Pakistan's Fake Ghazwa-e-Hind Narrative Violates the Fundamental Principles of Islam

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam

12 October 2023

This Article Challenges the Ghazwa-e-Hind Narrative Agenda of Pakistan By Looking at Two Types of Connected Ahadith, The Bulk of Which Are Rejected Ahadith. Even If Some of These Ahadith Are Claimed to Be Sahih or Hasan, There Are Several Arguments and Convincing Evidence to Decry Pakistan's Fake Ghazwa-e-Hind Narrative. 

Main Points 

1.    This article provides the background and proves the untenability of The Ghazwa-e-Hind (Muslims fighting a war against India) narrative, popular in Pakistan Jihadi circles, and promoted by Pakistan's military intelligence ISI. 

2.    Why the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith narrated through the chain of Hazrat Abu Hurairah is weak and unreliable 

3.    This article asserts that the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative in Pakistan is made up of a variety of fabrications and misleading claims. 

4.    The Arguments for Why the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith through the chain of HazratThawban, despite being a supposed Sahih or Hasan Hadith, does not support the Pakistani Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative 

5.    This article also suggests that the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative can also be disregarded by the fundamental principle of the science of Hadith acceptable among the classical scholars and taught in the Indian subcontinent. 

6.    This article provides a wealth of information that, when taken as a whole, enables us to reject the Ghazwa-e-Hind objective of the radical outfits of Pakistan. 

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BismiAllahiAr-Rahmani Al-Rahim, Wa SallallahuAlaaNabeeyenaWasallam. 

The "Ghazwa-e-Hind" propaganda has occasionally been broadcast throughout the previous few decades. Every time there is an uptick in tension between India and Pakistan or when Pakistan's so-called Jihadi organisations try to further their objectives, the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative starts coming into the limelight. This narrative is once again being recycled in Pakistan, and mainstream media has covered it. Understanding the Ghazwa-e-Hind and its background is crucial to protect Indian Muslims, especially the young, from radicalisation through this baseless propaganda in the garb of a theological edict. 

What is the Pakistani Version of Ghazwa-e-Hind? 

According to the Pakistani jihadi outfits, the eventual victory over India is known as Ghazwa-e-Hind.  This supports the theory that some Ahadith (plural of Hadith) include a prophecy foretelling an Islamic army's invasion and conquering of the Indo-Pak peninsula. The "prophecy" of the Ghazwa-e-Hind has been interpreted by Pakistani extremist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harakat al-Mujahideen, and others as a scenario in which Muslim troops will defeat India and turn it into an Islamic state. 

The Ghazwa-e-Hind in Pakistan is an absolutely misleading propaganda that contradicts fundamental Islamic teachings, leading to widespread condemnation and rejection. 

Muslim scholars and Ulama state that the Hadith about the Ghazwa-e-Hind is weak and only found in the Musnad of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and the Sunan Nasa'i. There are no references to the Ghazwa-e-Hind in other authentic books of Hadith or in the Qur'an. Falsehoods about the Ghazwa-e-Hind are based on incorrect interpretations of weak Ahadith that have no significance in the practical commandments and reliable teachings of Islam. 

Extremist organizations in Pakistan and Kashmir, including Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harakat al-Mujahideen, Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami, and Al-Badr Afghan Taliban, are spreading the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative, confusing and disorienting the Kashmiri youth. 

Understanding the Background of The Ghazwa-e-Hind Narrative 

Understanding this narrative and its context is crucial to challenging the objectives of these radical organizations. Let us start by reviewing the Ahadith that are cited in relation to the Ghazwa-e-Hind. 

Ahadith from two different categories discuss Ghazwa-e-Hind.  They are both attributed to the two companions of the Prophet: Hazrat Thawban bin Bujdud, whom the Prophet set free from slavery, and Hazrat Abu Hurairah. The following text provides an examination of these two Ahadith. 

It was narrated that Thawban, the freed slave and the companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘There are two groups of my Ummah whom Allah will free from the Fire: The group that invades al-Hind, and the group that will be with 'Isa bin Maryam, peace be upon them.’” [Sunan an-Nasa'i 3175: Book 25, Hadith 91] 

Note: The Prophet Jesus, the son of Mary, is referred to in the Quran as Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon them). In Islamic tradition, the return to earth of both Imam Mahdi and the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) heralds the beginning of the end of the world. 

