HADITH AND SUNNAH
Q)Describe Hadith as a source of Islamic law./ How do Scholars use Hadith as
Source of Islamic law?(ISLAMIC LEGAL THINKING) [10]
⮚
utline
O
● Introduction
● Importance
● Approval
● Examples of relationship between Quran and Hadith (7)
● How companions used hadith to make laws
● How successors of companions used hadith to make laws
● Hadith relationship with other sources
Introduction
Hadith is defined as saying, actions and silent approval of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Approval
The Holy Quran says,“O you who believe! Obey Allah,and obey the Meşsenger..."
T his means that obedience to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is absolutely essential and therefore
Hadith is the main source of Islamic law.
⮚
I mportance
● It is the second source of Islamic law.
● It is a primary Source.
● It is the indirect word of Allah and therefore it is divine and perfect.
● Sunnah is used as authority on the occasion where the Quran is silent upon a matter.
● It is used to clarify the teachings of the Holy Quran.
● It always agrees with the Holy Quran. Thus, the great scholar Al' Shafi made a principle that
Sunnah and the word of Allah never contradict with each other.
This means that the Sunnah is an extension of the Holy Quran.
●
● The Holy Prophet (PBUH) is a practical demonstration of the divine teachings, as Hazrat
Ayesha (RA) has said;“His Habits were in accordancewith that of Holy Quran".
● The Holy Prophet (PBUH) explained and interpreted brief verses of the Holy Quran so that
Muslims could apply them in their practical lives.
Examples of Relationship Between Quran and Hadith:
1. Z akat is a pillar of Islam as the Holy Quran says, "Establish prayer and practice charity".
Therefore Zakat is obligatory for all rich Muslims but no limitations are mentioned in the
Holy Quran, which are explained by Hadith. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said,"No charity
tax is due on property mounting to less than five uqiya, and no charity tax is due on fewer
than five camels, and there is no charity due on less than five wasq".
ere Sunnah explains the rate of Zakat. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has also declared that Zakat is
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only payable when a lunar year is completed on a possession as he (PBUH) has said;"No charity
is due on a property until a year has passed away on it".
2. T he Holy Quran says,"Establish prayer and practicecharity".However, the Holy Quran does
not give us the method of performing five daily prayers. We come to know about the
method of prayer from the Hadith/Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as he (PBUH) himself
said,"Pray as you see me praying".
3. R
egarding the pilgrimage the Holy Quran says,"Andpilgrimage to the House of Allah is a
duty men owe to Allah, those who can afford the journey".However, the (Quran does not
explain that a Muslims should do Hajj how many times during his lifetime and about the
method of Hajj. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said learn the rituals of Hajj from me and he
further clarified that Hajj should be performed at least once by the affording Muslims.
4. T he Holy Quran orders the punishment of adultery in the following words;"The woman and
man guilty of adultery, flog each of them with hundred stripes".The Holy Prophet (PBUH)
clarified that this punishment is for a Muslim who is unmarried and the married
adulterer/adulteress should be stoned to death.
5. R
iba is forbidden as it exploits the poor. The Holy Quran prohibits it in the following words,
"Allah has allowed trade but forbidden usury",Butthe Holy Prophet (PBUH) applied it on
exchange of goods in the following words:"The barteringof gold for gold is riba, except if it
is from hand to hand and equal in amount, and wheat grain for wheat is riba except if it is
from hand to hand in equal amount, and dates for dates is riba, except if it is from hand to
hand and in equal amount, and barley for barley is riba, except if it is from hand to hand in
equal amount".Thus we come to know through Hadiththat Riba is not only on cash but is
on goods as well.
6. S unnah also explains the law on which The Holy Quran is silent e.g. the division of
inheritance has been clarified in the many verses of the Holy Quran like,"The male should
get portion equal to that of two females, if there are only daughters, two or more should
receive two third of the inheritance and if only one, her share is half"but the Holy Quran is
silent in the case of inheritance from a non-Muslim, Sunnah explains it as the Holy Prophet
(PBUH) has said;"A Muslim may not inherit from anon-Muslim nor a non Muslim from a
Muslim".This means that Muslim is not allowed toinherit property from a non-Muslim
even if they are close relatives.
