Did you know that the book Wahhabis love to cite, Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal's Kitab al-Sunna has been deceptively altered?
Wahhabis deny this, but what's funny is that their own scholars say secretly altering texts is good!
Wahhabis believe that it is permissible or even obligatory to secretly alter premodern religious treatises and hadith collections to remove material that conflicts with their views.
However, they conceal this from the public.
This practice is common in Gulf publishing houses.
Many are already aware that these Gulf publishing houses create fake attributions.
For example, as I noted earlier, Wahhabis have misattributed the text of Sharh al-Sunna to al-Barbahari.
They have likewise misattributed al-Radd ala al-Zanadiqa wa-l-Jahmiyya to Ibn Hanbal.
These are only two of most famous examples of misattributions.
But what is more interesting is the removal of material from texts. One reason why Wahhabis are so supportive of removing material from religious treatises and hadith collections is that such a view is endorsed by many of the scholars they follow.
A good example is Ibn Baz.
Ibn Baz is on record as saying that it is appropriate for the government to covertly remove problematic material from religious works. In particular, he supports removing material from the important work, Kitab al-Sunna, attributed to Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
Read the following account which discusses how religious scholar alter texts in Saudi Arabia:
Shaykh Saalih Aal Ash-Shaykh was asked, “What is your opinion about what is mentioned in the book of Abdullaah ibn Imaam Ahmad about accusing Abu Haneefah of saying that the Quran was created and so on?”
He replied:
“That is a good question; this exists in the book As-Sunnah authored by Abdullaah ibn Imaam Ahmad. At the time of Abdullaah ibn Imaam Ahmad, the affliction about saying that the Quran is created was great, and they used evidence that they attributed to Abu Haneefah while he was completely innocent of it; the statement that the Quran is created. They also attributed matters to him that the Mu'tazilah quote, such as misinterpreting the Names and Attributes of Allaah by changing their correct meaning and so on, while he is completely innocent of it. Some of it was widespread among the people, and it was reported to some scholars, and they judged according to the apparent meaning of what was reported to them. This was before the existence of the School of jurisprudence the belonged particularly to Abu Haneefah. That is because that period was near the time of Abu Haneefah and the views (of the scholars on Abu Haneefah) were being reported, such as the view of Wakee’, Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, and the opinions of such and such scholars on Imaam Abu Haneefah. At that time, there was a need for that according to the personal reasoning of ‘Abdullaah ibn Imaam Ahmad; so he exerted his efforts in reporting the views of the scholars about what was being quoted.
However, after that time – as stated by At-Tahaawi – the scholars unanimously agreed not to quote that and (they also agreed) that they should only mention Imaam Abu Haneefah with goodness. Of course, this was after the time of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi. This means that they might have spoken about this during the era of Imaam Ahmad. At the time of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi, he (Al-Khateeb) quoted well-known views on Abu Haneefah in his book entitled At-Taareekh, and other scholars objected to him after that, until the time when the methodology of the Salaf was adopted and followed in the sixth and seventh centuries. Ibn Taymiyyah wrote his famous thesis, entitled 'Raf’ Al-Malaam 'an Al-A'immati Al-A’laam'. In all his books, he mentions Imaam Abu Haneefah with goodness and gratitude, and he seeks Allaah’s forgiveness for him. He only attributes to him what is called Irjaa' of the jurists [please refer to fatwa 309085], but not the many views that were attributed to him, as there is the great book of Abu Haneefah entitled Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar, and there are dissertations by him which prove that he follows the methodology of the Salaf in general except in one matter, which is the issue of the actions being included in the meaning of Eemaan (faith)…
When the scholars wanted to reprint the book As-Sunnah authored by ‘Abdullaah ibn Imaam Ahmad, and the supervisor and reviewer of this book was the prominent Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ibn Hasan Aal Ash-Shaykh may Allaah have mercy upon him who was the Chief Justice in Makkah at that time, he omitted this entire chapter from the new printed version. It was not printed because from a sharee'ah-based rational point of view, its time has gone. Also, this is an act of ijtihaad (independent reasoning), and taking care of the interests of the people requires that the chapter in question be omitted and not be included in the printing. This is not a betrayal of the trust; rather, the trust is not to make people turn away from the Sunnah and the correct creed which ‘Abdullaah ibn Imaam Ahmad wrote about in his book because the quotes that were included in that chapter. Thus, the book was reprinted without this chapter, and it spread among the people and among the scholars that this is the book 'As-Sunnah' authored by ‘Abdullaah ibn Imaam Ahmad.
Recently, it was printed in a scientific article or in a scientific research, and this chapter was included in the book, since it existed in the manuscripts, and this is something known; this chapter was included in the book again, and they (those who printed it) said that trustworthiness requires that we include this chapter and not omit it. However, there is no doubt that this is not correct, taking in consideration what the scholars of da’wah (call to Islam) did in the past which was in accordance with As-siyaasah Ash-Shar'iyyah (the Sharee'ah-based or Sharee'ah-oriented policy) and knowing the objectives of the scholars in their writings and given the differences of time, place and circumstances; and the matters that have been firmly established in the creed and the views of the scholars concerning that. When this book was republished, we were at the house of the honorable Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzaan as he invited His Eminence Shaykh Abdul Azeez (ibn Baaz) may Allaah have mercy upon him and I asked him (a question about that), and he told me in the presence of Shaykh Saalih, “What the Shaykhs did is what is required and omitting that chapter is in accordance with As-siyaasah Ash-Shar'iyyah because including it is not appropriate, and this is the view and methodology of the scholars..." [End of quote]