Another companion of the Prophet, Hazrat Abu Hurairah, related that “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) promised us about the Ghazwat al-Hind [invasion over Hindustan]". If I survive to witness that, I will give up both my wealth and myself. I will be among the greatest martyrs if I am slain, and Abu Hurairah Al-Muharrar if I survive.” [Sunan an-Nasa'i 3174: Book 25, Hadith 90]. The Arabic word al-Muharrar means "the one freed from the fire of hell." 

The Ghazwa-e-Hind hadith attributed to Hazrat Abu Hurairah has been found to be entirely weak by hadith specialists and scholars. According to them, this hadith has been reported in a variety of ways, all of which are deemed to be weak.  The Hadith experts (Muhadditheen) consider the following three transmission chains of this Hadith to be weak.  Keep in mind that since Hazrat Abu Hurairah is a Sahabi and every Sahabi is considered reliable, true, and trustworthy, he is not to be blamed for the flaws and weaknesses in the chain of this Hadith. The Hadith experts have only rated this hadith weak because they believe its other narrators to be unreliable. 

Why the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith Narrated Through the Chain of Hazrat Abu Hurairah is Weak and Unreliable 

The following factors explain why the Ghazwa-e-Hind hadith, which is attributed to Hazrat Abu Hurairah and transmitted with three independent chains of transmission, is viewed as weak: 

First Chain of Transmission: Jabr bin Ubaidah reported the Ghazwa-e-Hind hadith from Hazrat Abu Hurairah. The Hadith experts consider this chain of transmission weak due to the narrator Jabr bin Ubaidah. (Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 2/59) 

Second Chain of Transmission: Baraa bin Abdullah Ghanawi reported the Ghazwa-e-Hind hadith from Hasan Basri who reported it from Hazrat Abu Hurairah. Hadith experts also consider this chain of transmission of the Ghazwa-e-Hind hadith to be weak because there is a break in the chain of the transmitters between Hazrat al-Basari and Hazrat Abu Hurairah, as well as because Baraa bin Abdullah Ghanawi is a narrator whose weakness has been acknowledged by hadith critics. (See Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 1/427) 

Third Chain of Transmission: Hashim bin Saeed reported the Ghazwa-e-Hind hadith from Kananah bin Nabeeh who had narrated it from Abu Hurairah. This chain has also been declared weak by the Hadith experts since Hashim bin Saeed has been deemed weak by Imam Haatim and AllamaIbnMu'in. (Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 17/11) 

The chains of narration for the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith, which were three times attributed to Hazrat Abu Hurairah, must now be obvious as being unreliable and weak for the reasons outlined above. 

According to Hadith experts and jurists, the core tenet of the Hadith corpus is that the weak Hadith plays the role of being unreliable and unacceptable in matters relating to belief and behaviour [Imaan and Amal]. 

The aforementioned studies conclude that the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith, as narrated through the mention of Hazrat Abu Hurairah, is unreliable. 

The Arguments for Why The Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith Through The Chain of Hazrat Thawban, Despite Being a supposed Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith, does not Support The Pakistani Ghazwa-e-Hind Narrative 

Let us now move on to a second category of the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith, attributed to Hazrat Thawban, which has the chain of transmission, rated by some scholars as Hasan (fair), Sahih(authentic), or weak (Daif). 

Muslim scholars and Ulama who have interpreted the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith attributed to Hazrat Thawban have contended, giving numerous arguments, that even this is in opposition to the objectives of Pakistani terrorist organisations. The following are some of these arguments: 

Argument 1: 

Following the death of the Prophet, all military operations carried out by Muslims were referred to as Ma'rka, Saryiyyah or Ba’ath, even when they were led by the Righteous Caliphs, who were the Prophet's closest companions. The term "Ghazwa" means the battle in which the Prophet himself physically led the Islamic army and won victory. In the context of "Ghazwa," not all battles must result in violence and bloodshed. For instance, the Islamic army won two major battles, the Ghazwa-e-Khandaq and the Ghazwa-e-Tabuk, without engaging in combat. 

