The Authenticity of Hadith

 "O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Prophet and those charged with authority among you. Therefore, if there is a difference of opinion among you in any matter, refer it back to Allah and His Prophet, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day." (4:5) 
         This verse of the Quran clearly indicates that the original sources of knowledge on Islam are only two: The Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (sws). The first addressees of this verse were the Companions of the Prophet (sws). It was they who were the first to be told that they should refer to the Quran (refer it back to Allah) and the Sunnah (and His Prophet) in case they had a difference of opinion in any matter pertaining to religion. Therefore, only these two can be considered as original sources of religious knowledge by the Muslims. All other sources of religious guidance are subservient to them. 
         The problem is that today many people regard the Sunnah and the Hadith as synonymous terms, whereas the two are quite distinct from each other. The Sunnah (or Sunnat-i-Thaabitah) refers to `those established customs of the Prophet (sws) that were passed on as religion to the Muslim Ummah by the Companions of the Prophet (sws) through their practical consensus on these customs or through their perpetual adherence to them'. Therefore, there is no doubt about the authenticity of the Sunnah as an original source. Just as the Quran was perpetuated by oral transmission, the Sunnah was passed on by perpetual adherence. Hence, the authenticity of the Sunnah does not epend on the narratives told by a few individuals; the entire society in the Prophet's time adopted and transmitted the Sunnah, thereby making it an established fact of history. 
         A Hadith on the other hand, refers to a short narrative which describes a statement or an action or a tacit approval of the Prophet (sws). Most of these narratives were told by a few individuals at each link of the chain of narrators and, therefore, are very appropriately called Akhbaar-i-Ahaad. 
         As the transmission of Ahaadith went on, it became evident that the Hadith was being invaded by many forgeries. Therefore, scholars of Hadith formulated numerous methods of evaluation by which genuine Ahaadith could be sifted out of the mass of forgeries. These methods belong to either of the two disciplines essential for investigating the authenticity of Ahaadith: Fann-i-Riwaayat and Fann-i-Daraayat. Fann-i-Riwaayat, which has many branches, involves investigation of the complete chain of narrators going back to the original narrator of a particular version of the Hadith in question. This science, thus, investigates the bonafides, the moral character, truthfulness, and power of memory of the narrators. Fann-i-Daraayat, on the other hand, investigates the authenticity of a Hadith by determining whether or not its subject-matter is acceptable. 
         A Hadith is accepted only when its authenticity has been established on the basis of both Fann-i-Riwaayat and Fann-i-Daraayat. Therefore, a Hadith can be regarded as a source of religious guidance only `if the basis of that Hadith exists in the Quran or the Sunnah or the established principles of human nature and intellect. Moreover, it should not be contradictory to any of these bases, and should have been transmitted by reliable sources'. A Hadith which meets these criteria is accepted as a bonafide record of the Sunnah and of information pertaining to Islam. However, the following points must be kept in mind which stem from these criteria: 
        1. No Hadith can present anything as religion which does not have its basis in the Quran or the Sunnah or the established principles of human nature and intellect. Therefore, whatever a Hadith presents would either be an explanation of a principle found in these sources or a branch emanating from that principle. 
        2. A Hadith must not be against the Quran or the Sunnah or the established principles of human nature and intellect. In short, the Hadith in question must conform with the entire fabric of Islam. 
        3. A Hadith must have been transmitted by reliable sources. 
         The first two of these points relate to Fann-i-Daraayat and the last to Fann-i-Riwaayat. 
         Unfortunately, the scholars competent to analyse Ahaadith on the basis of these criteria are few, and the untrained eye is often confused while studying the Hadith. There are three mawjor reasons for this confusion: 
        1. Almost all the available written collections of Ahaadith, including the most revered ones, contain those Ahaadith which were analysed primarily on the basis of Riwaayat. Most Ahaadith, therefore, have to be analysed further on the basis of Fann-i-Daraayat before they can be accepted or rejected. 
        2. In most cases the context of a Hadith is not clear or is even left out. The reason is that a typical Hadith is what is called Riwaayat-bil-Maa'naa, which refers to such a Hadith the narrators of which had not transmitted its exact subject-matter but had used their own words to convey the meaning. 
         Riwaayat-bil-Maa'naa has also led to complete distortion of the actual subject-matter in many cases. Occasional alteration in the text by mistakes in copying has also added to these problems. 
