About Hadith/Sunnah Active Pages >> About Sunnah / Hadith ? Sunnah or Hadith Islam, the Arabic word Sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad (S), the Messenger of Allah, lived his life. The Sunnah is the second source of Islamic jurisprudence, the first being the Qurï¿½an. Both sources are indispensable; one cannot practice Islam without consulting both of them. The Arabic word hadith (pl. ahadith) is very similar to Sunnah, but not identical. A hadith is a narration about the life of the Prophet (S) or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which is the Sunnah as already mentioned. In M. M. Azami's Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, the following precise definition of a hadith is given, According to Muhaddithiin [scholars of hadith -ed.] it stands for 'what was transmitted on the authority of the Prophet, his deeds, sayings, tacit approval, or description of his sifaat (features) meaning his physical appearance.

However, physical appearance of the Prophet is not included in the definition used by the jurists.' Thus hadith literature means the literature, which consists of the narrations of the life of the Prophet and the things approved by him. However, the term was used sometimes in much broader sense to cover the narrations about the Companions [of the Prophet -ed.] and Successors [to the Companions -ed.] as well. The explosion of Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries confronted Islamic scholars with a daunting task: to preserve the knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (S). Hence the science of hadith evaluation was born. The promise of Allah The promise made by Allah (SWT) in Qur'an 15:9 is obviously fulfilled in the undisputed purity of the Qur'anic text throughout the fourteen centuries since its revelation.

However, what is often forgotten by many Muslims is that the divine promise also includes, by necessity, the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), because the Sunnah is the practical example of the implementation of the Qur'anic guidance, the wisdom taught to the Prophet (PBUH) along with the scripture, and neither the Qur'an nor the Sunnah can be understood correctly without the other. Allah (SWT) preserved the Sunnah by enabling the companions and those after them to memorize, write down and pass on the statements of the Prophet (PBUH), and the descriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessings of practicing the Sunnah. Later, as the purity of the knowledge of the Sunnah became threatened, Allah (SWT) caused the Muslim Ummah to produce individuals with exceptional memory skills and analytical expertise, who travelled tirelessly to collect thousands of narrations and distinguish the true words of prophetic wisdom from those corrupted by weak memories, from forgeries by unscrupulous liars, and from the statements of the large number of Ulama (scholars), the companions and those who followed their way.

All of this was achieved through precise attention to the words narrated, and detailed familiarity with the biographies of the thousands of reporters of hadith. The methodology of the expert scholars of hadith in assessing the narrations and sorting out the genuine from the mistaken and fabricated, for ms the subject matter of the science of hadith. In this article a brief discussion is given of the terminology and classifications of hadith. Components of Hadith A hadith is composed of three parts (see the figure [below]): Matn (text), isnad (chain of reporters), and taraf (the part, or the beginning sentence, of the text which refers to the sayings, actions or characteristics of the Prophet (PBUH), or his concurrence with others action). The authenticity of the hadith depends on the reliability of its reporters, and the linkage among them. Classifications of Hadith A number of classifications of hadith have been made. Five of these classifications are shown in the figure [below], and are briefly described subsequently. 1)According to the reference to a particular authority Four types of hadith can be identified. Qudsi - Divine; a revelation from Allah (SWT); relayed with the words of the Prophet (PBUH).

Marfu - elevated; a narration from the Prophet (PBUH), e.g. I heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying ... Mauquf- stopped: a narration from a companion only, e.g., we were commanded to ... Maqtu' - severed: a narration from a successor It invites his attention to the history of those who purchased the punishment of Hell in exchange for the comforts of this world. It tells him of those who were granted the entry into Paradise for having led a life of purity. Briefly put, the Qur'an prepares man for attaining salvation both in this world and the next through obedience to the Divine commandments. 2)According to the links of Isnad - interrupted or uninterrupted Six categories can be identified. Musnad - supported: a hadith which is reported by a traditionalist, based on what he learned from his teacher at a time of life suitable for learning; similarly - in turn - for each teacher until the isnad reaches a well known companion, who in turn, reports from the Prophet (PBUH). Mutassil - continuous: a hadith with an uninterrupted isnad which goes back only to a companion or successor.

Mursal - hurried: if the link between the successor and the Prophet (PBUH) is missing, e.g. when a successor says "The Prophet said...". Munqati - broken: is a hadith whose link anywhere before the successor (i.e., closer to the traditionalist recording the hadith) is missing. Mu'adal - perplexing: is a hadith whose reporter omits two or more consecutive reporters in the isnad. Mu'allaq - hanging: is a hadith whose reporter omits the whole isnad and quotes the Prophet (PBUH) directly (i.e., the link is missing at the beginning). 3)According to the number of reporters involved in each stage of Isnad Five categories of hadith can be identified: Mutawatir - Consecutive: is a hadith which is reported by such a large number of people that they cannot be expected to agree upon a lie, all of them together. Ahad - isolated: is a hadith which is narrated by people whose number does not reach that of the mutawatir. It is further classified into: Mash'hur - famous: hadith reported by more than two reporters.

Aziz - rare, strong: at any stage in the isnad, only two reporters are found to narrate the hadith. Gharib - strange: At some stage of the Isnad, only one reporter is found relating it. 4)According to the nature of the text and isnad Munkar - denounced: is a hadith which is reported by a weak narrator, and whose narration goes against another authentic hadith. Mudraj - interpolated: an addition by a reporter to the text of the hadith being narrated. 5)According to the reliability and memory of the reporters This provides the final verdict on a hadith - four categories can be identified: Sahih - sound. Imam Al-shafi'i states the following requiremetts for a hadith, which is not mutawatir, to be acceptable "each reporter should be trustworthy in his religion; he should be known to be truthtul in his narrating, to understand what he narrates, to know how a different expression can alter the meaning, and to report the wording of the hadith verbatim, not only its meaning". Hasan - good: is the one where its source is known and its reporters are unambiguous.

Da'if - weak: a hadith which fails to reach the status of hasan. Usually, the weakness is: a) one of discontinuity in the isnad, in which case the hadith could be - according to the nature of the discontinuity - munqati (broken), mu'allaq (hanging), mu'dal (perplexing), or mursal (hurried), or b) one of the reporters having a disparaged character, such as due to his telling lies, excessive mistakes, opposition to the narration of more reliable sources, involvement in innovation, or ambiguity surrounding his person. Maudu' - fabricated or forged: is a hadith whose text goes against the established norms of the Prophet's sayings, or its reporters include a liar. Fabricated hadith are also recognized by external evidence related to a discrepancy found in the dates or times of a particular incident.

