History and Importance of Ahadith

Stages of compilation of Hadith

M/J 2020 (21)

2(a) Write an account of the collection of Hadiths during:

• the Prophet’s lifetime, and

• the time of the Companions immediately after the Prophet’s death. [10]

Answer (Learn and write) Prophet’s (pbuh) lifetime:

After the migration to Madina the Holy Prophet (pbuh) encouraged his companions for the preservation
of Hadith. On the occasion of farewell pilgrimage he said, “He who is present here should carry this
message to him who is absent.” Thus the companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) considered it their duty
to preach hadiths to those who had not seen or heard him.

The Prophet (pbuh) had entrusted some of his companions with the task of writing down agreements,
letters and other official documents. For example , Suraqa bin Malik was given a pledge of protection in
writing by the Prophet (pbuh) at the time of migration to Madina.

Treaty of Hudaibiya was drawn up between the Muslims and the Makkans. Hazrat Ali wrote down the
terms of the treaty. Abu Shah, a man from Yemen, was given the permission by the Prophet (pbuh) to
write down the sermon he delivered after the conquest of Makkah.

Prophet (pbuh) also sent letters to different kings and emperors inviting them to Islam for example Najashi
of Abyssinia, Hraclius, the Byzantine emperor etc.

Hazrat Ali wrote down instructions given by the Prophet (pbuh) from time to time. He also maintained a
booklet of the orders and instructions issued from time to time by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) which came
to be known as Sahifa e Ali (Booklet of Ali).

After Prophet’s (pbuh) Death:

• After Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) death, the need to preserve is a Hadith was stronger
and urgent because these were the most authoritative interpretation of the Quran. Hadiths also
served as a source of guidance for the young Islamic community, struggling to determine how
to live according to Allah’s will, with the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) no longer amongst them.

• The Prophet Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) companions had the responsibility of teaching new
generation of Muslims and new converts about the life and faith of the Prophet Muhammad
(P.B.U.H) they had never known.

• Companions who spent the most time with a Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) like his best friend
Hazrat Abu Bakr, his cousin and son in law Hazrat Ali and his trusted advisor Hazrat Umar are
sources for only a small numbers of Hadiths.

Hazrat Abu Bakr narrated 142 hadith. Hazrat Ali narrated about 536 , Hazrat Umar it is believed narrated
537 Hadiths. It appears that these Companions preserved the spirit of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)
teachings in their actions and method of reasoning rather than by his Hadith directly.
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• It was often the most junior among the companion who became the most prolific collectors
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and transmitters of Hadith.

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Abu Huraira who knew the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) for only three years, is the single largest source
of Hadiths, with close to 5374 narrations. Although he did not write them down in his early career, by the
time of his death he had boxes full of the sahifas (collections of Hadith) he had compiled through
Hammam ibn Munabbih and known as Sahifah Sahiha.

‘Abdullah ibn Umar’was 23 year old when Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) died and he is the second
largest source of Hadith narrating 2630 of the Prophet Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) sayings. He maintained a
booklet of Prophet’s sayings and actions, which was known as “Sahifa al Sadiqah”

Abdullah Ibn Abbas was in his early teens when the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) passed away and he
is the fifth largest source for Hadith with 1660 hadiths to his credit. Though these narrators knew the
Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) for only a short time they amassed their vast volumes of Hadiths by seeking
them out from the most senior companions.

Ans ibn Malik who had entered the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) household at the age of ten as a
servant is the third largest source of Hadith and is known to have transmitted 2286 Hadiths.

Abdullah ibn Masud was one of the earliest companions and remained close to the Prophet (pbuh)
throughout his life. After Prophet’s (pbuh) death, he went to Kufa and narrated the Hadiths to new
converts. He is said to have reported 848 Hadiths.

• Wives who had spent much time with Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) are known as authentic
sources of Hadith. Hazrat Aisha who narrated 2210 sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)
is regarded as the fourth source of Hadith but was also a critic of incorrectly quoted ones. She
did not accept any hadith until she was fully satisfied as to its meaning and authenticity.

Some other wives of the Prophet were also looked upon as vital custodians of hadiths and were
approached for instructions by other companions. The names of

Hazrat Umm-e-Salamah (378Hadiths) Hazrat Hafsa(65 Hadiths) , Hazrat Umm-e-Habibah and Hazrat
Maimunah are among the earliest and most distinguished transmitters.

Successors of the Companions(Tabe’een)

• The generation who learned from the companions became known as the Successors (al-
Tabe’een) They recorded the Hadiths that their teachers narrated to them about the Holy
Prophet’s (P.B.U.H) words, deeds, and rulings in collections called Suhuf.

• In addition to Compiling their own collections from the lessons of the companions these
successors also passed on the collections (Suhuf) of companions. These collections were passed
down from teachers to students and from fathers to sons. An example of Sahifa that has survived
intact today is that of the successor Hammam ibn Munabbih, which contains 138 Hadiths
through Abu Huraira.

• The Hadith had to be heard in order to avoid serious misunderstandings of the Holy Prophet’s
(P.B.U.H) words. Initially the vast majority of Hadith that the successor heard from the
companions were not written down but were transmitted orally . This was because diacritical
marks were not used in the Arabic Script in those days. Hence many words were written
identically and could only be distinguished from each other by context when spoken.

• This was the reason why the Muhadditheen (scholars) doubted the authenticity of Hadith
transmitted from a narrator who had not heard it being read out by a teacher.

• The Umayyad caliph Umar Bin Abdul Aziz ordered the governor of Madina to record all the
Hadiths of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) concerning administrative and taxation matters. Apart from
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the Hadith the verdicts and saying of the companions and of the Holy Prophet’s (P.B.U.H) family
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were also compiled. Later the well-Known Hadith transmitter and successor al-Zuhri considered
writing down the Hadith as absolutely essential for accurate transmission.

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 • The most authoritative collection of Hadiths was al-Muwatta compiled by imam Malik Ibn
Anas which can be termed as a legal text book for in it he employed Hadiths together with the
Quran to establish points of legal teachings.Legal decision drawn by him were based on
deductions from the Quran, Hadith and Ijma. It contained 1720 Hadiths

• However, in the late second/early third century A.H, there was a shift towards musnad
collections. In these, all the hadiths narrated from a certain Companion would fall into one
chapter, and all those from another would fall in the next chapter, etc. The musnad
compilations were divided into chapters whose headings were identified by the name of a
particular companion, such as, hadiths of Hazrat Abu Bakr R.A , hadiths of Hazrat Ali R.A, or
hadiths of Abu Huraira etc. The most famous musnad is that of Ahmed Ibn Hanbal, which consists
of 27647 hadiths.

