01.
What is the Hadith?
The term Hadith literature (or even just
Hadith sometimes) refers to a number of historical books which contain reports
of the sayings, actions and example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, by which he
showed his followers how to put the teachings of the Holy Quran into practice.
02. What
does the word Hadith mean?
Hadith just means a saying. When used as a
term in the religion of Islam, a hadith means a report of what the Holy Prophet
Muhammad said or did on a certain occasion. In English books on Islam, the word
tradition is also used to denote a hadith. The word Hadith is also applied to
the books containing these reports.
03.
Please name some books of Hadith.
The two most famous works of Hadith are:
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Each of these is named after the person who
compiled it, i.e., Bukhari and Muslim. The word Sahih in these titles refers to
the fact that the compilers of these books sifted the genuine reports about the
Holy Prophet from unfounded and unreliable stories, so far as they could, and
included only those which were trust-worthy. There are many other books of
Hadith, named after the compilers, such as Tirmizi, Abu Dawud, and the Musnad
of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.
04. How
did these books come to be compiled?
There were many teachings of the Holy Quran
which the Holy Prophet had to illustrate by his practice and actions (such as
how to perform the salaat). His followers learnt from and copied what he did,
and then by their example taught the next generation how to carry out these
practices. Apart from this practical side, the Holy Prophet's sayings on
various matters, and details of what he did on various occasions, were also
remembered by those who saw and heard him. They then related all these things
to other people. But, unlike the Holy Quran, these details were usually not
written down.
So these traditions were passed down from one
generation to the next by practical example (as in the case of prayer) and by
word of mouth. About 150 years after the Holy Prophet's death, some scholars
decided to try to trace all these traditions back to him, by following the
chain of people who had passed down each report from the Holy Prophet's time to
the then present time. From their great research, they compiled the books of
Hadith that we now have.
05. So
the compilers of Hadith did not just record everything which they heard people
calling a Saying or action of the Holy Prophet?
No, they investigated each and every report
of a saying or action of the Holy Prophet to check whether the names of all the
persons involved in passing it down from his time were known. They also
investigated the lives and character of all these people to find out if they
could have had the opportunity of hearing and passing down the saying from one
to another, and if they were trustworthy and had good memories. Bukhari and
Muslim were more strict than other compilers in making these checks before
accepting a report as being genuine. This is why these two books are regarded
as the most reliable Hadith collections, Bukhari being ranked highest of all.
06.
What are the subjects covered in Hadith literature?
The reports in Hadith books are largely of
the following kinds:
Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad about the basic teachings and
practices of Islam, such as beliefs, prayer, fasting, etc.
His
Sayings on various practical aspects of life, such as family life, business
dealings, the law, food and drink, moral qualities, etc.
Apart from Sayings, the actions and personal example of the Holy Prophet
which illustrate his teachings and go to show how he put them into practice
(e.g., reports of how he said his prayers, what he did during the days of
fasting, how he gave in charity, etc.)
Reports about what sort of a person the Holy Prophet Muhammad was, his
everyday life, his noble character, his dealings with friend and foe, the
important events in his life, etc.
Prophecies of the Holy Prophet relating to the future of Islam, the
Muslims, and mankind generally.
07. Are
all the recorded reports in Hadith true and genuine?
No, not every single one. The people who
passed on these reports by word of mouth before they were compiled made
mistakes in some cases. There are also some reported sayings written down in
books of Hadith which the Holy Prophet may not have ever said at all. However,
the bulk of the reports, especially those contained in Bukhari and Muslim, are
genuine. The teachings which the Holy Prophet illustrated by his example (such
as how to perform the prayers) were copied by such a large number of people
that there cannot be any doubt at all about their genuineness. Similarly, many
of his Sayings were memorized and passed down by a number of Companions in each
case, not by just one person, and became wellknown among the Muslims from the
beginning.
08. Is
it necessary for a Muslim to believe in and follow Hadith?
Yes, especially the part relating to the
observance of religion and to practical life. It must always be remembered,
however, that Hadith is meant to be a further explanation of the teachings of
the Holy Quran. Any report in Hadith books which appears to go against the Holy
Quran must be examined carefully to see if it can be given a meaning not
contradicting the Holy Book, and if not, it must be rejected.