7. T he Holy Quran says“Fight in the way of Allah thosewho fight you but don’t transgress
limits.”However, we didn’t know about these Limitations.These Limitations have been
explained by the Holy Prophet(SAW). He(SAW) said that women, children, people praying,
a nimals shouldn’t be killed and trees shouldn’t be cut. These were implemented by the Holy
Prophet(SAW) during BOB, Hunain, Trench, and Conquest Of Makkah.
How Companions used Hadith to make laws:
T he policy of using knowledge of Ahadith was followed by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) immediate
successors. For example, When ever any legal case came before the Rightly guided caliphs like
Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) and Hazrat Umer (RA), they looked into the Quran and decided the case
on its basis, If they found no law in Quran, then they referred to the Hadith of the Holy Prophet
(PBUH). If they themselves did not remember
a ny hadith on the issue under consideration, then they asked other companions and if any of
them brought a tradition of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) with witnesses (for authenticity), they
decided the issue in the light of hadith of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
HOW SUCCESSORS OF COMPANIONS USED HADITH TO MAKE LAWS
uring the time of UmmayadCaliph Umer ii, the ageat which a person attained maturity had
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not been decided. A hadith was found from which it was evident that the Holy Prophet(SAW)
had refused the rights of maturity to a youth of14yearbut according to him a year later when
he was15. TheCaliph Umer iitherefore decided theage of maturity is15 years.So ahadith
have always been consulted by the Muslims to frame the Islamic laws.
HADITH RELATION WITH OTHER SOURCES
IJMA(Consensus),the thirdsource and Qiyas(Analogy)the fourth, depend on Hadith. They are
also used when Hadith (along with Holy Quran) is silent upon a point of law and their laws can
never go against the Hadith of the Holy Prophet(SAW).
Q: Why is the Hadith important as a source of Islamic law?
Intro of Hadith – Imp of hadith(any 5) – approval- any one example of relation with QURAN.
Explain the relationship between the Quran and Hadith? [4]
●
⮚ Outline
● Importance of Quran with small introduction
● Importance of hadith with small introduction
● Approval
● One example showing relationship between Hadith and Quran e.g. Prayer
●
escribe how the Quran and Hadith together have been used as a source of Islamic law (in Islamic
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●
legal). [10] Same answer but start with the answer from the Quran.
⮚ Outline
Introduction of Quran
●
● Importance of Quran
● Introduction of Hadith
● Importance of Hadith Approval (same verse for approval of both)
● Examples showing relationship between Quran and Hadith
Explain the benefits of hadith…?
By following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) Muslims hope to walk the path of righteousness.
T he Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said in his last sermon"I have left you with two things, the Quran and my
Sunnah, and if you hold fast to these, you will never fall astray" (may give an example e.g. prayer).
T he Holy Qur'an itself says'Obey Allah and obey theProphet'Therefore, the Hadith and the Sunnah of
the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are second only to the Holy Qur'an in importance and if Muslims follow the
Prophet's practice they will be closer to attaining paradise.
● W
hy do Muslims need to know about the Holy Prophets Hadith and what benefits do they
hope to get by following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet? [10]
● utline
O
● Introduction of hadith
● Importance of hadith
● Approval
● Examples (7)
● Benefits
Compilation Of Hadith
● utline
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● Introduction
● Stages of Compilation
✔ 1st Period: During the time of Prophet (PBUH) & his Companions
✔ 2nd Period: Successor of the Companions (Tabieen)
✔ 3rd Period: Successors of the Successors (Tab-Al-Tabieen)/ Six authentics (Sihah-al-Sitta)
Introduction (definition + approval + importance of compiling Hadith)
T he companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) were fond of collecting Ahadith of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
(sayings, actions & silent approval).
T hey were really careful in compiling them as they were aware that the Hadith is the second source of
Islamic law. The Holy Quran has said regarding this,"0 you who believe! Obey Allah and Obey the
messenger".The Holy Quran has also emphasized onthe importance of Hadith in the following words,
"He (Muhammad) does not speak anything from his own will, but what is revealed upon him (by
Allah)".