• M/J 2019

Q2(a) Write an account of the compilation of Hadiths during the period of the Successors of the
Successors (taba’ al tabe’een). [10]

Successors of the Successors (Taba’eTabe’een)

• From the early third to the early fourth century A.H, a large number of scholars compiled
hadiths. This period that followed the Successors of the companions is considered the golden
age of Hadith compilation. Hundreds of thousands of hadiths were compiled by the Successors
of the Successors in the form of Sunan / Sahih/ Musannaf books.

• A sunan was organized topic wise and thus could easily be used as a large reference and it
focused on Hadith Nabvi (Prophetic Hadith) with full isnad. The scholars who compiled the
sunnan, devoted great efforts in ensuring the authenticity of its contents and only used Hadiths
that were proven authentic. This emphasis on authenticity led many of the collections
produced in the sunan movement to be called sahih books by the authors or the Muslims
readers.

• Foremost amongst the Muhadditheen(scholars) were Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail
al-Bukhari (d.870) and his student Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d.875). Their books were the first of ‘sahih
movement’. The Sahihayn (the two sahihs) of Bukhari and Muslim became the most famous
books of Hadith in sunni Islam.

The Prophet’s pbuh character is a perfect role model for all Muslims in their individual and personal
conduct. His ahadith give us teachings about our responsibilities as individuals

HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE HADITH- FEATURES OF THE SIHAH SITTA

1. Sahih of Imam Bukhari
Foremost among the Muhadithin (Compilers of Hadith) who were active at 3 rd century of Islam was Abu
Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Ismael al Bukhari. He had studied the ahadith even as a boy, and as a young
man he began many years of travelling throughout the Islamic world in search of Muslims who could
recite ahadith to him. His reputation as a scholar was immense even in his own life time, and this rested
on his extensive knowledge of ahadith , and even more on the al Jami al Sahih, “The accurate
collection”, often known simply as the Sahi al Bukhari, which he composed over a period of about sixteen
years.
Al Bukhari is said to have memorize about 600000 ahadith. But if you were to count the number included
in his Sahi, you would find they came to only 7397. In fact, if you take away ahadith that are repeated in
various parts of the work the total comes to 2762, a tiny proportion of the number which al Bukhari
memorized. This is because he was extremely careful to include only those sayings that were definitely
from the Prophet (pbuh). And even among these sayings, there are distinction between the stronger and
the weaker.
The ahadith in the Sahih are compiled into 97 books according to the teachings they contain (this is why
there are repetitions, because some ahadith are appropriate to more than one of the subjects in the
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books of the Sahih). The first book is called, “The start of the Revelation to the Messenger of Allah”, and it
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includes some ahadith which tell of the beginning of the revelation and what happened to Prophet
Muhammad pbuh when he was receiving a revelation. The last book is called , ‘Tawhid’, “Divine Unity”.
The very first Hadith in the whole Sahih is:
“Actions are judged by intentions, and every person gets the reward according to what he has intended.
So whoever emigrates for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration will be for what he
emigrated for.” This stands as a suitable introduction to the whole collection, since it advises readers that
they must be sincere when putting the Holy Prophet’s example into practice for themselves. He died near
Samarqand in 256 AH/870 AD.
2. Sahih of Imam Muslim
Almost simultaneously with the Sahih Bukhari, another Sahih was being compiled. This was the Sahih of
Imam Muslim (202-261 A.H.) In his Sahih, he examined a third of a million ahadis of which he selected
only about 12000 which the expert scholars unanimously regard as sound.
Like Bukhari, Muslim regarded a hadis as Sahih only when it had been handed down to him through a
continuous isnad of known and reliable authorities, was compatible with other sound ahadis and was
free from defects.
The Sahih of Imam Muslim has been acclaimed as the most authentic collection of Ahadis after that of
Imam Bukhari which taken together are known as the ‘ Two Sahihs’ encompassing all topics of
significance. They are spoken of as second only to the Holy Quran, in terms of authority. If a Hadith is
present in both compilations, then it becomes the most authentic Hadith. After such Ahadith, the word
‘agreed’ is written.
3. Sunan of Abu Daud
He was born in 202 AH. He spent many years with Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in Baghdad and became an
expert in Hadith and Fiqh. He compiled his Sunan after examining 500,000 ahadis, out of which he
selected 4800, a labour which occupied him for twenty years. He made a series of journeys to meet most
of foremost traditionists of his time and acquired from them the most reliable ahadis quoting the sources
through which it had reached him. Since the collected ahadis which no one had even assembled
together, his Sunan has been accepted as standard work by scholars from many parts of the Islamic
world.
He said, “If a person has the knowledge of Quran and the Knowledge of Ahadith of my book he will not
any other book”. He said that this as he collected Ahadith on all important topics. He passed away in
275 AH
4. Jami of Tirmizi
It was compiled by Imam Muhammad Ibn Isa Tirmizi. He was born in 209 AH. He was a close student of
Imam Bukhari. He was an expert of Hadith. He travelled for the collection of Ahadith and collected
around 4000 Ahadith in his compilation. An outstanding feature of his collection is that it is based on
classification of hadith into Shahi, Hassan and Da’eef. According to Jammi Trimizi a ‘Ghareeb Hadith’ is
the one reported through one person only. It doesn’t have any other chain of narrators. Another feature
of Trimizi is his remarks about the reporters. At the end of a hadith he usually gives an authenticating
remark, which is very helpful in defending the strength of the hadith. The Jami not only arranges reports
according to their subject matter but is also of a more critical nature.
5. Sunan of Nasai
It was compiled by Imam Ahmad Ibn Shoaib al Nasai. He was born in 209 AH. His remarks about a narrator
are considered as an authority. The total number of traditions in this book is 5761 and most of them are
authentic, the weak traditions in Sunan Nasai are less in number in comparison to other Sunan books.
Imam Nasai also mentions one Hadith under different chapter like Imam Bukhari. In the pattern of Imam
Muslim, he writes different chain of traditions and points out the differences in the wordings. He verified
whether the narrator met his teacher or not, at places he elucidates the meaning of difficult words.
6. Sunan of ibn Majah
Another compilation was Sunan of Ibn Majah. He was born in 209 AH. He collected around 4000 Ahadith
in his compilation. These Ahadith are divided into 32 books which are further divided into chapters. His
book is considered the best according to the arrangement of Ahadith. He passed away in 272 AH.
The four Sunan works, together with the two Sahihs are known as Sihah-e-Sitta or the six correct and
reliable collections.

