Series of Answers by the Great Scholar Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to Questions from Visitors to his Facebook Page "Fiqhi"
Answer to a Question
To Mohammad Mohammad
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,
I ask Allah to grant victory through your hands soon; indeed, He is the Guardian of that and Capable of it. My question is about the concept of renewal (Tajdid) mentioned in the Hadith of the Messenger ﷺ: "Indeed, Allah sends at the head of every hundred years someone who will renew for this Ummah its Deen," or as he ﷺ said. If the Mujaddid (renewer) of the era was the great scholar Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, did the renewal end with his death, may Allah have mercy on him, or is it still ongoing through the existence of the party that carries his idea? May Allah bless you and reward you with the best reward.
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,
First: The Hadith you are asking about is the one narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan and others from Abu Hurairah, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ لِهَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مَنْ يُجَدِّدُ لَهَا دِينَهَا
"Indeed, Allah will raise for this Ummah at the head of every hundred years someone who will renew its religion for it." (Reported by Abu Dawood)
This Hadith should be understood within the framework of the established Shari’ah concepts in the Book and the Sunnah. Here is some of that:
- With the revelation of Allah’s words:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
"This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion." (QS Al-Ma'idah [5]: 3)
The Deen was completed, the favor was fulfilled, and the matter was settled. Revelation then ceased shortly thereafter with the death of the Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, the Deen itself, as revelation from Allah (swt), was completed with the completion of the revelation; there is no room for addition or subtraction. It remains as it has been since the Messenger ﷺ completed the delivery of the message until Allah inherits the earth and those upon it... This is an established matter in the minds and souls of Muslims, and it is one of the indisputable Islamic facts.
Therefore, the meaning of the noble Hadith "someone who will renew its religion for it" cannot be the renewal of the Deen itself by adding or removing anything, or by specifying its generalities or restricting its absolute terms... etc. This is because with the cessation of revelation, the door to adding to the Deen, abrogation, specification, or restriction was closed. Legally, such things can only occur through revelation, because the Deen is in reality the revelation, i.e., what was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ. Since it is impossible for renewal to be in the Deen itself, the concept of renewal must be directed toward other matters.
Islam is a mabda' (ideology/principle), i.e., an aqidah (creed) from which a nizam (system) emanates. Thus, Islam is a set of ideas and rules (ahkam), all taken from the Book and the Sunnah and what they pointed to, such as the Ijma’ (consensus) of the Sahaba and Qiyas (analogy). The Ijma’ of the Sahaba and Qiyas both refer back to the Book and the Sunnah... Since renewal is legally inconceivable in the ideas and rules of Islam themselves, renewal must be in something related to them. Upon careful examination, it appears there are two basic aspects related to the ideas and rules of Islam: the aspect of understanding and the aspect of application... i.e., the human aspect related to Islam. It is the Muslims who understand Islam and apply it. Their understanding and application may be affected by blurriness, ambiguity, defect, misuse, or negligence... Their understanding (or the understanding of some) may become flawed, so they add to Islam what is not part of it while thinking it is, or they neglect something of Islam even though it is part of the Deen...
Thus, matters inconsistent with Islam may occur in the Muslims' understanding and application of it, such as:
a- Making something part of Islam when it is not, or removing something from Islam when it is part of it; this includes bid'ah (innovations).
b- Blurriness or ambiguity in understanding Islam as a mabda' and a system for life, or in understanding some of its ideas or rules.
c- Misapplication of Islam individually, collectively, or by the ruler, or mixing Islam with other than it in application.