Other Resources For Hadith :- The Qur'an, Hadith, and the Prophet Muhammad The Qur'an, Hadith, and the Prophet Muhammad Table of Contents Tafsir, commentary on the Qur'an Hadith, sayings and accounts of the Prophet Qur'an Muslims believe that the Qur'an consists of the word of God revealed in Arabic by God to the Prophet Muhammad over a twenty-two year period. He received the first revelation in the year 610 CE while engaging in a contemplative retreat in the Cave of Hira located on the Mountain of Light (Jabal al-nur)(also known as Mt. Hira), which is in the outskirts of Mecca. The Qur'an is distinct from hadith, which are the sayings of Muhammad. It is agreed that Muhammad clearly distinguished between his own utterances (hadith) and God's words, the Qur'an. Muslims and most Western scholars believe that the Arabic Qur'an that exists today contains the same Arabic that was transmitted by Muhammad. Hence anyone who knows Arabic can rest assured that they are reading the exact words of revelation received by Muhammad. Those who do not know Arabic can nevertheless benefit from hearing the evocative quality of the original Arabic.

The traditional Muslim understanding of the history of the Qur'an is found at the History of Qur'an Site and The Preservation and Transmission of Qur'an (link fixed, Sept. 4, 2000). The major events in traditional accounts of the process that lead up to the production of the Qur'an as we know it are noted at the site A brief History of the Compilation of the Qur'an. For a detailed recounting of the traditional Muslim view of the early transmission of the Qur'an see Transmission of the Qur'anic Revelation, which is chapter two in Ahmad von Denffer's book 'Ulum al-Qur'an. See also chapter three in the same work, The Qur'an in Manuscript and Print, for a discussion of early Qur'an manuscripts. A recent online article that discusses early Qur'an manuscripts and includes numerous images of these is titled The Qur'an Manuscripts and was compiled by the Muslim scholars of Islamic-Awareness.Org , which is a website designed to educate Muslims about the issues often raised by Christian missionaries.

A minority of Western scholars (often called orientalists) assert that Muslim accounts of the compilation of the Qur'an are pious fictions and that the Qur'an substantially evolved after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE. This viewpoint is presented in a recent article (on-line and in print) written for a popular audience in Atlantic Monthly, What is the Koran? (Link fixed February 7, 1999) Nevertheless, concerning the completeness of the Qur'an and the final arrangement of the surahs (chapters), it must be stressed --as Professor A. Jones of Oxford asserts-- that "the varying views of orientalists [on the the completeness and order of the Qur'an] are a mixture of prejudice and speculation" and consequently have not been generally accepted as being true (Cambridge History of Arabic Literature: Arabic Literature to the End of the Umayyad Period p. 240). For a rebuttal of the Atlantic Monthlyarticle's main contentions see a A Response to the article "What is the Koran?" written by a Jeffrey Lang, a Muslim professor of Mathematics at the University of Kansas. (Fixed 2 December 1999 and offline on Nov.

28, 2001) In addition, see the critique written by Azizah al-Hibri, professor of Law at the University of Richmond. (Fixed 2 December 1999 and 24 November 2001.) And note as well, the comments on the Atlantic Monthly article derived from a statement by Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr, (link fixed 24 November 2001) a highly esteemed scholar of Islam and religion in general. A wide variety of criticisms of Muslim beliefs in the Qur'an are explained and refuted in a generally scholarly manner at the many pages of the site Issues Concerning the Qur'an. See especially the subpages Textual Integrity of the Qur'an and The Sources of the Qur'an. An excellent introduction to the Qur'an is the article titled The Koran, by Professors Sachiko Murata and William C. Chittick of State University of New York, Stonybrook. This is an excerpt from their book The Vision of Islam (Amazon.com) which is largely based on the Qur'an itself. This article will help readers to understand and get beyond certain problems inherent in any translation of the Qur'an.

Translations--however inspired they may be--are only shadows of the original. They should always be read with a healthy dose of skepticism concerning the degree to which they reflect the original. The gulf between the original and the translation is an important reason why Muslims must recite the Qur'an only in Arabic for the required daily prayers. A translation of the Qur'an is not the Qur'an; it is simply one person's interpretation of the Qur'an. To a limited extent, however, translations can shed light on the meaning of the Qur'an. By comparing a few Qur'an translations verse by verse, one can often get a fuller sense of the Arabic original. The following Translations of the Qur'an site uses side by side translations of Pickthall, Yusuf Ali, and Shakir. You can search these Qur'an translations as well. Qur'an Translation Search Engine Developed at Brown University, this can search the Pickthall, Yusufali, Shakir, and Sher Ali translations of the Qur'an. This engine is more powerful than the previous engines, but in order to see all of the translations side by side, first search for a word, phrase, or particular verse in one of the translations (eg. Pickthall, which is the default).

Then click on one of results in the "passage list" and beneath the full passage, among the various options click on "all." The M. H. Shakir translation can be searched by this powerful search engine at the University of Michigan. It can perform three types of searches: a simple search for a word or phrase throughout the Qur'an; a search for two or three words or phrases in close proximity to one another; a Boolean search for the occurence of two or three words in any verse. One of the virtues of this engine is that the results are displayed in the context of the aya (s) in which the word or words are found. Subject Index of the Qur'an This subject index is hyperlinked with the Qur'an, so that after choosing a particular subject, the reader can simply click on the various Qur'anic verse (ayah)numbers, which will then lead to the text of that verse in which the chosen subject is found. Tafsir Muslims regard the most reliable Qur'anic commentary as being contained in the Qur'an itself. In other words, the ways in which certain ayat clarify other ayat are regarded as being the most significant form of commentary.

A second form of Qur'anic commentary is how the Prophet interpreted the Qur'an. And his comments on the Qur'an (as well as everything he ever said or did) are recorded in the hadith collections. After these two forms of commentary, knowledgeable companions and later generations of pious and learned Muslims expressed their view of the meaning of various ayat. It was on this foundation that the science of Qur'anic commentary was built. Jihad in the Hadith Search Jihad in the Hadith While non-Muslims often treat the Qur'an as if it were the only Islamic text, the literature of Islam is vast and spans many centuries. Next to the Qur'an in importance is the Hadith, which refers to collections of traditions about what Muhammad said, what he taught, and what he did. These collections are also called Sunna or "tradition"; hence the term Sunni Muslims, or "traditional" Muslims. Opposed to them are the Shi'ites, who broke away originally because of a dispute over succession to the caliphate, and who do not grant the same authority to the Hadith.

(The proportion of Sunni Muslims to Shi'ites is roughly 85% - 15%.) Muslims naturally felt a need to preserve traditions about the Prophet from the time of the earliest witnesses. However, over the years since Muhammad's death some of these traditions became embellished and others were fabricated. In the ninth century a number of Islamic scholars undertook the task of sifting the genuine traditions from the spurious and of gathering the former in written collections. In Sunni Islam six of these collections in particular are considered sahih ("reliable"). These sahih sittah ("reliable collections") are: Sahih Bukhari, compiled by the Imam Muhammad ibn-Ismail al-Bukhari (810-870). Sahih Muslim, compiled by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri (821-975). Sunan Abu Dawud, compiled by Abu Dawud as-Sijistani (d. 888). Sunan ibn Majah, compiled by Muhammad ibn Majah (d. 896). Sunan At-Tirmidhi, compiled by Abi 'Eesaa Muhammad At-Tirmidhi (824-893).