        3. Placing a Hadith in its right context is not the job of a layman. It requires a sound understanding and appreciation of the classics of Arabic literature of the Prophet's time and training in various disciplines necessary for understanding and analyzing any segment of the whole corpus of the sources of religious knowledge. In short, analysis, in the true sense of the word, of this historical record---the Hadith---is the job of a scholar. Unfortunately, this confusion pertaining to Ahaadith has given rise to some adverse reactions. People who have shown such reactions can be classified into two categories: 
        1. There are those who have reacted by formulating the erroneous premise that the Hadith can in no way be a reliable source of religious knowledge. This reaction went beyond all proportion when they confused the Hadith with the Sunnah and then refused to accept even the Sunnah as an original source. 
        2. On the other hand are those who tried to defend the status of the Sunnah as an original source but in the process lost sight of what they were actually defending. They too have come to regard the Sunnah and the Hadith as one and the same thing. Therefore, they consider those Ahaadith which have already been evaluated on the basis of Fann-i-Riwaayat as an unchallengeable source of knowledge even where the possibility of further analysis on the basis of Fann-i-Daraayat clearly exists. 
        As far as the former group is concerned, the very premise it has formulated is incorrect. Many Ahaadith were fabricated; there is no doubt about that; but it does not imply that all Ahaadith are false. A Hadith can neither be considered as genuine nor as fabricated until proper analysis on the basis of both Fann-i-Riwaayat and Fann-i-Daraayat has been made. 
         Moreover, it must be remembered that the Sunnah relates to that part of religion which the Prophet (sws) taught as the instructor of divine law and as a model for mankind so that his followers should mould their lives in accordance with the wishes of the Almighty by performing the rituals and following the injunctions found in Islam. Transmission of the Sunnah was his duty and, therefore, it was not passed on to a few narrators merely but to the whole society at that time and was transmitted to the Muslim Ummah by the perpetual adherence of the Companions of the Prophet (sws). For example, the exact significance of thd Quranic term Al-Salaat is not something which the Prophet (sws) explained to a few narrators only---who might or might not have passed on the information to someone like Imam Bokhari, who might or might not have accepted it as genuine---but something which the Prophet (sws) explained to the whole Muslim community in his time orally and through demonstration. Therefore, Al-Salaat, as the Prophet (sws) defined it, became so much a part of the daily routine of those people that it is now an established historical fact. It is also natural that in the case of the Sunnah---which relates to the performance of rituals and execution of injunctions and not to articles of faith---some variations should emerge. Such variations as do not distort the broader structure of the Sunnah are acceptable. The Prophet's reply `La Ba's' (no problem) on a certain occasion when some people were not certain whether they had correctly made the Haj owing to such minor variations also corroborates this principle. Questions as `should the hands be clasped together above or below the navel in Al-Salaat' are hardly important and minor variations on their account do not impair the position of the Sunnah as an original source. Therefore, this position of the Sunnah cannot be denied on the grounds that some Ahaadith had been fabricated. Take a crude example---that of circumcision. For centuries, Muslims have been circumcising the male child. They still regard it as part of the Sunnah passed on from generation to generation. Few parents need a Hadith from Al-Bukhari or Al-Muslim before circumcising their child. Today, those who deny the Sunnah would find, on close inspection, that they too had been circumcised by their people. They would be lying if they denied that more often than not their parents did not have to bother about finding a Hadith to justify that `terrible act of cruelty' to their child. 
         The latter group has great contempt for those those scholars who use Fann-i-Daraayat for making further analyses of a Hadith which had already been confirmed as genuine on the basis of Fann-i-Riwaayat by earlier scholars. In the following paragraphs we present a translation of a portion from a book by Maulana Habib-ur-Rahman Kandhalvi. This portion of his book discusses Fann-i-Daraayat and highlights its importance. It clearly points out that Fann-i-Daraayat is essential for confirming the authenticity of Ahaadith and that the option of using this approach is still available to Hadith scholars of today as much as it was to the scholars of earlier times. 
         The translation begins thus: 
         "Although books on these two disciplines: [Fann-i-Daraayat and Fann-i-Riwaayat] have been available in the sub-continent for a long time, few scholars have made use of Fann-i-Daraayat and that too for merely solving problems in Fiqh. 
         If Fann-i-Daraayat was limited to a small number of scholars in an age when learning was in its prime, its virtual non-existence in the present age of blind acquiescence in conventions must come as no surprise. However, it is important to discuss the significance of Fann-i-Daraayat.  

