The Study of Hadith

In the Name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful Collected and Compiled By Dr. Abdallah Kheir (PhD) MODULE INSTRUCTOR RERS: 323 THE HADITH Aims: The aim of this course is to equip the learner with the definition, composition, developmental stages of Hadith and their relevance. Objectives: Define Hadith Examine the collection and scholars of Hadith Analyze the development of Hadith Identify and examine the major themes of Hadith Discuss the importance of Hadith and their relevance today Course Description: Definition of Hadith, their collection land scholars of Hadith, their developments, major themes of Hadith and their relevance in the contemporary world. Assessment: Continuous Assessment Tests 30% Final Examination 70% Total Scores 100% Topics to be covered Definition of Hadith, what are the ahadith used for? Collection and scholars of Hadith, The Developments of Hadith Major themes of Hadith and their relevance in the contemporary world. The Authority of Hadith The companions learning from the Prophet (saw) Modes of Transmission Isnaad: The chain of transmission Matn: The Text Application of the methodology: some examples Classfication Major Hadith Collection The relevance of Hadith in the contemporary world [Student’s Assignment] What are ahadith used for? Hadith contains daily practices of the Prophet (pbuh) these have been passed down via chains of narrators. Ahadith were collected by famous Muhaddiths such as Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim in their Sahih collections. They verified narrators via very stringent rules, i.e. if a narrator who is known to be unreliable then it would not be taken from that person. It is recorded that Imam Bukhari travelled miles upon miles to hear hadith which he could collect for his collection, he collected over 100,000 ahadith of which only over 7000 can be found in his Sahih collection. Ahadith are a source of legislation for the muslims along with the Quran, Sunnah (pertained within hadith), Consensus (Ijmaa) of the Sahaba (companions) and Qiyas (analogical reasoning of the latter two). Categories of hadith The khabar (report) which is synonymous to the terms hadith and sunnah is divided, in terms of the line of transmission (sanad), into the khabar mutawatir (continuously recurrent report) and khabar ahad (isolated report). Mutawatir The mu‮ ‬tawatir comprises of four issues,‭ ‬and these are: The number of transmitters should be such that they are a group and not be restricted to any specific number. So whatever number proves to be a group, that is considered mutawatir. However, the minimum requirement is five. Four is not enough, because four are in need of another to attest their integrity (tazkiyah) if nothing is known about them when they give testimony for zina. The group accredited for tawatur (continuous transmission) is that it should not need any attestation (tazkiyah) so as to be definite by the mere notification of the report. It should preclude collusion on a possible lie. It differs according to the difference between persons and locations. So five people like 'Ali b. Abi Talib are sufficient to consider their report as mutawatir. However for other types of people, five may not be a sufficient figure. Five transmitters who have not met from five different countries may be enough for the report to be considered as mutawatir, for they did not meet together in one place for collusion to occur. Probably a notification by the same number of people in one country may not suffice. That they transmit the report from a group like them from the beginning to the end of the transmission, in a manner that precludes collusion on a possible lie, even if they were not of the same number. In other words, the first two conditions should be met in every tier of transmitters. The basis of their report should be sensory perception, like hearing and the like, but not what is established by pure reason, because the pure reason can make mistakes if not based on sensory perception, thus not indicating certainty. The mutawatir report is divided into two categories: The verbal (lafzun) mutawatir like the hadith: 'Whosoever intentionally lies about me, let him reserve his place in the Hellfire.' and the hadith of wiping on the socks (khuff), hadith of hawdh (river in paradise), hadith of intercession (shafa'ah) and the hadith of raising the hands in prayer. The mutawatir by meaning (ma'nun), such as when the transmitters concur on a matter occurring in different incidents such as the sunnah of the morning prayer being two rakats, a category which does exist. Numerous mutawatir hadiths have been reported even though the 'Ulema differ on what constitutes mutawatir according to their different views about the mutawatir report. Khabar ul-ahad As for the isolated report (khabar ul-ahad). It is the report whose narrators have not reached the number required for the muttawatir, whether it was reported by one or four narrators, meaning it is the report which falls short of the preceding four conditions for the mutawatir report. It is divided, in terms of the number of narrators, into three categories: Gharib (Alien) It is the report narrated by a single transmitter, meaning there is a single narrator throughout the narration at any stage in the isnad (line of transmission). It is divided into: gharib in isnad only, and gharib in isnad and matn (wording of hadith) together. There is no such report as gharib only in matn. The gharib in matn and isnad is that whose narration is by a single narrator. For example the hadith prohibiting and donating the sale of wala'a (patronage). The gharib in isnad and not in matn is the matn narrated by a group of Sahabah, but a single transmitter narrated it from another Sahabi, like the hadith: 'Actions are judged according to intentions.' Aziz (scarce) It is a report transmitted by more than one narrator but less than four, meaning it is narrated by two or three narrators, even at one tier. It is called aziz (scarce) due to its rarity. Mashur (famous) A report which has been narrated by more than three narrators, but still it did not reach the level of mutawatir. It is called mashur due to it being clear and widely mentioned on the lips of people, irrespective of a sanad (chain) being found for it or not found. It is also the mustafid (abundant). It has two categories: mashur according to the scholars of hadith and mashur for the general public. The first is like the hadith of Anas, that the Prophet وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬made du'a‭ (‬qunut‭) ‬for one month against‭ (‬the tribes of‭) ‬Ra'al and Dhakwan. The second category is like the hadith: 'A Muslim is someone from whose (sharp) tongue and hands other Muslims are safe.' Not every mashur report among people is sahih. Some ahadith which have no basis or are entirely fabricated may become famous and well known. These are many, like the hadith: 'the day of your fast is (identical to) the day of your sacrifice', which has no basis. The Khabar al-ahad also, whether gharib, aziz or mashur, the isnad has a termination point, either ending with the Prophet وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬or with a Sahabi or tabi'i.