Mustofa Azami’s Criticism of Joseph Schacht’s Thoughts on Hadiṡ KALAM, P-ISSN: 0853-9510, E-ISSN: 2540-7759 http://ejournal.radenintan.ac.id/index.php/KALAM DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24042/klm.v15i1.8680 Volume 15, No. 1 (2021), p. 33-54 Mustofa Azami’s Criticism of Joseph Schacht’s Thoughts on Hadits Ahmad Isnaeni Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Intan Lampung [email protected] Moh. Mukri Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Intan Lampung [email protected] Masrukhin Muhsin UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten [email protected] Is Susanto Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Intan Lampung [email protected] Abstract : Joseph Shacht a theory developer of the origin of hadits developed by Goldziher. The study of sanad has become a central topic that has received more attention. Some of the theories developed by Schacht lead to doubts about the authenticity of the hadits sanad. Sanad is only made by people who lived later and then leaned on to an authoritative figure to seek its legality. The results of this scientific work received criticism from Azami by bringing other evidence to rely on. The claim to the correctness of Schacht's theory is then considered not objective in terms of scientific truth standards. Some of the problems above are the focus of the study in this study, based on critical analysis methods and historical approaches. The result of the research is that the Sunnah is an expression, habit and way of life even though at that time the habits agreed by the community then relied on the Prophet. The more complete the series of sanads, as an indication, the further away from the Prophet's life. Sanad as a basis for dating a hadits. Even the appearance KALAM, Volume 15, No. 1 (2021) 33 Ahmad Isnaeni, et.all of sanad was earlier than the hadits editorial. Schacht based the development of the hadits sanad study through the theory of back projection and common link. Azami's criticism of Schacht's theory is as a baseless scientific lie. These theories stand on some of Schacht's misunderstanding of the theory and terms formulated by hadits scholars. Schacht's theory of the Sunnah also contradicts the historical realities prevailing in the early Islamic world. Keywords : Mustofa Azami, Joseph Schacht, Hadits, Authenticity, Theory Abstrak : Joseph Shacht adalah seorang pengembang teori keaslian hadits yang dikemukakan oleh Goldziher. Kajian sanad menjadi topik utama yang mendapat perhatian lebih darinya. Beberapa teori yang dikemukakan oleh Schacht menimbulkan keraguan terhadap otentisitas sanad hadits. Sanad hanya dibuat oleh orang-orang yang hidup belakangan dan bersandar pada figur berwibawa untuk mencari legalitasnya. Hasil karya ilmiah ini mendapat kritikan dari Azami dengan membawa bukti lain yang bisa diandalkan. Klaim kebenaran teori Schacht kemudian dianggap tidak objektif dalam hal standar kebenaran ilmiah. Beberapa permasalahan di atas menjadi fokus kajian dalam penelitian ini, berdasarkan metode analisis kritis dan pendekatan historis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Sunnah merupakan ekspresi, kebiasaan dan pandangan hidup pada saat itu yang disepakati masyarakat kemudian bertumpu pada Nabi. Semakin banyak rangkaian sanad, mengindikasikan semakin jauh dari kehidupan Nabi. Sanad sebagai dasar penanggalan sebuah hadits. Bahkan kemunculan sanad itu lebih awal dari redaksi hadits. Schacht mendasari pengembangan kajian sanad hadits melalui teori back proyeksi dan common link. Kritik Azami terhadap teori Schacht adalah sebagai kebohongan ilmiah yang tidak berdasar. Teori-teori ini berdiri di atas beberapa kesalahpahaman Schacht tentang teori dan istilah yang dirumuskan oleh para sarjana hadits. Teori Sunnah Schacht juga bertentangan dengan realitas sejarah yang berlaku di dunia Islam awal. Kata Kunci : Mustofa Azami, Josep Schacht, Hadits, Otentisitas, Teori A. Introduction The thinking of Western scholars on the study of hadits is generally different from that of Muslim scholars. Among them, to name some of them are Ignaz Goldziher (1850-1921 AD), Joseph Schacht (1902-1969 AD), John Edward Wansbrough (1928-2002 AD), Juynboll (born 1935), Michael Cook (born 1940), Gregor Schoeler (born 1944), Norman Calder (1950 - 34 DOI://dx.doi.org/10.24042/klm.v15i1.8680 Mustofa Azami’s Criticism of Joseph Schacht’s Thoughts on Hadiṡ February 13, 1998), and Harald Motzki (1948–2019), some of the figures above are often found in long dialogues and discussions about the sunnah of the Prophet. This is natural because in terms of methods, approaches, and inclinations they are different, even though they both claim to be in the name of scientific objectivity. The method and approach of hadits scholars use the ushuli approach, which beliefs in the existence of hadits as one of the main sources of the formation of Islamic law. So that the color of the results of thought is more of a theological or juristic type,1 while the West is more concerned with sociological and historical approaches, thus making the hadits a part of data that needs to be studied without being tied to