The companions used three ways in compiling Ahadith:
. Memorization
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2. Implementation (by practicing them)
3. Writing them down
At first the Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not allow his companions to write his traditions as he (PBUH) feared
that they might mix Ahadith with the verses of the Holy Quran. However, after some time when the
Prophet (PBUH) felt that the companions were able to distinguish between the Holy Quran and his
adith, he (PBUH) allowed them to write. For example Hazrat Abdullah bin Amir used to write the
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Ahadith of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) but then someone told him that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was just a
man and could say anything out of anger. When the Holy Prophet (PBUH) came to know of this he
(PBUH) told Hazrat Abdullah, "By God, who owns mylife, nothing comes out of my mouth except for
the truth therefore you should write it without hesitation".This shows that he encouraged companions
to write Ahadith. He (PBUH) has clearly said in his last sermon,"Those who are present should convey
my message to those who are absent".This was a clearhint that Ahadith were to be compiled for the
use of the next generation as it is an extension of the Holy Quran.
Stages of Compilation
There were many companions who narrated ahadith but three important ones are:
Stage1
Hazrat Ayesha (RA)
✔
ife of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
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✔ Daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A), the first caliph.
✔ She narrated 2210 Ahadith.
✔ She was great critic of the badly narrated Ahadith …She died in 58 A.H
Hazrat Abu Hurairah
✔
He became a Muslim late in the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) (i.e. in Medina).
✔ He used to spend long hours in the company of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
✔ Therefore narrated more than 5300 Ahadith (the most by any companion).
✔ He died in 59 A.H
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar
✔
H e was son of Hazrat Umar (RA), the second caliph and a close companion.
✔ He was an emigrant from Mekkah
✔ He narrated more than 2000 Ahadith. He died in 74 A.H
T here were many books prepared at the time of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions.
Among them the significant ones are:
● Saheefa-e-Sadiqa:Consists of Hadith regarding thepillars of Islam e.g. Prayer.
● Saheefa-e-Ali:A diary prepared by Hazrat Ali
● Saheefa-e-Amir:By Abdullah bin Amir which contained1000 Ahadith
( STAGE2):
The Muslim empire expanded a lot during the time of rightly guided caliphs and many companions went
to different parts of the empire and established the religious centers to teach Quran and Hadith
especially to the people living there. It was during this time that Hazrat Bashir made a collection of
Ahadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah. Similarly, Hazrat Urwah and Hazrat Nafay collected Ahadith of
Hazrat Ayesha (RA). Hazrat Oban (RA) prepared a collection of Hadith narrated by Hazrat Anas (RA) and
the students of Hazrat Abbas prepared a collection of Hadith narrated by Hazrat Abbas. This shows that
the successors of the companions not only travelled long distances to collect Ahadith from the
companions but they also wrote them down.
T he Ahadith which are collected according to the narrator are known as Musnad collections e.g. Musnad
of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Musnad of Abu Hurairah and Musnad of Hazrat Ayesha. The most prominent among
t hese is the Musnad of Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal who was the founder of the Hanbali school of thought.
This book contains around 30000 Ahadith.
T he collections which were made according to the theme are known as Musanaf collections e.g.
Musanaf of Abdul Razaq and Mawatta by Imam Malik which contains 2000 Ahadith and is a legal text (a
book of laws) (Imam Malik is the founder of Maliki school of thought) Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz who
was the Ummayad Caliph who encouraged scholars to do research on Ahadith e.g. Imam Zuhri of
Medina. He established a committee of prominent scholars which included Imam Muhammad Bin
Muslim, Imam Sahabi and Imam Makbool. The prominent books of the era are Jam'a by Ad Sufiyan
Thauri and Kitab ul Aasar by Imam Abu Hanifa.
