Paper presented at the 11th Regional leadership Training Programme held in Hungary 21 July - 21 August 1999 by Prof Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr.
OUTLINES
Definition of hadith
Definition of sunnat
Structure of hadith
Hadith methodology
Difference between hadith and Qur’an transmission
Sunnat as a source of law (hujjiyat al sunnat)
Methods of hadith transmission
Hadith nabawi and hadith Qudsi:
History of the collection and writing of hadith
Different methodologies of hadith collectors
Reporting of hadith by companions
Hadith collections
Definition of hadith sciences (uluum al hadith)
Classification of ulum al hadith:
Science of critique of hadith (‘ilm naqd al hadith)
The criteria for accepting a report (khabar)
Classification of hadith
Definition of hadith: the term hadith has a wider scope that the term sunnat. Hadith includes even rulings that were abrogated. It embraces the prophet's personal human attributes (sifaat khilqiyyat), food habits, food prefernces, health conditions, illness, and medical treatment. Hadith can be words of the prophets (qawl al rasul), actions (fi’ilu al rasul), or tacit approval (iqrar) of actions performed infront of him or which he knew about and he did not indicate disapproval. Hadith also embraces the words and actions of the companions of the prophet and the general events and phenomena that occured during the period of prophethood (‘ahd al risalat) and the era immediately after it.
Definition of sunnat: Sunnat is a type of hadith but is restricted to words, actions, and tacit approval of the prophet (PBUH) from the start of the revelation to his death (ma sadara ani al rasuuli min qawli, aw fi’ili, aw iqrar min mabdai al wahy hatta wafaatihi). There is a difference between sunnat that is a basis for law (sunnat tashri) and that which is not (sunnat ghair tashrei). The former is part of revelation and is legally binding. The latter is not legally binding on all people all the time. It is however recommended to follow sunnat ghair tashrei as much as practicable because all what the prophet did or said in guidance to the good and the moral. Another reason for following sunnat ghair tashrei is that the demarcation from sunnat tashrei may not be clear and it is better to err on the right that on the wrong.
Structure of hadith: A hadith consists of 2 main parts: the chain of transmitters (sanad) and the text (matn).
Hadith methodology: Hadith methodology is derived from the Qur’an. What has been discussed previously about Qur’anic methodology applies to hadith as well.
Difference between hadith and Qur’an transmission: Both Qur’an and hadith are revelations. The former is recitable revelation (wahy matluw) and the latter is non-recitable revelation (wahy ghair matluw). The Qur’an is direct speech of Allah. The meaning of the hadith is from Allah but the words are those of the prophet (PBUH). In some hadiths the meaning is from the prophet but the words are those of the narrators. Hadiths, unlike Qur’an, were not all transmitted as in continuity and by many people (mutawaatir).
Sunnat as a source of law (hujjiyat al sunnat): The sunnat is the second most important source of legislation in Islam coming only next to the Qur’an. Direct proof of this is found in the Qur'an. A similar conclusion can be reached by considering that the words and actions of the prophet PBUH) were needed to interpret the Qur’an. That was the purpose for sending a human messenger. As discussed before Allah had the power to reveal His message to humans in some other way.
Methods of hadith transmission: Hadith scholars are very particular about the method of transmission to ensure accuracy. The reporter can listen to the Sheikh reading the hadith (qiraat al Sheikh alayhi). The reporter can read a hadith to the Sheikh who either approves by saying yes or just keeps quiet signifying consent (an yaqra ala al sheikh fayaqulu na’am aw yaskut). The sheikh can after a period of teaching give the reporter a written or oral authorisation to report hadith from the sheikh (al ijaazat). The sheikh can give a written document to the reporter and tell him to report its contents (al munawalat: khudh hadha al kitaab fa a’rwiihi anni). The reporter can report a hadith by meaning or can use the exact words he heard. The following words are used in hadith reporting: haddathana, akhbarana, anba’ana.
Hadith nabawi and hadith Qudsi: Hadith nabawi is part of unrecitable revelation (wahy ghair matlu’). The content and meaning are from Allah (SWT) but unlike the Qur’an, the sentence structure, language and words used are from the prophet (PBUH). Unlike the Qur’an the reporting of hadith from the prophet by the companions and the followers was partly by meaning; in some cases it is not the exact words or linguistic expressions that the prophet used. Hadith qudsi is similar to the Qur’an in that the language and words are directly from Allah (SWT) and all the prophet did was to convey them. There are very few hadith qudsi.
History of the collection and writing of hadith: Hadith was not written down during the era of the prophet (PBUH) and the 4 companions. Reporting of hadith was limited. The few documented hadiths at the time of the prophet and the 4 rightly-guided khulafa were the exception and not the rule. Writing of hadith was actively discouraged. It was feared that hadith and Qur'an would be confused. Omar Ibn Abd al Aziz was the first to order systematic collection and the writing of hadith (Sadi 1408 AH, p 67). Systematic efforts of hadith collection became necessary during the great fitna due to death of many narrators and the appearance of hadith fabrication to justify partisan stands. Most of hadith collection was in the era of the followers of the followers (tabiu al tabiin). That is why most hadith narration chains include a follower who heard the hadith from the companion.
Different methodologies of hadith collectors:. The collectors of hadith each developed a methodology. Those with the most rigorous methodology have the most authoritative collections. However too rigorous criteria for hadith acceptance left out many authentic hadiths that other collectors with less rigorous criteria have preserved for us. The methodology of Imaam Malik in al muwatta was characterised by the following: reliance only on trusted narrators, use of mubalaghaat (using the formula the ‘report reached us’ ablaghana), use of mursalaat ( ), use of athaar that stopped at tabiin and tabiu al tabiin, mixing hadith and fiqh al hadith. The method of Bukhari in his sahih was very rigorous. He searched widely for hadith and accepted only the most authentic. He accepted only 4000 out of 600,000 hadiths collected. He reported one hadith using several chains of transmitters as further proof of authenticity.
