From: jemshedn@aludra.usc.edu (Jemshed Nawaz)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Importance of HADEETH in muslim societies
Keywords: Hadith, Practice
Date: 10 Apr 92 23:52:46 GMT
Reply-To: Jemshed Nawaz <jemshedn@aludra.usc.edu>
Distribution: soc
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Originator: gwydion@wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu

In article <9204041051.AA27720@girtab.usc.edu> jodar%girtab.usc.edu@usc.edu (Nicholas Jodar) writes:
#*[ MUCH EDITING DONE FOR EASE OF READING ]*
#
#As Javed A. Khan put it,...
#
#>>The reason being that
#>>actions of the Prophet in dealing with problems of his day were necessiated
#>>by the values prevalent in the society of his days. Transliterating his
#>>decisions to present day problems may not necessarily solve todays them.
#>>

	To Javed: what were the values prevalent in that society as
	opposed to today's (by `that society' I mean the one our
	Prophet had to confront, not the one he himself brought
	about)?

#
#Do not confuse the universiality of the Qur'an with the Hadith of
#Muhammed (SAW).  The Words of Allah (SWT) have no boundaries, in 
#time or space.  This is because Allah (SWT) knows us better than 
#we know ourselves, and chose 'His' Words accordingly.  And yet 
#brother Khan says...
#
#>The importance of Hadeeth is precisely because of the universal
#>applicability that is inherent in them.  By saying that the Prophet
#>Muhammad (pbuh) was making decisions only for his existing situation, do
#>you mean to imply that Allah (swt) gave him the wisdom only to cope with
#>the world of 1 A.H.?  I believe full well that Islam, as it was sent
#>down to us and demonstrated by the Prophet (pbuh), is a complete way of
#>life for all people and all times.  
#
#Here I see the actions and words of the Prophet (SAW) being given
#the status of the Qur'an.  In short, the words and deeds of the
#Prophet to the people are assumed to be directed by Allah (SWT)
#and thence divine.  This is a grave error.  The Christians
#have done that to Isa (SAW), and you can see the result....

		I don't think that by declaring the universality of
	the Hadith we are attributing divinity to Prophet(saw).
	Whatever our Prophet(saw) did was under the direct guidance of
	Allah(SWT) because he was to set precedents for us to follow,
	that is why the Holy Qur'an says we have in him the best
	example to follow.  His words and deeds cannot be compared
	with the words and deeds of any ordinary man, because again if
	we refer to the Qur'an we find that he never spoke of his own
	desire.  Also our Noble Prophet(saw) himslef said that obeying
	him is like obeying Allah i.e.  whatever instructions our
	Prophet(saw) left with us are either derived from the Word of
	Allah or were revealed to him (separately from the Qur'an).

#
#The words and deeds of the Muhammed (SAW) are those of a man.  A
#man who made mistakes, a man who was imperfect, made so by his
#Creator.  While I will be the first to defend the claim that he
#never sinned, being perfectly Guided by Allah (SWT), I will also 
#be the first to pronounce his humanity.  There is no such thing 
#as perfect human.  Perfection is as the angels, who have no Free
#Will.  They cannot do anything which is against Allah (SWT)'s
#Will.  Humanity can.  It's called 'screwing up.'  
#

		In fact to say our Prophet's(saw) words and deeds may
	have the element of human weakness thus rendering them
	unreliable is also very wrong. Our Prophet(saw) himself said
	that whatever he did and said was based on the Truth, even in
	mundane matters. Sure our Prophet(saw) was no more than a
	human being and was capable of human errors and actually
	committed them also, but he was *always* corrected; if it
	concerned religion in any way then Allah Himself intervened,
	and when it was to do with worldly affairs he was either
	corrected by others or himself realized his mistake and always
	publicly admitted it, so that we can never entertain doubts
	about the Hadiths on te basis that our Prophet(saw) could have
	committed an error.

#
#-Nick
#
#Subhannallah!  If I have made any errors, I beg Allah (SWT) to
#point them out to me that I may correct them.  If I have not, it
#is only through the Grace of Allah (SWT) and all praise is due to
#'Him.'