Shia Collections

SHIA COLLECTIONS OF AHADITH

The Four Books or Al-Kutub Al-Arbah is the term used by Shia to refer to their four best known hadith
collections. Shi'a Muslims use this different set of hadith rather than the Six major Hadith collections
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followed by the Sunni. They consider that only the Imams, Muhammad's descendants through Fatima
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Zahra and Imam Ali bin Abu Talib are trustworthy.

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1. Kitab al-Kafi Muhammad ibn Ya'qub alKulayni 15,176

2.Man la yahduruhu alFaqih Muhammad ibn Babuya 9,044

3. Tahdhib al-Ahkam Shaykh Muhammad Tusi 13,590

4. Al-Istibsar Shaykh Muhammad Tusi 5,511

>>Kitab al-Kafi Compiled by Muhammad Ya‘qūb Kulaynī in 3rd century Hijri, it is divided into three
sections: 1. Usūl al-Kāfī, which is concerned with the principles of religion 2. Furū al-Kāfī, which is
concerned with the details of religious law 3. Rawdat al-Kāfī, which is concerned with various religious
aspects and includes some writings of the Imāms • In total, al-Kāfī comprises of about 16,000 narrations
• The author states that this book would be sufficient for all the needs of a believer as it includes all
branches of religious knowledge • He further says in his preface that he only collected ahadith he
thought were important • He left the verification of these ahadith up to later scholars.

>>Man la Yahduruhu al-Faqih Compiled by Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Qummi commonly known as Al-Shaykh
al-Saduq in the 4th century Hijri • Contains over 9,000 ahadith • The literal translation of the title Man la
yahduruhu al-Faqih is “For him not in the Presence of a Jurisprudent”. • The book is meant to be a
reference book to help ordinary Shia Muslims in the practice of the legal requirements of Islam • Isnad
are absent • Thus, the book is a summary of the study of legal traditions. • Shi'ites regard this book as
among the most reliable Hadith collections.

>>Tahdhib al-Ahkam fi Sharh al-Muqni 'a Complied by Shaykh Tusi in the 5th century Hijri • Contain over
13,000 narrations • Means "The Refinement of the Laws in Terms of the Explanation of the Sufficiency” • It
is actually a commentary on the ahadith of the great scholar, al-Shaikh al-Mufid, the teacher of al-Tusi.
• Shi'a Muslims regard this book as among the most reliable • It contains not only traditions but also
lengthy discussions about the legal standing and implication of each hadith • The chapters are well
divided and contain the commentaries by some earlier scholars.

>>Al-Istibsar fima 'khtalaf al-akhbar • Complied by Shaykh Tusi in the 5th century Hijri • Contains over
5,000 narrations. • Is essentially a summary of Tahdhib al-ahkam • Its methods are similar but briefer; there
are not so many traditions used in the work and the explanations are more concise • It is similar to Man
la yahduruh al-faqih, but gives full isnads for the traditions quoted • Intended to be used as ready
reference works for students and scholars

O/N 2019 (22)

2. (a) Write a detailed account of the Musannaf and Musnad collections of Hadith. [10]

Answer (Learn and write):

The collection Hadiths became very important after the Prophet’s (pbuh) death. Two techniques were
were mainly adopted resulting in two types of collections i.e Musannaf and Musnad.

The first organized compilations of Hadiths that had developed during the first two centuries of Islam are
called Musannaf hadith collections. They are defined by their arrangement of content according to
topic e.g Zakat, Prayer, purity, inheritance etc and constitute a major category within the class of all such
works. Musannaf is from the Arabic verb sannafa, meaning to arrange by chapter, and so has the literal
meaning of something that is sectionally arranged.

The Muwatta by Imam Malik is an early example of an earliest Musannaf collection. He was the founder
of Maliki school of law. His collection contains 1720 hadiths. Another compilation of this category is al-
Musannaf of Abdul Razzaq al Sanani which contains 11000 hadiths. Six authoritative collections of sunni
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hadith (Sihah al Sitta) belong to this category of hadith collections. the Musannaf collections served an
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important function in law and Hadith literature. Later scholars referred to Musannaf collections to know

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legal opinions of the Companions and Successors and Hadith critics used them as evidence when
establishing the authenticity of a Hadith.

The late second/early third century AH saw a shift towards Musnad collections which were arranged
according to isnads. In these collections the hadiths are arranged according to the names of
companions and the content of hadiths is not taken into consideration. These collections begin with the
companions who were closest to the Prophet (pbuh), the four Caliphs, Ten Blessed Companions, wivws
of the Prophet (pbuh) , other leading companions from Muhajirin and Ansar. Under the name of each
companion there are hadith narrated by that companion. In this way, every single hadith can be traced
back to the Prophet (pbuh). Therefore, the titles of chapters in Musnad collections are : Musnad of Abu
Bakr, Musnad of Ali, Musnad of Abu Hurairah, Musnad of Aisha etc

The most famous collection of this type is of Ahmed bin Hanbal’s “Musnad”. He was the founder of
Hanbali school of law. He compiled his book by examining 750,000 Hadiths . He selected only 27647
Hadiths out of which 10,000 Hadiths are repeated as more than one companions reported them.

A musnad is valuable to scholars who want to check the authenticity of hadith. It is of little value for
ordinary Muslims, who want to know answers to specific questions on a single topic. Similarly, for the
practice of Ijma and Qiyas, the musnad collections are of no use.

Need to compile the Hadiths

2(a) Why did it become important to compile the prophetic Hadiths after the time of the Rightly Guided
Caliphs? [10]

Answer (Learn and write):

• In the century following the time of the Rightly guided caliphs, the Muslim community passed
through a period of unrest and civil wars. As a result some Hadiths were forged by different
parties, who tried to manipulate the authority of the Sunnah. The major concern of the Muslim
scholars was to distinguished authentic hadiths from the forgeries.