‭ ‬In terms of the end of the chain‭ (‬isnad‭) ‬there are three types: Marfu' It is a report which has been specifically ascribed to the Prophet in terms of his actions, sayings, consent or description, whether the one who attributed it to the Prophet وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‮ ‬was a Sahabi,‭ ‬tabi'i or someone who came after them.‭ ‬An example of that is when the Sahabi says:‭ '‬we used to do or say such and such‭ (‬thing‭) ‬during the lifetime of the Messenger‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‭ ‬,‭ '‬or when he was among us‭'‬,‭ ‬or‭ '‬when he was amongst us‭'‬,‭ ‬or‭ ' ‬we did not see anything wrong with such and such thing‭'‬,‭ ‬or the Sahabah used to do or say such and such‭ (‬thing‭); ‬or such and such‭ (‬thing‭) ‬was said during the lifetime of the Messenger‭ ‬.وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله.‮ ‬صل‭ ‬Another example is when the Sahabi says:‭ '‬We were ordered to do such and such‭ (‬thing‭)'‬,‭ ‬or‭ '‬we were forbidden from doing such and such‭ (‬thing‭)' ‬or‭ '‬such and such‭ (‬thing‭) ‬is from the Sunnah‭'‬.‭ ‬It is also considered a marfu‭' ‬report when the Sahabi says:‭ '‬We used to do or say such and such‭ (‬thing‭)' ‬even if they did not attribute it to the Prophet‭ ‬وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬,‭ ‬because it indicates a consent.‭ ‬Likewise,‭ ‬the saying of Anas b.‭ ‬Malik is considered as a marfu‭' ‬report when he said:‭ '‬The Prophet's doors used to be knocked using the fingernails‭'‬,‭ ‬and when Anas said‭; ‬Bilal was ordered to double the azan and make iqamah one.‭' ‬Similarly the tafseer of the Sahabah concerning the cause of revelation comes under the rule of marfu‭'‬.‭ ‬Anything other than that from the tafseer of the Sahabah is not considered part of the hadith.‭ ‬That is because the Sahabah performed many ijtihads in explaining the Qur'an and they disagreed as a result.‭ ‬We find also many of them used to narrate isra'illiyyat from the people of the Book.‭ ‬That is why their tafseer is not considered part of the hadith,‭ ‬let alone considered as a marfu‭' ‬hadith. Mawquf It is the narration from the Sahabah in terms of their sayings and actions. It is specifically related to the Sahabah. Its isnad can be continuous or broken. It is the report many of the Fuqaha and muhaddithun also call 'athar'. The mawquf does not serve as a proof, because Allah سبحانه‮ ‬:said‭ ‬وتعالى‮ ‬و‮ ‬مَ‮ ‬اَ‮ ‬آت‮ ‬اَك‮ ‬مُ‮ ‬الر‮ ‬سَّ‮ ‬وُل‮ ‬ف‮ ‬خَ‮ ‬ذُ‮ ‬وُه‮ ‬و‮ ‬مَ‮ ‬اَ‮ ‬ن‮ ‬هَ‮ ‬اَك‮ ‬مُ‮ ‬ع‮ ‬نَ‮ ‬هْ‮ ‬ف‮ ‬اَنت‮ ‬هَ‮ ‬وُا‮ ‭"‬And whatsoever the Messenger gave you,‭ ‬take it,‭ ‬and whatsoever he forbade you abstain‭ (‬from it‭)‬.‭" [‬59:7‭] ‬This means that whatever came to us from other‭ ‬than the Messenger‭ ‬وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬do not take it.‭ ‬Therefore,‭ ‬there is no proof in the saying of anyone except Rasool Allah‭ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‮ ‬a is it because‭ ‬,‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‭ ‬Allah Rasool to it ascribe to permitted not is It‭ ‬.‭ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‮ ‬mere possibility and‭ ‬not a prevalent opinion‭ (‬zann‭)‬,‭ ‬and possibilities are not recognised. Maqtu' It is not the same as munqati'. It is that whose chain stops at the Tabi'i in terms of sayings and actions. A proof is not established by it, and it is weaker than the mawquf. Categories of the Khabar al-Ahad The khabar al-ahad (isolated report) in its three forms: gharib, 'aziz or mashur, whether marfu', mawquf or maqtu' is divided by the scholars of hadith, in terms of its acceptance or rejection, into three categories: sahih, hasan, da'eef. The following is a clarification of each category: The hadith whose isnad continues through transmission of the reliable ('adl) narrator whose retention is accurate (dhabit) from another reliable ('adl) transmitter who has an accurate retentive ability, and so on until the end of the chain, and is not shadh (irregular) or mu'allal (defective). In other words, the isnad of the hadith continues through by the transmission of the reliable ('adl) and accurate (dhabit) narrator from another of same quality until it ends with Rasool Allah The statement of the scholars of hadith that the 'the isnad of the hadith continues through the transmission of the reliable ('adl) and accurate (dhabit) narrator from another same as him', excludes the mursal, munqati' and mu'dhil hadiths, from the category of sahih. The mursal is what the Tabi'un have narrated from the Prophet وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬without mentioning the Sahabi.‭ ‬The munqati‭' ‬is when a single narrator is omitted in one or more places in the isnad.‭ ‬The mu'dhil‭ ‬has two or more narrators missing from one or more places in the isnad.‭ ‬These three all have discontinued isnads which takes them out of the sahih category.‭ ‬The statement that‭ "‬the hadith should not be shadh‭" (‬irregular‭) ‬excludes from the sahih hadith the shadh report where a trustworthy narrator goes against the narration of narrators who are more reliable than him.‭ ‬Their statement:‭ '‬It should not be mu'allal‭ (‬defective‭)' ‬excludes from the sahih hadith the mu'allal report which has a defect.