( STAGE 3)Then came the climax of collection of Ahadithwhen Imam Bukhari and his six
comptemporaries (Muslim, Nisai, Majah, Abu Daud and Tirmizi) started compiling Ahadith more than
200 years after the death of Holy Prophet (PBUH). They soon realized that there were so many texts in
circulation that it was difficult for them to distinguish between right and wrong Ahadith. Therefore they
made some rules to check the authenticity of Ahadith. They divided these rules into two parts:
Rules of Isand (Chain of Narrators) Rules of Matn (the actual text of the Ahadith)
T hey made sure that the text was in line with the Quran and other accepted Ahadith. Similarly the chain
of narrators must be complete and unbroken. And every member of the chain must be honest and
upright Muslim. They applied these rules on the collected texts and mentioned only the authentic
Ahadith in their books e.g.Imam Bukharicollected600,000Ahadith but after application of these rules
he mentioned only7397 Ahadithin the book out ofwhich4000 +are repeated which actually means
that he has given 3000 Ahadith in his book. He had been doing this job for almost 16 years. Similarly
Imam Muslimcollected300,000texts but mentionedonly900O Ahadithin his books. This shows how
careful these people were in compiling the word of the Prophet as they knew it is the second source of
Islamic law and that they would be answerable on the day of Judgement for this job.
NOTE: If only stage 3 is mentioned Then also write Rules Of“Isnad and Mattan.”
Q) Explain the difference between Musnad & Musannaf? [4]
Musnad (supported) Musannaf (divided)
ollection, which is compiled according to the first
C Collections, which are compiled according to the theme.
narrator in the chain.
Chapters are arranged with names of narrators e.g. hapters are topic wise e.g. Ahadith related to prayer in
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Ahadith Narrated by Abu Hurairah in one chapter and one chapter and Ahadith related to fasting in another.
Ahadith narrated by Hazrat Ayesha in another.
T hey are useful when looking for a Ahadith narrated by T hey are useful when looking for a certain topic. Thus,
a person. Thus, they are helpful when doing research on Musannaf Collections are helpful for legal experts to
a certain person. make laws on certain topics.
rominent examples of Musnad al Imam Ahmed Ibn
P Prominent examples of Musannaf are Six Authentics and
Hanbal. Muwatta by Imam Malik
Q) Give an account of the compilation of Hadith during the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) &
his companions? [10]
Outline:
Introduction
●
● 1st Period: During the time of Prophet (PBUH)
) Give an account of the compilation of Hadith during the time of Successors of the
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Companions (Tabieen). [10]
Outline:
A
● paragraph which includes (brief introduction and period 1)
● 2 n dPeriod: Successor of the Companions (Tabieen)
) Give an account of the compilation of Hadith during the time of “Successors of Successors”
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(Taba Tabieen)/Six authentics/Sihah-al-Sittah. [10]
● utline:
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● A paragraph which includes (brief introduction, period 1 and period 2)
● 3rd Period: Successors of the Successors (Tab-Al-Tabieen)/ Six authentics (Sihah-al-Sitta)
● With all rules of Isnad and Matn (without examples)
● with all details of Six authentics
) Give an account of the compilation of Hadith from the time of Holy Prophet
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(PBUH) until the Six authentics/Sihah-al-Sittah. [10]
● All three stages are explained
) Give a brief description of the stages that led to the collection of Hadith in
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the six authoritative books (Sihah-al-Sitta).
R ead the question carefully and underline the key words.
●
● Whole compilation (handout)
) Briefly discuss why the need arose during the early Islamic period to compile the Hadith of
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the Holy Prophet (PBUH)?
Outline:
M
● uslim empire expansion/ no single collection
● Different centers/ students not satisfied from one centre/ anxious to learn
uring the time of Rightly guided Caliphs, Muslim empire had expanded far and wide and
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companions had settled in different areas conquered byMuslims. Despite the growing empire,
there was no single collection (book) ofthe HolyProphet (PBUH)'s Hadith that could be
referred to. Thus to have asingle collection, Hadithwas compiled.
Different religious centers were made by the companions in areas where theylived, however
s tudents were not satisfied with one centre as that companionmay not have known all the
Ahadith of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Thus there was a need to compile the Hadith so that the
anxious Muslims of that time couldguide themselvesand their future generations by following
the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as closely as they could.
