Fundamental Principles of Discourse and Argumentation

Before presenting a critique of the traditional stance, we will outline the foundational principles upon which the argumentation of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi is based. His stance on Isra and Mi‘raj, as mentioned in the previous pages, follows these principles. In the upcoming pages, these same principles will be the basis of argumentation for the understanding of his stance and the critique of the traditional stance. These are a few foundational principles of reason and tradition, without which attaining a correct understanding of religion and Shariah is not possible. They are as follows:

First, the Holy Qur’an holds the status of a scale and criterion in the religion^[31]. This means that the Qur’an has a decisive status in all matters pertaining to religion. Thus, every statement, every claim, and every opinion from hadith and relics, history and biography, jurisprudence and interpretation will be weighed in its scale and tested against its criterion. Only that which it accepts will be accepted. That which it rejects will not be accepted as part of religion or its explanation and interpretation.

To act upon this principle, it is essential that hadith be understood in the light of the Qur’an, and anything that conflicts with the Qur’an and Sunnah should not be accepted. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi writes in his Meezan:

...In religion, the Qur’an’s status is that of a scale and a criterion. It oversees everything and has been sent down to distinguish between truth and falsehood, thus this matter does not require further argumentation that anything which contradicts the Qur’an must necessarily be rejected... The definitive and conclusive source of history regarding anything done by the Prophet (PBUH) with his position of prophethood and messengership is also the Qur’an.

Hence, most of the contents of hadith are related to it as branches are to their origin and as commentary is to the text. To understand the explanations and derivations without looking at the original text is clearly impossible. If we analyze closely the mistakes made in understanding hadith thus far, this reality becomes plainly apparent. Incidents of stoning during the prophet’s era, the killing of Ka’ab bin Ashraf, narrations about the punishment of the grave and intercession, and commands like ‘Umirtu an uqātila-n-nās^[32]’ and ‘Man baddala dīnahu faqtulūhu^[33]' became the cause of confusion because they were not understood by relating them to their origins. (63-65)

Second, the Holy Qur’an has been revealed in a clear Arabic language. Its words and idioms are free from ambiguity, vagueness, anomalies, and oddities. It presents its message with complete clarity, which does not pose any difficulties for scholars to comprehend. Meezan reads:

The Qur’an has been revealed not just in Arabic, but in clear Arabic. This means in a language that is extremely distinct, devoid of any ambiguity; each word is clear and each style is familiar to its audience. It is stated: The Trusted Spirit has brought it down to your heart so that you also become a warner like other prophets, in very lucid Arabic. (Qur’an 26:192-195) In the form of a Qur’an that is in Arabic in which there is no flaw so that they can be secure from God’s torment. (Qur’an 39:28)

This is a clear fact about the Qur’an. Accepting it leads to the inevitable conclusion that no word or style in the Qur’an can be anomalous in terms of its meaning. It has been revealed using commonly known words and expressions to its audience. From the linguistic perspective, it contains no element of strangeness, but is clear and obvious in all aspects. Therefore, it must be translated and interpreted keeping in mind only the well-known meanings of its words. Any interpretation beyond these accepted meanings cannot be accepted under any circumstances. (20-21)

In our view, most misunderstandings in traditional schools of thought occur because of ignoring the principles of reasoning and transmitted knowledge. These principles^[34] have been blatantly ignored while trying to understand and decipher the events of Isra and Mi‘raj . The texts of the Qur’an, which are definite in both proof and interpretation (qati al-thaboot and qati al-dalalah), were relegated to secondary importance, while the Hadith texts, which are speculative in proof and interpretation (zanni al-thaboot and zanni al-dalalah), were considered primary. Rather than interpreting hadiths in light of the Qur’an, the Qur’an has been interpreted in the light of hadiths. The same occurred with the commonly known words and styles of the Arabic language, which were given rare and foreign meanings, deviating from their general application. This incorrect approach to knowledge and comprehension, and this reversal in the order of understanding and reasoning, have undermined the position of the Qur’an as criterion (Furqān) and scale (Meezãn), neglected the established rules of language and expression, and relayed a message that contradicts the purposes of the Qur’an and Hadith in some aspects.

To comprehend what has transpired in this issue, a quick review of the relevant texts and the derived inferences will suffice. Anyone who reflects deeply will realize that various accounts have been merged to form an event, and then the verses of the Qur’an have been interpreted based on that constructed event. If a Qur’anic verse does not support the prearranged event, it is interpreted in a way that clashes with the common practice and language of the Qur’an. Similarly, if a narrative presents something discordant with the imagined event, it is disregarded, even if it complies with the standards of authenticity set by renowned Hadith scholars.