Sunan An-Nasai, compiled by Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb an-Nasai (d. 915). All these collections of hadith are highly respected in the Sunni tradition, but the first two even more than the others, and so they are given the additional specific designation of sahih. And of those two, Sahih Bukhari is considered the most important and most reliable. Those ahadith occurring in both the Bukhari and Muslim collections have the highest status of all. Only One Jihad These compilations of hadith are voluminous, and they have a lot to say about jihad. However, before going to these classic collections, we should begin by looking at one hadith that is very often quoted to demonstrate a nonviolent meaning of jihad: Upon his return from battle Muhammad said, "We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad (i.e. the struggle against the evil of one's soul)." ( 1 ) This is very often cited as a proof-text for the "real" meaning of jihad being inward, spiritual struggle. But there are two problems: 1. Even a "lesser" jihad is still jihad and thus a duty and a virtue. 2.

Muhammad never made such a statement. The hadith in which Muhammad is said to speak of "greater" vs. "lesser" jihad is of doubtful authenticity. It does not appear in any of the six collections of the sahih sittah. In fact, a number of scholars maintain that this hadith is a forgery ( 2 ). One scholar analyzes this hadith and considers a number of factors, such as chain of transmission and other more reliable, contradictory ahadith ( 3 ). He quotes one authority: "There is a Hadith related by a group of people which states that the Prophet [peace be upon him] said after the battle of Tabuk: 'We have returned from Jihad Asghar [lesser jihad] to Jihad Akbar [greater jihad].' This hadith has no source, nobody whomsoever in the field of Islamic Knowledge has narrated it.

Jihad against the disbelievers is the most noble of actions, and moreover it is the most important action for the sake of mankind." And so after a meticulous examination of sources the article comes to a decision: On the basis of the above statements we can conclude by saying, that the evidence used as proof or the basis for establishing that Jihad against disbelievers on the battlefield is Jihad Asghar [lesser jihad] and Jihad against the desires and Shaitaan [Satan, the devil] is Jihad Akbar [greater jihad], are weak if not false Hadith. One of the counter-hadith with a better chain of transmission (and the author quotes others as well) goes like this: A man asked [the Prophet]: "...and what is Jihad?" He [peace be upon him] replied: "You fight against the disbelievers when you meet them (on the battlefield)." He asked again: "What kind of Jihad is the highest?" He [peace be upon him] replied: "The person who is killed whilst spilling the last of his blood." This seems to leave little doubt as to how Muhammad understood jihad. But let us not make the case on just one example.

There are many ahadith on jihad, and they make its meaning quite clear. First and foremost, jihad meant combat on the battlefield, and specifically against non-Muslims. Jihad as Fighting the Nonbeliever The following sequence of ahadith will clarify this. Many of these are extremely well attested, occurring multiple times in the most trusted collections, the Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. I will cite some of these multiple attestations just to show the high status of these ahadith. (The numbering of ahadith may vary in different editions. In all of the following quotations I have used the Hadith database of the Muslim Students' Association of the University of Southern California [ 4 ]. For purposes of readability I do not quote in full the isnad (chain of attribution) of each hadith, but these are considered important to establishing authenticity and are included in the original sources.) Reading through the hadith on the subject of jihad, what we do not find is an exclusive emphasis on self-defense or on struggling with one's desires.

Jihad is physical combat, not just for self-defense but for the purpose of spreading Islam, and there is no greater virtue: I asked the Prophet, "What is the best deed?" He replied, "To believe in Allah and to fight for His Cause." (Sahih Bukhari, 3:46:694, Sahih Muslim, 1:149) It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Sa'id Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said (to him): Abu Sa'id, whoever cheerfully accepts Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion and Muhammad as his Apostle is necessarily entitled to enter Paradise. He (Abu Sa'id) wondered at it and said: Messenger of Allah, repeat it for me. He (the Messenger of Allah) did that and said: There is another act which elevates the position of a man in Paradise to a grade one hundred (higher), and the elevation between one grade and the other is equal to the height of the heaven from the earth. He (Abu Sa'id) said: What is that act? He replied: Jihad in the way of Allah! Jihad in the way of Allah!

(Sahih Muslim, 20:4645) The true purpose of jihad, to spread the Muslim faith, is spelled out explicitly: Allah's Apostle said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform a that, then they save their lives an property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah." (Sahih Bukhari, 1:2:24 [see also 4:52:196]) It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: I have been commanded to fight against people, till they testify to the fact that there is no god but Allah, and believe in me (that) I am the messenger (from the Lord) and in all that I have brought. And when they do it, their blood and riches are guaranteed protection on my behalf except where it is justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah.

(Sahih Muslim, 1:31 [see also 1:130, 1:32, 1:33]) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I am commanded to fight with men till they testify that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Apostle, face our qiblah (direction of prayer), eat what we slaughter, and pray like us. When they do that, their life and property are unlawful for us except what is due to them. They will have the same rights as the Muslims have, and have the same responsibilities as the Muslims have. (Sunan Abu Dawud, 14:2635) A man came to the Prophet and asked, "A man fights for war booty; another fights for fame and a third fights for showing off; which of them fights in Allah's Cause?" The Prophet said, "He who fights that Allah's Word (i.e.

Islam) should be superior, fights in Allah's Cause." (Sahih Bukhari, 4:52:65 [see also 9:93:550 and Sahih Muslim, 20:4684, 20:4685, 20:4686, 20:4687]) It is perhaps significant that those who never tire of quoting the Qur'an on "There is no compulsion in religion" (see previous section) also never mention these ahadith.

The rewards of fighting in jihad are tremendous, not to be compared with anything else: The Prophet said, "A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah's Cause in the forenoon or in the afternoon is better than the world and whatever is in it." (Sahih Bukhari, 4:52:50 [see also 4:52:51, 4:52:52, and Sahih Muslim, 20:4643]) Allah's Apostle said, "Allah guarantees him who strives in His Cause and whose motivation for going out is nothing but Jihad in His Cause and belief in His Word, that He will admit him into Paradise (if martyred) or bring him back to his dwelling place, whence he has come out, with what he gains of reward and booty." (Sahih Bukhari, 4:53:352 [see also 9:93:549, 9:93:555, and 1:2:35 which adds: "...and I would have loved to be martyred in Allah's cause and then made alive, and then martyred and then made alive, and then again martyred in

 His cause."]) It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira who said: Allah has undertaken to provide for one who leaves his home (only) to fight for His cause and to affirm the truth of His word; Allah will either admit him to Paradise or will bring him back home from where he had come out, with his reward and booty.