• The four Rightly Guided Caliphs were close Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). They
followed his Sunna closely and after the end of their caliphate it became important to compile
the Prophetic Hadiths so that future generations and new converts could use the Prophet’s
example to clarify and resolve questions and disputes

• After the end of the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs in 661 , there was much turmoil. There
was an urgent need to provide religious and political guidance to the growing Muslim nation.

• Another reason why Hadiths were compiled was the need to provide religious and political
guidance to the growing Muslim nation.

• The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) the final authority on secular and spiritual matters was no
longer present to clarify adjudicates or resolve questions and disputes.

• The new generations of Muslims and the ever-increasing converts of the Islamic world
needed correct guidance on true Islamic way of life based on the exemplary model of Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H).

• From the middle of the latter half of first Hijri century, most of the Prophet Muhammad’s
(P.B.U.H) companions who had direct and first hand knowledge of the Prophetic tradition were
themselves passing away due to age or wars, and a need was felt to preserve the Hadiths of
the Prophet (pbuh) even more with their demise.
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• Islamic jurisprudence especially Ijma and Qiyas was developing rapidly and needed a
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compiled collection of authentic Hadiths as source material.

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 • In order to eliminate genuine errors in Hadiths on account of verbal narrations, faulty
memories, forgetfulness, etc., Hadiths needed to be compiled.

• Some political leaders used to fabricate Hadith to enhance and justify their own position.

• Some overzealous teachers perhaps with good intention made up Hadiths to advance
moral and religious teachings in the name of Islam.

• Some heretics under the guise of scholars falsely attributed sayings to the Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) with the sole intention of undermining Islam.

• Finally the collection of the Prophetic tradition by Hadith scholar can be justified by the
Quran itself, “You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct.” (33:21)

• For all these reasons, it was felt that it was crucial to preserve and compile the Hadiths of the
Prophet (pbuh) for all generations to follow Qur’an and it was with the help of the Hadith
movement that the Prophet’s Hadiths were preserved and spread for all time. This important
and formidable work took several generations to complete but was performed in earnest and
with great care by dedicated men and women of strong faith and indomitable spirit.

Themes of Hadith

M/J 2012

2 (a) According to the teachings of the set Hadiths you have studied, outline the ways in which Muslims
should treat one another. [10]

O/N 2014

2 (a) Outline the main teachings of the set Hadiths about the conduct of Muslims in communal life. [10]

Outline the main teachings of the Hadiths you have studied, from the passages set for special study,
about the responsibilities of individual Muslims (Oct/Nov 2011, Paper 2, Question 2)

The Ahadith set for special study effectively highlight the responsibilities of Muslims and what is expected
from them in Islam. Sincerity—naseehah—forms the backbone of a Muslim’s conduct. A Believer must
fulfill his social and religious obligations whole-heartedly to be a true Muslim. His heart must be free from
doubts about Allah SWT, His Book or His Messenger SAWW, i.e., Articles of Faith, and must obey their
Commands. Moreover, Prophet SAWW also commands us to be cooperative with the leaders of Muslims,
and have impeccable social relationships with common people. These impeccable social relations can
be achieved only if a Believer practises fraternity and brotherhood, and also equality. Prophet SAWW
said, “None of you believes until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself.” If a Believer is to
achieve perfection of faith, he must be genuinely interested in well-being of his brothers by desiring for
them what he desires for himself. Absence of such a strong bond indicates weakness of Faith. He is not a
true believer who eats to his fill but his neighbour sleeps hungry.”

Muslims must display prudence while using their power of speech: the tongue shall be used for
propagation of good & not for indecent, hurtful or idle talk. Another cardinal discipline for a true Believer
is generosity, especially towards neighbors and guests. If these principles are ignored, a person’s claim
to believe in Allah SWT and the Last Day can said to be disputed, according to a Hadith.

In another Hadith, the pre-condition to enter Jannah is also specified. A person must abide by the
injunctions of Shariah, i.e., take lawful as lawful, and unlawful and unlawful, and perform obligatory
prayers and fast in Ramadan. These help train a Muslim for all spheres of life, making him eligible to enter
Jannah. However, the circle of virtuous deeds is not so confined. Helping others, like acting as a fair judge
between 2 parties, or even lifting someone onto his conveyance also yields great rewards, equal to that
of charity. A Muslim must try to facilitate others, as the Prophet SAWW said, “removing a harmful thing
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from the road is a charity”. A Muslim shall also struggle in the way of AllahSWT—Jihad. One form, as per
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a Hadith, is to do physical or verbal efforts to suppress evil. Another form is to utilize one’s body, i.e., fight
infidels in Allah’sSWT Way. This is the reason why those who die natural deaths, or deaths by plague or

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cholera in the Way of AllahSWT, are martyrs, as per another Hadith. .Whosoever of you sees an evil action,
let him change it with his hand, and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue, and if he is not able
to do so, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.”

A Muslim is enjoined to aid the weak and destitute in the society, and be kind. A Hadith says, “God will
not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others”. ProphetSAWW would even command his
governors to be gentle to their people, and would ask them to avoid alienation or hardness. A link in the
chain is aiding the widows, poor and orphans. The rewards for these are kinship of Prophet SAWW in
Paradise, and equal to exerting oneself in Allah’sSWT Way, or standing for prayer in night and fasting in
the daytime. The Ahadith also stress upon fair dealings and lawful earnings. Though the ‘Rizq’ of the
people has been destined beforehand, the test lies in whether it is earned through lawful or unlawful
means. Laborious efforts by oneself to earn a living are encouraged; Prophet SAWW says, “No one eats
better food than that which he eats out of the work of his own hand.” Likewise shall one be kind when
he sells or buys, or demands his money back, as according to a Hadith, it earns Allah’sSWT Mercy.

A Hadith also encourages a Believer to renew and refresh his knowledge of the Holy Qur’aan repeatedly.
Comparing a person to an owner of tethered camels, ProphetSAWW tells us that “if he lets them loose
they will go away”. However, this acquiring of knowledge (or any other good deed) must be done to
please AllahSWT alone, as AllahSWT regards our hearts and actions. Therefore, a Muslim shall practice all
forms of modesty and avoid pride. A Hadith says, “He who has in his pride as much pride as a grain of
mustard will not enter Paradise.” In this way, class superiorities and pride etcetera are negated and racial
borders also nullified. Therefore Holy Prophet SAWW compares all Believers to a single man. A Believer
shall earnestly follow these teachings, as his goal is Jannah, and earth for him is a prison from which he
urges to escape.

