people. Paperback, $6.

The Struggle of Muslim Women by Dr. Kaukab Siddique. The first book in the English language to document the equality of men and women in Islam based entirely on the Qur'an and the authentic Hadith. Many have used and copied this book as it went through 4 editions. Others have plagiarized it, claiming its main points as their own. [Remaindering for $10 a copy.]

Both available from: New Trend, P.O. Box 356, Kingsville, MD 21087

Jamaat al-Muslimeen [News] [one item only]
P.O. Box 10881
Baltimore, MD 21234

Outreach: 140 People at ICNA Center Get Jamaat Message: Jamaica, New York: ICNA is a sleepy mess!

November 23, 2007: After Juma' salaat, Jamaat al-Muslimeen gave Islamic literature to 140 people at ICNA's masjid on 89th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Of these, 55 were given selected reports from back numbers of New Trend [as samples], 45 were given a large card outlining the struggle of Imam Warith Deen Umar. Another 40 were given the new Jamaat card profiling five Islamic political prisoners: Imam Jamil, Shaikh Omar, Ahmed Abdel Sattar , Masaud Khan and Dr. Ali Timimi.

Jamaat al-Muslimeen rep from Manhattan, Sis. Aisha was there: a young sister with acute understanding of issues related to the internal struggle in America's communities.

It was very obvious that ICNA's leadership has kept its audiences very much in the dark about Islamic issues. The people coming out of Juma' did not know about Imam Warith Deen Umar although his struggle has been reflected in the media across New York repeatedly. Only one person knew of him [out of 45] and he was from Albany [upstate NY] where the Imam lives.

The khutba at the center was lifeless. The khateeb, an elderly gentleman, spoke as if he was under some kind of duress to speak: dull, droning in a monotone, boring and irrelevant to any issue Muslims are facing. He spoke as if he was reading a book and didn't know how to!

The funny part of the khutba was that right at the end, the khateeb suddenly said [when people were straightening their lines for prayer] "I forgot: there is someone here to collect funds for Imam Jamil. Please help him: He has suffered too much."

Editorial comment: Who was this collecting for Imam Jamil? We hope it was not the hustler whose initials are M.S. If the collector was genuine, alhamdulillah!

ICNA is a mess. It is difficult to believe that this group at one time claimed to be in the line of Syed Maudoodi (rahmatullah alaih). Now it is led or misled by confused persons. ICNA claimed that Muslims working in World Trade Center were "martyrs." People like Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah have left their mark on ICNA. Shah tried to spread confusion about the Sunnah of Crescent Sighting for Ramadan and Eid! While Islam is under attack, Shah tried to get people involved about the Crescent as if the Sunnah does not exist. Is this what ICNA is all about?

Annapolis, Maryland: USA-Israel's Self-Delusion Based on Idea that the people in Arab, African, Muslim Countries can be fooled by Power Propaganda
"Saudi" Arabia ignoring Islam once Again: A Specific Incident of Deviance

New Trend Special Report
November 27, 2007: Democracy is supposed to express the will of the people.

Has anyone asked the Palestinian people if they will accept Israel or talks with Israel? No.

Has anyone asked the populations of the Arab countries if they will accept Israel? No.

Has the idea of meeting Israeli representatives been checked out with the people of Gaza and the West Bank? No.

Even if Israel had been a legitimate entity, would it have the right to ignore the fact that it destroyed Lebanon through systematic bombardment of the civilian infrastructure? No. Israel should be in an international court to be tried for crimes against humanity.

Finally, have the American people been permitted to discuss or hear/watch discussions about Israel's legitimacy? No. Even President Carter who compared Israel's behavior to Apartheid dared not raise the issue of Israel's legitimacy. Similarly, two professors from Chicago who analyzed the Israel lobby and made waves dared not question Israel's legitimacy. Critics of Israel such as Noam Chomsky and Amy Goodman [both Jewish] have helped to define the issue as "Israel's misbehavior and atrocities" and to cloud the issue of Israel's legitimacy.
For the 80% people of Africa who are Muslim, for the Arab nations, for Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Muslims in India, Philippines, South Thailand, Israel is a usurper, terrorist entity implanted by force in the heartland of Islam.

On what basis can there be talks with Israel? The basis is naked American power. However, Islam only recognizes the power of Allah Almighty. Hence the futility of flaunting American-Israeli power in the face of the Muslim world.

"Saudi" Arabia Once Again Violates Islamic Law: Obeys U.S. order to come to Annapolis

November 25, 2007: Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that Saudis will be in Annapolis because there is an "Arab consensus" on being there.