certain beliefs, but as historical facts.2 Western thinking about the hadits of the Prophet Muhammad can be mapped into several typologies, namely skepticism, sanguine (non- skeptical), middle ground,3 and neo-skeptic.4 As revisionists, they doubt the existence of the hadits as an authentic legacy. Ignaz Goldziher and Joseph Schacht are known as pioneers of the hadits criticism of the skeptical group who left global influence and created skepticism in the West.5Joseph Schacht is a Western scholar who is quite influential in Islamic studies, especially the sunnah of the Prophet. His theory and thought are alleged to be the development of several of Ignaz Goldziher's theses which succeeded in making a skeptical framework of the foundation of the Prophet's sunnah. The depth of Schacht's discussion and thesis essentially stands firmly on the strength of the authenticity framework of the Sunnah. Schacht concentrates on the side of Islamic law as a whole, starting from the origin of Islamic law, its birth, and authenticity related to the emergence of the sunnah. Schacht's line of thought seems chaotic when juxtaposed with the theory of the birth of Islamic law, the theory of e-silentio, common links, and projecting back. It all comes down to the formation of Islamic law, the things that influence 1Akhmad Minhaji, Kontroversi Pembentukan Hukum Islam: Kontribusi Joseph Schacht (Yogyakarta: UII Press, 2001), 16. 2Rahmadi Wibowo Suwarno, “Kesejarahan Hadis Dalam Tinjauan Teori Common Link,” Jurnal Living Hadis (2018): 91. 3Ibid. 4Ali Masrur, Teori Commonk Link GHA Juynboll, Melacak Akar Kesejarahan Hadits Nabi, Cetakan Ke. 1. (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 2007), 2–10. 5Ali Mustafa Yakub, Kritik Hadis (Jakarta: Pustaka Firdaus, 2000), 17. KALAM, Volume 15, No. 1 (2021) 35 Ahmad Isnaeni, et.all its emergence and development. Schacht succeeded in giving confidence as if his scientific works were based on an objective scientific framework.6 Schacht is very bold in expressing controversial views regarding the formation of Islamic law, especially those based on the Prophet's sunnah. Among other things, the emergence of new Islamic law appeared during the time of the Umayyads with the appointment of judges, even during the time of Ash-Shabbi (d. 110 H) it has not been found. To seek the legality of their views, the judges rested their opinions on the previous figures. This condition has made the hadits scholars create false hadits as a balance to the movement of Islamic jurists above. Sanad appeared on a large scale along with the development of classical jurisprudence.7 Schacht also said that the sunnah was nothing but a tradition that lived in early Muslim societies. Naturally, if the sunnah does not correlate with the words and behavior of the Prophet. The school of fiqh plays an important role in formulating the sunnah, as an effort to find the legality of its opinion.8 This theory made Muslim thinkers try to provide criticism, including Azami. Azami positioned himself as a hadits thinker who was contradicting a line of Western thinkers, especially Joseph Schacht. According to Azami, Schacht has made a false theory on the origin and development of hadits. Schacht could not escape from Goldziher's influence in hacking the theory of the origin of hadits and its narration. This is the main point that makes Azami examine Schacht's thinking because he has misrepresented the hadits of the Prophet Muhammad as different from historical reality. Azami thought departs from the theory that has been built by classical scholars with their seriousness and seriousness. Schacht has misunderstood the historical realities that accompanied the growth of hadits, such as the projecting back theory and the common link. The theory was built to guard the previous statements of his predecessors, especially Goldziher. This paper will examine Azami's thoughts and criticisms of Schacht's thoughts. Several studies have existed as data to place this paper's position. Ali Masrur examines Juynboll's thinking which is not strictly revisionist, but 6Irzak Yuliardy Nugroho, “Orientalisme Dan Hadits : Kritik Terhadap Sanad Menurut Pemikiran Joseph Schacht,” Asy-Syari'ah: Jurnal Hukum Islam (2020): 157. 7Ibid., 159–162. 8Hasan Suadi, “Menyoal Kritik Sanad Joseph Schacht,” Riwayah : Jurnal Studi Hadis (2017): 94. 36 DOI://dx.doi.org/10.24042/klm.v15i1.8680 Mustofa Azami’s Criticism of Joseph Schacht’s Thoughts on Hadiṡ takes a middle position in the study of historical criticism. Meanwhile, Zikri Darussamin criticized Goldziher for having thoughts about Islam, especially the Prophet's sunnah, which tends to be tendentious. Kamaruddin Amin notes that the activities of hadits criticism among Muslims tend to be stagnant, while Western methods of criticism can be developed to examine the authenticity of hadits in the context of developing hadits studies. In his writing, Umaiyatus Syarifah contains two outlines of Azami's thoughts in the study of hadits, namely the writing and criticism of hadits, and responses to Schacht, it's just that this paper is monotonous and the discussion is brief and less dialogic.