(Sahih Muslim, 20:4628) Many ahadith tell us that the surest way to Paradise is to fight in jihad. Here are just a couple more: Allah's Apostle said, "Know that Paradise is under the shades of swords." (Sahih Bukhari, 4:52:73 [see also 4:52:210, and Sahih Muslim, 20:4681]) It has been reported on the authority of Jabir that a man said: Messenger of Allah, where shall I be if I am killed? He replied: In Paradise. The man threw away the dates he had in his hand and fought until he was killed (i. e. he did not wait until he could finish the dates). (Sahih Muslim, 20:4678) The High Value of Martyrdom This elevation of jihad to the highest of virtues makes martyrdom something especially to be prized. There are many, many ahadith that extol and encourage martyrdom.

It has been narrated on the authority of Masruq Who said: We asked 'Abdullah about the Qur'anic verse: "Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they are alive, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord" (Qur'an 3:169). He said: We asked the meaning of the verse (from the Holy Prophet) who said: The souls of the martyrs live in the bodies of green birds who have their nests in chandeliers hung from the throne of the Almighty. They eat the fruits of Paradise from wherever they like and then nestle in these chandeliers. (Sahih Muslim, 20:4651) There is of course the very celebrated tradition that martyrs from jihad go immediately to Paradise where they are rewarded with 72 virgins. The following verses in the Qur'an provide the foundation, although the number of virgins is not specified: Let those fight in the cause of Allah Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter.

To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah, - whether he is slain or gets victory - Soon shall We give him a reward of great (value). (4:74) As to the Righteous (they will be) in a position of Security, among Gardens and Springs; dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade, they will face each other; So; and We shall join them to Companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes. (44:51-54) As to the Righteous, they will be in Gardens, and in Happiness, - Enjoying the (Bliss) which their Lord hath bestowed on them, and their Lord shall deliver them from the Penalty of the Fire. (To them will be said:) "Eat and drink ye, with profit and health, because of your (good) deeds." They will recline (with ease) on Thrones (of dignity) arranged in ranks; and We shall join them to Companions, with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes.

(52:17-20) They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach). Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny? In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched. (55:54-59 [see also 55:70-74]) And on Thrones (of Dignity), raised high. We have created (their Companions) of special creation. And made them virgin - pure (and undefiled), - Beloved (by nature), equal in age, - For the Companions of the Right Hand. (56:34-38) Verily for the Righteous there will be a fulfilment of (the heart's) desires; Gardens enclosed, and grapevines; And voluptuous women of equal age; And a cup full (to the brim). (78:31-34) And so from the Qur'an itself we see that sex is a reward for the faithful in Paradise.

These "companions" are the houris of renown, beautiful young maidens. They will even be virgins, "whom no man or Jinn before them has touched." We get the number 72 by way of hadith. In the Sunan At-Tirmidhi, which is one of the six basic collections, we find the following ( 5 ): The Prophet Muhammad was heard saying: "The smallest reward for the people of Paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby, as wide as the distance from Al-Jabiyyah [a Damascus suburb] to Sana'a [Yemen]" (Sunan At-Tirmidhi, 4:21:2687) There has been some debate on whether only martyrs get the 72 virgins or whether everyone [male] in Paradise gets them. However, the tradition of the virgins has been used often and effectively as an inducement to martyrdom ( 6 ).

Martyrdom is so highly valued that the truly devoted Muslim would wish to return to earth many times in order to repeat the experience. The Prophet said, "Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah's Cause)." (Sahih Bukhari, 4:52:53) The Prophet said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any Sariya' (army-unit) setting out in Allah's Cause. By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah's Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred.

(Sahih Bukhari, 4:52:54) The Prophet said, "Nobody who enters Paradise likes to go back to the world even if he got everything on the earth, except a Mujahid who wishes to return to the world so that he may be martyred ten times because of the dignity he receives (from Allah)." Narrated Al-Mughira bin Shu'ba: Our Prophet told us about the message of our Lord that "Whoever amongst us is killed will go to Paradise." Umar asked the Prophet, "Is it not true that our men who are killed will go to Paradise and their's (i.e. those of the Pagans) will go to the (Hell) fire?" The Prophet said, "Yes." (Sahih Bukhari, 4:52:72 [see also Sahih Muslim, 20:4635) It is praiseworthy both to seek death as a martyr and to love it: Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone fights in Allah's path as long as the time between two milkings of a she-camel, Paradise will be assured for him.

If anyone sincerely asks Allah for being killed and then dies or is killed, there will be a reward of a martyr for him. (Sunan Abu Dawud, 14:2535) It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say:... "By the Being in Whose Hand is my life, I love that I should be killed in the way of Allah; then I should be brought back to life and be killed again in His way." (Sahih Muslim, 20:4631 [see also 20:4626]) I love that I should be killed in the way of Allah: the Prophet's wish for death has become the battle cry of today's terrorists. Is there any wonder why so many become suicide killers? It is not an act of desperation. It is an expression of the passion that has motivated jihad fighters ever since the time of Muhammad. We in the West cannot understand it, so we try to psychoanalyze it, or we ask obsessively, "Why do they hate us?" The answer to why so many choose death is right here in the earliest sources.

And it is not entirely unique. Perhaps many Westerners can understand it better if they recall how the early Christian martyrs desired so ardently to die for Christ, and sought out such a death as a way of securing eternal bliss. The urge to become a martyr through sacrificing one's life to a higher cause is not as unique, foreign, or inexplicable as we might wish to believe. Here are the words of St. Ignatius of Antioch, a Christian martyr of the early second century, from a letter he wrote to discourage others from interfering in his death: I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God's wheat and bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God. ( 7 ) So perhaps it should not surprise us that a religious vision can serve as a motivation for desiring and seeking death. But there is one big difference between the Christian and Muslim martyrs.

Christian martyrdom did not require death in combat against nonbelievers. Indeed, not to desire death in battle against the infidel is considered shameful: It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: One who died but did not fight in the way of Allah nor did he express any desire (or determination) for Jihid died the death of a hypocrite. (Sahih Muslim, 20:4696) Martyrdom vs. Suicide But, some object, doesn't Islam forbid suicide? How can being a suicide bomber be considered Islamic? Let's look at the basis in the Qur'an for the prohibition against suicide: O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! If any do that in rancour and injustice, - soon shall We cast them into the Fire: And easy it is for Allah.

(4:29-30) Although these verses are often cited to show that the Qur'an forbids suicide, the wording is ambiguous. Most translations say "Do not kill each other," and that most likely is the original meaning. In any event, there is an escape clause. The prohibition holds "if any do that in rancor and injustice." The mujahid always believes he is fighting for justice! The prohibition against suicide comes not from the Qur'an but from the hadith: If somebody commits suicide with anything in this world, he will be tortured with that very thing on the Day of Resurrection. (Sahih Bukhari, 8:73:73 [see also 2:23:445, 2:23:446, 8:73:126, 8:78:647]) But does this apply to someone who kills himself for the purpose of fighting in jihad? Many Islamic authorities say no. They make a distinction between suicide and martyrdom. The motivation for each is entirely different. And so one scholar gleans the classical Islamic sources for evidence that one may seek martyrdom by fighting even when one knows one is going to die.