Reporting of hadith by companions: The number of hadith reported from different companions vary; some reported heavily, some reported only a few whereas some have no hadith reported from them at all. The older companions who died earlier reported fewer hadith; this is because they died before great interest in reporting hadith arose. Those who stayed close to the prophet all the time like Abu Hurairat and Ibn Abbas reported more hadith than others.
Hadith collections: Scholars of hadith have used several terms to refer to hadith collections. The most authentic are referred to as sahih for example sahih al Bukhari and sahih Muslim. Other terms used are: musnad, sunan, jami’u. The major collectors of hadith famous throughout the Muslim world are indicated below. The name of their collection and the number of hadith are also shown:
- Malik (d. 179 AH): al Muwatta (……hadith);
- al Bukhari (d. 256 AH): Sahiih al Bukhari 2761 hadith (no repetition) selected from 600,000;
- Muslim (d. 261 AH): Sahiih Muslim- 4000 hadiths (no repetitions) selected from 300,000;
- al Tarmidhi (d. ); al Jamiu al Sahiih;
- Abu Daud (d. 275 AH): Sunan Abu Daud 4800 hadiths;
- Al Nisae (d. 303 AH): Sunan al Nisae;
- Ibn Majah (d. 273 AH): Sunan Ibn Majah;
- Ahmad (d. 241 AH): Musnad Ahmad;
- Ibn al Athiir (d. ); Jamiu al Usuul;
- Al Hakim (d. 405 AH): al Mustadrak;
- al Haythami (d. 807 AH): Majmau al Zawaid;
- al Nawawi (d. 767 AH): Riyaadh al Saalihiin;
- al Mundhiri (d. 656 AH): al Targhiib wa al Tarhiib;
- Ibn Abi Shaybat (d. ): Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybat;
- al Daarimi (d. 255 AH): Sunan al Daarimi;
- al Suyuuti (d. 911 AH): al Jamiu al Kabiir;
- al Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH): al Sunan al Kubra;
- al Tabrani (d. 360 AH): al Mu’jam al kabiir;
- al Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH): al Jamiu al sahiih
Some were primary collectors like Bukhari and Muslim. Some of the later collectors like Imam al Nawawi put together their collections from hadiths already reported in the primary collections.
Definition of hadith sciences (uluum al hadith): al Suyuuti defined ‘ilm al hadith as the science of the principles by which the status of the chain of transmitters (sanad) and the text (matn) are ascertained (;ilm bi qawannin yu’urafu biha ahwaal al sanad wa al matn’). The main aim of hadith sciences is to make sure that transmission of information (naql) is correct.
Classification of ulum al hadith: ‘Uluum al hadith are classified into 2 broad categories: sciences of transmission of hadith (‘uluum riwayat al hadith) and sciences of understanding hadith (uluum dirayat al hadith). There are many sub-disciplines under each of the 2 categories above.
Science of critique of hadith (‘ilm naqd al hadith) involves critiquing the internal structure of the hadith and its meaning. The hadith can be critiqued as text (matn) or chain of transmission (sanad). Critique of text (matn) involves identifying defects (‘illat), establishing if the text is different from the report of other trustworthy narrators, and finding problems in the text itself such as logical inconsistencies. Hadith scholars have over the centuries developed criteria that can enable them distinguish an authentic from an unauthentic hadith or to grade it. In order to deal with false positive and false negative, criteria are set in such a way that it is easier to reject a true hadith than accept a false one. These same criteria are employed to grade a particular hadith text according to degree of its authenticity. The criteria for accepting a hadith are more stringent than laws of evidence in court.
The criteria for accepting a report (khabar): Criteria used in relation to any report fall under three categories: personal integrity of the narrator, mental and intellectual capacity of the narrator, and the integrity of the chain of transmitters (ittisal al sanad). The term adalat al rawi is used to refer to the integrity of the narrator. He or she must be a Muslim, adult, not a sinner (fasiq), and has social respectability (muru’at). This personal integrity can be nullified by: disbelief (kufr), minority report, sinning (fisq), innovations in religion (bid’a), lying in ordinary conversation, getting reward from reporting hadiths, fanaticism about a madhhab or a sect. The narrator must have dhabt which includes: good memory, being careful, no experiencing of illusions, and not reporting what is radically different from the trustworthy reporters.
Classification of hadith: hadith can be classified by sanad, number of narrators, or grade of authenticity. There is no unanimity of classification among hadith scholars but the differences are relatively minor. Hadith can be classified according to sanad as: muttasil, munqatiu, mursal, mu’udhal, mudlas, mawquuf, marfuu’. Each of these terms has a technical definition used by hadith scholars. Hadith can be classified according to number of narrators as: famous (mashhur), reported by an overwhelming number of narrators (mutawatir), or reported by a single narrator (hadith al ahad).. The number of narrators reporting the same hadith indicates authenticity. It is most unlikely that a large number of people who do not live together can concur in error. Hadith reported by a single narrator (hadith al ahad) should always be suspected and should never be accepted in fundamental matters like aqidat. A hadith can be classified as: authentic (sahih), good (hasan), weak (dhaif), strange (shaadh) ie different from others in text and chain of transmission, faulty (mu’allal) ie has a hidden reason for not being sahih even if it is apparently correct.