Brief Information about Sihah-al-Sitta
01.Sahih Bukhari
S ahih Bukhari was authored by Imam Bukhari who memorized 600000 Ahadith but after applyingthe
rules of Matn and Isnad the number was reduced to only 7397 Ahadith and once therepetitions are
ignored the number is further reduced to 2762. This book was completed in 16years and is considered
as the most authentic of all the Ahadith collections. The Ahadith in his bookare categorized in the 97
sub-books/chapters each with its specific theme such as Ablution,Prayer, Zakat, etc, making this worka
Musannaf collection. The first chapter is called the start ofrevelation to the Messenger (SAW) of Allah’s
and the last is called“ Tawhid ''.
02 Sahih Muslim
S ahih Muslim was authored by Imam Muslim. It contains 12000 Ahadith although the number ofAhadith
collected by Imam Muslim was more than 300,000. It contains many topics of Islamic law.It is
categorized according to the Musannaf format. It is known as Al-Sahihain along with SahihAl-Bukhari.
03 Al-Jaami Al-Tirmidhi
l-Jaami Al-Tirmadhi or Sunan-e-Tirmidhi was authored by Imam Tirmidhi. It is divided into 50chapters
A
and 3956 Ahadith.
04 Sunan-e-Abu Daud
S unan-e-Abu Daud was authored by Imam Abu Daud. It contains 4800 Ahadith divided into different
topics.
05 Sunan-e-Nasai
Sunan-e-Nasai was authored by Imam Nasai. This work contains 5662 Ahadith.
06 Sunan-e-Ibn-e-Majah
S unan-e-Ibn-e-Majah was authored by Imam Ibn-e-Majah. It contains 4341 Ahadith and has the best
categorization of Ahadith according to their theme with little repetition.
Shia collections of Ahadith
Introduction:
A) Shia Muslims also considered the Holy Prophet’s Ahadith as precious sources of teachings like Sunnis
B) They have separate collections of Ahadith consisting of isnads and matns.
C) The Shia books also contain the sayings of the twelve male descendants through Hz. Fatima (RA).
D) They are considered inspired teachers whose sayings contain guidance.
E) They are teachers as well as transmitters of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)’s Ahadith.
Major Compilations:
A) Muhammad al-Kulyani’s, ‘The Sufficient in the Science of Religion’
B) Muhammad al-Tusi’s,‘ The Revision of Judgments’
C) Muhammad al-Tusi’s,‘ The Perceptive’
D) Muhammad Ibn Babuya’s,‘He who has no legal expertpresent’
: Briefly discuss why the need arose during the early Islamic period to compile
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the Hadith of the Holy Prophet(PBUH)?
• OUTLINE
• Muslim empire expansion/ no single collection Different centers/ students not satisfied from one
centre/ anxious to learn
uring the time of Rightly guided Caliphs, Muslim empire had expanded far and wide and
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companions had settled in different areas conquered by Muslims. Despite the growing empire,
there was no single collection (book) of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)'s Hadith that could be referred
to. Thus to have a single
collection, Hadith was compiled.
ifferent religious centers were made by the companions in areas where they lived, however
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students were not satisfied with one center as that companion may not have known all the
Ahadith of
Holy Prophet (PBUH). Thus there was a need to compile the Hadith so that the anxious Muslims
of that time could guide themselves and their future generations by following the Sunnah of the
Holy Prophet (PBUH) as closely as they could.
Q: Describe the Rules to check the authenticity of Hadith (used by Muhadithun)?
• Introduction
•Rules of Matn with examples
•Rules of Isnad with examples
• Classification
) Describe the Rules to check the authenticity of Hadith (used by
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Muhadithun)? [10]
Outline:
Introduction
R
● ules of Matn with examples
● Rules of Isnad with examples
● Classification
Rules of Isnad (Chain of Narrators):
Each transmitter must be honest and upright e.g. once Imam Bukhara went toa Muslim who
knew a Hadith but when Imam saw that the person wasdeceiving his animal by showing it an
e mpty basket of food in order to pet itinside its premises, he returned without collecting hadith
as he consideredhim dishonest.