His conclusion: It is important to know that suicide is forbidden because of its evil objectives; such as impatience, desperation or any other bad and evil objects.... On the other hand, the one who contributes his life to the cause of Allah, Islam and Muslims his doing is sacrificial; he gives his life away for Islam and Muslims, which is the highest sacrifice. ( 8 ) Daniel Pipes, a scholar of Islamic history, affirms this conclusion: Islamists consider suicide as not just legitimate but highly commendable when undertaken for reasons of jihad (sacred war). Going into war knowing with certainty that one will die, they argue, is not suicide (intihar) but martyrdom (istishhad), a much-praised form of self-sacrifice in the path of God, a way to win the eternal affection of the houris in paradise.

A leading Islamist authority, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, recently explained the distinction this way: attacks on enemies are not suicide operations but "heroic martyrdom operations" in which the kamikazes act not "out of hopelessness and despair but are driven by an overwhelming desire to cast terror and fear into the hearts of the oppressors." In other words, Islamists find suicide for personal reasons abominable, suicide for jihad admirable. ( 9 ) The earliest sources express both the prohibition on suicide and the encouragement to fight to the death in a sacred cause. In fact, the latter receives far more emphasis in the classical sources. Undeniably, it has inspired Muslim jihad fighters over many centuries to risk their lives for the cause of advancing Muslim rule. Today some Islamic authorities may emphasize the forbidding of suicide, and some may emphasize the virtue of martyrdom. Which will ultimately prevail can be decided only within Islam itself. But one cannot say that suicide fighting is by its very nature un-Islamic. In fact, it is not new. In the same article Daniel Pipes notes the existence of jihad suicide nearly a thousand years ago: Jihad suicide has been around for a millennium.

The Assassins, a fanatical religious sect that flourished in the twelfth century developed jihad suicide into a powerful tool of war that succeeded in killing dozens of leaders and cast a long shadow over the region's politics for decades. And certainly there is no prohibition on terrorism when suicide is not involved. When seen as a sacred struggle against non-believers, terrorism by any means becomes a virtue, whether or not one knows one's life will be forfeit. As Ibn Warraq states, when the two values collide, martyrdom trumps suicide: Those who blow themselves up almost daily in Israel and those who died on September 11 were dying in the noblest of all causes, Jihad, which is an incumbent religious duty, established in the Koran and in the Traditions as a divine institution, and enjoined for the purpose of advancing Islam. While suicide is forbidden, martyrdom is everywhere praised, welcomed, and urged.

( 10 ) Recall the words of the hadith cited earlier: "If anyone sincerely asks Allah for being killed and then dies or is killed, there will be a reward of a martyr for him." According to the hadith, which is the source of the prohibition against causing one's own death, Jihad is the great exception. The Extent of Jihad Just before we close, a couple more ahadith demonstrating that jihad does not stop with self-defense, but that its real purpose is to promote the supremacy of Islam over other religions: One of the last things that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said was, "May Allah fight the Jews and the Christians. They took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostration. Two [religions] shall not co-exist in the land of the Arabs." (Malik's Muwatta, 45:5:17) It has been narrated by 'Umar b. al-Khattib that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslim.

(Sahih Muslim, 19:4366) The high value placed on jihad and martyrdom is well attested in the earliest Islamic sources. Whether or not it should extend to pushing a button on a suicide vest, the passion that fires today's terrorists comes straight from the words of the Prophet. Conclusion "I love that I should be killed in the way of Allah." - The Prophet Muhammad "You love life and we love death, which gives an example of what the Prophet Muhammad said." - Al Qaeda video claiming responsibility for the 3/11/04 Madrid bombings. Hadith | Islam | Britannica.com Hadith Sunnah Hadith, Arabic Ḥadīth (“News” or “Story”), also spelled Hadīt , record of the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad , revered and received as a major source of religious law and moral guidance, second only to the authority of the Qurʾān , the holy book of Islam . It might be defined as the biography of Muhammad perpetuated by the long memory of his community for their exemplification and obedience.

The development of Hadith is a vital element during the first three centuries of Islamic history, and its study provides a broad index to the mind and ethos of Islam. Nature and origins The term Hadith derives from the Arabic root ḥ-d-th meaning “to happen” and so “to tell a happening,” “to report,” “to have, or give, as news,” or “to speak of.” It means tradition seen as narrative and record. From Hadith comes the Sunnah (literally, a “well-trodden path”—i.e., taken as precedent and authority or directive), to which the faithful conform in submission to the sanction that Hadith possesses and that legalists, on that ground, can enjoin. Tradition in Islam is thus both content and constraint, Hadith as the biographical ground of law and Sunnah as the system of obligation derived from it. In and through Hadith, Muhammad may be said to have shaped and determined from the grave the behaviour patterns of the household of Islam by the posthumous leadership his personality exercised. There were, broadly, two factors operating to this end.

One was the unique status of Muhammad in the genesis of Islam, and the other was the rapid geographical expansion of the new faith in the first two centuries of its history into various areas of cultural confrontation. Hadith cannot be rightly assessed unless the measure of these two elements and their interaction is properly taken. ʿilm al-ḥadīth: Sources of Islamic doctrinal and social views The experience of Muslims in the conquered territories of west and middle Asia and North Africa was related to their earlier tradition. Islamic tradition was firmly grounded in the sense of Muhammad’s personal destiny as the Prophet—the instrument of the Qurʾān and the apostle of God. The clue to tradition as an institution in Islam may be seen in the recital of the shahādah , or “witness” (“There is no god but God; Muhammad is the prophet of God”), with its twin items as inseparable convictions—God and the messenger. Islamic tradition follows from the primary phenomenon of the Qurʾān, received personally by Muhammad and thus inextricably bound up with his person and the agency of his vocation. Acknowledgment of the Qurʾān as scripture by the Islamic community was inseparable from acknowledgment of Muhammad as its appointed recipient.

In that calling he had neither fellow nor partner, for God, according to the Qurʾān, spoke only to Muhammad. When Muhammad died, in 632 ce, the gap thus created in the emotions and the mental universe of Muslims was shatteringly wide. It was also permanent. Death had terminated the revelation embodied in the Qurʾān. By the same stroke, scriptural mediation had ended, as well as prophetic presence. Similar Topics Qurʾān The Prophet’s death was said to have coincided with the perfection of revelation. But the perfective closure of both the book and the Prophet’s life, though in that sense triumphant, was also onerous, particularly in view of the new changing circumstances, of both space and time, in the geographical expansion of Islam. In all the new pressures of historical circumstance, where was direction to be sought? Where, if not from the same source as the scriptural mouthpiece, who by virtue of that consummated status had become the revelatory instrument of the divine word and could therefore be taken as an everlasting index to the divine counsel ? The instinct for and the growth of tradition are thus integral elements in the very nature of Islam, Muhammad, and the Qurʾān.