In order for the understanding or application of the Deen to return to what it should be according to the revelation—i.e., for the Muslims' understanding or application of the Deen to return to the ideas and rules of Islam without blurriness, defect, addition, subtraction, or misuse... etc.—Allah (swt) provides from among the Muslims, at the head of every hundred years, someone who works to renew the Deen. This means restoring the Deen to the state it was in terms of purity, clarity, and correct application unmixed with misuse or confusion. That is, returning the understanding or application of the Deen to its original state at the time of the Prophet's ﷺ mission in its purity and clarity. He removes what may have attached to it that is not from it, highlights what may have been hidden of its ideas and rules, clarifies what may have become blurred in understanding, and works to apply it in its entirety if he is among the people of authority... The choice of the word (Yujaddidu - renews) to describe what happens is significant, as it does not mean bringing something new, but rather making something "new" again, i.e., restoring it to its original state. Linguistic dictionaries define the meaning of Jaddada in this way: Al-Qamus al-Muhit: (Jadda Yajiddu, so it is Jadid (new). Ajaddahu, Jaddadahu, and Istajaddahu: He made it new again, so it became renewed). As-Sihah fi al-Lughah: (The thing was renewed: it became new. Ajaddahu, Istajaddahu, and Jaddadahu, meaning he made it new again). Lisan al-Arab: (Ajaddahu, Jaddadahu, and Istajaddahu meaning he made it new again). Thus, this word (Yujaddidu) in the noble Hadith precisely gives the correct meaning, which is restoring Islam to what it was in its original state, and it does not mean changing or substituting the Deen.
Scholars have discussed the meaning of renewal intended in the noble Hadith, and I will quote some of what they mentioned:
- It is stated in Awn al-Ma'bud:
[... (Whoever renews): the object of "sends" (for it): i.e., for this Ummah (its religion): i.e., clarifies the Sunnah from bid'ah, increases knowledge, supports its people, and breaks the people of bid'ah and humiliates them. They said: He must be a scholar of the apparent and hidden religious sciences. This was said by al-Munawi in Fath al-Qadir Sharh al-Jami’ al-Saghir. Al-Alqami said in his commentary: The meaning of renewal is reviving what has worn away of the practice of the Book and the Sunnah and commanding according to them...
You have known from what preceded that the intended meaning of renewal is reviving what has worn away of the practice of the Book and the Sunnah and commanding according to them, and putting to death what has appeared of bid'ah and innovations. It is said in Majalis al-Abrar: The meaning of renewing the Deen for the Ummah is reviving what has worn away of the practice of the Book and the Sunnah and commanding according to them. It also says: That Mujaddid is only known by the preponderance of opinion of the scholars who lived in his time based on the evidence of his circumstances and benefiting from his knowledge, for the Mujaddid of the Deen must be a scholar of the apparent and hidden religious sciences, a supporter of the Sunnah, a suppressor of bid'ah, and his knowledge must encompass the people of his time. Renewal was at the head of every hundred years because scholars usually pass away, Sunnan (traditions) fade, and bid'ah appears, so there is a need then for renewal of the Deen. Then Allah brings from the creation a replacement for the predecessors, either one or multiple. End quote. Al-Qari said in Al-Mirqat: i.e., he clarifies the Sunnah from bid'ah, increases knowledge, honors its people, suppresses bid'ah, and breaks its people. End quote.
Thus, it appeared that the Mujaddid can only be one who is a scholar of religious sciences, and in addition to that, one whose determination and ambition day and night is to revive the Sunnan and spread them, support their followers, and put to death bid'ah and invented matters, erasing them and breaking their people with the tongue, by writing books, teaching, or otherwise. Whoever is not like that is not a Mujaddid at all, even if he is a scholar of the sciences, famous among the people, and a reference for them...].
- It is stated in Mishkat al-Masabih with its commentary Mir'at al-Mafatih:
[...(whoever renews) the object of "sends" (for it) i.e., for this Ummah (its religion). The intended meaning of renewing the Deen for the Ummah is reviving what has worn away of the practice of the Book and the Sunnah, and commanding according to them, and putting to death bid'ah and innovations, and breaking its people with the tongue, or writing books, or teaching or otherwise. That Mujaddid is only known by the preponderance of opinion of the scholars who lived in his time based on the evidence of his circumstances and benefiting from his knowledge, for the Mujaddid of the Deen must be a scholar of the apparent and hidden religious sciences, a supporter of the Sunnah, a suppressor of bid'ah, and his knowledge must encompass the people of his time. Renewal was at the head of every hundred years because scholars usually pass away, Sunnan fade, and bid'ah appears, so there is a need then for renewal of the Deen. Then Allah brings from the creation a replacement for the predecessors, either one or multiple, as mentioned in Majalis al-Abrar...].