E ach narrator must be a strong Muslim.
●
● He must have a good memory.
● He should report exactly what he last learnt from his teacher, and not use hisown
words.
T here should no Non-Muslim in the chain because they may be biased.
●
● Each transmitter must have known the transmitter before him and also the transmitter
after him.
● The first transmitter in the chain must be a companion of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Same Question Types with Wording change:
) What methods were used by the collectors of six major books of Hadith to ensure that the
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sayings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) were genuine?
) Explain the importance of Isnad (chain of Narrators) and Matn (body of text) in assisting
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scholars to check the authenticity of Hadith.
) Describe the methods employed by the compilers of major books of hadith to ensure that
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the Hadith they collected were authentic.
Q) How did the compilers of Hadith judge between acceptable and unacceptable Hadith.
) What rules did the writers of six authentics (Sihah Sitta) apply to ensure the authenticity of
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Hadith.
Q) Describe how the scholars of Ahadith judge between genuine and incorrect Hadith?
Rules to check authenticity of hadith:
TYPES/CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATION= SAHIH, HASSAN DAIFMAUDO]
STRUCTURE/BODY/MAIN POINTS= STRUCTURE OF HADEES
Genuineness of Hadith:
rite about the structure (main parts) of a Hadith and describe the main methods used by
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the compilers of Hadith to establish their genuineness (authenticity/ legitimacy). [10]
Structure of Hadith:
The Hadiths consists of two main parts, the chain of narrators(sanad)and the text(matn)
● l-Hamaydi related to us by saying...
A
● Yahya bin Saeed said...
● Muhammad bin Ibrahim told that he heard... —>;Sanad
● Alqama bin Waqas said that I heardHazrat Umar binKhattabsaying on Pulpit.
“Actions are judged by Intentions” —>; Matn
Q: Explain the difference between Hadith-e-Nabawi and Hadith-e-Qudsi [4]
Hadith-e-Nabvi Hadith-e-Qudsi
hen the Holy Prophet (PBUH) conveyed a teaching of H
W owever, sometimes the Holy Prophet(PBUH) taught
Islam in his own words. It is called Hadith-e-Nabvi. Islam in direct words of Allah but these words are not
part of the Holy has Quran. It is Divine Hadith and is
called Hadith-e-Qudsi.
E.g. the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said,"I and the manwho E.g. the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said,"Allah says,
brings up an orphan will be in Paradise like this, then "Fasting is for Me and I will surely compensate it”
he pointed out with is two fingers the index and
middle finger"
Here“I”refers to the Holy Prophet and so Similarly, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) (PBUH) has said,
Hadith-e-Nabvi. "Allah says, "surely My mercy overcomes My wrath.”
: What are the Different types of Hadith? How is each Hadith classified
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(Categorized) into different types?
TYPES OF AHADITH
. SAHIH- Genuine/Authentic Hadith that passes allthe tests. It is coming from the Holy
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Prophet (PBUH) and its authenticity is unquestionable.
• Rules of Isnad & Matn(without examples)
• Example of Al-Hamaydi
(Thus, Sahih Hadith passes Sanad and Matn)
. HASSAN -Fair/Strong/Approved Hadith which is raisingsome doubt about its authenticity.
2
•They are similar to the Sahih Hadith except that their narrator(s) are found“defective in
memory”in
comparison with those of the Sahih Hadith
E.g. Imam Ahmed reported that Yahya Ibn Saeed toldhim saying that Bahz Ibn Hakim said that
his father informed him on the authority of his Grandfather: I said to the Prophet (PBUH),“O
Messenger of Allah, whom should I be (specifically) good with? The Prophet (PBUH) said 'To
your mother'. This he repeated thrice and then he said 'To your father and then to him who is
next of kin.”
This hadith qualifies all characteristics of a Sahih Hadith except that one of the transmitter of
the Hadith has a slight defect in memory i.e. Bahz Ibn Hakim. Thus it is a Hassan Hadith.
[Link]'if– weak
Hadith which raises many questions about its authenticity.
If any of the narrators in theIsnadwas known tohave been a liar
…or have a weak memory
...or was known to have not met the one he was supposed to be narrating from.