‭ ‬The‭ '‬illah‭ (‬defect‭) ‬consists of a weakness in the hadith,‭ ‬causing its rejection,‭ ‬a matter which appears to the critics when collecting and examining the various transmission routes of the hadith. For example, the chain of a narrator being continuous while a group has transmitted it as mawquf. Their statement: 'By the transmission of the reliable ('adl) narrator', it excludes the report narrated by a transmitter whose apparent and hidden condition is not known, majhul al-'ayn (not known personally), or he is known to be weak. Such a hadith is not considered as sahih. Their statement: 'by the transmission of a narrator who has accurate retentive ability (dhabit)' excludes what has been narrated by someone who is not retentive and aware, that is his transmission is negligent and he commits many mistakes. This report is not considered a sahih hadith, rather, all the conditions which have been clarified should be met in the sahih ahadith. If one condition is missing then the hadith is not sahih. Hasan It is a report whose collector is known and its transmitters are well known. It is the most regular hadith, and most scholars accept it, and it is used by the fuqaha generally, meaning that in its isnad there are no narrators that have been charged with lying, nor it is a shadh (irregular). It is of two types: First: a hadith whose isnad is not free from a transmitter who is mastur (of hidden condition) and whose capacity is not realized, but not negligent nor prone to make many mistakes or charged with mendacity. However, a hadith of similar matn might have been narrated from another way, and it is thus excluded from being shadh or munkar (rejected). Second: The narrators must be known for their trustworthiness and honesty, but they do not attain the level of the transmitters of the sahih category in retention and percesion; and what he narrates of reports singularly is not considered as munkar (rejected), nor is the matn irregular (shadh)or defective (mu'allal). So the hasan ahadith is the report transmitted by a reliable ('adl) narrator who is of lesser retentive capacity, but its isnad is continuous and not irregular (shadh) or defective (mu'allal). The hasan hadith is used as proof exactly as the sahih hadith. Da'eef It is the hadith which does not have the qualifications of the sahih or hasan hadiths. The weak hadith is not used as evidence at all. It is a mistake to say that when a da'eef hadith comes via numerous lines of transmission then it rises to the level of hasan or sahih. For when the hadith is weak because its narrator has actually committed transgression or has been accused of actual lying, and the hadith came through other lines of transmission which are of this type, then it has increased in iweakness. As for when the meaning contained in the da'eef hadith is also contained in the sahih ahadith, then the sahih hadith is cited and the da'eef hadith is rejected. Therefore, the da'eef hadith is not used as proof in any way whatsoever. The accepted hadith (maqbul) and the rejected hadith (mardud) It becomes clear from dividing the hadith into sahih, hasan and da'eef, that the hasan and sahih hadiths are both advanced as proof and the da'eef hadith is not. What makes the hadith acceptable or rejectable is the examination of the sanad (chain), transmitter and matn. If a narrator is not omitted from the sanad and whose omission would not lead to the inability of attesting to the reliability of the omitted narrator; and the narrator's integrity is not questioned; and the matn is not weak nor it does contradict certain parts of the Qur'an or Sunnah mutawatir or definite ijma'a, in this case the hadith is accepted, acted upon and advanced as a shar'ai. As for when the hadith is contrary to these qualifications, it is rejected and not educed as proof. Therefore, the rejected hadith is the hadith rejected due to omission from the sanad of a narrator which results in the inability to attest the reliability of this narrator, or due to a narrator's integrity being questioned, or due to the weakness of the (matn) of the hadith or its contradiction to the Qur'an, hadith and Ijma'a which are definite. Various types of hadith come under the hadith mardud (rejected) which do not exceed the following descriptions: Mu'allaq When there is one or more narrators are consecutively missing from the beginning of the sanad in a blatantly obvious manner. The term 'more' is more general to include the whole or part of the isnad. Also included, is the omission of the whole chain such as when the muhaddith or hadith compiler, says: Rasool Allah (saw) said so or did such and such thing. Mu'dil Is a chain in which two or more narrators are missing from one or more places, such as when the tabi ut-tabi'i omits a tabi'i and sahabi from the isnad. But it does not include the statement of authors from the fuqaha when they say: 'Rasool Allah (saw) said ' Or their statement 'from Rasool Allah '(saw). This is not (mu'dil), because that is not transmission, rather it is quoting and educing a proof which is valid. Munqati' When a single narrator is missing before the Sahabi in any one place wherever it is, even if they are many, such that the missing narrator is not more than one from each place, so it will be munqati' in these places. Also considered to be munqati' is the chain in which there is an obscure narrator (mubham). An example of a transmitter being omitted is what has been narrated by 'Abdur Razzaq > ath-Thawri > Abu Ishaq > Zayd b. Yathi' > Hudhayfa, which goes back to the Prophet صلى‮ ‬is he indeed‭ ‬,Bakr Abu to‭ (‬authority‭) ‬it assigned you If‭" ‬:said he that‭ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‮ ‬powerful and honest.‭" ‬The isnad has breaks in two places.‭ ‬First,‭ '‬Abdur Razzaq did not hear from ath-Thawri but rather narrated it from al-Nu'man Ibn Abi Shaybah al-Jundi who narrated it from ath-Thawri.‭ ‬The second,‭ ‬ath-Thawri did not hear it from Abu Ishaq but rather narrated it from Shurayk who narrated it from Abu Ishaq.‭ ‬The hadith,‭ ‬therefore,‭ ‬is rejected.‭ ‬An example of a transmitter being obscure is what is narrated by Abu al-‭'‬Ala b.‭ '‬Abdullah b.‭ ‬Shukhayr‭ > ‬two men‭ > ‬Shaddad b.‭ ‬Aws the hadith of:‭ '‬O Lord‭! ‬I ask you to make me steadfast in the matter.