Second: Regarding the Mujaddids in general and the Mujaddid of the fourteenth Hijri century, we answered a question about this on June 23, 2013, as follows:
[Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,
May Allah bless you, our Sheikh, and hasten the victory through your hands... and may Allah benefit us with your knowledge.
Among the famous authentic Hadiths is what the noble companion Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said: "Indeed, Allah will raise for this Ummah at the head of every hundred years someone who will renew its religion for it." (Reported by Abu Dawood [No. 4291], and authenticated by al-Sakhawi in Al-Maqasid al-Hasana [149], and al-Albani in Al-Silsila al-Sahiha [No. 599]).
The question is: What is the meaning of the Hadith? Does the word "whoever" (man) in the Hadith imply that the Mujaddid is an individual or a group? Is it possible to limit them to the previous centuries? Jazakum Allah Khair.
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,
Yes, the Hadith is authentic, and it contains five issues:
- From what date does the hundred years start? Is it from the birth of the Prophet ﷺ, the mission (Bi'thah), the Migration (Hijra), or his death ﷺ?
- Does "the head of every hundred" mean at the beginning of every hundred, during every hundred, or at the end of every hundred?
- Does the word "whoever" (man) mean one person, or does it mean a group that renews the religion for the people?
- Are there reports with an authentic basis regarding the count of the Mujaddid men over the past hundreds of years?
- Can we know who the Mujaddid of the people's religion was in the fourteenth century, which ended on 30 Dhu al-Hijjah 1399 AH?
I will try as much as I can to mention what I find most likely (rajih) in these issues without diving into points of disagreement. I say, and with Allah is success, and He (swt) is the Guide to the straight path:
- From what date does the hundred years start?
Al-Munawi said in the introduction to Fath al-Qadir: "There is disagreement regarding the 'head of the hundred'—is it considered from the Prophetic birth, the mission, the Hijra, or the death..." What I find most likely is that it is from the Hijra, as it is the event by which Islam and Muslims became mighty with the establishment of its state. This is why when Umar gathered the Sahaba to agree on the beginning of the calendar, they adopted the Hijra. Al-Tabari reported in his Tarikh:
"Abd al-Rahman bin Abd Allah bin Abd al-Hakam told me, he said: Nu'aym bin Hammad told us, he said: al-Darawardi told us, from Uthman bin Ubayd Allah bin Abi Rafi', he said: I heard Sa'id bin al-Musayyib saying: Umar bin al-Khattab gathered the people and asked them: From which day should we write? Ali said: From the day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ migrated and left the land of Shirk. So Umar (ra) did that. Abu Ja'far said: They considered the first Hijri year from Muharram of that year, i.e., two months and some days before the arrival of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to Madinah, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived on the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal."
Accordingly, I have concluded that the hundred years are counted from the Hijri calendar adopted by the Sahaba (ra).
- As for the "head of the hundred," what is most likely is that it is its end, meaning that the Mujaddid at the end of the hundred is a famous, pious, and pure scholar, and his death is at its end, not in the middle or during it. The reasons I prefer this are:
a- It is established by authentic reports that they counted Umar bin Abdul Aziz at the head of the first hundred; he (ra) died in the year 101 AH at the age of forty. They counted ash-Shafi'i at the head of the second hundred; he died in the year 204 AH at the age of fifty-four. If the interpretation of "head of every hundred years" is taken differently—i.e., interpreted as the beginning of the hundred—then Umar bin Abdul Aziz would not be the Mujaddid of the first hundred because he was born in the year 61 AH, and ash-Shafi'i would not be the Mujaddid of the second hundred because he was born in 150 AH. This means that "head of every hundred" mentioned in the Hadith means the end of the hundred, not its beginning. He would have been born during it, then became a famous scholar and Mujaddid at its end, and died at its end.