Ongoing history and the extending dispersion of Muslim believers provided the occasion and spur for the compilation of Hadith. Historical development Caliphs and Caliphates The appeal of the ordered recollection of Muhammad to the Islamic mind did not become immediately formalized and sophisticated. On the contrary, there is evidence that the full development of Hadith was slow and uneven. Time and distance had to play their role before memory became stylized and official. Literary tradition in pre-Islamic Arabia Britannica Stories Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest It is clear that many customs and usages native to non-Arab societies prior to their Islamization found their way into Islam in the form of reputed or alleged traditions of Muhammad, though always on the condition of their general compatibility with Islamic tradition. Implicit in this sense in Muhammad’s personal example and genius, tradition inferred an elasticity and an embrace large enough to comprehend and anticipate all that Islam in its wide geographical experience was to become. Qurʾānic commentary, as it developed in the wake of these other factors of law and custom, also leaned heavily on traditional material, for the incidents of the Qurʾānic narrative and the occasions of revelation could best be understood by what tradition had to say in its reporting of them.

Further, since the patterns of Qurʾānic commentary were largely hortatory, Hadith was a ready mine of word and story calculated to exemplify and reinforce what exhortation commended. Except in rare and controversial cases (the so-called Ḥadīth Qudsī, or Holy Tradition), these traditional factors in Qurʾānic interpretation were only elucidatory, and the substance of tradition could in no way dispute or displace the essential, primary authority of the Qurʾānic text; the obiter dicta (incidental observations) of Muhammad, though sacrosanct , lacked the hallmark of revelation, which belonged solely to the Qurʾān. Among earliest developed examples of Hadith are the narratives of the biographer Ibn Isḥāq (died ah 150 [767 ce]) and the compilation of laws by Mālik ibn Anas , known as al-Muwaṭṭaʾ (died ah 179 [795 ce]). But they preceded by less than half a century the success of the theory that made tradition indispensable to the valid development of Islamic law.

3rd century ah and subsequent developments The chief protagonist of the view correlating tradition and law was Muḥammad al-Shāfiʿī (died ah 204 [820 ce]), who claimed for tradition a divine imprint as an extension of the revelation of the Qurʾān. It was in line with this conviction that the phrase “the Qurʾān and the Sunnah” became current to describe the fount of authority in Sunni Islam (the major traditionalist sect). By this mandate and out of the needs and inventiveness of lawyers, the mass of tradition grew apace. When virtually no issues could be argued, still less settled, except by connection with cited acts and opinions of Muhammad, the temptation to require or to imagine or to allege such traditions became irresistible. Supply approximated to demand, and the growth of both made more ingenious and pretentious the science of supporting attribution . The increasing volume and complexity of the material contained in Hadith necessitated larger compilations and more detailed classification. These factors worked together to inspire a critical editorial activity that in the course of the 3rd century generated what have come to be regarded as the six canonical collections of Hadith by Sunnis.

The first two of them have acquired a status of great sanctity. Before noting these, it is convenient to describe the editorial task and the editorial procedures that constitute the developed science of Hadith criticism . The science of Hadith The study of tradition ( ʿilm al-ḥadīth ) distinguishes between the substance, or content, known as the “gist” ( matn ) of the matter, and the “leaning” ( isnād ), or chain of corroboration on which it hangs. Form of Hadith and criteria of authentication That Muhammad observed “Seek knowledge, though it be in China” or “Beware of suspicion, for it is the falsest of falsehoods” reveals the matn, or “the meat of the matter.” The formula introducing such a Hadith would speak in the first person: “It was related to me by A, on the authority of B, on the authority of C, on the authority of D, from E (here a companion of Muhammad) that the Prophet said….” This chain of names constituted the isnād on which the saying or event depended for its authenticity.

The major emphases in editing and arguing from tradition always fell on the isnād, rather than on a critical attitude to the matn itself. The question was not “Is this the sort of thing Muhammad might credibly be imagined to have said or done?” but “Is the report that he said or did it well supported in respect of witnesses and transmitters?” The first question would have introduced too great a danger of subjective judgment or independence of mind, though it may be suspected that issues were in fact often decided by such critical appraisal in the form of decisions ostensibly relating only to isnād. The second question certainly allowed a theoretically objective and reasonably precise pattern of criteria. Trending Topics Eyjafjallajökull volcano If the adjacent names in the chain of transmission overlapped in life, there was certainty that they could have listened to one another. Their travels were also investigated to see if their paths could have really crossed. Biographies could be built up to show that they were honest men and spoke truly. Comparative study could be made of their reputations for veracity as acknowledged by their contemporaries or indicated by their traditions when compared. The frequency of currency through several sources was yet another element in the testing of traditions.

Most important of all was the final link with the “companion,” who in the first instance had the tradition from his or her contact with the Prophet. Classifications In all these ways, and others involving more minutiae , it was possible to establish categories of Hadith quality. Traditions might be sound (ṣaḥīḥ), good (ḥasan), or weak (ḍāʿīf). Other terms, such as healthy (ṣāliḥ) and infirm (saqīm), were also current. Each of the three classifications was liable to subdivisions, depending on refinements of assessment and, later, on their standing with the classic compilers. Distinctions were less rigorously seen if the traditions were cited not for legal definitions but merely for moral purposes. A ḍāʿīf tradition, for example, might well be salutary for exhortation, even if lawyers were required to exclude or ignore it. Traditions also varied in strength according to whether one or more “companions” could be adduced, whether the isnād had parallels, and whether they were continuous back to Muhammad (muttaṣil) or intermitted (mawqūf).

The subtleties in these and other questions were part of the active competence that attended the whole science. The repute and authority of the canonical collections did much to stabilize the situation, but only because their emergence demonstrated that the zest for tradition had overreached itself. By the end of the 3rd century ah it was sorely necessary to solidify Hadith into a stable corpus of material to which no new element could credibly be added and from which extravagances had been purged. The Hadith tradition within the various traditions had by then become a permanent and disciplined element in the authority structure of Islam—the second great source of law and practice, complementary to the Qurʾān and available for analogical handling ( qiyās ) and for consensus ( ijtihād ) as further sources of legislation, arguing from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah as primary. Shīʿite tradition stands apart from this structure of authority.

The compilations The most revered of all traditionalists was al-Bukhārī (ah 194–256 [810–870 ce]), whose Al-Jāmiʿ al-ṣaḥīḥ (“The Authentic Collection”) has a unique place in the awe and esteem of Muslims as a work of great historical import and deep piety. While a boy, he made the pilgrimage to Mecca and gathered traditions in wide travels. According to tradition, he was inspired to his task by a vision of the Prophet Muhammad being pestered by flies while asleep—flies that he (al-Bukhārī) fanned from the Prophet’s face. The flies represented the cloud of spurious traditions darkening the true image, and the fan was its tireless rescuer. Whatever the truth of this narrative, it captures the temper of al-Bukhārī’s vocation. His Ṣaḥīḥ occupied 16 years of editorial pains and scrutiny. He included 7,397 traditions with full isnād.