The Ghazwa, referring to military operations led by the Prophet, raises questions about the authenticity of the prophecy about Ghazwa-e-Hind after his death. 

Argument 2: 

Some Muslim scholars suggest Ghazwa-e-Hind Ahadith were likely fabricated during Muhammad bin Qasim's campaign against India, and therefore authentic Hadith collections did not include this set of Ahadith. 

According to Islamic scholar WarisMazhari of the DarulUloom Deoband seminary, if the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative were accurate, many of the Prophet's companions would have related it and it would have been mentioned in authentic hadith collections. Mazhari speculates that it might have been fabricated for political reasons during the reign of the Umayyad Caliphs. [Maulana Waris, ‘Countering Pakistani Terrorists’ Anti-India Propaganda’, 26 January 2009.] 

The Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith, according to Maulana Mufti Mushtaq Tijarvi, an Islamic professor in Jamia Millia Islamia, may not be authentic but may have been fabricated to support Muhammad bin Qasim's conquest of India in the seventh century. [Husain Haqqani, ‘Prophecy and the Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent, Hudson Institute, 27 March 2015] 

Argument 3: 

According to certain Indian scholarly claims which consider the Hadith to be Sahih, the attacks of Muhammad bin Qasim and Mahmud Ghazni against ‘Hind’ fulfilled the prophecy of the Ghazwa-e-Hind, preventing another Ghazwa-e-Hind from taking place in the years to come. 

Maulana Abdul Hamid Numani of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind posits that this Hadith was fulfilled during the Four Righteous Caliphs when the Prophet's companions arrived in India to spread Islam. 

Mufti Sajid Qasmi, a professor at Dar ul-Uloom Deoband, suggests that the Hadith may refer to the eighth-century Arab invasion of Sindh under Muhammad bin Qasim. [Maulana Waris, ‘Countering Pakistani Terrorists’ Anti-India Propaganda’, 26 January 2009.] 

This view is consistent with the vast majority of Arabic-language Islamic scholarship, which concludes the chapter of the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith by maintaining that Muhammad Bin Qasim's attack on "Hind" and "Sindh" under the reign of Walid bin Abdul Malik was the fulfilment of the prophecy. The historical work "al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya 9/113" by Ibn Kathir holds the same position. 

The author of al-Mughni is cited by Sheikh Siddique Khan Qannauji, a well-known Salafi Indian Islamic scholar, to include Mahmud Ghazni in this section and to express the opinion that the prophecy regarding Ghazwa-e-Hind has been realised. He shares the same viewpoint as Ibn Kathir and other Arabian Islamic scholars. [Abjad al-Ulum 3/44,345] 

One of the primary prophesies that came true when Muslims invaded Hind and Sindh during the Umayyad period was mentioned in Thawban's hadith regarding Ghazwa-e-Hind, claims Professor Muhammad Abd al-WahhabBuhairi, an Egyptian Islamic scholar and Hadith expert. [Bulugh al-Amaani Min Asraar al-Fath al-Rabbani 22/411). 

Argument 4: 

The Pakistani propaganda associated with the Ghazwa-e-Hind Ahadith is not supported by Arab and non-Arab academics as well as Ulama from Egypt and India. We may observe this by looking at how they have treated the Ahadith pertaining to the Ghazwa-e-Hind. The majority of modern Sunni and Shia academics and Ulama, both in Pakistan and the Indian subcontinent, refute the propaganda falsely associated with the Ghazwa-e-Hind hadith. 

Argument 5: 

The Ahl al-Bayt [the family of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him] or the Caliphs never included this prophecy concerning Ghazwa-e-Hind in their teachings. According to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the rightly guided caliphate, Khilafat-e-Raashidah, or proper Islamic form of government, would last for 30 years after him before being replaced by the kingdom, or dynastic system of government. Therefore, whether it was under Umayyad, Abbasid, Ottoman, or Mughal rule, their deeds cannot all be considered Islamic, and their government cannot be considered the Islamic Caliphate because all of them were based on kingship systems rather than caliphates, with some of them using force to obtain governments through materialistic means. 