One would be justified to ask: How can there be an Arab consensus when the Arabic speaking people's voice has not been heard. Probably Saud al-Faisal means the agreement of the Arab rulers to attend Annapolis at the orders of the U.S. At least 50% of the people of "Saudi" Arabia, WOMEN, are not allowed to drive cars, let alone participate in decision making processes at the highest level. The Saudis are bitterly opposed to the way of Muhammad, pbuh, as exemplified by Khadija, r.a., Ayesha, r.a., Fatima, r.a., Umm Ammara, r.a., Umm Waraqa, r.a., Sumayya, r.a., and other great women of Islam.

The Saudi rulers have prided themselves on following Islam. The people of Arabia have participated at a very high level in the Islamic resistance. Only recently, evidence was found that a very high percentage of the fighters coming in to help the resistance in Iraq are from "Saudi" Arabia and Libya. Most observers agree that Osama bin Laden would get more votes in Arabia today if free elections were held than any Saudi prince. On what basis can Saud al-Faisal talk of the "Arab Consensus?" Is he trying to fool the American people by coming on CNN and claiming that Arabic speaking people have a consensus on talking to Israel?No genuine Muslim, no decent person wants to talk to Israel. Check it out.

Finally, remember that the Islamic will of the Palestinian people is expressed through Hamas, not through Mahmoud Abbas. Even if supposedly Hamas were to renege, it would be replaced by other Islamic movements wating in the wings.

Latest WAR NEWS FROM IRAQ: [Collected from wire services.]

November 24, 2007: The northern city of Kirkuk has been placed under curfew as U.S. and al-Malilki's Shi'ite troops launched a crackdown to crush resistance. [By November 25, according to Kuwait news, 157 people had been arrested as Al-Qaida suspects.]

November 23: Al Qaida attack on a police post in Mosul killed 13. An extreme case of Al-Qaida violence has been reported from Diyala province where a woman who joined al-Qaida beheaded, with the help of a relative, two of her relatives who were known for drinking and supporting the U.S. [November 25, more U.S. troops are entering Diyala province.]

November 22; Al-Qaida-in-Iraq fighters captured two Humvees from the Shi'ite-U.S. military in South Baghdad, killed the three soldiers in them and then attacked a Sunni group working with the U.S. killing 7. An F-16 from the U.S. air force dropped a 500-pound bomb on a vehicle coming up to help al-Qaida. The eight people in it were killed.
As U.S. troops in Baghdad's Green Zone celebrated Thanksgiving, the area came under mortar attack from al-Qaida. Ten explosions were heard but details have not been released.

The Pentagon has announced that 32 U.S. troops were killed and 181 wounded in the first three weeks of November. However no details were given and news of the fighting in Iraq has been censored 100% from U.S. TV channels. U.S. public is being given the impression that the war is just about over. [Editor's note: This censorship could help the Republican Party in elections as it reduces, drastically, the Iraq issue from public attention.]

LATEST WAR NEWS from Pakistan [Corrections/clarifications welcome.]

Pak Military's Ring of Fire and steel in Swat: 100,000 Refugees: Resistance Continues: Heavy Clashes

November 24, 25: Heavy clashes between Taliban mujahids and Pak troops continued. Pak army spokesman says, the army has captured several positions.

[November 25: In a region of North Waziristan, a Pak military post came under attack.]

November 22, 23: Pakistani military forces imposed curfew in the urban areas of Swat. During a window of pre-curfew warnings, vast numbers of civilians left their homes and have been placed in refugee camps. Their numbers are conservatively placed at 100,000. The army is softening up the resistance of the local Taliban with the steady use of helicopter gunships and long range artillery. Military censorship has been imposed but refugees say at least 100 more civilians and 30 Taliban have been killed.

Heavy clashes erupted when the military tried to take Taliban positions. In one area, Alipur, the Taliban withdrew into the hills. A massive explosion was heard at Pak military positions near Mingora but details are not available. Maulvi Fazlullah's forces say that the withdrawal from Alipur was tactical.

Pak forces have stopped supply of food to areas supportive of the Islamic resistance. Starvation is setting in on the third day. Independent report says Pakistani elite forces, the best in the world, could not push the Taliban out of their positions and both sides suffered heavy losses.

