foundation of islamic study module 3 (1/5) " this module contains 5 files"

8/14/2019 Foundation of Islamic Study Module 3 (1/5) " This module contains 5 files"

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Islamic Online University The Foundations of Islamic Studies 101

http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com 1

Islamic

OnlineUniversity
http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/


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The Foundations

ofIslaamic StudiesBy

Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

CHAPTER THREE:

HADEETH


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3.1 DEFINITIONS

Definition of Hadeeth

The Arabic word hadeethbasically means an item of news, conversation, a tale, astory or a report, whether historical or legendary, true or false, relating to the

present or the past. Its secondary meaning as an adjective is new as opposed toqadeem, old. However, like other Arabic words (e.g. salaah, zakaah), its

meaning changed in Islaam. From the time of the Prophet (r), his stories and

communications dominated all other forms of communication. Consequently, theterm hadeethbegan to be used almost exclusively for reports which spoke of hisactions and sayings.

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Usage of the Word hadeeth

The term hadeeth has been used in both the Quraan2

and the prophetic traditionsaccording to all of its linguistic meanings. The following three categories are the

most notable usages. It has been used to mean:

a)The Quraan itself

Then leave Me alone with those who reject this communication

(Quraan)

Soorah al-Qalam, (68):44

Indeed, the best form of communication is the Book of Allaah

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b) A historical story

1Hadith Literature,p. 1 and Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature,pp. 1-3.

2The term hadeeth is mentioned 23 times in the Quraan.

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Has the story of Moses reached you?SoorahTaahaa, (20):9

You may speak about the Children of Israel without

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c) A general conversation

When the Prophet confided in one of his wivesSoorah at-Tahreem, (66):3.

Molten copper will be poured in the ear of whoever eavesdrops on theconversation of people who dislike him doing so or flee from him.

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Among the hadeeth scholars the term hadeeth means whatever is transmitted

from the Prophet of his actions, sayings, tacit approvals, or physical

characteristics. Scholars of Islaamic Law do not include the physical appearanceof the Prophet in their definition.

Importance of Hadeeth:

1. Revelation

The Prophets sayings and actions were primarily based on revelation from Allaahand, as such, must be considered a fundamental source of guidance second only to

the Quraan. Allaah in the Qur

aan said concerning the Prophet (r):

4Saheeh Al Bukhaaree, vol.

5Saheeh Al Bukhaaree, vol.


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He (Muhammad) does not speak from his desires; indeed, what hesays is revelation.Soorah an-Najm (53):3-4

Therefore, the hadeeth represents a personal source of divine guidance which

Allaah granted His Prophet (r) which was similar in its nature to the Quraan

itself. The Prophet (r) reiterated this point in one of his recorded statements,

Indeed, I was given the Quraan and something similar to it along with it.6

2. Tafseer:

The preservation of the Quraan was not restricted to protecting its wording from

change. Were that the case, its meanings could be manipulated according tohuman desires, while maintaining its wording. However, Allaah also protected its

essential meanings from change by entrusting the explanation of the meanings of

Quraan to the Prophet (r) himself. Allaah states the following in the Quraan

regarding its interpretation:

And I revealed to you the Reminder (Quraan) in order that you

explain to the people what was revealed to them.Soorah an-Nahl,

(16):44

Therefore, if one is to understand the meanings of Quraan, he or she must

consider what the Prophet (r) said or did regarding it. E.g. In the Quraan, Allaahinstructs the believers to offersalaah (formal prayers) and payzakaah (obligatory

charity) in Soorah al-Baqarah, (2), verse 43. However, in order to obey these

instructions correctly, one must study the methodology of the Prophet (r) in this

regard. Among his many clarifications concerning salaah and zakaah, heinstructed his followers saying Pray as you saw me pray,

7and he specified that2.5% of surplus wealth, unused for a year,8 should be given aszakaah.

3. Laws

One of the primary duties of the Prophet (r)was to judge between people in theirdisputes. Since his judgements were all based on revelation, as stated earlier, they

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must be considered a primary source of principles by which judgements arecarried out in an Islaamic State. Allaah also addressed this responsibility in the

Quraan saying:

O believers, obey Allaah, obey the Messenger and those in authority

among you. If you dispute about anything, refer it to Allaah and the

Messenger.