Argument 6: 

Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) praised Hindustan and said that this land is the source of the cool winds. Islamic teachings absolutely prohibit suicide bombing and other types of covert or aggressive warfare as being against Islam and barbaric. However, the Ghazwa-e-Hind propagandists use these forms of warfare, which cause significant collateral damage. As a result, the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative used by the radical outfits of Pakistan violates Islamic principles and ethics. 

Argument 7: 

Several significant points from an article in Urdu posted on "Awaz the Voice" are summarised in this argument. Dr. Hafizur Rahman, the article's author, reacts to Ghazwa-e-Hind propaganda by restating the general viewpoint that true Islamic scholars and Ulama around the world accept and share. 

Point 1: 

All schools of thought among moderate Muslim scholars reject the Jihadist interpretation of the hadith related to the Ghazwa-e-Hind. There is no mention of these particular Ahadith in the hadith texts of the Shia school of thought. The scholars of Iran and Iraq unanimously reject this hadith, regardless of whether they are followers of Sistani or Ali Khamenei Sahibaan. There are no Ahadith on the Ghazwa-e-Hind in the volumes dealing with Fiqh-e-Jafariyyah. The “Ahl al-Hadith” scholars concur that these Ahadith have a weak and unreliable chain of transmission. 

Point 2: 

According to Dr Hafizur Rahman, the Hadith experts interpret it and make it apparent that "Ghazwa" here does not refer to any jihad or conflict; rather, it refers to the peaceful entry of Muslim traders and Sufis into India throughout the first century of Hijri, particularly in the provinces of Gujarat, Sindh, Kerala, etc.  It happened under the rule of Hazrat Omar and Hazrat Uthman [may Allah be pleased with them].  The morality and character of these Muslims had an impact on the locals.  The two narrators in this tradition, Baqiyyah bin Waleed and Abu Bakr bin Waleed Zubaydi are likewise weak, hence the likelihood of these two Ahadith being weak is high. However, most hadith scholars also believe the hadith transmitted by HazratThawban to be weak. 

Point 3: 

Regarding the number of Ahadith, Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal asserts that there are 4,400 authentic Ahadith in total, but Imam Abu Dawud claims that there are only 4,000. Sahih Bukhari has 9,086 Ahadith in all, including repeated Ahadith. If these repeats are taken out, there are just 2,761 left. Similar to this, Sahih Muslim contains 7563 Ahadith in total, which includes repetitions. And if repeats are taken out, only 3033 remain. Sunan Tirmidhi lists 3054 traditions in total, while Sunan Ibn Majah lists 4341. The four important collections of Sihaah-e-Sitta [the six most authentic Hadith volumes] comprise roughly 4400 Sahih Ahadith in total (without repetitions). This supports Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal's assertion. 

As a result, some academics claim without reservation that the hadith referring to the Ghazwa-e-Hind was either made during the Umayyad era or that terrorist organisations appropriated it for their own political purposes. 

Point 4: 

The author found it quite intriguing that during the roughly six centuries that Muslims controlled India, neither Muslim sultans nor scholars or Ulama ever referred to the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith. No one from the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, Companions, early Islamic thinkers, Sufis, or any other trustworthy source endorsed the existence of the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative. Even Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlavi, who brought the science of Hadith to India, and his disciples made no reference to the Hadith of Ghazwa-e-Hind in their books. 

Point 5: 

Why Arab scholars and Ulama have not endorsed and spread the Pakistani propaganda of Ghazwa-e-Hind is an important question and observation. Why do they not endorse the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith interpretation that is used by Pakistani extremist groups to achieve their political aims? 

Point 6: 

Dr. Hafizur Rahman takes a rational stance when discussing the start of the Ghazwa-e-Hind propaganda throughout the Indian subcontinent. In fact, following Pakistan's military defeat in 1971 and the founding of Bangladesh, the extremist groups there began to adopt the Ghazwa-e-Hind's propaganda in the 1980s in order to sow unrest along the Indian border and inspire young people to wage jihad in Kashmir. This was done with the political support of the Pakistani government. 