The Ahadith of the Prophet shed a lot of light on the importance of Muslim community life. The first Islamic
community was knitted in such a way that these teachings were inculcated in the core of social structure.

O/N2019

2(a) From the set Hadiths you have studied outline the Prophet’s teachings on the individual conduct of
Muslims. [10]

Q. Outline the main teachings of the Hadiths you have studied about the importance of Muslim communal
life.
The Ahadith of the Holy Prophet guide Muslims for individual as well as communal conduct and matters
of the Muslims. Islam declares the entire Muslim community a single body or family where each and every
member is ready to share joys as well as sorrows in the light of this Hadith:
“The believers are like a single man’ if his eye is affected, he is affected; and if his head is affected, he is
all affected.”
This is the most fundamental and important aspect of the Muslim community and has been the subject
matter of several Ahadith of the Holy Prophet:,. For example, the Holy Prophet, in another Hadith, has
linked true faith with the care ar.d consideration observed by a true believer towards his neighbour:
“He is not a true believer who eats to his fill but his neighbour sleeps hungry.”
Importance of being kind and polite towards fellow beings has been highlighted in a number of the
sayings of the Holy Prophet, and he himself demonstrated it on a number of occasions. In fact, he was
an emblem of mercy, forgiveness and compassion and taught the same to his followers. He declared in
this regard:
“Every kind word is a charity and removing a harmful thing from the road is a charity.”
Similarly, the Messenger of God always wished to create and develop a society where every member
would emerge as a strong support for those in need. Through his teachings, instructions and actions he
emphasized the importance of taking care of the less privileged people, like the orphan, widows and
the poor. He remembered God’s special favour on him all through his childhood. The favour is mentioned
in the Quran as:
“Did He not find you an orphan. and give you shelter and care’? (al-Duha).
He, therefore, always encouraged an attitude of kindness towards such people and hinted towards the
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importance of this by saying: -

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“I and the man who brings up an orphan will be in Paradise like this: and he pointed with his-two fingers,

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the index finger and the middle finger.”
The Holy Prophet was mindful of other important aspects of the communal conduct. He was aware of
the human weakness of falling victim to the devices and strategies of Satan whose mission is to entice
humans towards disobedience of Divine commands and to commit sins and spread evils and indecency.
So, he alerted his followers to be ready to take timely and appropriate action in that regard. He drew the
attention of his followers by this Hadith:
‘.Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand, and if he is not able to do so, then
with his tongue, and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.”
He also warned about the possibility of an unjust and impious ruler ruling the Muslim community and, in
that case, he elaborated the importance of raising a voice of protest against such a ruler. He said:
“The most excellent Jehad is uttering the truth in the presence of an unjust ruler”.
Finally, the Holy Prophet trains the Muslims community about a fair treatment of the non-Muslims living in
a Muslim community. In this regard, many instances are quoted in the Hadith books. For example, the
following incident provides sufficient guidance:
“A burial bier passed by us (the companions) and the Holy Prophet stood up for it, and we stood up. Then
we said: O Messenger of God! It is the bier of a Jew’. He said, ‘when you see a bier stand up”.
Thus, it can be seen that the Hadith of the Prophet provides complete guidance regarding the
communal conduct of Muslims.

1. (b) How could your community be improved by applying the Prophet’s Hadiths more fully? [4]
2. (b) How do you think following the guidance of the Prophet (pbuh) as regards communal living
can improve society today? [4]

Methods to check the authenticity of Hadith

Intro:

Up to the beginning of the 3rd century of Islam, the compilers of Hadith did not classify Hadiths according
to their authenticity. Famous scholar Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari was the first person to conceive
the idea of compiling authentic hadith by checking the reliability of the Isnad and Matn of every Hadith.
Following his footsteps, other scholars also compiled authentic books which later came to be known as
Sihah al Sitta or the six authentic books.

For checking the authenticity, these scholars divided every hadith in two parts i.e Isnad (chain of
transmitters) and Matn (Text).

Isnad:

The first part of the Hadith is the chain of names. These are the authorities who are called narrators or
Muhaddisin. It is called “Sanad” plural “Isnad” which means support as it is the authority for the
genuineness of a Hadith. The authorities can be as many as one, two, three, four, five, or six depending
on how far was the compilers time for the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

For example Imam Malik relates a Hadith from his teacher Nafi who relates it from his teacher Abdullah
Bin Umar who says he heard it from Prophet (PBUH).

Methods

There were certain rules regarding the checking of authenticity of Hadith. There were certain rules
regarding the checking of authenticity of Hadith. These rules were made by Imam Bukahri and his
contemporaries since the heavy influx of Hadith made it difficult to determine which Hadith was
authentic and which was not. They travelled great distances in search of transmitters and rejected the
sayings of those who were not pious. They devised a fix criterion for both the Isnad and Matn of a Hadith.
Hadith studies consist of a careful examination of the isnad, or chain of transmission accompanying each
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hadith. A narrator in the chain is known as rawi.

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 • The first person in the chain must know the Prophet directly e.g Yahya Narrated from Malik, who
narrated from Abu Zinad from Al-Araj from Abu Hurraira that the Messenger of Allah said, “the
food of two is enough for three and the food of three is enough for four” sahih bukhari
• The transmitters must know the ones before and after them their dates of death and birth should
overlap there should be no gap in the chain of reporters, one connected with the following or
next reporter till the last reporter.
• Each reporter or narrator of the Hadith must be a person of righteous moral excellence in all his
sayings and deeds in all walks of life.
• No transgressor (Fasiq) or one whose autecedents or past car there should be no gap in the
chain of reporters, one connected with the following or next reporter till the last reporter.
• Each reporter or narrator of the Hadith must be a person of righteous moral excellence in all his
sayings and deeds in all walks of life. No transgressor (Fasiq) or one whose autecedents or past
career is hidden and unknown cannot be accepted as an authentic or qualified Rawi.
• Rawi must be of firm faith and honest He must be known for his truthfulness He must have a
good memory He must be aware of the importance of what he is narrating must possess healthy
retentive memory, without becoming weak on account of illness or senility,
• should be of an age to understand what he is transmitting reports of children were not accepted.
He should report exactly what he learned from his teacher.
• The Hadith reported by him must not be rare or of an uncommon or peculiar nature.
• It must bear the mark of common or natural occurrence or in other words it must not be against
well known Hadith called Hadith-e-Mash'hoorah. There shouldn’t be any hidden defects like
names being repeated or misspellings.
• The rawi must not be known as a liar i.e even joking reports of non-muslims should not be
accepted There should not be a large age difference between two narrators .Any public event
must have at least 2 chains of narrators.