The Foundations of Daraayat 
         The basis of Fann-i-Daraayat can be found in the Quran. When some hypocrites tried to cast aspersions on the honour of Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her), one of the Prophet's wives, some of his Companions were also misled. She was accused of adultery on one occasion, and it is recorded in Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim that even Hasan Bin Thaabit and Mistaih Bin Athaathah were among the accusers. Thus, both of them were punished for calumny when the Quran declared the accusation to be baseless, though they were faithful Companions of the Prophet (sws). The Quran giving its judgement on the issue says, `As to the party among you who have published this falsehood...' (24:11). According to Tafseer-i-Jalaalain, a well-known exegesis of the Quran, `a party among the faithful' is the interpretation of the Arabic word `minkum' used in the verse. This interpretation indicates that not only the hypocrites but also some faithful Companions of the Prophet (sws) were involved in spreading the scandal. Therefore, the Quran was addressing the Companions of the Prophet (sws) when it said: 
         `Did not the faithful men and the faithful women, when they heard this, judge in their own minds for the best; and say, this is a manifest falsehood.' (24:16) 
         Now, in accordance with the principles of Fann-i-Riwaayat, the names, reliability and trustworthiness of all those who testified against Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) should have been investigated and the testimonies accepted or rejected on that simply basis; however, God Almighty chose to reject all the testimonies without giving any such justification for this decision. God said that since all the testimonies were against reason, the faithful should have refused to accept them at the outset of the matter. 
         It is clear from this discussion that a statement which is fundamentally against reason, deserves nothing but an outright denial. There is no need in that case for further investigation. This manner of thinking is closely associated with Fann-i-Daraayat, the foundations of which, as that of Fann-i-Riwaayat, can be traced back to the times of the Prophet's Companions. 
         Once, some Companions of the Prophet (sws) had a difference of opinion over whether eating cooked food necessitated performing Wadhu again for Al-Salaat. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Holy Prophet (sws) had once said that eating cooked food did necessitate performing Wadhu again for Al-Salaat. On hearing that, Abdullah-bin-Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) rebuked him by saying that then even hot water [ie, heated by placing under fire] should necessitate Wadhu. Now, Abdullah-bin-Abbaas did not doubt Abu Hurairah's sincerity, but since he found the narrative contrary to common sense, he rejected it. Owing to such complications, when the compilation of the Hadith began, the leading scholars of that time, realizing the significance of Fann-i-Daraayat, postulated principles along with those of Fann-i-Daraayat to check the infiltration of forgeries. 
         Imam Ibni Ali Jauzee is reported to have said: 
         `If you find a Hadith against the dictates of common sense or contrary to a universal rule, consider it a fabrication; discussions about the trustworthiness of its narrators are needless. Similarly, such Ahaadith should be suspected as are beyond comprehension to the extent that they leave no room for any possible explanation. Also, a Hadith in which colossal recompense is promised for a minor deed and a Hadith which is absurd in meaning are suspect. For example take this one: "Do not eat a pumpkin that has not been halaled." Therefore, many Hadith scholars consider absurdity in a Hadith as a clear evidence of the narrators' prevarication. 
         All these principles relate to the text of Hadith. However, in certain cases, they are applicable to the investigation of a narrator's reliability as well, for example in the following cases: 
         When a person narrates a Hadith not reported by anyone else and he had not even met the authority he is quoting. 
         When, as Khateeb points out in his book "Al-Kifaaya", only one narrator reports a Hadith whereas the situation described in it is of such a nature that it should have attracted the attention of many others. 
         When a Hadith is reported by only one person whereas the incident reported is so extraordinary that scores of people should have reported it; for example, if it were reported by somebody that in a certain year someone had kept the Hajjis from making the Haj, a ritual of great importance, it would be an incident which, if it had occured, would have been reported by many others.' 
         From the passage quoted above, it can be concluded that such Ahaadith as the following cannot be accepted and there is no need for investigating the reliability of their narrators: 
        1. A Hadith which is fundamentally against the dictates of common sense. 
        2. A Hadith contrary to a universally accepted principle; for example, there is a general tendency among human beings to regard urine, faeces and all such excreta as filth; now, if a narrator were to report that someone tasted the Prophet's urine with his tacit approval and conclude that even such excreta of the Prophet (sws) are to be hallowed by the believers, it would only be assumed that the narrator possessed a mind full of nothing but nonsense. 
        3. A Hadith relating something which is against common human experience. 
        4. A Hadith contrary to the Quran or Hadith-i-Mutawaatir or Ijma, especially when no possible explanation for this contradiction exists; for example, a narration which approves of drinking of blood, whereas the practice is not only forbidden by the Quran but also by the Sunnah and is held in abomination by a majority of Muslim scholars. Such a Hadith is bound to be a fabrication. 
        5. A Hadith in which enormous reward is promised for a relatively minor deed. 
        6. A Hadith which warns of an extremely severe punishment for a relatively minor deed; for example, take this one; `He who cuts down a jujube tree shall be thrown upside down into Hell.' 
        7. A Hadith which is meaningless; for example, `Do not eat a pumpkin that has not halaled.' 
        8. A Hadith in which the narrator quotes an authority he had never met, and no one else confirms his narrative. 
        9. A Hadith which should have been in the knowledge of numerous authorities, but only one narrator reports it. 
        10. A Hadith relating an incident which, if it had occured, would have been reported by hundreds of people; yet only one narrator reports it; for example, the sun re-ascending itself for the sake of a Companion of the Prophet (sws)." ("Mazhabi Daastanain aur un kee Haqeeqat", Pgs 9-12)  