The hazardous and deceptive propaganda of Ghazwa-e-Hind has caused some people to view the patriotism of the second-largest group of Indians, the Indian Muslims, with suspicion and mistrust, which is a terrible ideology for our nation, country, and national security. The issue is made worse by the unproven accusation that extremist groups are raising troops inside India under the guise of Jihad and the Ghazwa-e-Hind. Many Muslims have lost their jobs and faced financial hardships as a result of this false propaganda and its dissemination. Despite this, this falsehood continues to receive widespread attention. 

The result has been an increase in incidents of hatred and violence towards the Muslim minority, such as the most recent shooting of three Muslims on a train. The Muslims of India themselves have suffered the most damage thanks to those who support the Ghazwa-e-Hind. 

Point 7: 

The Ghazwa-e-Hind Ahadith, according to prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Imran Hussain of Malaysia in South-East Asia, are unreliable and Pakistan should attack itself first if they are to be taken as reliable and authentic. 

Sheikh Imran Hussain wants to make the argument that the way some organisations in Pakistan have interpreted the Hadith connected to the Ghazwa-e-Hind is absurd.

 Point 8: 

Scholars from diverse Islamic schools of thought have disputed the hadith's veracity and asserted that the Pakistani concept of Ghazwa-e-Hind conflicts with the fundamental tenets of Islam. When addressing topics pertaining to religion and historical events, it is imperative to carefully consider such narratives and rely on reliable sources. 

Nasiruddin Al-Albani, a notable Salafi hadith scholar of the 20th century, carefully analysed Hazrat Abu Huraira's narration of the Ghazwa-e-Hind and identified several inaccuracies that diminished the authority of the hadith. (https://shamela.ws/book/1148/141) 

However, Al-Albani acknowledged that the Ghazwa-e-Hind-hadith that Thawban had narrated was Sahih. But as has been mentioned, even if this hadith is presumed to be authentic/Sahih or regarded as such, it must still be admitted that its interpretation by the radical Jihadist groups has been incorrect in every respect. [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/148529/what-is-narrated-in-the-sunnah-about-the-invasion-of-india] 

According to Dr. Hazfizur Rahman, Al-Albani himself claims that this hadith speaks of the peaceful arrival of Muslim traders and Sufis into India during the first century of Hijri, in the regions of Gujarat, Sindh, Kerala, etc., during the times of Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Uthman. [Dr. Hafizur Rahman, Hindustan Me Ghazwa-e-Hind Ka Propaganda, available here "Awaz The Voice,"] 

Argument 8: 

The Jihadists themselves have mutually conflicting interpretations of the Ghazwa-e-Hind Ahadith. Some Jihadist groups include numerous nations in the territory of "Hind." A video of Burmese Mufti Abuzar Azzam discussing Ghazwa-e-Hind was made public in May 2014 by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which at the time was linked with Al Qaeda. He said that in addition to India, the "Hind" territory also encompasses Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Kashmir, Burma, and Bangladesh, and he clarified that the jihad that was purported to be taking place in Pakistan was a part of his group's Ghazwa-e-Hind. Similar to this, the Uyghur jihadi organisation Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) published a video in April 2014 in which it proclaimed that jihad against China was required to carry out the Prophet's allegedly prophesied Ghazwa-e-Hind prophesy. Hind is not just associated with India to these groups, but also more particularly with Pakistan and China. 

Thus, according to Dr. Adil Rasheed, Ghazwa-e-Hind appears to be nothing more than a speculative eschatological red herring used by violent extremist and terrorist organisations to seduce and mislead impressionable young minds. It is a meaningless catchphrase connected to a battle against humanity that is blatantly unethical and irreligious. [Adil Rasheed, The Irreligious, Inauthentic Narrative of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’] 

Argument 9: 

The correct geography of any region mentioned in a hadith can be determined by examining its name and boundaries during the time of the Holy Prophet. The Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative which mentions Sindh and Hind, requires an understanding of their borders during the Prophet's lifetime. 