b- The evidence that Umar bin Abdul Aziz is the Mujaddid of the first hundred and ash-Shafi'i is the Mujaddid of the second is what is famous among the scholars of the Ummah and its Imams. Al-Zuhri, Ahmad bin Hanbal, and other Imams of the past and later generations agreed that among the Mujaddids at the head of the first hundred was Umar bin Abdul Aziz (rh), and at the head of the second hundred was Imam ash-Shafi'i (rh). Umar bin Abdul Aziz died in the year 101 AH at the age of forty, and his Khilafah lasted two and a half years. Ash-Shafi'i died in the year 204 AH at the age of fifty-four. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in Tawali al-Ta'sis: Abu Bakr al-Bazzar said: I heard Abd al-Malik bin Abd al-Hamid al-Maymuni saying: I was with Ahmad bin Hanbal and ash-Shafi'i was mentioned, so I saw Ahmad raising his status and he said: It is narrated from the Prophet saying: "Indeed, Allah (swt) appoints at the head of every hundred years someone who teaches the people their religion." He said: Umar bin Abdul Aziz was at the head of the first hundred, and I hope ash-Shafi'i will be at the head of the other hundred.
And via Abu Sa'id al-Firyabi who said: Ahmad bin Hanbal said: Indeed, Allah appoints for the people at every head of a hundred someone who teaches the people the Sunnan and negates lies against the Prophet. So we looked and found Umar bin Abdul Aziz at the head of the hundred, and ash-Shafi'i at the head of the two hundred.
Ibn Adi said: I heard Muhammad bin Ali bin al-Husayn saying: I heard our companions saying: In the first hundred was Umar bin Abdul Aziz, and in the second was Muhammad bin Idris ash-Shafi'i.
Al-Hakim reported in his Mustadrak from Abu al-Walid, he said: I was in the assembly of Abu al-Abbas bin Shurayh when a sheikh stood up to praise him, so I heard him saying: Abu al-Tahir al-Khawlani told us, Abd Allah bin Wahb told us, Sa'id bin Abi Ayyub informed me, from Sharahil bin Yazid, from Abu Alqama, from Abu Hurairah (ra), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed, Allah sends at the head of every hundred years someone who will renew for this Ummah its Deen." So rejoice, O Judge, for Allah sent Umar bin Abdul Aziz at the head of the hundred, and He sent Muhammad bin Idris ash-Shafi'i at the head of the two hundred...
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: This indicates that the Hadith was famous in that era.
c- It may be said that the "head" of something in language means its beginning, so how can we conclude that the head of every hundred is its end and not its beginning? The answer is that the head of something in language, just as it is the beginning of the thing, is also its end. It says in Taj al-Arus: The head of the thing is its edge, and it is said its end. It says in Lisan al-Arab: "The lizard came out mura'isan": it emerged with its head from its hole and sometimes with its tail, i.e., it came out with its beginning or its end. Accordingly, the head of a thing as mentioned in language can mean its beginning, its edge, or its end. We need a context (qarinah) to favor the intended meaning in the Hadith for the head of the hundred—whether it is its beginning or its end. These contexts are present in the previous reports regarding Umar bin Abdul Aziz as the Mujaddid of the first hundred who died in 101 AH, and considering ash-Shafi'i the Mujaddid of the second hundred who died in 204 AH. All of this favors the meaning in the Hadith being the end of the hundred, not its beginning.
Based on the above, I conclude that the meaning of "head of every hundred years" mentioned in the Hadith is the end of every hundred.