Allowing for repetitions, the net total was 2,762, gathered, it is said, from more than 600,000 memorized items. He arranged the whole into 97 books and 3,450 chapters or topics, repeating the traditions that bore on several themes. Of comparable stature was the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (ah 202–261 [817–875 ce]), to which the compiler prefaced a discussion of the criteria of Hadith. The material largely confirms his contemporaries, and all such traditions common to these two authorities are known as agreed (muttafaq). It became characteristic to give freer rein to prevailing or communal assent in matters of isnād. There are four other classical collections of tradition, all belonging within the 3rd century ah and interdependent in part.

Abū Dāʾūd al-Sijistānī (ah 202–275 [817–889 ce]) produced his Kitāb al-sunan (“Book of Traditions”), containing 4,800 traditions relating to matters of jurisprudence (as the term sunan indicates, in contradistinction to a jāmiʿ, or collection embracing all fields). Abū ʿIsā Muḥammad al-Tirmidhī (died ah 279 [892 ce]) edited the Jāmiʿ al-ṣaḥīḥ, adding notes on the distinctive interpretations of the schools of law (madhāhib). Abūʿ Abd al-Raḥmān al-Nasāʾī (ah 216–303 [830–915 ce]) produced another Kitāb al-sunan with special concern for the religious law relating to ritual acts.

Abū ʿAbdallāh ibn Mājā (ah 210–273 [824–886 ce]), a pupil of Abū Dāʾūd, compiled another with the same title but tended to a readier tolerance of less than satisfactory traditions. Preferences shifted between these four, and some were slower of recognition than others. Nor did they oust the earlier collection of Mālik ibn Anas, which maintained, if intermittently, its wide appeal. But they formed the increasing reliance of generations of Muslims, within the unique eminence of the master “pair,” and formed the sources of later popular editions, intended to conflate material for didactic purposes. One such was the work of Abū Muḥammad al-Baghawī (died ah 516 [1122 ce]) called Maṣābīḥ al-Sunnah (“The Lamps of the Sunnah”). Commentaries on all these classical musannafāt, or compilations, were many, and they were important in education and piety.

Sectarian variations The tradition of the Shīʿites , the most significant minority branch of Islam in terms of number of adherents, distinguished from the tradition of the Sunni majority by belief in the special role of the Prophet’s cousin ʿAlī and his descendants, diverges sharply from a very early date, though the emphasis on the personality of Muhammad was identical. The Shīʿites broke away from the Sunni stream of Islam for deep reasons of politics, emotion, and theology. There was the dispute about caliphal succession and the role of ʿAlī, the fourth caliph , cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, and bitter cleavage because of the tragic fate of his two sons and especially of Ḥusayn in the massacre of Karbalāʿ , from which there ultimately evolved the theology of vicarious suffering epitomized in Shīʿite devotion and ritual. All these factors inevitably involved the business of tradition. The schism read the origins according to the divided loyalties, and there was little that was not potentially contentious , apart from obvious matters—e.g., Muhammad’s intentions for ʿAlī and the caliphate.

The issues were fought out in rivalry for the mind of the Prophet, the authority of which was the sole agreement in the very disputing of it. The Shīʿites thus rejected the tradition of the Sunnis and developed their own corpus of tradition (though there is evidence that al-Nasāʾī, at least, among the classical compilers, had sympathy with aspects of their cause). They also questioned the Sunni notions of isnād and of the community as a locus of authority and evolved their own system of submission to their imams. This altered the whole role that tradition might play. The major Shīʿite compilations date from the 4th and 5th centuries ah and allow only traditions emanating from the house of ʿAlī.

The first of them is that of Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad al-Qulīnī (died ah 328 [939 ce]), Kāfī fī ʿilm al-dīn, which might be translated: “Everything You Need to Know About the Science of Religious Practice.” Significance of Hadith Canonical collections of Hadith are, for the non-Muslim, an introduction to a world of faith—of behaviour, authority, and almost encyclopaedic inclusiveness. Provisions of law are the primary element, enlarging Qurʾānic legislation. They contain a whole array of moral, social, commercial, and personal matters, as well as the themes of eschatology . All reaches of public and private conduct may be found there, from the disposal of a date stone to the crisis of the deathbed, from the manner of ablution to the duties of forgiveness, from the physical routines of digestion to the description of the Day of Judgment. There is a Talmudic capacity for detail and scrupulousness in legal and ethical prescriptions and precepts.

There are stories of integrity and right action—for example, that of the purchaser of a plot of ground who subsequently unearthed in it a pot of gold, which he brought back to the former owner, protesting that it was not within his bargain. The vendor, likewise, refused to claim it since he had not known the gold was there when he sold his field. An arbitrator solved their dilemma of honesty by proposing the marriage of the son of one with the daughter of the other so that, after alms, the gold might be settled on the couple. Through and in tradition, Islam aligned itself authoritatively with all it found compatible in local usages and brought hospitably and masterfully within its purview the continuity of many cultures . There is wide evidence of the impact of Jewish and Christian elements, notably in the realm of eschatology , in the elaboration of the stark and urgent Qurʾānic doctrine of the Last Judgment . But always the imprint of Islam is clear. Tradition is at once a mine and a kind of currency, the source and the circulation of the values it makes and preserves. Quran & Sunnah : What is Sunnah and Hadith? What is Sunnah and Hadith?

Printed From: IslamiCity.org Printed Date: 19 January 2017 at 2:48am Topic: What is Sunnah and Hadith? Posted By: niqab_ummi Subject: What is Sunnah and Hadith? Date Posted: 17 December 2006 at 5:02pm Assalamu'Alaikum, Insha'Allah here is a very basic overview with informational links....If you have any others please post them as well.... MasSalaama, Sunnah and Hadith "And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, leave it. And fear Allah: truly Allah is severe in punishment. " [ - Qur'an 59:7] In Islam, the Arabic word sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad (saas), the Messenger of Allah, lived his life. The Sunnah is the second source of Islamic jurisprudence, the first being the - Qur'an . Both sources are - indispensable ; one cannot practice Islam without consulting both of them. The Arabic word hadith (pl. ahadith) is very similar to Sunnah, but not identical.

A hadith is a narration about the life of the Prophet (saas) or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which is the Sunnah as already mentioned. In M. M. Azami's Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, the following precise definition of a hadith is given, According to Muhaddithiin [scholars of hadith -ed.] it stands for 'what was transmitted on the authority of the Prophet, his deeds, sayings, tacit approval, or description of his sifaat (features) meaning his physical appearance. However, physical appearance of the Prophet is not included in the definition used by the jurists.' Thus hadith literature means the literature which consists of the narrations of the life of the Prophet and the things approved by him. However, the term was used sometimes in much broader sense to cover the narrations about the Companions [of the Prophet -ed.] and Successors [to the Companions -ed.] as well. The explosion of Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries confronted Islamic scholars with a daunting task: to preserve the knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas).