The Urdu Daira Maarif Islamiya, or Urdu Encyclopaedia of Islam, explains the terms "Hind" and "Sindh" as follows: 

Muslim Egyptian geographers used the term "Hind" to describe the eastern regions of Sindh. Southeast Asian countries were also referred to as "hind." As a result, references to "kings of Hind" and "territories of Hind" included not only India but also Indonesia, Malaya, and other nations. When the word "Sindh" was used, it also referred to Makran, Baluchistan, a part of Punjab, and the North-West Frontier Province. India or Hindustan could not be referred to by a single name. Together, Hind and Sindh stood for Hindustan or India. Arabic and Persian descriptions of the geographical features of India included descriptions of Hind and Sindh. It is also said that India had no term that could be used to describe the entire country prior to the entrance of the Muslims. Every province had a unique name. As soon as the Persians took control of a province of this country, they named this province "Hindhu," in the name of the river known as Sindhu. Because the "S" and "H" letters in the Pahlavi language of ancient Iran and in Sanskrit were interchangeable, Sindhu was replaced by Hindhu. The Arabs continued to refer to Sindh by its original name rather than replacing it with Hindh. Other parts of India were referred to as Hind by them, and gradually this word spread over the entire world. The name thereafter acquired the French and English names "Ind" and "India," respectively, after the letter "Haa" was altered to "Alif/I." [Urdu Daira Maarif Islamiya, Vol.23, p.173] 

This makes it crystal clear that when the term "Hind" was used during the time of the Holy Prophet, it did not only refer to India but also to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. The word "Sindh" falls within this category. If "Sindh" is understood in its modern context, it must be assumed that it is entirely Muslim and a part of Pakistan. As a result, it would be inappropriate to employ the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative against India. 

The Islamic scholar Sheikh Imran Hussain of Malaysia argues that the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative is unreliable and inappropriate in the current context due to changes in geography and borders. He continues by saying that Pakistan should launch an attack on itself first if the Ghazwa-e-Hind is believed to be accurate. Sheikh Imran Hussain is trying, as mentioned above, to refute the absurdity of how some Pakistani organisations have interpreted the Hadith related to the Ghazwa-e-Hind.

 After taking into account the aforementioned arguments, let us go on to the fundamental principle of Islam, whose status is crucial to comprehend through the example that follows. If a new government is formed that goes against the fundamental and core principles of a country’s constitution, it will be unconstitutional and condemnable. You generally consider a new law to be condemnable and unacceptable if it violates a fundamental value and undermines the foundation of your constitution. In a similar vein, if something new is invented that goes against a fundamental Islamic value and principle, we will unquestionably regard it to be unacceptable and condemnable. The Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative, when combined with fabricated theories by modern radical outfits, is a clear violation of the fundamental principles and beliefs of Islam. 

A fundamental Muslim belief is that the beloved Prophet (Muhammad, peace be upon him), who received divine revelation, was sincere, and honest, and that all he said was accurate. All Muslims believe that our Prophet (peace be upon him) always used to tell the truth. Everything he said was true, thus it stands to reason that everything he predicted came true as well. 

But how can we know his prophecies, is the question at hand? If we are to comprehend his prophesies, we must examine either the Quran or the Sunnah. The Quran that was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) is still in its original form, unaltered by any chance, because Allah Almighty Himself is in charge of ensuring the preservation of this Holy Book. All of its words are definitive and unambiguous. All Muslims believe that the Quran is the true book of God and that there is no reason to have any questions or uncertainty about this. The Ghazwa-e-Hind is neither mentioned nor otherwise indicated anywhere in the Qur'an, hence we are unable to find it there. 

The following summary from Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani's Nukhbat al-Fikr, a classic work on the Science of Hadith Principles that is frequently taught in Dars-e-Nizami, provides a brief detail on the numerous Hadith classifications. 

The routes of a Hadith or a Report, beginning with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and ending with the Hadith books in our hands, (1) may not have a certain number of paths, (2) may have more than two paths, (3) may have two paths, or (4) may have just one path. 

The first is the mass–transmitted Report or Hadtih (Mutawaatir), and when its requirements are satisfied, it conveys sure knowledge ('Ilm-E Yaqini). The second is the well-known Hadith or Report (Mashhur), which some scholars also referred to as the widely-circulated Hadith (Mustafidh). The third type of a Report or a Hadith ('aziz) is rare. Contrary to what someone may have said, it is not the [minimum] requirement for authenticity. The fourth hadith or report, called as Gharib, is the unusual one. 