‭' ‬Therefore,‭ ‬the hadith is rejected due to the presence of an unknown‭ (‬majhul‭) ‬narrator in the transmission. Shadh When a reliable transmitter narrates a hadith which contradicts what others have narrated. It is not shadh if a reliable narrator transmits something no one else has narrated, because the narration of a reliable transmitter is accepted even if others have not narrated it, and it is used as proof. That is like the hadith: 'Actions are judged according to intentions'. Only 'Umar narrated it and from him only 'Alqama narrated it. A single narrator, Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Tamimi narrated from him, and from him only Yahya b. Said al-Ansari narrated and from him Yahya b. Said, then there was a proliferation of transmission routes. Therefore, the shadh is only when a reliable narrator transmits something which contradicts what has been narrated by others, meaning the accepted narrator transmits a report that goes against the report which is more stronger than it. Mu'allal A hadith which is found to have a defect ('illah) and impairs its authenticity through it appears to be sound. This applied to the isnad whose transmitters are reliable and which apparently includes the conditions of authenticity. Munkar What a single unreliable transmitter narrates alone. The munkar is the narration of a weak narrator which contradicts the report of a transmitter who is less weak. Mawdu'u The hadith mawdu'u is the fabricated hadith. The fabricated hadith is the worst among the weak ahadith. The narration of such hadith is not allowed if its condition is known except when it is linked to clarifying its fabricated status. A hadith is known to be fabricated when the forger acknowledges its fabrication or something which takes the position of a confession. The fabrication can be understood from the condition of the transmitter, such as the narrator following the whims of certain leaders in his lies. Or while he is attributing the hadith he is caught out as a consummate liar, where the report is not narrated from any way other than him, nobody supported him and he has no witness. It could be also understood from the condition of what has been narrated, meaning the state of the matn, if it is deficient in its wording or meaning or it contradicts parts of the Qur'an, mutawatir sunnah and definite Ijma'a. There are different types of hadith fabricators. The ones causing most harm are those associated with zuhd (pious ascetics), who fabricated Hadiths hoping to get reward for what they alleged. The danger is that people accept their fabrications, trusting and depending on them. Then, maybe a forger fabricated a saying coming from himself so he narrated it. Probably, he took a saying from the sages or others and falsely ascribed it to Rasool Allah صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم.‭ ‬From the fabricated ahadith are the ahadith about the merits of the Qur'an,‭ ‬surah by surah,‭ ‬especially narrations on the authority of‭ '‬Ubay b.‭ ‬Ka'b and those from Abu‭ '‬Ismah‭ > '‬Ikrimah‭ > ‬Ibn‭ '‬Abbas.‭ ‬Their fabrication has been established from the study‭ (‬cross refrences‭) ‬of scholars and through the confession of Abu‭ '‬Ismah.‭ ‬It has been narrated that he said:‭ '‬I saw that the people had turned away from the Qur'an and occupied themselves with the fiqh of Abu Hanifah and the maghazi of Muhammad b.‭ ‬Ishaq,‭ ‬so I forged these ahadith seeking reward in the Hereafter.‭' ‬This is a selection of the types of rejected ahadith,‭ ‬but they are not all the possible types that could be mentioned.‭ ‬There are many types of rejected ahadith for which mentioning a part is sufficient as an example for the criterion by which the acceptable hadith is identified from the rejected hadith.‭ ‬A hadith is not rejected because it does not meet the conditions for the category of sahih as long as its sanad,‭ ‬transmitters and matn are acceptable,‭ ‬meaning it is hasan because its narrators are of lesser reliability than the narrators of the sahih hadith.‭ ‬Or if there was a mustur,‭ (‬a transmitter whose record is unknown‭) ‬or he had a bad memory,‭ ‬but he has been strengthened by a qarinah‭ (‬indication‭) ‬that weighs up its acceptance,‭ ‬such as when it is strengthened by another narrator agreeing with it or by a witness,‭ ‬meaning,‭ ‬strengthened by a narrator thought to be alone‭ (‬in narration‭) ‬or by another hadith.‭ ‬One should not be over strict in rejecting a hadith as long as it is possible to accept it according to the requirements of the sanad,‭ ‬transmitter and matn.‭ ‬Especially when the majority of the‭ ‘‬ulema have accepted it and the fuqaha have generally used it.‭ ‬It is then worth to be accepted,‭ ‬even if it does not meet the conditions of the sahih,‭ ‬because it comes under hasan.‭ ‬Just as one should not be over strict in rejecting a hadith,‭ ‬at the same time it is not allowed to be complacent with respect to the hadith,‭ ‬thus accepting the hadith which is rejected due to the sanad,‭ ‬transmitter or matn. The Mursal Hadith The mursal hadith is the hadith from which a Sahabi has been omitted. For example, when the Tabi'i says that Rasool Allah وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬said or did such and such thing,‭ ‬or such and such thing was done in his presence.‭ ‬A representative example would be the hadith of a tabi'i who has met a number of companions and has sat‭ ‬down to learn from them like‭ '‬Ubaydullah b.‭ '‬Adiy b.‭ ‬al-Khiyar,‭ ‬then Sa'id b.‭ ‬al-Musayyab and their likes when they say‭ (‬directly‭) ‬that:‭ ‬Rasool Allah‭ ‬وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬said‭'‬.‭ ‬It is well known that all of the Tabi'un are treated equally,‭ ‬ie what the tabi‭'‬i narrated from the Prophet‭ ‬وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬without mentioning the Sahabah,‭ ‬without a difference between the older or younger tabi'I,‭ ‬because it is well known that they are treated equally.‭ ‬The muhaddithun,‭ ‬scholars of usul‭ (‬usuliyyoon‭) ‬and the imams have differed over the use of the mursal hadith as proof.‭ ‬There were those who did not use it,‭ ‬and considered it to be rejected like the munqati‭' ‬hadith‭; ‬and there were those who did accept its use.‭ ‬Those who do not accept it reject it for a defect‭ (‬illah‭)‬,‭ ‬which is a transmitter,‭ ‬who is not known,‭ ‬has been omitted form the isnad,‭ ‬and who might be unreliable.‭ ‬The consideration in narration is reliability and certainty,‭ ‬so there is no proof in the unknown transmitter.‭ ‬This is the reason for rejecting the mursal ahadith.‭ ‬The reason is correct and the rejection of a hadith according to it is correct,‭ ‬but this does not apply to the mursal hadith,‭ ‬because the transmitter who has been omitted is a Sahabi.