Martyr-bombers Attack Pak Military Headquarters and ISI Intelligence Center in Rawalpindi

November 24, 2007: At 8 A.M. a martyrdom operator in a pickup car struck a bus loaded with General Musharraf's intelligence service men. The car followed the bus into the intelligence center once known as Ojri camp renamed Hamza Center. The military sealed off the entire area after the massive explosion which could be heard for miles and terrified the people of the city. Reports indicate that all the 60 intelligence operatives in the bus were incinerated; however, official spokesmen say that 20 were killed on the spot and 10 in hospital: the rest it says were wounded and may die. [An emergency has been declared in military hospitals.
Simultaneously, a second martyr-bomber audaciously tried to walk into the military's General Headquarters [GHQ]. He was tackled by the guards at the inner entrance, whereupon he detonated, killing 4 military men and wounding 15.
ISI, Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence, is known for torture of Islamist activists. It handed over several hundreds Muslims from Chehnya, Uzbekistan and Arab countries to the U.S. [Now in Guantanamo Bay.] Several thousand Pakistanis have "disappeared" in ISI raids.
Pakistani reports indicate that these attacks are probably in retaliation for the massacre of civilians and Islamic activists ongoing in Swat at the hands of the military. The root of the current war in Pakistan is seen by observers in Musharraf's attack on the Red Mosque and the Women's University, Jamia Hafsa.

Baluch Leader Killed in U.S. Air Attack: Baluchis Protest in Quetta and across Baluchistan
November 20, 21, 22: Various reports indicate that Baluch rebel leader Balach Marri, who had taken refuge in Afghanistan, was killed in a U.S. air raid. The U.S. probably mistook his caravan, which was not seeking concealment, for the Taliban and bombed it. The U.S. bombs any movement which is not strictly seen as pro-Karzai. Sometimes Karzai's men are bombed too.
As news of Marri's killing came in, Baluch populations in Quetta and in towns across Baluchistan came out to protest. In Quetta, Baluch women in mourning protested in the streets all day on Nov. 21 and 22. Violence flared across the city at night and three policemen were gunned down.The Baluchis blame Musharraf for the murder. This could be true because Pak intelligence and the U.S. air force often work together.

In PARACHINAR, cease fire is in effect [Nov.24] but fighting continues in outlying areas between Sunni militants and heavily armed Shi'ites backed by the regime. Another 51 people have been killed in exchanges of automatic weapons fire and rockets.

Afghanistan: Senlis Group Warns, Taliban Approaching Kabul, Hold Most of Southern Afghanistan

November 20: Senlis, a group which was supposed to be non-political and involved only in reconstruction activity has come out openly for a military solution. The group warns that the current NATO force of 40,000 is not enough to stop the Taliban and should be increased to 80,000, otherwise the Taliban will take over.

Numerous reports of fighting in Afghanistan are available. In all cases, the Taliban have the initiative. However, in each case, the U.S. air force retaliates with bombing raids. The bombing is followed by claims from the Kabul regime that so many Taliban have been killed. The total claim till now for 6 months is that 6,000 Taliban have been killed. This sounds like propaganda out of control. It would mean, if wounded were included, that 50% of the Taliban's total strength has been wiped out. Our analysis is that the Kabul clique [Karzai] wants to give the impression that the Taliban cannot win and are being wiped out.

Whatever verification is possible indicates that Taliban losses are negligible. U.S. air attacks have killed more than 500 civilians and wounded about 1500. Some reports show that Islamic fighters from across the Muslim world are entering Afghanistan. The entire Taliban leadership is intact and functioning. Karzai has been requesting talks but has been rebuffed.

Here are a few incidents in the wire services and Pakistani Urdu media:
November 25: Near Kabul, an Italian soldier was killed and 3 wounded in a Taliban attack.

November 24: At Zawar in Khost province two U.S. military vehicles blew up when they were hit by a martyrdom operator. Six U.S. troops were killed. The troops panicked and opened fire at random distances killing several civilians.

November 23: In Oruzgan province, a commando from the Australian army was killed in a fire fight with Taliban. [Two were killed in October.]
In the Arghandab area, [ Kandahar province] two Canadian troops were killed when their armored vehicle was ambushed. The U.S. air force retaliated with heavy bombardment and claimed numerous Taliban killed but ground reports say they withdrew without losses before the bombing. Near Kandahar, seven Afghan policemen working for the U.S. were killed in a Taliban attack.

A U.S report says that 207 NATO troops have been killed this year, including 100 U.S. troops. Details are lacking. [This was before the incidents we have reported here.]