All of them—with the exception of the first, Mutawaatir—are lone or solitary reports (Ahaad). In contrast to the first, they [these Reports or Ahadith] include both the accepted and the rejected since interpreting them as proof depends on looking into the status of the reporters. However, depending on the intended viewpoint, they could include information that transmits inductive knowledge ('Ilm Nazari) with external signs. [Translated and Summarized from Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani'sNukhbat al-Fikr] 

Tawatur, or consecutive narration, is reached in a Hadith or a Report when there are enough narrators at each stage of transmission that it is impossible for them to have worked together to invent a lie. The Mutawaatir Ahadith convey the sure knowledge [Ilm-e-Yaqini]. 

The other three Hadith or Report categories are known as Akhbaar-e-Ahaad (plural of Khabar-e-Waahid). Khabr-e-WaahidHaidth does not communicate sure knowledge (ilm-e-Yaqini) but it conveys inductive knowledge ('ilm-e-nazari) by reasoning and inference. 

Based on the credibility of the Khabr-e-Waahid Hadith, it is split into two categories: Maqbool [the accepted] and Mardood [the rejected]. The Maqbool Hadith, which is regarded as credible while attaining inductive knowledge, is divided into Sahih and Hasan. The Mardood Hadith, which is declared to be the one that has been rejected, contains numerous varieties, one of which is Daif, which literally translates as Weak. 

This study of Hadith science implies that the Daif or weak Hadith is the rejected hadith while attaining inductive knowledge about anything. 

This should be sufficient to make it clear to the general public that only the Mutawaatir Hadith satisfies the core requirements of surety and provides the absolute certainty that the speech or the action described in the Mutawaatir Hadith is really the speech or the action of the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

None of the two grades of the Khabr-e-Waahid Hadith—Sahih and Hasan—offer absolute certainty; instead, they express an inductive sense or a sense of likelihood. The probability you experience in the Khabr-e-Waahid segment increases as you acquire more sets of pre-set conditions. You are still caught in a web of high possibility or probability, after all, and you haven't even attained the level of simple certainty, let alone absolute certainty. 

The juristic or legal importance of the Sahih or the Hasan Hadith is that it is not appreciated or accepted when discussing issues pertaining to Faith, Creed [Aqidah] or Belief [Imaan]. However, expert Islamic jurists claim that the Sahih or the Hasan Hadith is recognised in cases involving secondary sets of action (Aamaal). 

The topic of a Daif or Weak Hadith, which is regarded as the rejected Hadith while obtaining inductive knowledge, now requires deep attention. Just as there is no value for the Daif or Weak Hadith when dealing with issues pertaining to Faith, Creed or Belief, there is also no value for it when dealing with issues involving the secondary sets of action. The Daif Hadith is recognised as a part of the rejected numbers of Hadith when discussing the issues pertaining to both Belief [Imaan] and Action [Amal]. 

The study is now qualified to state that the majority of the Hadith in question about the Ghazwa-e-Hind are Weak or Daif, according to Hadith Experts. This suggests that the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative has been disregarded by the Science of Hadith Classification. 

An ordinary man, for instance, can easily comprehend the categorical distinctions between Ahadith in the unique context of protecting himself from the deadly propaganda of the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative spread by the Pakistani extreme organisations. Considering that Sahih Hadith has a 70% chance of being a prophetic utterance, anything it says is more likely to be a message from the Prophet.  The likelihood that a Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith is a prophecy is 55%. While the Daif or Weak Hadith is considered to be a rejected Hadith, if you were to calculate its rank of probability, you would find that it has a 20–25% likelihood of being a prophecy and a 75–80% chance of being a non-prophecy. 

In other words, there is a 30% chance that the Sahih Hadith is a non-prophetic prophecy.  A 45% chance exists that the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith is a non-prophetic prophecy. Despite being a rejected hadith, the Daif Hadith has a 75–80% chance of being a non-prophetic prophecy. 

We have seen the inconsistencies in the classification of the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith in the debate above and learned that some scholars consider it to be Ghazwa-e-Hind, while others consider it to be Daif, and still others think it to be manufactured. This demonstrates that there is no information about the Ghazwa-e-Hind that can be relied upon or acknowledged as being true beyond a reasonable doubt. The simple explanation for this is that the set of Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith collections does not fall within the Mutawaatir levels of Hadith, and thereby there is no absolute certainty. 