‭ ‬Even though he is not known in terms of his identity,‭ ‬he is known as a Sahabi.‭ ‬As stated previously the Sahabah are all trustworthy‭ ('‬udul‭)‬.‭ ‬They cannot be unreliable.‭ ‬They are rather definitely trustworthy.‭ ‬The reason for which they would reject the hadith does not apply to the mursal,‭ ‬nor is there any other reason to reject it.‭ ‬Since the mursal fulfils the conditions of the matn,‭ ‬sanad and narrator,‭ ‬no harm is there from omitting the Sahabi as long as it is known that he is a Sahabi,‭ ‬and thus by definition is trustworthy.‭ ‬Thus mursal hadith is a proof and should be used as‭ ‬evidence.‭ ‬It might be said that the reason is that there is a possibility that a tabi'i narrated from a tabi'i like himself who narrated from the Sahabah.‭ ‬The ommision of a Sahabi does not mean the ommision of only one narrator,‭ ‬but the break in the chain means that it is possible that two narrators have been omitted,‭ ‬one of them satisfying the conditions of integrity,‭ ‬which is the Sahabi,‭ ‬while the other narrator is dubious,‭ ‬who is a tabi'i.‭ ‬Therefore,‭ ‬there is a possibility in the hadith of a jarh‭ (‬invalidation‭) ‬or absence of accuracy‭ (‬dhabt‭)‬,‭ ‬so it is rejected.‭ ‬The response to this is that the definition of the mursal hadith is that:‭ ‬it is a report narrated by a tabi'i from the Prophet‭ ‬وسلم‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬الله‮ ‬صلى‭ ‬without mentioning the Sahabi‭'‬.‭ ‬The narration of a Tabi'i from a Tabi'i who is not known does not come under this definition.‭ ‬Even if we accept this possibility,‭ ‬that a Tabi'i is omitted and the Sahabi is not mentioned,‭ ‬this possibility‭ ‬of omission is by way of suspicion,‭ ‬which does not reach the level of possibility.‭ ‬This is because it is suspected the tabi'i narrated it from another tabi'i whom he did not mention nor mention the Sahabi i.e.‭ ‬he assumes that a Tabi'i has been ommited.‭ ‬There is no evidence for this hypothetical assumption.‭ ‬It is merely suspicion,‭ ‬which has no value and the judgement on the hadith is not based on it.‭ ‬It should not be said that an unknown narrator‭ (‬majhul‭) ‬has transmitted it,‭ ‬because there is no one to whom a narration has been ascribed so as to say that one is a majhul‭ (‬unknown‭)‬.‭ ‬Therefore,‭ ‬the mursal hadith is not cosidered to be from the rejected ahadith,‭ ‬rather it is accepted and used as proof. The hadith Qudsi The hadith qudsi is what has been transmitted to us as isolated reports from Rasool Allah صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم,‭ ‬with its isnad going back to his Lord.‭ ‬It is from His‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى‭ ‬speech,‭ ‬for it is attributed to Him,‭ ‬which is present in the majority of cases.‭ ‬The attribution to Him,‭ ‬is an attributiuon of composition,‭ ‬because He is the One Who spoke it first.‭ ‬It could be attributed to the Prophet‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم,‭ ‬because he is the one informing about Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى.‭ ‬This is different to the Qur'an which is attributed to no one except to Him‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى,‭ ‬so it is said:‭ ‬Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى‭ ‬said‭'‬.‭ ‬On the other hand,‭ ‬in the hadith qudsi,‭ ‬it is said:‭ ‬Rasool Allah‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‭ ‬said in what he narrates from his Lord‭'‬.‭ ‬The narrator of the hadith qudsi has two characteristics,‭ ‬firstly,‭ ‬he may say:‭ ‘‬Rasool Allah‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‭ ‬said about‭ ‬in‭ (‬what‭) ‬he narrates from his Lord‭'‬.‭ ‬Secondly,‭ ‬he may say:‭ ‘‬Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى‭ ‬said concerning that which Rasool Allah‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‭ ‬narrated from Him‭'‬.‭ ‬They have the same meaning.‭ ‬The difference between the Qur'an and the hadith qudsi is that the‭ ‬wording and the meaning in the Qu'ran are from Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى‭ ‬and through clear revelation.‭ ‬As for the hadith qudsi,‭ ‬the wording is from the Messenger‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم,‭ ‬and the meaning is from Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى‭ ‬through ilham‭ (‬inspiration‭) ‬or sleep.‭ ‬The Qur'an's wording is a miracle,‭ ‬revealed through the medium of Jibreel.‭ ‬The hadith qudsi is not a miracle and without any medium.‭ ‬The difference between the Qur'an,‭ ‬hadith qudsi and all other ahadith is that the Qur'an is the wording that is brought down by Jibreel to the Prophet‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم.‭ ‬The hadith qudsi is the notification of its meaning by Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى‮ ‬through ilham‭ (‬inspiration‭) ‬or sleep,‭ ‬so the Prophet‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‮ ‬informed people of it with his own words.‭ ‬As for the rest of the ahadith they are like the hadith qudsi in that their meaning is from Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى‭ ‬and their wording is from the Messenger‭ ‬صلى‮ ‬الله‮ ‬عليه‮ ‬وسلم‮ ‬and without attributing them to Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى.‭ ‬The designation of the hadith attributed to Allah‭ ‬سبحانه‮ ‬وتعالى‭ ‬as the hadith qudsi is a terminological designation. The inability to prove the authenticity of a hadith from its sanad does not indicate that it is a weak hadith The strength of the sanad is considered a condition for accepting a hadith. However, it should be known that judging the sanad of a specific hadith as weak does not necessarily mean the hadith is weak in itself. For example, it might have another isnad, unless an imam stated that it has not been narrated except from this line of transmission. So, whoever finds a hadith with a weak isnad, it is more inclusive to say that it is weak through this isnad, but the text cannot be judged as weak unrestrictedly without qualification. Therefore, the rejection of the isnad does not necessitate the rejection of the hadith. However, there are ahadith which are not proved from the perspective of the isnad, but when passed from people to people they accepted their authenticity, so did not need to ask for the isnad. There are many example of this such as the hadith: 'There shall be no bequest (wasiyyah) to