Soorah an-Nisaa, (4):59Thus, hadeeths are essential for the smooth running of the law courts in anIslaamic State.

4. Moral Ideal

Since the Prophet (r) was guided by revelation in his personal life, his characterand social interactions became prime examples of moral conduct for Muslimsuntil the Last Day. Attention was drawn to this fact in the following Quraanicverse:

Surely there is for all of you a good example (of conduct) in the way ofAllaahs Messenger.

Soorah al-Ahzaab, (33):21

Consequently, the daily life of the Prophet (r) as recorded in hadeeth represents

an ideal code of good conduct. In fact, when the Prophets wife, Aaishah, wasasked about his conduct, she replied, His character was the Quraan.

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5. Preservation of Islaam

The science of narration, collection and criticism ofhadeeth was unknown to the

world prior to the era of the Prophet (r).In fact, it was due in part to the absenceof such a reliable science that the messages of the former prophetsbecame lost or

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distorted in the generations that followed them. Therefore, it may be said that it islargely due to the science ofhadeeth that the final message of Islaam has been

preserved in it is original purity for all times. This is alluded to in the Quraanicverse:

Indeed, I have revealed the Reminder, I will, indeed, protect it.Soorah

al-Hijr, (15):9

Hadeeth and the Sunnah

The term hadeeth has become a synonym for the term sunnah, though there issome difference in their meanings. Sunnah, according to Arabic lexicographers,means a way; course; rule; manner of acting or conduct of life.

10Sunnah, as atechnical term in the Science of hadeeth, refers to whatever statements, acts,approvals, physical or character descriptions that are attributable to the Prophet

(r) along with his biography before or after the beginning of his prophethood. Itis thus synonymous with the term hadeeth.

However, according to Usool al-Fiqh science (legal methodology),sunnah

refers to only the statements, acts and approvals of the Prophet (r). It also refers

to whatever is supported by evidence from thesharee

ah; the opposite ofbid

ah.And in the Legalistic science ofFiqh the termsunnah refers to recommended acts

authentically attributable to the Prophet (r); the does of which is rewarded and

the non-doer is not punished. It is also used to refer to the opposite ofbidah as inthe statement: Sunnah divorce andBidah divorce.

According to its general definition, the Quraan is the most important part

of the sunnah conveyed by the Prophet (r).11

It may also be said that the

hadeeths were the containers or storehouse in which the sunnah of the Prophet

(r) was conveyed during his life time and after his death.

THE STRUCTURE OF HADEETH

10Laness Lexicon, vol. 1, p. 1438.

11Al-Bidah,p. 67.


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r:

)) ((

Musaddad told us that Yahyaa informed him from Shubah, from Qataadah, from

Anas from the Prophet (r) that he said:

None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he

loves for himself.12

Collected by al-Bukhaaree

This means that the Hadeeth scholar Muhammad ibn Ismaaeel al-Bukhaareecollected in his book ofHadeeths called Saheeh al-Bukhaaree the statement:

None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves forhimself. which he heard from hisHadeeth teacher Musaddad, who heard it from

his teacher Yahyaa, who was informed by his teacher Shubah that he heard it

from his teacher Qataadah, a student of the Prophets companions, who heard itquoted by the Prophets companion Anas ibn Maalik from Prophet Muhammad

(r).

COMPONENTS

AHadeeth consists of two main parts: the Sanad ( ) and theMatn. ) )

The Sanad (also called Isnaad)

The list of the narrators of the saying or action of the Prophet (r) is called the

Sanad. For example, in the aboveHadeeth the Sanadis: Musaddad told us that

12(Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic-English), vol.1, p.19, no.12). It is also collected by Muslim (Sahih

Muslim (English Trans.), vol.1, p.31, no.72).


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Yahyaa informed him from Shubah from Qataadah from Anas from the Prophet(r) that he said:

TheMatn

The text of theHadeeth or what the Prophet (r) actually said or did is called the

Matn. For example, in the aboveHadeeth theMatn is: None of you trulybelieves until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

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