Even though the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith has been declared to be Sahih or Hasan, possibility still exists, and possibility has no place in the domain of faith and absolute certainty. Any possibility offers you the impression that anything might be true or false. It has both true and false aspects. You must follow the route of moderation in this situation. Unless you have unambiguous proof of anything, you are not required to accept or reject its possibility with absolute certainty. 

Every Muslim believes that the prophecies of the Prophet are essentially accurate. But whether or not a statement about the Ghazwa-e-Hind is truly a prophetic prediction is up for debate. The careful analysis of Ghazwa-e-Hind suggests that no one is certain about it, with everyone making individual guesses. 

Some scholars believe only Allah and His Messenger are aware of future events, and no one can definitively determine if the Ghazwa-e-Hind events occurred. In response to the question about Ghazwa-e-Hind, they become silent by asserting that only Allah knows the best.

 The Hadith corpus contains a large number of end-times prophesies, some of which are reliable and trustworthy while others are doubtful or unreliable depending on the strength or reliability of the chains of transmission that link them. 

The chains of narration of Hadith which predict the return of Hazrat Isa (Jesus peace be upon him) and the coming of Imam Mahdi are recognised as authentic and sufficient to be relied upon. The Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative, which states that it will happen after the return of Hazrat Prophet Isa (Peace be upon him) or upon the arrival of Imam Mahdi, is not, however, supported by a single Hadith that can offer absolute assurance. 

As was already said, certain Arabian scholars think that since the Ghazwa-e-Hind Hadith narrated through the chain of Hazrat Thawban is Sahih or Hasan and that it already occurred during the time of Muhammad bin Qaasim, another Ghazwa won't happen. Even this Arabian interpretation does not back up Ghazwa-e-Hind propaganda in Pakistan. 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) reportedly had a habit of hiding the precise date and hour of end-times prophesies from his companions when they would ask about them. Given this tendency, we can also contend that even if we take the Ghazwa-e-Hind prophesies to be accurate, we are still oblivious to its occurrence as well as its exact meaning and application. Therefore, asserting that the Ghazwa-e-Hind has occurred or will occur during the time of Imam Mahdi or Hazrat Jesus (peace be upon him) is totally hypothetical and is not backed up by any trustworthy sources. One must understand that when discussing the subject of faith and belief in Islam, speculation or hypothesis has no validity. 

In light of the arguments presented above, we are compelled to reject the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative as it is being spread by Pakistani organisations. The answer mentioned above to the question "What areas were meant by al-Hind when it was uttered in the age of the Prophet (peace be upon him)? alone invalidates the Pakistani discourse of the Ghazwa-e-Hind. 

The Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative in Pakistan is made up of a variety of fabrications and misleading claims. In this regard, we have uncovered a great deal of evidence that, when considered collectively, gives us the ability to reject the Ghazwa-e-Hind objective of extremist organisations.

Even if the narrative were to be genuine, everyone would still be unaware of the precise moment of the Ghazwa-e-Hind because it was kept a secret from the companions. This raises concerns about how Pakistani organisations may assert that they are on a higher plane or have access to information that the Companions were not given. The essential Islamic principle that end-time prophecies are secret is in direct conflict with the Ghazwa-e-Hind, a Pakistani agenda narrative. Therefore, Muslims must vehemently disagree with this narrative. 

We can now conclude by saying that it is the mandatory duty of the scholars, Imams, Sajjadgans, Ulama, Muslim leaders, and political and social thinkers who make up the majority in India to come together in one language and put an end to this propaganda in order to preserve our national cohesion and security. 

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A regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is an Alim and Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar), with a Sufi-Sunni background and English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. He has also done B. A (Hons.) in Arabic, M.A. in Arabic and M.A. in English from JMI, New Delhi. He is interested in Islamic Sciences; Theology, Jurisprudence, Tafsir, Hadith and Islamic mysticism (Tasawwuf).

URL:   https://newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/pakistan-ghazwa-hind-fundamental-principles/d/130883

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