^1. The word Prophet has been used for Muhammad (peace be upon him) for two reasons: a) The Oxford Dictionary (A S Hornby, Advanced Learner's) now uses the term `the Prophet' specifically for Muhammad (peace be upon him), and b) In the Quran, the word Rasul has quite a different connotation from the one implied by the word Nabi. Owing to various reasons, too lengthy to be discussed here, we think that the word Prophet in English is a better synonym than Messenger for Rasul. For a detailed discussion on the difference between Rasul and Nabi, see Javaid Ahmad Ghamidi, `Nabuwwat-o-Risaalat', "Ishraaq" (Urdu), (Oct. 1988), page 27.
^2. sws has been used as an abbreviation for sallalaahu `alaihi wasallam (May God bless him and may peace be upon him).
<sup>3.</sup> `The Companions' has been used as a specific term, ie, as a synonym for Al-Sahaabah. Many people use Al-Sahaabah for all those who, after embracing Islam, had the opportunity of seeing the Prophet (sws) even if only once. In our opinion this is an erroneous interpretation of the term. It should refer merely to those Companions of the Prophet (sws) who were the foremost converts to Islam and who had in times of ease, as well as in times of difficulty, supported the Prophet (sws) in his cause and had generously spent out of their wealth in the way of Allah and had taken an active part in the Ghazwaat (those Holy battles which were fought under the Prophet's command and in which he had taken part).
         For a detailed exposition see Maulana Amin Ahsan Islaahi," Mubaadi-i-Tadabbur-i-Hadith" (Urdu), (Lahore Faraan Foundation, 1989), pages 76-86.
^4. Established Sunnah about which there is no doubt.
^5. The whole Muslim Community.
^6. This has been used as a synonym for a specific term ie, Ijma' Generally, Ijma' is used to refer to a consensus on an interpretation. In our opinion this connotation of the term is ambiguous. There has never even been a consensus on this sense of consensus. We have used the term to refer to the consensus of the Companions of the Prophet (sws) through their adherence to the Sunnah. Therefore, in this sense Ijma' refers to their `practice' of the Sunnah not to its interpretation.
<sup>7.</sup> This (perpetual adherence) has been used a synonym for tawaatur-i-amalee.
<sup>8.</sup> It must be remembered, as we have also pointed out in the article, that the Sunnah relates to the performance of rituals and execution of injunctions and not to articles of faith as such.
<sup>9.</sup> (Singular: Khabr-i-Waahid). It is often claimed that many of the Ahaadith as recorded in the well-known collections of Ahadith are Akhbar-i-Mutawaatir (Singular: Khabr-i- Muttawaatir). Khateeb Baghdadi has defined Khabr-i-Mutawaatir as `a Khabr (Version of Hadith) that had been narrated by so many people that it is not possible to believe that so many people would have agreed to lie, all at the same time, about an open matter, especially when there is no evidence to believe that they had been coerced.'
         Maulana Amin Ahsan Islaahi says about Khabr-i-Mutawaatir: `It should be clearly borne in mind that although the definition of Khabr-i-Mutawaatir exists, that which it defines, does not. Often a Hadith is given the status of Khabr-i-Mash hoor [a well-known Khabr) but on inspection one finds that its narrators were one or two till the third stage [in the chain of narrators], whereas at the fourth or fifth stage, the number of narrators had increased. Therefore, in our opinion, such Ahaadith as are generally called Akhbaar-i-Mutawaatir require further investigation after which, if they are found to be in accordance with the definition mentioned above [Khateeb Baghdadi's], they would be accepted as Mutawaatir. But it is not correct to give something the status of Mutawaatir artificially. However, it must be remembered that the Sunnah has.... the status of Mutawaatir and this status is on the basis of perpetual adherence not on the basis of oral transmission [by a few individuals].' ("Mubaadi-i-Tadabbur-i-Hadith", Lahore, Faraan Foundation, 1989; pages 20 and 21).
<sup>10.</sup> Plural of Hadith.
<sup>11.</sup> `The Hadith' has been used, where the context permits, as a term to denote the whole corpus of Ahaadith.
^12. Two of the major branches are: i) Asmaa-ur-Rijaal: Compilation, analysis, and use of the dictionaries of the narrators' biographies. ii) Jarah-o-Ta`deel: The science of impugnment and justification of the bonafides of the narrators.
<sup>13.</sup> Such a chain of narrators is called Sanad (plural: Asnaad).
<sup>14.</sup> Quite often, a Hadith has different Asnaad. Therefore, the same Hadith may have various `versions' (Riwaayaat; singular: Riwaayat).
^15. See, Javaid Ahmad Ghamidi, Ishraq, March 1990, page 6.
^16. Al-Salat refers to a form of prayers which was specified by the Prophet (sws).
^17. A well-known compiler of Ahaadith (194-256 AH). His `Sahih' is one of the most venerated collections of Ahadith.
<sup>18.</sup> It is said that Bokhari alone sifted around 7,000 Ahadith from approximately 200,000 for inclusion in his Sahih.
<sup>19.</sup> Another well-known compiler of Ahaadith. His collection is also known as Sahih (of Imam Muslim).
<sup>20.</sup> "Mazhabi Dastaanain aur un kee Haqeeqat" (Urdu) (Karachi, Anjumani-Uswa-i-Hasanah, 1987).
 This translation is of a portion from the second volume of the book (pages 9-12). The book is very useful in the sense that it has brought out the truth behind such stories and parables as have found their way into religious literature and have served to create a religion entirely different from Islam. Although one may disagree with Maulana's approach to Hadith analysis and his style of criticism and his research methodology, one has to concede that, on the whole, the book is an excellent piece of research work.
         For a comparison of Maulana Kandhalvi's approach with that of some other scholars see the following:
         i) Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, "Mubaadi-Tadabur-i-Hadith" (Lahore, Faraan Foundation, 1989).
         ii) Javaid Ahmad Ghamidi, Ishraq, March 1990, pages 4-6.
         iii) Javaid Ahmad Ghamidi, "Rajam Ki Sazaa" (4 parts), Ishraq, May-Aug, 1990.
<sup>21.</sup> India and Pakistan.
<sup>22.</sup> Islamic law.
<sup>23.</sup> Wadhu refers to a form of ablutions specified by the Prophet (sws). Wadhu is necessary for Al-Salaat.
<sup>24.</sup> Hadith-i-Mutawaatir is another name for Khabr-i-Mutawaatir (see note 9).
<sup>25.</sup> Often, the word Ijma' is used quite vaguely (see note 6). Therefore, it must be remembered that Maulana Kandhalvi may have used the terms ijma` and the Companions (Al-Sahaabah; see note 3) in a sense entirely different from the sense in which we have used them. 