... or if there is only one set of narrators for a public event Example of Hazrat Abu Bakr and
kissing of thumb.
onclusion:All three types of Hadith could come downfrom the Holy Prophet(PBUH) himself,
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but the evidence for Hasan and Da'if is questionable, thus a careful compiler will be cautious
about placing too much reliance on them.
4. M
au'do- Fabricated
• Incorrect/False
Example of age of this world
• Hazrat Asma & Hazrat Ayesha
RULES TO CHECK THE AUTHENTICITY OF HADITH
T heclimaxofcollectionofHadithcamewhenImamBukhariandhiscomptemporaries(Muslim,
Nisai, Majah, Abu Daud and Tirmizi) started compiling Ahadith morethan200yearsafterthe
death ofHolyProphet(PBUH).Theysoonrealizedthatthereweresomanytextsincirculation
that it was difficult for them to distinguish between right and wrongAhadith.Thereforethey
madesomerulestochecktheauthenticityofAhadith.Theydividedtheserulesintotwoparts
i.e. Rules of Isand (Chain of Narrators) & Rules of Matn (the actual text of the Ahadith).
Rules of Matn (the actual words of the Holy Prophet (SAW):
.The Hadith should not go in contradiction withthe Holy Quran nor the basic Islamic
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teachings.e.g. a text (Hadith) claiming that earthwill be 7000 years old was rejected as it
contradicted the Holy Quran.
.The Hadith should not contradict with any (accepted)authentic Hadith.e.g. an authentic text
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(Hadith) says Hazrat Asma went to Holy Prophet (PBUH) and asked should I be respectful
towards my mother as she has not accepted Islam? He(PBUH) said “yes”. Whereas, another
text (Hadith) was rejected as it claimed Hazrat Ayesha and Hazrat Asma both asked the
messenger of Allah after migration to medina that their mother did not convert to Islam,
should they be respectful? And he(PBUH) said “yes”. However, hazrat Ayesha and hazrat Asma
had different mothers and mother of hazrat Ayesha accepted Islam before migration to
medina.
3.It should not go against common sense or people’s normal experience.e.g. a severe
punishment for a small sin or a high reward for a small good act.
4.It should not praise an individual, a definitelocation or a tribe.It should not be biased.
.It should not give precise details of the eventsthat happened after the death of the Holy
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Prophet (PBUH).
.It should not contain expressions that were outof keeping with what the Holy Prophet
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(PBUH) might be expected to use.
Rules of Isnad (Chain of Narrators):
.Each transmitter must be honest and upright. E.g.once Imam Bukhari went to a Muslim who
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knew a Hadith but when Imam saw that the person was deceiving his animal by showing it an
empty basket of food in order to get it inside its premises, he returned without collecting hadith
as he considered him dishonest.
2.Each narrator must be a strong Muslim.
3.He must have a good memory.
4.He should report exactly what he last learnt fromhis teacher, and not use his own words.
5.There should no Non-Muslim in the chain becausethey may be biased.
.Each transmitter must have known the transmitterbefore him and also the transmitter after
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him.
7.The first transmitter in the chain must be a companionof the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
.There must be no gaps or weaknesses in the chain.Therefore, the muhaddithun ensured that
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the chain was unbroken and there should be a direct approach to the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Thus they refused such Ahadith whose chains of transmitters were questionable.
9.A public event must have more than one set of narratorse.g. Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), who was
the first Caliph and a close companion of Holy Prophet (PBUH) is said to have reported that
Muslims kissed their thumbs when Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) name was mentioned in the call to
prayer, the Adhan. This report was rejected because no other companion passed on anything
like it. It was rejected because the Muhaddithun reasoned that such an action would have been
very public and so other companions too would be expected to mention it.
Through these rules Hadith wasclassifiedinto followingtypes:
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● .Sahih, the authentic/genuine Hadith without anydoubt in their Isnad and Matn.
● 2.Hassan, fair, which had some doubts about theirauthenticity.
● 3.Da’if, weak, which raises many questions regardingtheir authenticity.