an heir' and the hadith: ‘the blood money (diyyah) is due on the immediate blood relatives ('aaqilah)', and many others. Collection of Hadith SOME DEFINITIONS Al-Qur’an: The book that consists entirely of the words claimed by the Prophet to be the words of God as revealed to him. (When we just say The Prophet, we mean The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.) The Qur’an comes to us through multiple independent sources and its entire text is fully and rigorously authenticated. All Muslims, and most orientalists, agree on the text of the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the undisputed primary source of Islamic teachings and Guidance. Hadith: The word Hadith means news, story, communication, conversation, report. In the Islamic religious context, it means an individual report of an action, instruction or saying, of the Prophet, or his approval, disapproval, or silence (tacit approval) regarding some matter or action. By its very nature, the reliability of Hadith reports is dependant on the understanding by the reporter of the context and of the words and their applicability. Regardless of the complexity, however, Hadith is the second primary source of Islamic guidance. Sunnah: is the word used for the normative teachings of the Prophet, as shown by his practiceas a Prophet, or his specific instructions and guidance on an issue or a situation. One finds the Sunnah through the study and analysis of the Hadith literature. THE AUTHORITY OF THE HADITH As indicated above, the Hadith is the second primary source of guidance in Islam. It is unanimously agreed by Muslims that the authority of‮ ‬the Hadith is second only to that of the Qur’an.‭ ‬Since the Hadith relates things on the authority of the Prophet,‭ ‬and the Prophet is commissioned by God to promulgate the teachings that came through him,‭ ‬its authority derives from that of the Prophet himself.‭ ‬Professor Jackson described this very succinctly,‭ ‬in a lecture at one of these Dar al Islam Teachers‭’ ‬Institutes:‭ ‬The Prophet,‭ ‬being the recipient and therefore the guardian of the Revelation, was therefore guided. It was his charge to clarify the Revelation through his conduct, his words, and his tacit approval. In terms of his authority, the two types of revelation are equal, though ontologically they are distinct. If you were to go to the prophet and ask him, “O Messenger of Allah, is it permissible for me to do X”, he might answer by reciting verses of Qur’an that apply to your question, or he might simply say yes it is permissible or no, it is not. Either way the answer you receive is equally authoritative. The Qur’an itself confers this authority on the Prophet and all other prophets before him. •And we have not sent a messenger but to be obeyed, with the leave of God. (Surah 4, Ayah 64) •Say “obey Allah and the Messenger”; then if you turn away, indeed Allah does not love those who reject faith. (Surah 3, Ayah 32) •And obey God and the Messenger so that you may have‎‮ ‬Mercy on you.‭ (‬Syrah‭ ‬3‭ ‬Ayah‭ ‬132‭) •O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger and those among you with authority;butif you have a dispute concerning some matter, refer it to God and the Messenger if you are (truly) believers in God and the Day of Judgment. This is best and the most suitable of the alternatives. (Syrah 4, Ayah 59). There are many other similar Ayahs. The Prophet’s practice and normative instructions are crucial for being a Muslim and living Islam. It is the Prophet’s example that teaches the Muslims how to perform even the most basic duty of Salat (the ritual Prayer, required five times a day). The Qur’an mentions standing, bowing, and prostrating, but it is the Prophet’s consistent practice and teachings that provide the details. THE COMPANIONS LEARNING FROM THE PROPHET The Prophet was a very patient and considerate teacher. God had said that He does not want matters to be difficult but to be easy. The Companions were very watchful of every move and word of the Prophet; even his most private life was‮ ‬observed and reported by his wives.‭ ‬People observed his actions and practices‭; ‬they would memorize what he said and some would write down what they saw and heard.‭ ‬Everyone would practice what they learned,‭ ‬and they would teach each other and correct each other.‭ ‬The Prophet was careful to vary many of his practices so they would not become normative‭; ‬he would emphasize the difference between his role as a Messenger of God and his thoughts and actions as an ordinary human being.‭ ‬The companions‭ ‬were not passive learners either.‭ ‬It was not uncommon for a Companion to say:‭ “‬O Messenger of God,‭ ‬may my mother and father be sacrificed for you,‭ ‬is this from God or from your opinion‭”? ‬If he said it is from God,‭ ‬that would end the dialogue‭; ‬but if he said it is his opinion,‭ ‬the Companion might say,‭ “‬I have a different opinion‭”‬--‭ ‬notice,‭ ‬not a better opinion,‭ ‬but a different one.‭ ‬And it was not uncommon for the Prophet to go along with the opinions of others,‭ ‬sometimes against his own better judgment.‭ ‬The battle of the ditch,‭ ‬for example,‭ ‬was fought‭ ‬within‮ ‬the confines of the city because the youth felt that leaving the city would be seen by the enemy as‮ ‬a sign of weakness.‭ ‬The Prophet did not prefer this option but went along with it.‭ ‬A Persian Companion told them about digging a ditch to defend the city.‭ God held the Prophet to a very high standard to assure that no misinterpretations of his actions or word occur. Sometimes a revelation would come to contradict the Prophet or even rebuke him, sometimes on a seemingly minor matter. For example: a poor man came to the Prophet when he was talking to, and seeking the support of, some rich and powerful men. The Prophet did not acknowledge the presence of the poor man. A revelation came rebuking him on this lack of paying more attention to the powerful when the poor man was trying to get his attention. The Companions were so keen on learning all about the Prophet that the very busy ones had formed cooperative groups so at least one member would be in daily attendance in the Prophet’s company; those who attended would then meet others to fill them in. MODES OF TRANSMISSION OF HADITH Things were relatively simple during the Prophet’s lifetime. If someone wanted guidance concerning an issue, for which no