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Status of Hadith and Sunnah

There are two extremes within the Muslims today; both would merge the Hadith and Sunnah but one would claim that they play a vital role in forming the Shariah (Islamic law) whereas the other assert that they have no importance and the Holy Qur’an in itself is complete and sufficient to shape up the Religion. In this paper, we would discuss the concepts of Hadith and Sunnah, elaborate the difference between them and try to settle the argument somewhere in between these two extremes. 





THE HADITH: 

“The term Hadith (literally: ‘a saying’ or ‘something new’) is defined as the individual-to-individual narratives ascribed to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding his sayings, actions, expressed or tacit approvals and his personal description. 

Some scholars apply the word Hadith to connote the actions or sayings of the companions of the Prophet and even their successors (peace be upon them all). However, more precisely the word Athr (i.e. relic) is used to connote this sense. The Hadith literature consists of voluminous books of narratives compiled by different scholars during the second and third century AH. The authenticity of each hadith is determined by the personal principles of acceptance or rejection of the compilers themselves.”

(Introduction to the Hadith, Module 1, www.studying-islam.org) 

Hadith is not an independent source of the Shariah as it does not add to the content of the Qur’an and Sunnah but merely “explains” these two and is totally dependent on them for its survival. The fact that we cannot, cent percent, guarantee the Hadith record does not mean that we should turn our backs on this great treasure of wisdom. The reasons may be summarized as follows:

1. The scholars of the science of Hadith (for example, Imam Muslim, Imam Bukhari, Imam Malik (peace be upon them all)) have put in tremendous efforts to distinguish the true Ahadith1 from the fabricated ones. These are such outstanding and worthwhile efforts that we can be highly proud of them. 

2. The Ahadith help a great deal to understand the directives of the Qur’an. For example, the state of the Arab society described in the Hadith literature enables us to understand the real purpose of delaying the commandment for breaking the custom of slavery. 

3. They are the only source through which we may approach the biography and lifestyle of the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

4. They inform us of the uswa-e-hasana2 of the Prophet (peace be upon him). For example, the way he performed ablution in an ideal manner out of the Qur’anic order for ablution (5:6). 