Matn

The second part of the hadith is Matnwhich are the words of the Holy Prophet pbuh. Matn is the text of
the hadith for example “Pray as you see me offering prayers.” The Matn as a report or an act or statement
of the Holy Prophet pbuh helps to build the picture of his teachings and thus, a base for Islamic rites and
beliefs.

Methods:

The rules of Matn are as follows:

• The Hadith should not go against the teachings of Quran, other authentic Hadith common sense
and laws of nature. It should not give praise to any individual, location or tribe.
• It should not contain precise details of events which took place after Prophet’s death. It should
not contain expressions which are out of keeping of what the Prophet might be expected to use.
Cursing abusing e.t.c
• It should be free from minute defects such as errors in date. It should not begin with general
phrases such as ‘we used to...’ it should level accusations against any companion or family
members of the prophet.
• It should not promise high rewards for insignificant deeds and punishments on minor errors. It
should not contradict with previous Ahadith regarded as Sahih.
• .It should not contain such an event that if occurred would have been reported by other
companions but was only reported by him. For example, one person attributed a hadith to Abu
Bakr (R.A) , that he would kiss his thumbs when Prophet’s name was mentioned in Azaan. The
scholars did not accept it as authentic because it was a public action and if Abu Bakr would
have done it in Prophet’s (pbuh) approval, other companions would also have reported and
performed it

TYPES OF AHADITH

The sole purpose behind sending Prophets by Allah SWT among different nations over the course of history
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of existence on planet earth has always been to educate them about His teachings and bring them
towards morality and Monotheism. The Holy Quran is the last Sacred Book of the Creator of the universe
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that He sent upon His Final Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad to be a source of enlightenment for the entire

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mankind. It is widely known among Muslims all over the world that any specific wording of the Messenger
of Allah SWT on a given topic or theme of subject is known as a “Hadith”. It is obligatory upon every
disciple of Islam to know, act upon and spread them

“O believers! Obey Allah and His Messenger and turn not away from him after hearing him…” [8:20]

. “O beloved! Say: ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger.’ then, if they turn away, surely Allah loves not the
infidels.” [3:32]

Different categories of hadith (sayings attributed to the holy prophet Muhammad) have been used by
various scholars.

•Ṣaḥīḥ : transmitted through an unbroken chain of narrators all of whom are of sound character and
memory. Such a hadith should not clash with a more reliable report and must not suffer from any other
hidden defect. The authenticity of which is assured by the continuance of the chain of Reporters or
Narrators (Rawi’s) is unbroken or uninterrupted from the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him)
to the Compiler or Last Reporter (Rawi). This means that there should be no gap in the chain of reporters,
one connected with the following or next reporter till the last reporter. Each reporter or narrator of the
Hadith must be a person of righteous moral excellence in all his sayings and deeds in all walks of life. No
transgressor (Fasiq) or one whose autecedents or past career is hidden and unknown cannot be
accepted as an authentic or qualified Rawi.

All the reporters must possess healthy retentive memory, without becoming weak on account of illness or
senility. The Hadith reported by him must not be rare or of an uncommon or peculiar nature. It must bear
the mark of common or natural occurrence or in other words it must not be against well known Hadith
called Hadith-e-Mash'hoorah.

Yahya Narrated from Malik, who narrated from Abu Zinad from Al-Araj from Abu Hurraira that the
Messenger of Allah said, “the food of two is enough for three and the food of three is enough for four”

•Ḥasan : transmitted through an unbroken chain of narrators all of whom are of sound character but
weak memory. his righteousness (Taqwa) or memory not be of the excellent level or which has been
impaired on account of sickness, senility or some accident. Malik, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim
reported through their isnads from `Amr b. Shu`aib --- his father --- his grandfather, that the Messenger of
Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "A single rider is a devil (i.e. disobedient), two
riders are two devils, but three makes a travelling party."

Al-Tirmidhi declares this hadith to be Hasan because of the above isnad, which falls short of the
requirements for a Sahih hadith. Muhammad bin Ismail narrated from Malik bin Ismail who narrated from
Israel bin Yunus from Yusuf bin AbuBurda from his father who narrated from Ayesha that she said,
“whenever the Holy Prophet used to leave the toilet, he would say, „Ghafranak‟”. Imam Tirmizi says that
this is a hassan hadith because although the sanad is joined, some of the narrators do not have a perfect
memory.

Ḍaʻif : which cannot gain the status of hasan because it lacks one or more elements of a hasan hadith.
(For example, if the narrator 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., or if there is a hidden fault in the narrative or if the chain of narrators is broken. A
Hadith could be weak for many reasons. For example, one of its narrators could be mastur; i.e he may
not be well known for his piety and reliability, but the compiler has no evidence that would question the
narrator’s character; or a narrator may have less than perfect memory but his truthfulness was never
questioned. The weakness in a Hadith could also be due to the interruption in the isnad; that is, a break
in the chain of transmission. Since there was nothing to suggest that the missing narrator was less than
truthful or reliable, such weak Ahadith were included in Musnad collections in areas of moral guidance
and religious teachings

Narrated Musadad from AbdulWahid bin Ziad from Hujjaj from Zuhri from Amarta bint AbdurRehman from
Ayesha who said that the Prophet said , “when you have stoned the Jamarat ul Aqaba, all conditions of
Ihram are removed except relations with women.” This is a daef hadith because Hujjaj has never met
Zuhri. However, the matn is supported by other Sahih Hadith thus it is acceptable.
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Mawḍūʻ: Fabricated and wrongly ascribed to Muhammad. `Hazrat Umar apparently proving that the
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Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had intended that they stay there by exempting
them from the jizyah (tax on non-Muslims under the rule of Muslims); the document carried the witness of

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two Companions, Sa'd b. Mu`adh and Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. `Hazrat Umar rejected the document
outright, knowing that it was fabricated because the conquest of Khybar took place in 6 AH, whereas
Sa'd b. Mu`adh died in 3 AH just after the Battle of the Trench, and Mu'awiyah embraced Islam in 8 AH,
after the conquest of Makkah

Qazat bin Soaid narrated that the Prophet said, “Whoever related poetry after Isha prayers, his Salah will
not be accepted for that night”.

1. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal says that Qazat bin Soaid‟s narrations are full of mistakes

2. Reciting poetry is not Haram.

Maqlūb : It is that hadith, in two different narrations of which the names of narrators have been changed.

Types of Hadith according to Acceptance

Mautawatir : A mutawatir hadith is reported by such a large number of narrators that cannot be
perceived to have jointly forged and narrated a tradition about an issue without a compelling force.
meaning “Consecutive”. Hadith being reported such a large number of rightful companions that it is
agreed upon as authentic. Sometimes a hadith is believed to be khabar-i mashhur. But a little research
reveals that it has been transmitted by a single narrator in each of first three layers in the isnād. Such
narratives are reported by a large number of reporters in the third or fourth layer.

Ahad: meaning “Isolated”. The one which has been narrated by a countable number of people.

It has been further categorized into three sub-types:

Mash’hur: meaning “Famous”. Hadith which is related by more than two individuals.

Aziz: meaning “Rare yet Strong”. The one having only two reporters in its Isnad.

Gharib: meaning “Strange”. Saying of Holy Prophet (PBUH) with only one narrator in its Isnad.

According to nature of Matn and Isnad

It is split into two major kinds:

Munkar: meaning “Denounced”. A Hadith belonging to a weak reporter.

Mudraj: meaning “Interpolated”. The one having some adding up of words to the authentic Hadith by
its narrator.

b. HADITH QUDSI

• HADITH QUDSI ENJOYS SPECIAL STATUS IN TYPES OF AHADITH BASED ON DEGREE OF GENIUNENESS
OF THE HADITH. IT RANKED ON TOP AMONG THE SAHIH ALSO CALLED “THE NON-RECITABLE
REVELATION”

• BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE DEFINATION OF HADITH BY THE MUHADITHEEN AS WELL AS

ISLAMIC JUDISPRUDENCE EXPERTS, DIVINE WORD SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET

• NOT FORMAALY INCORPORATED IN QURAN

• ONE MAJOR MARK OF IDENTITY IS MATN THAT CONSISTS OF GOD’S DIRECT SPEECH

• A SACRED HADITH AS TO THE MEANING, IT IS FROM ALLAH ALMIGHTY; AS TO THE WORDING, IT IS

FROM THE MESSENGER OG ALLAH. IT IS THAT WHICH ALLAH ALMIGHTY HAS COMMUNICATED IT IN
HIS OWN WORDS THUS THE QURAN REMAINS SUPERIOR TO IT BECAUSE BESIDES BEING REVEALED IT
IS HIS WORDING

• INCLUDED IN SIHAH AL SITTAH

• E.G “FASTING IS FOR ME AND I SHALL CERTAINLY COMPENSATE FOR IT”

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• “Verily my mercy comes over my wrath”

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Hadith as a source of Guidance / Islamic law

Hadith is counted as a second source of islamic law. It is used in a very wide sense as including not only
the decisions and percepts of the prophet(s) but also His conduct and practice. It explains and
completes the Quran. The conduct of Prophet(s) formed an important source of law as they were
accepted as inspired and binding authority.
There are many verses in the Holy Quran which justify Hadith as a source of Islamic law. Some of these
are:

"He who obeys the messenger obeys Allah"(4:80)

"You have indeed in the messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct"(33:21)

The Prophet declared:

"Behold I have been given the book and a similar thing (Sunna) along with that"
The Prophet(s) have also said, "My words are not contarary to the words of God but the words of God can
contradict mine"
The whole superstructure of Hadith is based on the verses of the Quran revealed gradually over a
period of 22 years, 5 months and 14 days. The following instances will illustrate how these two parts i.e
Quran and Hadith interplay and function for the purpose of legislation.

1. The meaning of Quran is general; Hadith makes it specific and particular

2. The Hadith may add or supplement the legal provisions of the Quran.
3. Quranic injunctions are implicit Hadith makes them Explicit by providing ingredients and details.
4. Hadith qualifies the absolute declaration of the Quran. The Quran says that the hands of the
thieves are to be cut. The Prophet(s) qualified this injunction with the condition that the person
should not be a lunatic e. t. c
5. Hadith makes certain exemptions to the general rules laid by the Quran. The Quran makes a
declaration in general that one may bequeath ones property by willing the manner one likes.
Hadith has created the exception in the rule the one can't make a will in favor of one's heirs.

Hadith is very significant and important source of law without which the Holy Quran couldn't be
understood at all. In words of the Quran the relationship of that of the Book and the Light.

Sunnah as a source of Islamic Law

Quran is the source head of islamic law(shariah) but some injunctions in Quran are implicit which require
clarification for one to refer the guidance they seek Sunnah of the prophet comes to aid to reach a
decision. Sunnah is commonly defined as "the traditions and customs of Muhammad" or "the words,
actions and silent assertions of him". The Sunnah is the 2nd source of islamic law will always be regarded
as an important source of teaching alongside the Quran.

In Islamic jurisprudence, the Qur'an contains many rules for the behavior expected of Muslims but there
are no specific Qur'anic rules on many religious and practical matters which require justification, ahadith
are consulted as a source of reference for details and clarification. Some of these are:

“So take what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he prohibits you.”.” [59:7]

The Prophet (pbuh) declared:

“Behold I have been given the Book and a similar thing (Sunnah) along with that.”

“Judge upon the Book of God If you do not find in it what you need, upon the Sunnah of the Prophet.”

Particularly what the Quran stated in general terms could be further explained by referring to the Holy
Prophet’s ahadith. The Quran repeatedly asks us: “Establish regular prayer and pay the poor due. ” (2:43)
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Without speaking about the timings, number of rak’ats and manners in which it should be performed.
Sunnah of the Prophet explains it. The Holy Prophet provided additional guidance by saying:“There is no
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prayer for the one who does not recite the opening chapter of the Book (Quran).” Also guided about the

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manners concerning the daily prayers: “When a person is drowsy in his prayer, let him go to sleep until
he knows what he recites.” And finally: “Look at me, see I worship and follow me” (Al-Bukhari)

As all Muslims know, the Quran teaches that Muslims must pay Zakat, the charity tax. This is usually
mentioned in the Quran together with Salat, as an activity of sincere believers.