guidance was known to him, he would go to the Prophet and ask. (It was not uncommon to ask others who had the reputation for knowledge or were known for the acuity of their thought). The Prophet may provide an answer, or refer them to someone else, in order to establish the habit and practice of mutual consultation. After the Prophet’s death, this avenue had to be replaced by referring to his Hadith. As the community grew out of Madinah, and the time span increased, more information had to be provided. How did the Hadith get to the person quoting it? An elaborate Science was created to authenticate the Hadith and establish a level of authenticity for each report. It should be noted that there were recordings of the Hadith in the Prophet’s time. People who reported large numbers of Hadith were more likely to have written down things and also to have been in the company of the Prophet more frequently. For example, the most prolific Companion is a person named Abu Huraira. Abu Huraira lived to a ripe old age so many next generation people met him and spoke with him. It is said that he reported 5,374 Hadith. (A single issue reported through multiple chains of reporters would be counted as different Hadith by most counters. If such reports are unduplicated, Abu Huraira’s reports are still about 1236.) The second most quoted Companion is Abdullah ibn `Umar with 2,630 Hadith. They are followed by Anas ibn Malik with 2,286 and ‘A’isha (the Prophet’s wife) with 2,210. Interestingly, the first four Khalifa reported relatively few Hadith: a very‮ ‬small number from the first Khalifa,‭ ‬Abu Bakr‭; ‬537‭ ‬from‭ ‘‬Umar ibn al-Khattab‭; ‬a tiny number from‭ `‬Uthman ibn‭ `‬Affan,‭ ‬and only‭ ‬536‭ ‬from the fourth Khalifa,‭ ‘‬Ali Ibn Abu Talib.‭ ‬When the chains got longer,‭ ‬and reporters further removed,‭ ‬the collectors and compilers used careful words to describe the mode of transmission.For example,‭ ‬distinct words are used to describe the following situations:‭ •Sima`: Readings by teachers to students. •`Arad: Readings by students to teachers. ‘Ijiazah: Permit someone to transmit a Hadith (or book); report “on the authority of” the scholar. •Munadalah: To hand someone written material. •Kitabah: To write Hadith for someone •I`laam: To inform someone that informer has the permission to transmit certain material. •Wasiyyah: To entrust someone his books •Wajada: To discover some book or written records As can be seen, the Hadith methodology and the system became very elaborate as the times became further removed from the Prophet. The Muslims never took this task lightly. The Qur’an has been taken so seriously that no spelling mistakes, or even punctuation mistakes, are accepted in the text; every letter is counted and no additions or subtractions would go undetected. The Hadith, by its very nature cannot be as protected as the Qur’an, but it is still a very rigorous discipline. When you are thinking of transmission, think of the chain first. SILSILAH: THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION The Muslims in general and the experts of the science of Hadith in particular, insisted on knowing the source of information. Who were the individuals in the chain of reporting whatever it is they were recording? As the years go by, the‮ ‬number of people in the chain of reporting an event or a statement increases geometrically.‭ ‬In addition,‭ ‬the diversity of the first generation of reporters becomes more diverse.‭ Among the first generation itself, some reporters would have good memories, others won’t. Some would have better understanding and comprehension than others and some would better understand the context than others. Each of these people in the chain interacts with a diverse group of the next generation. By the third generation, we have tens of thousands of people in the process. The possibility of fabricators increases. Political and tribal agendas come into play. The scholars had to‮ ‬devise methodologies to deal with the challenge of discovering the various capabilities of reporters,‭ ‬and of identifying fabricators and people with special tribal,‭ ‬ethnic,‭ ‬or sectarian agendas.‭ ‬Thus was born the next element of authenticating Hadith‭; ‬the Isnad.‭ ISNAD: THE LEVEL OF AUTHORITY OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE‮ ‬CHAIN‭ Muslim scholars developed the most rigorous testing techniques for dealing with the level of authenticity of recording what we would call history. They were engaged in what is textual criticism in the modern sense. When a given Hadithis looked at, a list of all the reporters in the chains through which it has been transmitted is made; then the chains are compared. A new science of Asma Al-Rijal, was developed which documented a biography of each individual involved in the chains. Such biographies were developed for tens of thousands of people. The information included the place and time of birth and death of each reporter. They recorded information on their education, their teachers, their truthfulness, the people they had met and the level of their interaction. How was their level of comprehension? Did they have a tendency to be unnecessarily talkative? How meticulous were they in their reporting? What and when did they transmit their Hadith, and how does that relate to their characteristics? This information was available to all scholars engaged in the science of Hadith. Having reliable people in the chain was not enough. It was required that Hadith on matters of importance come through a number of independent chains. If all the chains of a particular Hadith go through a single individual somewhere in the middle of the chain, it is called “’ahad”, a singular Hadith, and is not acceptable for important purposes by all schools of law. For ‘ahad, the text itself becomes much more significant. The‮ ‬scholars also pay attention to the site and situation of an incident.‭ ‬If something occurred in‮ ‬public,‭ ‬then one would expect many people to‭ ‬report it.‭ ‬Report of a miraculous event required,‭ ‬in nearly all cases,‭ ‬that it be reported by a crowd--which is defined as a minimum of twelve people.‭ ‬The collectors and documenters of Hadith went through this process of classifying each Hadith and scores of other reviewers later went through independent analyses of each Hadith in‮ ‬each of the collections.