An Introduction to the Science of Hadith - Softcover

Suhaib Hasan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9960740617 ISBN 13: 9789960740614

Publisher: Dar-us-Salam Publications, 1995

Synopsis

In this book we see highlights of how Allah preserved the Sunnah by enabling the Companions and those after them to memorise, write down and pass on the statements of the Messenger (sallah Allahu alayhee wa sallam), and the descriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessings of practising the Sunnah. Later, as the purity of the knowledge of the Sunnah became threatened, Allah caused the Muslim nation to produce outstanding individuals of incredible memory-skills and analytical expertise, who journeyed tirelessly to collect hundreds of thousands of narrations and distinguish the true words of precious wisdom of their Messenger (sallah Allahu alayhee wa sallam) from those corrupted by weak memories, from forgeries by unscrupulous liars, and from the statements of the enormous number of 'ulama', the Companions, and those who followed their way, who had taught in various centers of learning and helped to transmit the legacy of Muhammad (sallahu Allahu alayhee wa sallam) - all of this achieved through precise attention to the words narrated and detailed familiarity with the biographies of the thousands of reporters of Hadith. Actions being the best way to preserve teachings, the renewers of Islam also revived the practice of the blessed authentic Sunnah.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Muslims are agreed that the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhee wa sallam) is the second of the two revealed fundamental sources of Islam, after the Glorious Qur'an. The authentic Sunnah is contained within the vast body of Hadith literature.

A hadith (pl. ahadith) is comprised of two parts: the matn (text) and the isnad (chain of reporters). A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but it needs an authentic isnad with reliable reporters to be acceptable; 'Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak (d. 181 AH), one of the illustrious teachers of Imam al-Bukhari, said: "The isnad is part of the religion: had it not been for the isnad, whoever wished to would have said whatever he liked."

During the lifetime of the Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhee wa salam) and after his death, his Companions (Sahabah) used to refer to him directly, when quoting his sayings. The Successors (Tabi'un) followed suit; some of them used to quote the Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhee wa sallam) through the Companions while others would omit the intermediate authority - such a hadith was later known as mursal. It was found that the missing link between the Successor and the Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhee wa sallam) might be one person, ie a Companion, or two people, the extra person being an older Successor who heard the hadith from the Companion. This is an example of how the need for the verification of each isnad arose. Imam Malik (d. 179) said, "The first one to utilise the isnad was Ibn Shihab Al-Zuhri (d.124). The other more important reason was the deliberate fabrication of ahadith by various sects which appeared amongst the Muslims, in order to support their views (see later, under discussion of maudu' ahadith). Ibn Sirin (d. 110), a Successor, said, "They would not ask about the isnad. But when the fitnah happened, they said: Name to us your men. So the narrations of the Ahl al-Sunnah would be accepted, while those of the Ahl al-Bid'ah would not be accepted......

Edition details

• Publisher: Dar-us-Salam Publications
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9960740617
• ISBN 13: 9789960740614
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64