“And be steadfast in prayer, give the charity tax, and bow down your heads with those who bow down.”
[2:43]

In this example and elsewhere in the revelation, Muslims are encouraged to give Zakat, but they are not
told exactly what they should give, or how they should give it. These details are found in the Hadith of
the Holy Prophet:

“Abu Sa’id al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: No charity tax is due on property
mounting to less than five Uqiya, and no charity tax is due on fewer than five camels, and there is no
charity tax on fewer than five Wasq.”[ al-Bukhari,Sahih,Book24 The Book of Zakat (1 Wasq=425 pounds /
135 kg; 1uqiya = ¼ pounds / 128 grams):]

Ahadith aided legal scholars and jurists to advise Muslims concerning how the teachings in the Quran
should be observed. The Quran has many teachings about financial dealings. Riba, the taking of interest
for making a loan to someone is entirely prohibited in Quran:

“ They say, trade is like interest, and Allah has allowed trade and forbidden interest.” [2:275]

In this injunction and elsewhere in the revelation it is not clearly mentioned that what kind of business
transactions are regarded as Riba. The Sunnah explains it clearly:

“ We asked the Messenger of Allah about the money exchange, he replied: if it is from hand to hand ,
there is no harm in it; otherwise it is not permissible.” [al-Bukhari, Sahih, The Book of Sales]

“The bartering of gold for gold is riba, except if it is from hand to hand and equal in amount; and wheat
grain for whet grain is riba, except if it is from hand to hand and equal in amount; and dates for dates is
riba, except if it is from hand to hand and equal in amount; and barley for barley is riba, except if it is
from hand to hand and equal in amount.”

The Quran says “As to the thief, male or female, cutting of his or her hand” (5:38) Further clarification is
provided in the Hadith. it is mentioned “Allah’s Messenger cut off the hand of a thief for stealing a quarter
of quarter of dinar or more” and with the provision that the convict is not a lunatic. Quran mentions ”O
you believe! Intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones and divining of arrows are an abomination
of Satan’s handiwork: shun them.” (Al Maidah 5.90)The Quran, however, mentions no punishment for
drinking and the Prophet (pbuh) prescribed a punishment of whipping 40 stripes to a person found guilty
of drinking wine (later caliph Hazrat Umar doubled this penalty).

The Prophet applied this penalty in his life time by punishing Nauman bin Bashir. And for adultery
sansar(stoning till death) has been prescribed. Hence Ahadith clarified all that caused ambiguity in
Quranic injunctions making it reliable and feasible for the muslim Ummah to practice.

Main Musnad and Musannaf Collections:

Isnad is the chain of narrators of a Hadith. Those collections of Hadith arranged according to the
original transmitter of the report, typically a companion of Muhammad are called Musnad
collections. One of the most renowned Musnad is the Musnad of Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal. Matn is the
main text of the Hadith. The compliations of Hadith on which are called Musannaf collections
are collections defined by their arrangement of content according to topic and constitute a major
category within the class of all such works for example, in a Musannaf collection, all Hadith regarding
prayer would be in one chapter and all those regarding fasting would be in another. including each of
the 6 canonical Sunni ones Jami of Tirmizi Sahih Bukhari Sahih Muslim Sunan Ibn Majah Sunan of Abu Daud
Sunan of Nasai
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2.(b) What was the significance of the Prophet not allowing the writing down of Hadiths in the early days
of his prophethood? [4]
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 • The Prophet prevented the companions from writing down the Hadiths during the early days
of prophethood as he wanted to establish Islam and make sure his sayings were not mixed up
with the words of the Qur’an which was still being revealed.

• As revelation was sent down scribes like Abdullah bin Masood (ra) wrote them down. As the
revelations were written down on all manner of things for example leaves, skin, etc. From this
they were learned, studied and memorised.

• Suppose hadith’s were being written down, learned, studied and memorised at the same
time as the Qur’an, the possibility of the mixing of Hadith’s with ayats of the Qur’an was there
and so doing the aforementioned in relation to Hadith was forbidden.

• when the Prophet was certain that his companions would be able to distinguish between
the Hadiths and the words of the Qur’an, he encouraged them to write down the Hadiths to
pass them down to others.

2(b) What in your opinion is the importance of classifying Hadiths? [4]

• The Qur’an gives instructions to Muslims about how to live and practice their faith, it does
not give details showing how to implement the teachings given. This implementation of Qur’anic
instructions is found in the Hadiths of the Prophet.

• If the Hadiths were not classified there would be a danger of Muslims not knowing the correct
way of putting into practice their faith.

• in legal matters it is vital to only use only the most accurate Hadiths but when e.g. one is
looking for moral teachings, a Hadith whose isnad is not strong by having a gap or say the
narrator having a weak memory, a weak Hadith could be used and therefore the classification
of Hadiths is important.

• Muslims by following the guidance given in the classified Hadiths can follow the perfect
example of the Prophet Muhammad.

Articles of Faith

“I have faith in Allah, His Books, His Angels, His Prophets, His Scriptures, and the Day of
Judgement, and in the fact that all good or bad in the world is ordered by Allah the Dignified,
and in the revival after death”

Tauhid

Belief in the oneness of Allah is the fundamental teaching of Islam. It is the foundation of the faith, it is
termed as Tauhid. Allah is the One and Only God. He is the creator; the Sustainer of the heaven, the
earth and everything therein, “Allah is the Creator of all things and He is the Guardian and Disposer of
all affairs. To him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth.” (Az-Zumar 39:62-63)

No one has any share in His ownership or authority. He is Eternal; Ever-Living without a beginning or an
end. He is the first and Last. “He is the First and the Last, the Evident, and the Immanent.” (Hadid 57:3) He
is independent while others are dependent on him for their survival. He sustains everyone and
everything, all creation stands in need of Allah and totally relies on Him, and Allah is the source and
constant support of all forms of life. His life is perfect; He is free of all wants and needs. He is not the
need of rest or sleep, “No slumber can seize him nor sleep” (Al Baqarah 2:255). He is the only one
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worthy of worship. He has no Partner. Allah is Omnipotent. He has power over all things. He says, “Be
and it becomes. If Allah touches you with affliction none can remove it but he; if He touches you with
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happiness He has power over all things.” (Al-Anam 6:17)

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