5. They reveal to us the Holy Prophet’s (peace be upon him) understanding and interpretation of the Qur’anic phrases. (See the example under point 4 in “The Sunnah” section) 

6. They enlighten the background in which the Qur’an was revealed. This background, which includes the geographical circumstances of the Quranic revelations, is extremely important to understand the true essence and meaning of the different Quranic directives. For example, when the Qur’an orders the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell his wives, daughters and the wives of the believers to lengthen their garments (33:59), the hadith tells us that the Muslim women of Madina3 were facing an “alarming situation” for which this verse was revealed. This, in addition to the Quranic context itself in which this verse is present, gives a notion that the women living in the normal circumstances may be exempted from the applicability of this verse. 

7. They inform us of the lives of the Prophet’s companions (peace be upon them all) who, undoubtedly, are the heroes of the Islamic history for committing their lives entirely to Allah’s Religion. 

There may be many other reasons to embrace the science of Hadith but, we believe, the above are already good enough to prove the point. 

We wonder why Ahadith are being called “a fabricated source”. This really is a baseless charge. The scholars of Hadith have done a tremendous job in distinguishing the true ahadith from the fabricated ones. They have had used excellent set of laws in scrutinizing each of the hadith that was ascribed to the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

A number of books (for example: Tabaqatal-Kubra of Ibn Sa‘ad, Tarikhal-Kabir of Imam Bukhari, Tabaqat-al Huffaz of Imam Dhahabi (peace be upon them all)) were compiled merely on the life history of each narrator to elaborate his or her truthfulness, moral values, memory and understanding. The Hadith scholars would not take the hadith from the narrator who is doubted, even a little, for his or her truthfulness or moral values. Although they would take it from the one with weak memory and understanding but would never warrant it as sahi, i.e. excellent or very reliable. 

Allah T’ala has entitled the Qur’an as Furqan – something that distinguishes between wrong and right. Therefore, each hadith that was ascribed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) was checked in the light of the Holy Qur’an. No hadith was accepted which contradicted either the Qur’an or Sunnah or established facts.

Another point that is worth noticing here is that the Hadith scholars did not have to filter out the true ahadith from among the gossips scattered around everywhere, unsystematically, like the autumn leaves. There was, at least, some system courtesy of which the ahadith were present with different narrators through a teacher-student chain. A teacher would teach some ahadith to his student and that student to his student, so on and so forth, until the last narrator from whom the Hadith scholars would pick the Hadith for scrutinizing.

We need to appreciate the fact that no record of the history has been scrutinized so intensely and widely as the Hadith. We can be proud of the efforts being put for preserving this record in our literature. The state of each hadith is so precisely measured by the Hadith scholars that we know about almost every hadith if it is excellent or good or weak or fabricated. Ever since the most authentic Hadith books are compiled, they have been thoroughly examined by thousands of the preceding Hadith scholars almost all of which accepted their excellence. Although some ahadith, claimed as sahih in these books, have been criticized for their authenticity still they are a few and well known to the Hadith scholars of all times. 

The point that people accept certain ahadith and reject the others to back their sects is quite true. It is also true that people extensively use weak or fabricated ahadith for preaching and solving religious conflicts. Such matters should be criticized but it does not mean that we should separate ourselves from the science of Hadith itself. We know that people even change the meaning of the Qur’an in a way that suits their interests; does it imply that we should turn our backs on the Qur’an as well? Not at all! If someone truly wants to scholastically benefit from the Hadith, it offers a treasure of wisdom and knowledge. It even helps enhance the understanding of the Qur’anic directives as mentioned above. 

The fact that the Hadith does not add to the content of the Religion, preserved within the Qur’an and Sunnah, but only explains it makes it very safe to utilize the Hadith as, on its basis, not even a single directive of the Qur’an or practice of the Sunnah may be altered.

Let us now turn to the other extreme and briefly discuss the reasons why the Hadith cannot be considered as the basic source of the Religion or a constituent of the Shariah:

1. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not show any keenness to preserve his sayings or actions.

Even the exalted companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) like Abu-Bakar and Umar (peace be upon them) did not show any interest to preserve the Hadith.

Had Hadith been a basic source, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions (peace be upon them all) would have made extraordinary efforts to preserve it as they did in the case of the Qur’an and Sunnah. 

2. The ahadith, by and large, do not reflect the exact words and actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but the words or actions of him as understood or perceived by the individual Hadith narrators. The understanding and perception of the individuals may be questioned and what is questioned cannot be the basic source of the Religion because, if it were, the authenticity of the Religion in itself would be questionable. 