‭ MATAN: THE TEXT After the isnad work is done and the Hadith falls within a certain level of classification, its text is run through various tests. The first is to see if the text in any way contradicts the Qur’an. If so,‮ ‬the Hadith is rejected.‭ ‬That does not mean it is false--perhaps the reporter misunderstood the situation.‭ ‬If it is not against Qur’an,‭ ‬does it contradict other Hadith that are reliable‭? ‬If so,‭ ‬at‭ ‬what level are the differences‭? ‬Are there different shades of application‭? ‬Or,‭ ‬should one or the other or both be rejected‭? ‬These types of tests are followed by tests against logic rules.‭ ‬Does it really make sense‭? ‬Tests of applied logic and reasonableness based in spirituality and religion may be needed.‭ ‬Some schools of Hadith methodology apply as many as sixteen separate tests.‭ For example, the rules would reject a report about the importance of an individual (or individuals) which is transmitted only through their supporters or family, and which is not supported by reports from other independent channels. Similarly rejected would be a report that seems to be an exaggeration, unless strongly corroborated by multiple reliable sources. APPLICATION OF THE METHODOLOGY: SOME EXAMPLES •There is a report from a very strong source, “Reported by `Umar”. This is `Umar Ibn al Khattab, the one about whom the Prophet said that if there was going to be a prophet after me, it would be `Umar. The same `Umar who became the second Caliph and who is considered, by the Hanafi scholars, to be one of the four most profound thinkers of the Muslim world community. His son, Abdullah (considered being a great scholar in his own right), reports his father saying that he heard‮ ‬the Prophet say that‭ “‬the dead person is punished if his family mourns loudly and cries‭ (‬in the manner of the time of ignorance‭) ‬at his grave.‭” ‬Upon hearing this report,‭ ‬the much younger‭ ‘‬A’isha,‭ ‬the widow of the Prophet,‭ ‬flatly rejects it out of hand.‭ ‎‮ The basis she gives for her rejection is that the report goes against the Ayah of the Qur’an: “and no‮ ‬bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another‭” (‬Syrah‭ ‬35,‭ ‬beginning of Ayah‭ ‬18‭)‬.‭ (‬Translation Note:‭ ‬The bearer in the Ayah is feminine and refers to the Nafs which means a person but translated by some as soul.‭) •The husband of Fatima bint Qais had pronounced three concurrent divorces on her, a practice discouraged by the Qur’an. She claimed that her ex-husband then refused to give her maintenance provisions. She reported, during the time of the second Caliph, that she came to the Prophet and he refused to award her‎‮ ‬maintenance from her husband.‭ ‬When the Caliph‭ `‬Umar heard this,‭ ‬he rejected it on‮ ‬the authority of the Qur’an,‭ ‬quoting parts of two Ayahs.‭ ‬The translation of the first quote‭ (‬part of Ayah‭ ‬236‭ ‬of Surah‭ ‬2‭) ‬is as follows:‭ “‬...but bestow upon them allowances,‭ ‬the wealthy according to their means and the poor according to their means,‭ ‬as commonly known to be reasonable...‭“‬.‭ ‬Translation‭ ‬of the second quote‭ (‬part of Ayah‭ ‬1‭ ‬of Surah‭ ‬65‭) ‬is:‭ “‬...do not expel them from their houses...‭” The first quote, therefore, indicating that the divorced women was entitled to expenses and the second indicating that she was entitled to staying in the house, until the end of the prescribed period of finalizing the divorce. CLASSIFICATION After analysis and critiques, each Hadith is classified into one of several categories. Some are Classified as sahih (rigorously authentic); others are classified as hasan (good), gharib (acceptable but poor), maudu` (partially manufactured), batil (invalid), etc. A Hadith that has come through many reliable chains and accepted by scholars at the highest level of authenticity may be called Mutawatir, (successively fully authenticated), and considered unassailably applicable. Different scholars may classify the same Hadith differently based on their analyses and critique. A Hadith is classified differently by different experts mainly because of the reliability ratings they assign to the reporters in the chain. Scholars classify each reporter in the chain in to one of twelve different levels of reliability. Bukhari accepts reports from only the top two levels; some accept reports from the top three levels, others use reports from various other levels. The science of Hadith is thus not a simple matter of quoting a Hadith but is one that requires knowing and understanding the details of the text, the context, and the characteristics of each person in all the chains of narration. The Sciences of Jurisprudence require even a greater level of scrutiny and analysis. MAJOR HADITH COLLECTIONS Many early collections were fragmentary and were undertaken for special purposes. Most survived as parts of legal and spiritual arguments or were incorporated in the more comprehensive collections. Major, systematic collections were made toward the end of the second and the beginning of the third Hijri centuries:- The Mu’watta of Malik is the earliest. He was born in Madinah: B. 93H D 179H The Musnad of Ahmad is next. He was born in Basra:B. 164H D 241H But the “Sihah Sittah” (literally, “the most rigorously authenticated six”) are: 1. The Sahih of Bukhari. He was born in Bukhara: B. 194H D 256H 2. The Sahih of Muslim. He was born in Nishapur: B. 204H D 261H 3. The Sunan of Abu Dawud. He was born in Sajistan: B. 202H D 275H 4. The Sunan of Tirmidhi. He was born in Khurasan: B.209H D 279H 5. The Sunan of An-Nisa’i. He was born in Khurasan: B.214H D 303H 6. The Sunan of Ibn Majah: B. 209H D 273H These above six are accepted by scholars as the six most reliable collections, the Sihah Sittah (the fully authenticated six collections). Without getting into technical details, it should be References:- Al-Sibaai, Mustafa (2003). Al-Sunnah wa Makantuha fi al-Shari’i al-islamy, Daarussalam, Cairo Al-Swaleh, Subhi (1986). Uloom al-Hadith wa Mustwalahuhu, Daarul Ilmu, Lebanon Doi, Abdurahman (1981). Introduction to the Hadith, Arewa Books, Nigeria Kayo, P.K. (1997). (ed) Hadith and Sunnah Ideals and Realities, National Book Service, Pakistan Ibnu Swalah, (d.642 AH). Muqadimatu Ibnu Swalah fi Uloom al-Hadith, Daarul fikri, Lebanon Kheir, A. And Yahya Atai (2008). Essential Islamic Studies Book One, IRET Kenya Kheir, A. And Yahya Atai (2007). Essential Islamic Studies Book four, Umma Foundation Kenya age 19 of 19