:salam2:
A Mujaddid is an intellectually eminent and distinct personality or a group that the Ummah is blessed with who decontaminates and renews the Deen. He/they present the Deen in a pure, pristine and original form by removing all the evil, corruption and wrongdoings that exist in his/their time. Through his/their intellect and understanding he/they tear apart the veils of innovation and customary practices that envelope the reality of Deen. (Mazaahir-e-Haqq (commentary of Mishkaat), Vol. 1, Page 258)
Some commentators of this Hadith mention that a Mujaddid is specified on a conjectural basis by the pious and God-fearing people of that era through the concatenation (conditions that lead to something) of his circumstances. It therefore means that a Mujaddid does not claim or specify himself as a Mujaddid. (Ta’leequs Sabeeh, Sharah Mishkaat,
"Surely, Allah will send for this Ummah at the advent of every one hundred years a person (or persons) who will renovate its religion for it." [Sunan Abu Dawood]
The act of "renovation of the religion" mentioned in this hadith has been referred to by the word "Tajdeed". It means the restoration of the original beliefs and practices after their being changed, distorted or forgotten. The hadith indicates to the fact that some circles from within the Ummah may forget the original teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah, and some foreign elements may creep into the original beliefs and practices. But the distorted version of Shari‘ah, based on such foreign elements will not achieve the universal acceptance among the Muslims, and even if it succeeds in attracting a large number of people, Allah will send a person or a number of persons who will correct the error, restore the original beliefs and practices and explain the true intent of Shari‘ah. This act of renovation is called "Tajdeed", and those who carry out this remarkable work are named as "Mujaddid" (renovator).
It is mentioned in the hadith that such people normally appear at the advent of a new century. The Arabic word used for the time of their appearance may also admit the possibility of their appearance at the end of a century, but the first meaning seems to be more probable in the context of the hadith. The word advent does not necessarily mean that they appear in the very first year of a new century. No such definite time has been given in the hadith. They can appear within the first or second decade of a century. The construction of the hadith has two possibilities with regard to the number of the renovators. There may be only one person who undertakes the task at the beginning of a century, and there may be more than one person whose efforts, as combined together, may be termed as the efforts of Tajdeed. They may work in different geographical divisions without having a formal relation between them or, possibly, without knowing each other. Still the work carried out by them can be termed as Tajdeed.
In order to avoid some dangerous misconceptions, the following points must always be kept in mind in relation to the term Mujaddid:
1. Mujaddid is not a formal designation like prophet or messenger. There is no particular authority in this world who declares him as a mujaddid. It is only through his work that he is recognized as such. This recognition also is not as certain as the recognition of a prophet. Therefore, the opinions may differ about his being a mujaddid.
2. A true mujaddid does not claim to be a mujaddid with certainty, nor does he invite others to believe in him as such.
3. Even if the majority of the Muslims is of the opinion that a particular person is a mujaddid, there is no religious obligation on the others to believe in him as a mujaddid. In other words, the recognition of a mujaddid is not a part of the necessary religious beliefs.
4. A mujaddid does not receive any authentic revelation from Allah like a prophet, nor does he make any such claim. He does not bring any new teachings regarding the religion. Rather, he tries to revive the original teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah.
5. It is not necessary that a mujaddid knows himself to be a mujaddid, let alone laying any claim to this effect.
6. A mujaddid is not infallible in his sayings and actions, [unlike] a prophet. His sayings and acts normally conform to the Islamic teachings, but they are not treated like the sayings and acts of a prophet.
Keeping these points in view, one can easily understand that a mujaddid is always identified through his work. Normally the scholars of Shari‘ah recognize him but their recognition cannot be held as certain and definite as the recognition of a prophet. There may be difference of opinion in this matter; in fact, there has been difference of opinion about the identification of mujaddids in different centuries.
[Also], the hadith quoted above, while foretelling the appearance of mujaddids in every century, does not intend to make it compulsory to recognize such mujaddids. It is rather a consolation for the Muslims of the coming generations that, despite all the distortions or innovations which may creep into the Muslim society, the ummah shall not be deprived of the pious persons who shall never be influenced by such distortions, and who shall follow the original teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah and invite the people to this respect. The Muslims of the coming generations are, therefore, directed by this hadith to follow only those persons who dwell upon the original teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah and refuse to follow the un-Islamic customs, beliefs and practices which have not been derived from these original holy resources.