Archive
Imam Bukhari: Giant of Hadith Scholarship who Stands in way of Attempts to Misinterpret the Qur'an
An Introduction For New Muslims and Western-educated Muslims

By Kaukab Siddique, Ph.D

Shawwal 13, 1428 was the anniversary of Imam Bukhari's birth in 194 Hijri. His name is Muhammad and he was known as Abu Abdullah. "Bukhari" refers to his place of birth, the city of Bukhara, located in Tajikistan, 38 miles west of Samarkand. I'll begin with two authentic Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) collected by Imam Bukhari . These teachings are very important in the Islamic culture around the world:

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrates:

The messenger of Allah was asked: Who is deserving of loving care and concern? He (the Prophet) replied:

YOUR MOTHER. And then whom (he was asked). He said:

Your MOTHER. And then? (he was asked) Your Mother (he said). And then? (the questioner continued). He said:

Your father. (al-adab al-mufrad by Imam Bukhari)

(Abi Bakra, Allah be pleased with him, narrates about Prophet Muhammad, pbuh):
He said:

Your blood, your goods and your honor are as much protected and safe (forever) as is this day (of Arafa) in this month (of Hajj). Be aware and those of you who are here (today) should pass this on to those who are not here.

(Sahih of Imam Bukhari)

The revolutionary impact of these teachings can be understood if one realizes that Arabia (and the world) was a male dominated society in which there was no concept of basic human rights. The first Hadith puts a woman (the mother) as three times more important than the dominant male. The second hadith gives the protection of Islamic law to life, property and honor (especially the rights of women) and makes these rights as sacred as the holiest days of the Islamic pilgrimage.

Who was the man who made sure that these were authentic teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and hence teachings which must be integral to any Islamic community?

Abu Abdullah Muhammad, son of Ismail, al-Bukhari was sharp of intellect with a memory which has had few equals. HE MEMORIZED THE ENTIRE QUR'AN at the AGE OF 9. At the age of 10, he turned his attention to the study of Hadith. At the age of 16, following the performance of Hajj, he decided to stay in Makka and make the holy city the center of his studies.

A remarkable fact about Imam Bukhari's early life is that his basic teacher was his mother, a woman of great learning and Islamic awareness. His father Ismail was also an Islamic teacher of piety and learning but he died when the Imam was little.

As he forayed into his study, research and collection of Hadith, Imam Bukhari studied in the schools of Hadith led by the greatest teachers of his era. Later, he himself became the teacher of the greatest scholars of his era. His final book of Hadith, known as al-jami us-Sahih, has been recognized around the world as a source book of Islam SECOND ONLY TO THE QU'RAN.

At that time Islam was a world power and the great and the powerful wanted to use the Qur'an and the Hadith to support their own version of Islam. The last of the SAHABA (companions of the Prophet) died in the year 110 after Hijrah. Hence the possibility of people misquoting the Prophet became very real.

Imam Bukhari understood that sponsorship by vested interests is detrimental to objective Islamic teachings. HENCE THE IMAM STAYED STRICTLY AWAY FROM THE POWER STRUCTURE. He was never a servant or courtier of any ruler, local, regional or national.

Secondly, IMAM BUKHARI AVOIDED USING HIS KNOWLEDGE TO ENRICH HIMSELF. Like Allama Iqbal in our own times, he seemed to have lived in the light of a (not so well authenticated) hadith of the Prophet that:

"Poverty is my pride." This is a self-imposed poverty for the sake of independence and openness to all ways of thinking beyond the "party line."

He would earn his living by trade and as a merchant and then would give away his profits, thus returning to his meager means. On some of his journeys, he almost died of starvation rather than beg the local bigwigs for help.

In his research on Hadith, he set standards which are stricter than any known even in our own times of immediate technologically available information. Some of these need to be mentioned here:

1. Did a person who narrated Hadith from a Companion of the Prophet actually meet the Companion, and was that Companion with the Prophet in such-and-such incident?

2. What was the character of a narrator of Hadith?

3. What was his/her memory like? What was his/her age at the time of narration?

4. Was the chain of narrators complete, had a missing link in it or was it fabricated?

5. Which Hadith are linked to which verses of the Qur'an?

6. Sometimes partisans can speak the truth. How does one accept Hadith from narrators who were Shi'ite, Khariji or pro-Caliph?

7. Honest collection of Hadith if objective rules apply but the content is not appealing. (Thus the Hadith literature is an uncensored account of how the SAHABA saw, heard and thought of the Prophet and his era. It leaves critical commentary to scholars and application/implementation to mujtahideen who use their reason to understand the Qur'an and the Hadith.)