Hence the science of hadith evaluation was born. We recommend that you read the "Introduction to the Science of Hadith" below to understand the tremendous efforts that were required to sift the true reports from the false reports. The success of the early scholars is also captured below by some collections of hadith. Science of Hadith - An Introduction to the Science of Hadith - A brief introduction to the classification of hadith (courtesy of - Perspectives ) A comparison between - modern historical methodology and hadeeth methodology. Large Collections - A collection of the ahadith in Sahih Bukhari - A collection of the ahadith in Sahih Muslim - A partial collection of the ahadith in Sunan Abu-Dawud - A collection of the ahadith in Malik's Muwatta - Search hadith database What is the difference between quran, sharia, and hadith? - Quora Quora Written Apr 3, 2016 The Qur-aan is the collection of the word of God, Allaah swt, revealed literally to Prophet Muhammad (Allaah's blesings and peace be upon him).

It is the Book of Allaah's guidance that explains Islamic beliefs, makes a rational case for those beliefs and gives major policies, principles and stipulations according to which a Muslim should live in this world in obedience to Allaah swt (the exalted and glorified). The Qur-aan is the only book in the world which contains the exact and pure word of God Himself. While preaching and practising the Qur-aan and Islam, the Prophet interacted with his followers and explained and discussed things and approved or disapproved things. His followers reported those words and deeds of the Prophet; those reports are called Hadith or Hadeeth. The collections of Hadeeth are like the Bible, the OT and NT. People reported and wrote what they heard and observed from the prophets and messengers. The difference between the Bible and the Hadeeth is that the authors of the reports contained in the Bible are totally unknown people; while the reporters of the Hadeeth are all known people and the chains of the narrations have been established. The word Shariah or Sharee'ah is used for the rules and regulations derived from or under the Qur-aan, with the help of Hadeeth.

We can roughly consider the Qur-aan as the constitution and the Sharee'ah as the rules and regulations made under the constitution. I hope this clarifies the three terms. 7.9k Views · View Upvotes · Answer requested by Written Apr 14, 2016 Thanks for asking Qur'an: The Word of God brought to Prophet Mohammad by Angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Preserved in a written form by the scribes of the Prophet. The final collection brought together in the form of a book within a year of the Prophet's death - the same exact book that we can now purchase from Amazon almost 1400 years later - something that God Himself promised within the pages of the book that He will take the responsibility of preserving His Book for all time to come. Hadith: collections of the sayings of the Prophet, the most well known, the collection of Bukhari, brought together about 200 years after the death of the Prophet.

Any modern day investigative reporter would be be proud of Imam Bukhari's work from 1200 years ago, as he travelled from town to town and village to village, interviewing - grilling may be a better description - any person who was known to have a knowledge of some saying of the prophet. Bukhari's methodology was amazingly sound from a scientific standpoint. He traced each report all the way back to the Prophet, documenting the chain of transmission in painstaking detail. He then classified his collection based on the number of chains of transmission he could document; creating four classes of reliability, with 4 chains the best and a mere 1 chain as the least reliable. It has been said that Imam Bukhari had almost 100,000 Hadith in his possession, of which he considered only around 4000 good enough to be included in his collection. He destroyed the rest. There are a few other less well known collections. Sharia: Laws claimed to be derived from the Qur'an and the life example of the Prophet that some Muslim nations try to implement. In general, the authenticity of such laws is often highly questionable.

3k Views · View Upvotes · Answer requested by Written Jun 1, 2015 According to Muslims the Quran is a divine revelation, the word of God and the absolut truth. The Hadith are are historical accounts of the life of Mohammad, written by different people in Mohammad's circle, f.ex. His wife. The Sharia is Islamic Law based on the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet. 3.6k Views · View Upvotes Omar Chad , " If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humble Written Nov 19, 2015 A/The Quran: The Quran is the holy book revealed by God through the intermediary of the Archangel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) over a period of 23 years, equivalent to 12 years in Mecca "said Mecca Quran,before exodus ," the rest in Medina "said Medina Quran". The of MeccaQuran is interested in the following topics: -The oneness of God, denied by the polytheists. -The Warning against the combination as invoking other than Allah. -Defy Arabs -despite their eloquence- to produce a chapter similar to the Quran.

- Stories of those who denied (the warnings and signs) and were exterminated like: the people of Noah and Hud, Saleh, Shu`aib, Moses and others. -Teaches believers to be patient. -Fight against the idolaters by using the Quran as arms,and should discuss with them by the best way. - Prove by universal signs and rational arguments the uniqueness of the lordship which necessarily requires the uniqueness of the worship. - Is distinguished mainly by its style words are forceful ,which resounds in the ears, words whose letters launch the threat and punishment. The Quran of Medina is interested -in most part- the following topics: - Call people to fight and to die as martyrs in the cause of Allah,to defend themselves against invaders,and establish a peaceful State in Medina. They were forced to defend their religion and their State. - Show the laws of Islam as the legal status to fight transactions based usurious "interest" -riba- Allah has declared war on those who practice it. - Whoever to punish transgresses who commit fornication,theft and other legal penalties that ensure the security and stability of society. - To uncover the conspiracy of hypocrites and publicize their faults.

- Achieving of the victories of the believers against their enemies in the major battles. Important to retain,Quran is the main source of law of the Divine laws "Sharia". B/Sharia: Sharia is a set of laws, recommended by God to believers which must be applied to the letter, any offender is subject to divine punishment here below,and in the Day-after according to the gravity of the sin/sins. Assets of Sharia"Islamic laws" are extracted, from 1/the sacred book (Quran), 4/ and also extrapolated by "analogy", "reference" or "syllogism"called "Al-Qiyas". C/ Hadith: In Islam, the Hadith is an oral statement ( collection of words) and deeds of Muhammad and his companions, comments about the Quran,and rules of conduct. (The hadith, which together constitute a part of the Sunna,are the second foundation of the dogma of Islam. The hadith enjoying the greatest authority are mostly collected by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Each Hadith is preceded by a chain of transmitters going back to the prophet Muhammad.

Considered principles of personal and collective governance for Muslims, they are generally referred to as "tradition of the Prophet." Hadiths were reported by nearly 50 000 companions. The "Muhaddith" is a scholar of Islam specialist in the science of Hadith. The "Rawi" is the transmitter of Hadith is one of the links in the isnad. By studying the isnad and reliability of rowwât (plural Rawi) component, a Muhaddith can evaluate the authenticity of a Hadith. It encompasses an Islamic science,to verify the authenticity of the Hadith through its human component contained in its transmission chain. Each of its component parts is thoroughly identified and studied to determine any abnormality in relation to his degree of memorization, his devotion to the Islamic faith, to determine the level of the Hadith( authentic,hassan, maqbool,weak...fake). Important to retain,Hath(s) are also a source of Islamic law "Sharia".

Question: Whose life is the subject of the Hadith?
Answer: Muhammad