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Foundations of
Religion & Guidance
Lesson Four: Preservation of the Qur’an and Sunna

Faraz Rabbani

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Transmission (isnad)

Vital role of Transmission (isnad)

Both Qur’an…
… and Sunna

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،‫إن اإلسناد من الدين‬
‫ولوال اإلسناد‬
.‫لقال من شاء ما شاء‬
“The chain of transmission is from the
religion: were it not for chains of
transmission, anyone could say
anything.”
- Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak
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Definition of the Qur’an

“Ma!ers are known by their definitions” - Shaykh Adib Kallas

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What is the Qur’an?
QUR’AN: {The Book of Allah, revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬,
through the Angel Gabriel,
conveyed through mass-transmission (tawatur/
mutawatir),
whose recitation is a devotional act.
[Nasafi, al-Manar]
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What is mass-transmission (tawatur)?

Sound transmission: two types:

(1) contiguous transmission (isnad)
(2) mass transmission
Definition of mass transmission
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The Mass Transmission

of the Qur’an

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How was the Qur’an Preserved?
Two types of preservation of the Qur’an
at the time of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
(1) Oral preservation: memorization
(hifdh)
(2) Textual preservation: writing (kitaba)
Which is the primary mode?
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The Qurra’ - Reciters of Revelation
The Oral Preservation of the Qur’an at the time
of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
Two levels:
(1) the formal Qurra’ - memorized all or most of
the Qur’an
(2) the general memorization - all Companions
memorized some or much of the Qur’an
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The Textual Preservation
The Ku!ab al-Wahi
Writing of Revelation: two levels
(1) The formal Scribes of Revelation
(2) The general writing of revelation
Also: the formal ‘duty’ and the personal copies
Why is this important?
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The Companions Specialized

The transmission of the Qur’an

through memorization—far and
wide

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The Written Preservation
Role of wri!en perservation: supportive
First phase: Abu Bakr
Complete: Uthman (the “Gatherer of the
Qur’an”)
The Hadith of Azerbaijan
A proof of the preservedness…
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Spread of Islam
From far North West Africa…
… to deep in Central Asia
Relationship to the preservation of
the Qur’an

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Key Readings
One. History of the Qur’anic Text
(M. M. Azami)
Two. From Mufti Taqi Usmani’s
work on the Sciences of the
Qur’an (esp)
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Part Two : The Preservation of the Sunna:

how reliable individual transmission
works—and why it is a central marvel
that ensured the preservation of the
guidance of the Prophet ‫ — ﷺ‬reliably,
soundly, and without doubt.
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Lesson Four
Part Two: Preservation
of the Sunna
The Soundness of Transmission

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Transmission is Key to the Deen

Vital role of Transmission (isnad)

Both Qur’an…
… and Sunna
More important for the sunna. Why?
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، ‫] إن اإلسناد من الدين‬
[ ‫ولوال اإلسناد لقال من شاء ما شاء‬
“The chain of transmission is from the
religion: were it not for chains of
transmission, anyone could have said
anything.”
- Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak
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The Sound Hadith

What is a rigorously-authentic (sahih) hadith?

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The Rigorously-Authentic Hadith

Definition: A report transmi!ed by

(1) upright and (2) reliable narrator,
from their like, (3) contiguously—
and is (4) free from hidden defects
and (5) errors.
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The Qur’anic Basis

“Believers, if a corrupt person comes

to you with a report, then confirm,
lest…” [Qur’an, 49.6]
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The Prophetic Call to Convey Carefully
“May Allah illuminate the
countenance of one who (1)
hears my words; (2) retains
them fully; (3) encompasses
them in understanding; and
then (4) conveys them [as
they heard] to those who
didn’t hear them.” [Muwatatir
Hadith]
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How this Careful

Transmission Was Upheld

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In the Age of Companions
Concern for memorization—and transmission
Examples:
Abu Hurayra, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar
A’isha, Ibn Mas`ud
Emphasis on understanding—and confirmation
Example of Umar’s warning…
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Travel to Collect Hadith
The Followers (tabi`in) travelled to
the Companions
The next generation, likewise…
“Golden chains”
The Imams travelling to each other…
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Emergence of the Books of Hadith
Hadith wri!en in Prophet’s time
However: focus = oral
al-Zuhri, then Malik… many
The emergence of the Six Books
Distinction of Bukhari and Muslim
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The Supporting Sciences
The sciences of hadith (ulum al-hadith)
The Science of Narrators (ilm al-rijal)
The Science of Critiquing (al-jarh wa’l
ta`dil)
The Principles of Verification
The works of weak and fabricated
narrators and hadith…
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In Summary
We can affirm with confidence that
the Sunna of the Messenger of Allah
‫ ﷺ‬was—and remains—preserved…
soundly, reliably, verifiably

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Recommended Reading
Studies in Hadith Methodology
(Siddiqui)
Caution: Non-scholars’ writings… mere
academia: insufficient
Shaykh Musa Furber’s translation of
several hadith texts
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Next Lesson: The Principles of Interpretation: how

the methodology of interpreting the texts of the
Qur’an and Sunna were also transmitted—and how
they were formalized, systematized, and how the
schools of law emerged.
Recommended reading: The articles on madhhabs by
Shaykh Nuh Keller and Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad from
www.masud.co.uk (share!)