3. Even if a hadith is sahih, it cannot be guaranteed as cent percent true. The maximum that could be said about a sahih hadith is that there is a highest possibility that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have said or done or approved as mentioned in it. What cannot be believed to be cent percent true should not qualify to be the basic source. 

4. Unlike the Qur’an and Sunnah which were adopted and propagated by millions of Muslims in each generation since the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Hadith books were written by the individual writers. However intelligent, wise, trustworthy and careful these writers might be, there is always a chance of error in the individual’s work. Therefore, this leaves a little room for the doubt. Again, what leaves even an iota of doubt cannot be accepted as the basic source because it would make the basis of the Religion doubtful.

5. The hadith does not only include the Religious sayings or actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but his other everyday sayings, actions, personal habits, likes and dislikes that he never asked anyone to Religiously adopt or follow. The very point is clarified in the following Hadith: 

“I am a human being, so when I command you about a thing pertaining to religion, do accept it, and when I command you about a thing out of my personal opinion, keep it in mind that my position is no more than a human being… For it was only a personal opinion of mine4, and do not go after my personal opinion; but when I say anything to you on behalf of Allah, then do accept it, for I do not attribute a lie to Allah… You have better knowledge (of a technical skill) in the affairs of the world.” 

(Sahih Muslim no. 2361, 2362, 2363) 

Beware those people who say that it is the Religious duty of every Muslim to adopt and follow every aspect of the Holy Prophet’s (peace be upon him) life recorded only within the Hadith books and not in the Qur’an or Sunnah! The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself is negating this point in the above hadith. 

6. The word Shariah is often confused. It does not refer to the entire content of the Religion, as perceived, but only to that part which defines the “Religious Law”. Even the part of the Qur’an which explicates this law is limited; how come whole of the Hadith record may be seen as a constituent of it? 


THE SUNNAH:


Some important facts about the Sunnah are summarized as under:

1. How widely may be used as synonyms, there is a significant distinction between the terms, Hadith and Sunnah, that must be recognized to correctly understand the status of each in Islam. 

Unlike the Haidth, the term Sunnah does not refer to each saying, action, approval or the personal description of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but only his “Religious” actions that he inherited from the Religion of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and strongly instituted among his followers as an essential part of their faith. 

The historical record of the facts like the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) spoke Arabic, wore an Arab dress, rode the camel, kept sword etc. would come under the term Hadith whereas the way he demonstrated to his followers how to offer Salah (prayer), perform Hajj (pilgrimage) and keep fasts during Ramadan would come under the term Sunnah – Salah, Hajj and Fasts being the Religious acts. 

2. The Sunan5 are the Religious Abrahamic6 traditions which were already prevailing, in some form, in the world even before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Obviously, these Sunan are older than the Qur’an itself. If a Sunnah is not mentioned in the Qur’an (for example: circumcision of the male children or the way Salah (prayer) be performed etc.), it does not mean that it would be rejected as the Qur’an not only testifies the Religion of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) but orders us to follow it. The Qur’an is revealed with the Sunan-e-Ibrahimi (the Abrahamic traditions) in its background that is why it does not explain what is Hajj or Umrah (pilgrimage) or Salah but merely orders people to carry out these Sunan. 

In other words, people were already aware of the Sunan-e-Ibrahimi. However, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) purified these Sunan from the polytheistic spirits developed within them with time and rectified them in their supreme form. 

The Sunan were present in all the Abrahamic Religions practiced and propagated by the Prophets following the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon them all). However, these Sunan should not be confused with the laws (Shariah) given to the following Prophets (peace be upon them) by means of the different Divine Books – the laws (for example, of the rate of the Zakah) kept changing in the eras of the different Prophets following the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon them all) but the Sunan (for example, of Zakah itself), always remained there. 

The question why the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) adopted the Religious Abrahimic traditions and, after corrections and additions, instituted them in the lives of his followers as an integral part of their faith, can be answered by means of the following verse:

“And then we revealed unto you (the command) to follow the Religion of Abraham, who was steadfast and was not one of the polytheists.” (16:123)

3. As there is a distinction between the Hadith and Sunnah, there is a distinction between the Qur’anic orders and Sunnah as well. 

The Sunnan are independent of the Qur’an in the sense that they are older than the Qur’an and emerge from the Prophet Abraham’s (peace be upon him) Religious traditions which were later approved, rectified, and established into the lives of the Muslims by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). 

The Qur’an orders believers to pay Zakah (alms), as they paid in the Prophet Abraham’s (peace be upon him) time, but does not suggest its rate. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) then, under the guidance of Allah but independent of the Qur’an, establishes the rate of Zakah which becomes an obligatory sunnah for every Muslim who is constrained to pay it. 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) punished the thieves and adulterers and raised sword against the deniers of the truth but none of these are sunan as they are purely the Quranic orders that the Prophet (peace be upon him) carried out. Though the sunan like Salah, Fasting, Hajj, Zakah and Sacrificing of animals are also mentioned in the Qur’an but it is clear from the Qur’an itself that all of these sunan originated from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he rectified and established the Abrahamic traditions.