FALSE IDEAS ABOUT IMAM BUKHARI

The Zionist Jews who want to destroy Islam have been spreading doubts about Hadith. Goldziher and Schacht's work against Hadith has been fed into missionary publications. From here some sincere but mislead Muslim scholars picked up the attack on Hadith. One important misled but sincere person was Ghulam Ahmed Pervez who wrote extensively against Hadith. Dr. Fazlur Rahman sincerely believed that the ISNAD or chains of narration of Hadith had been invented in the third century of Islam. His work gained popularity among western-educated Muslims till Dr. Azmi published his research which showed not only authenticity of ISNAD but also that Hadith was written down in every era of early Islam, starting with the time of the Prophet and the Sahaba.

Some misled sectarians believe that Bukhari's Hadith narration was meant to help the Ummayed rulers who had, according to the sectarian line, "usurped the right of hazrat Ali" to be the Caliph. This idea is totally absurd because Imam Bukhari was not alive during the entire Ummayad dynasty. The Ummayeds ruled Rajab 60 hijri to zulhijjah 132 hijri and 4 years of turmoil after that. Imam Bukhari was born in 194. So he could not have been influenced by the political power of the "ruling Ummayads."

There are others who see traces of Shi'ism in Imam Bukhari's collection. These again are off the mark. The Abbasids established their regime in 136. When the greatest Abbasi, Haroon ar-Rasheed, began his rule, Imam Bukhari's birth was still one year away. When the powerful Mamun ar-Rasheed was ruling, Imam Bukhari had just started his studies and had moved to Makka, which was outside the Baghdad orbit of Abbasid influence.

Some misled people believe that most Hadith must have been false and hence Imam Bukhari selected so few out of "six million." This idea is based on total lack of understanding of Hadith. In Hadith studies, not only the mtn (the text) of what the Prophet said but also each chain of narration (sanad) of that hadith counts as one hadith. Thus the first text in Bukhari's SAHIH:

"Actions shall be judged by intentions ..." had 700 chains of narration; hence in Hadith literature that one text would count as 700 hadith.

Some people justify their own ignorance. They think that Bukhari was a narrator of Hadith which he was not. He was a researcher, compiler and collector.

Still others attack Bukhari to INDIRECTLY ABUSE, INSULT and DISCREDIT the sahaba (again a sectarian hand is often at work here). How come Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrated so many hadith? Didn't he live in Ameer Muawiyyah's palace? etc. The life of the Prophet (pbuh) (other than what Imam Bukhari compiled) shows that Abu Huraira used to spend a maximum of his time listening to and collecting the teachings of the Prophet, memorizing and writing down, while others lived more "normal" lives.

Hazrat 'Ayesha, Abu Huraira and other mukassirin (those who have narrated many hadith of the Prophet), lived for far more years than some of the key figures among the Prophet's companions. They were asked questions by newcomers who were flooding into Islam and hence taught much more. Other greats like Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali (Allah be pleased with them) were not available to so many people after the Prophet died. The last three were assassinated. Hence owing to historical reasons, some narrators narrated more than others.

Some readers among our westernized elites object to the pre-scientific and pre-"modern" lifestyle which often appears in the Hadith literature including that of Bukhari. The Prophet had to go out into the desert to urinate, etc. The Prophet bathed out of a bucket along with his wife (shocking! eh). The Prophet talked about women's menses and women among his companions talked about Muslim's duties related to sex and "private" life. On expeditions when food ran out, the Muslims had to decide whether to eat lizards. The Prophet had fine tastes but did not want his companions to starve. What happens if a fly falls into a bucket full of food or solid shortening? Worse, what if a rat falls in? S hould the entire food supply be thrown away? (in a culture of scarcity).

Also many readers find Hadith irksome simply because they don't want to study patiently. They rush to the assumption that the headlines provided by Imam Bukhari are also Hadith. Or they take it that the words of a Sahabi and the words of the Prophet are supposedly of equal value because they are in Sahih Bukhari.

Where Imam Bukhari provides a narration which shows the low esteem in which women were held at that time and then a narration from the blessed 'Ayesha which shows the Prophet changing those attitudes with his authoritative words, our misled anti-Hadith people do not see the connection and consider it a "contradiction." Same applies to war time lack of rules in those days (taking slaves, taking part-time mistresses, muta', temporary marriage, etc.). The misled people see the narration about what used to happen and DO NOT SEE what the Prophet did to stop them and how he went about it stage by stage.

Scholarship of HADITH of course preceded Imam Bukhari and he was one of a galaxy of greats, even though the greatest. I am presenting Imam Bukhari because the misled people think they can destroy the entire corpus of Hadith by attacking Imam Bukhari.

I offer this article to the Ummah with all humility. If you like it, please distribute it. If you find errors, do let me know.

And Allah is the only One Who knows all.

2007-11-26 Mon 19:48:46 cst
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