- As for whether "whoever" (man) means one or a group, the Hadith was narrated: "sends for this Ummah... whoever (man) renews for it its religion." If "whoever" indicated a plural, the verb would be plural, i.e., "those who renew" (man yujaddidun). However, the verb came in the singular "renews" (yujaddidu). Although the indication of "whoever" (man) can also carry a plural meaning even if the verb after it is singular, I prefer that it is for the singular here because of the context of "renews." I say "prefer" because the indication here for the singular is not definitive even if the verb after it is singular; therefore, there are those who interpreted "whoever" with the meaning of a group, and they listed groups of scholars in every hundred in their reports, but it is a less likely opinion as I mentioned earlier.
Accordingly, what I find most likely is that "whoever" indicates one person, i.e., the Mujaddid in the Hadith is one man, a scholar, pious, and pure...
- Regarding the count of the Mujaddids' names in the previous centuries, reports have been mentioned on this, the most famous of which is al-Suyuti's poem (Urjuza) where he counted up to the ninth century and asked Allah (swt) that he be the Mujaddid of the ninth. I will quote some of what is in his poem:
"So at the first hundred was Umar, the Caliph of justice by consensus and report... And ash-Shafi'i was at the second because of the lofty sciences he possessed... And the fifth scholar is al-Ghazali, and counting him is without dispute... And the seventh, rising to the heights, is Ibn Daqiq al-Id by consensus... And this ninth of the hundreds has come, and what the Guide promised is not broken, and I have hoped that I am the Mujaddid in it, for Allah's favor is not denied..."
There are other opinions that continue after that.
- Can we know who the Mujaddid of the people's religion was in the fourteenth century, which ended on 30 Dhu al-Hijjah 1399 AH?
What caught my attention is what is famous among reputable scholars that the head of the year is its end. Umar bin Abdul Aziz was born in 61 AH and died at the head of the first hundred in 101 AH. Ash-Shafi'i was born in 150 AH and died at the head of the second hundred in 204 AH... i.e., each of them was born during the hundred, became famous at its end, and died at its end. As I said, I favor this interpretation because of what is famous among reputable scholars that Umar bin Abdul Aziz is the Mujaddid at the head of the first hundred, and ash-Shafi'i is the Mujaddid at the head of the second hundred. Based on this, I conclude that the scholar Sheikh Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, may Allah have mercy on him, is the Mujaddid at the head of the fourteenth century. He was born in 1332 AH and became famous at the end of this fourteenth century, specifically when he founded Hizb ut-Tahrir in Jumada al-Thani in the year 1372 AH. He died at its end in 1398 AH. His call to Muslims regarding the Vital Issue—the Resumption of the Islamic Way of Life by establishing the Rightly Guided Khilafah state—had a great impact on their lives and their serious efforts, such that the Khilafah has today become a general demand for Muslims. May Allah have mercy on Abu Ibrahim, and have mercy on his brother Abu Yusuf after him, and gather them with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and what excellent companions they are.
This is what I find most likely, O my brother Abu Mu'min, and Allah knows best what is correct, and with Him (swt) is the best return.] End of the previous answer.
Third: Regarding your question: ("If the Mujaddid of the era was the great scholar Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, did the renewal end with his death, may Allah have mercy on him, or is it still ongoing through the existence of the party that carries his idea?"). The answer to that is that the process of renewal, according to what we clarified above, is carried out by "one man, a scholar, pious, and pure..." With his death, the subject of renewal (the act itself) ends. However, that does not mean the end of the effect of renewal; rather, the effect of renewal remains for the Muslims and for future generations after the completion of the renewal until a flaw in understanding or application occurs with the passage of time. Then Allah (swt) sends at the end of the century that follows, once again, someone who renews the Deen for the Ummah. According to the Hadith, Allah sends at the head of every hundred years someone who will renew the religion for the Ummah, i.e., at the head of the fifteenth century in the manner explained above, by the permission of Allah. Allah knows best who it will be.
This is what I find most likely in this matter, and Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise.
Your brother, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah
26 Shawwal 1444 AH Corresponding to 16/05/2023 CE
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