More so, sunan are related to the practical aspects of life, therefore, it does not include the basic beliefs (for example, that of oneness of Allah) mentioned in the Qur’an. 

4. Only the Qur’an and Sunnah constitute the Shariah - the Islamic law. The Hadith does not add to it but merely comes in to explain the Islamic Shariah stated within the Qur’an or demonstrated through the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

For example, the Qur’an orders to cut off a thief’s hands (5:38); the Hadith would explain the word sariq (male thief) and sariqah (female thief) used in the Qur’an and warn that these words do not apply to all the thieves but only those who fulfill certain conditions. According to the linguistic principles, the words sariq and sariqah are adjectives and denote the thoroughness in the characteristics of the verb they qualify.

5. The Sunnah enjoys an equal status to the Holy Qur’an in forming the Islamic Shariah because both emanate from the same source i.e. the Holy prophet (peace be upon him) who, by the order of the Almighty, conveyed each one with equal care and eagerness. 

Beware; he did not convey the Book alone which leaves out many practical details but Sunnah as well which shapes the practical life of a Muslim. For example, the Qur’an orders believers to offer salah but leaves out the details of how to do so. The Sunnah, on the other hand, practically demonstrates of how to offer it with all its formalities. In this way, both the Qur’an and Sunnah compliment each other to form a complete lifestyle. 

6. The Sunan instituted by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) include the manner in which five daily, Eid and funeral prayers are offered, the mode of fasting in Ramadan, all rituals of Hajj, the rate and ceilings of Zakah, the nikah (solemnization of marriage), the circumcision of male children, saying prescribed words in the ears of the newborn, the tradition of burying the dead after bathing and wrapping in coffin cloth, beginning every deed with Allah’s name, greeting each other by saying Assalamo’alaikum (peace be to you) and replying with Wa’alaikumassalam (peace be to you too), saying Alhamdulillah (all gratitude be to Allah) upon sneezing, slaughtering animals in a specific manner with the proclamation of Allah-o-Akbar (God is Great), shortening of nails, cleaning of mouth, nose and teeth, abstaining from intercourse during menstruation and afterbirth, trimming the moustache, removing the undesired hair and washing after urination, defecation and intercourse. 

7. None of these established Sunan, as claimed by some, is contrary to the Holy Qur’an. (By this, we do not mean that all of them are explicitly mentioned in the Book. See point 1 for clarification.) 

8. The Sunan are as pure and authentic as the Qur’an itself because both, the Qur’an and Sunnah, have reached us through the same mode of transmission, i.e. the consensus of each generation of the Ummah7. The following paragraphs excellently elaborate the very point:

“We have received these Sunan through the consensus of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon them all) and since the age of the Companions, every subsequent generation has faithfully preserved them and handed over to the next in large numbers. The Sunan relate to those areas of our practical lives about which we are sure that no interruption in these practices is possible in history. For example, in the communities, people keep on dying and children are being born. The dead are thus washed and buried and all male children are circumcised. It is impossible that these proceedings could have remained suspended for any considerable time or one of the generations could have missed them. History shows that all these practices were followed by vast majority of each generation of Muslims. Even an attempt to affect the slightest of change or innovation in these Sunan was strongly resisted and harshly criticized by the Ummah. 

The initiation of these practices by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and their subsequent communication from generation to generation by hundreds of thousands of people means that Sunan have reached down to us through Tawatur just like the Holy Qur’an. However the mode of tawatur is different. Unlike the oral or documentary Tawatur of the Holy Qur’an, the Sunnah has reached us through Tawatur-i-Amli or Tawatur in practice of the Ummah.”

(Understanding the Sunnah, Module 1, www.studying-islam.org)

9. No practice, whether Religious or not, can be accepted as Sunnah except for those that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself explicitly introduced as his Sunnah.


To sum up, there is a clear distinction between the Hadith and Sunnah which must be understood. Hadith is an important “explanatory source” for the Religious understanding, as it explains the Qur’an and Sunnah, but still not the “basic source” of the Religion. The basic sources, which form the Shariah, are only two: Qur’an (the Book) and Sunnah (the practices instituted by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)). A hadith may be questioned to be more or less authentic but the authenticity of the Sunnah cannot be questioned because it has come down to us through the same mode of transmission by which the Holy Qur’an has come to us, i.e. the consensus of each generation of the Ummah since the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

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