Preservation of Hadith

Introduction

Dr  Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, in his book "An Introduction to the Conservation of Hadith : In the Light of the Sahifah of Hammam ibn Munabbih" sheds considerable light on the subject and dispels any doubt regarding the authenticity of hadith in general.

Manuscripts

Copies of manuscripts dating back to the first century of Islam are to be found in Turkey, France and Germany. These manuscripts shows a glimpse of hadith being taught by companions of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to their students. Hadith was transmitted both by being written down as well as orally. Fairly early on it was already realised that the volumes of hadith were extremely large. Rules started to be implemented in the way hadith was transmitted with, as an example, the chain of narrators back to the Prophet being recorded. Each narrator in a chain was carefully scrutinized to ensure the authenticity of a hadith (see "science of hadith" below)

Many orientalists take a look at hadith and see that the majority of Muslims take Sahih Bukhari (the magnum opus of Imam al-Bukhari) as being the most authentic book on hadith while this work was only recorded in the 3rd century after the hijrah (Islamic Calendar). The mistake most make is that they compare  the preservation of Islamic texts with that of Christianity  (as an example). Muslims have, from the outset, taken to the preservation of the words emanating from the blessed mouth of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The main issue to deal with during Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) lifetime was to be careful not to mix hadith with Quran. This was accomplished to the extent that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) later on instructed that his hadith be recorded in writing too.

Science of Hadith

Hadith has been studied and is still currently being studied in relation to its isnad (chain of narrators),  matn (text of the hadith), the context and meaning of the hadith.

The grading/classification of hadith is an important aspect of this science. While compilers of hadith may have had differing methods to grade their hadith, the general or overall standard of grading hadith is in line with the methodology of Imam al-Bukhari. To this extent we find hadith being classified as one of saheeh (authentic), hasan (good/fair), da'eef (weak), da'eef jiddan (very weak) and Maudu' (fabricated).

Importance of Hadith

Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was the final messenger sent by Allah. Allah revealed Quran to mankind via Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). He was more than a mere conduit, but a teacher of the Divine Word, Quran. This great responsibility required him (ﷺ) to expound on the Quran through his actions and sayings. These actions and sayings are his hadith. The completeness of Quran is not in question, rather it was the application that needed to be demonstrated and Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), upon whom the Quran was revealed, was and is the perfect example. Rituals such as salah (prayer), saum (fasting) and hajj (pilgrimage) were taught through example. Good manners, excellence of character, leadership, statesmanship, and family responsibilities are some of the aspects Quran teaches and executed to perfection by Prophet Muhammad. These and more are all captured by hadith which was preserved for our understanding and implementation.

Hadith in our daily lives

Muslims have to follow the example of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) which is also an instruction of Quran. Education and the acquisition of knowledge is important and the more one understands and implements of the pristine religious knowledge, the closer Muslim become in following Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the higher level of piety and spirituality. 

 

Scholars of Islam generally hold the view that weak hadith cannot be used in determining a law or ruling in Islam.

Muslims are not permitted to transmit fabricated hadith unless one does so to warn others of the fabrication.

Other references

In order to help make reading easier, I have kept this note reasonably short. For those who wish to get further views, I have included some links on the subject. The book mentioned in the opening paragraph is more than a useful tool. Other books on the subject are available in the English language.

https://islamicsciences.wordpress.com/2006/12/14/the-preservation-of-hadith-over-the-generations/

 

http://discover-the-truth.com/2013/10/13/are-there-any-hadith-collections-from-early-islam/

http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-the-scholar/quran-and-hadith/166249-how-was-the-prophetic-hadith-developed.html?Hadith=

#quran #qur'an #hadith #islam #allah #muhammad #christianity #fabrication #authentic #bukhari #hamidullah #sahifah #abuhurayra # SahifahofHammamibnMunabbih #manuscripts #turkey #france #germany #science