Introduction to Sunnah/Hadees

The word Sunnah literally means a clear path, a practice, a rule, a mode or mode of life.
In Islamic terminology it, is a mode of life prescribed by the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). So, Sunnah
of Mohammad (PBUH) includes his specific words, habits, practices and tacit (unspoken or silent)
approvals to his companions.
An example of his specific words is “Paradise lies under the feet of your mother.”
He (PBUH) grew beard, used oil on his hair, took food and water by the right hand, used Miswak
(tooth cleaning stick) and fragrance often and took dates in odd numbers in order to breakfast are
the few examples of his practices.
A burial bier passed by us and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) stood up for it, and we stood up. Then we
said, ‘O Messenger, of Allah! It is the bier of a Jew.’ He (PBUH) said, ‘When you see a bier, stand up’.
Here the first part refers to his action and the other to his saying.
His tacit or silent approvals means if someone did or said anything in front of the Messenger of Allah
and the Messenger of Allah did not condemn that action or what was said, in fact he (PBUH)
remained silent and established the ruling through his action.
For instance, once when the Prophet (PBUH) saw Hazrat Anas (RZ) writing Ahadith, he (PBUH) didn’t
stop Hazrat Anas (RZ) or said anything to discourage or prohibit the writing of Ahadith rather the
Messenger of Allah remained silent, thus, establishing the permission to write down Ahadith by his
action.

Types of Hadis based on wording:

Hadis-i-Nabvi: A Hadis that contains words which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself spoke is called
Hadis Nabvi.
Hadis-i-Qudsi: A Hadis that contains words from Allah is termed as Hadis-i-Qudsi. For example, one
Hadis reads: “Allah says: Fasting is for Me and I shall certainly compensate it”. The afore-said words
do not figure in the Holy Quran but as these are the words of Allah which have been spoken by the
Holy Prophet (PBUH), such a Hadis is known as Hadis-i-Qudsi.

Parts + Types/ Categories of Hadith

Hadith consists of two parts. Describe the rules of both parts and explain different types
of Hadith based on both parts.
Every Hadith has two parts in it Sanad or Isnad and Matn. Sanad is the chain of narrators. For
Example in Hadith “Yahya narrated from Malik who narrated from Nafae who narrated from
Abdullah bin Umar that the Holy Prophet said: He who misses the ‘Asr prayer is as if he has lost his
family and property”. “Yahya narrated from Malik who narrated from Nafae who narrated from
Abdullah bin Umar” is Sanad and “He who misses the ‘Asr prayer is as if he has lost his family and
property” is Matn.
To check the authenticity of the Hadith, we must check the following things in Sanad. First of all, we
must know the dates of birth and death of every narrator. It is to make sure that the narrators
indeed met each other. We also check the places of their birth, death and travelling again to make
sure, that their meeting was possible. There are certain conditions which must be present in every
narrator of Hadith as mentioned by the great teacher Al-Sha’fi: He must be firm in faith, the narrator
must be known for his truthfulness in whatever he reports, his memory must be very retentive. He
should report exactly what he has learnt from his teacher, and not use his own words, he must
understand what he reports and know how a change of words can change the idea in it. He must

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remember and quote the full chain from himself to the Prophet. He should report what agrees with
the reports of others who are known to have good memories.
There are certain things to be checked in the Matn of Hadith. It must not contradict with the Quran
or the basic teaching of Islam. It must not contradict with any famous and authentic Hadith. It must
not contradict with the logic, common sense and the laws of nature. The language of the text of the
Hadith should suit the Holy Prophet’s personality. It must not be in the praise of some famous tribe,
place or personality. If a Hadith mention severe punishments for a very minor offence or a great
reward on a very small good deed so such a hadith will also be rejected. If a Hadith gives minor
details of future events, such a Hadith will also be rejected.
After checking the Sanad and Matan of a Hadith, Muhaddithun divided the Hadith into four
categories: If a Hadis fulfils the criterion laid down to ascertain both its sanad and Matn (the text, or
what the Holy Prophet (PBUH) actually said or did), it is called an Authentic or Sahih Hadis. An
example of Sahih hadith is, “Make Witr as your last prayer at night”.
If the Matn is authentic and, in the overall context too, the Hadis is deemed to be genuine, it is
accepted as such and termed as Hassan Hadis even if at some steps its narrators have been found to
be somewhat defective in memory in comparison with those who narrated Sahih Hadis. An example
of Hasan hadith is, “he who missed three Jummahs out of negligence, Allah will place a seal over his
heart”.
Zaeef Hadis: If anyone of the narrators was known to be a liar, have had a bad memory or had not
met the person whom he was supposed to be narrating from, the Hadis quoted by him is classified
as un-authentic, in-accurate or Zaeef. An example of Dhaif hadith is, “The prophet used to say when
he broke his fast, “O Allah for you I have fasted and with your provision I have broken my fast”.
Fabricated Hadis: The sayings and doings wrongly attributed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) which
actually were not said or done by him were called Fabricated Hadis. Examples of Mauzu hadith
are“Seek knowledge even as far as China” and “The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of
the Martyr”.
MUTAWATIR: It is the type of hadith which is conveyed by numerous narrators that it is
inconceivable that they have agreed upon a lie. Thus, it is accepted as unquestionable in regard to its
authenticity. An example of this is the hadith of Mohammad (PBUH): “Whoever intentionally
attributes a lie against me, should prepare his seat in the Fire”. It has been reported by seventy four
companions all with the same words.
AHAD: It is the type of hadith which is conveyed by very few or one narrator. An example of Ahad is
the report conv eyed by Hazrat Abu Bakr (RZ)’s narration: “Muslims kissed their thumbs when they
heard Prophet (PBUH)’s name is Adhan.

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]

During the life of Prophet (PBUH), Muslims did not feel the need to write the Ahadith, as the
Prophet (PBUH) was present among their midst. The companions could easily refer Prophet (PBUH)
on any issue. Muslims were a small band in Makka without any system of regular teaching. The time
of companions was mostly occupied in holy wars and struggles against the enemies or for the
propagation of Islam. Moreover, Holy Quran was being revealed so Holy Prophet (PBUH) prevented
his companions to write down the Ahadith. Later he allowed them, when he became confident that
these companions were able to distinguish between Quran and Hadith.
The Hadith literature was preserved mainly in the memories and the hearts of the companions. A
number of traditions provide evidence to the fact that Prophet (PBUH) encouraged the

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memorization and spreading of Hadith. “May Allah be pleased with a servant who heard a thing
from me and then broadcasted it just as he heard it.” Prophet (PBUH) also remarked: “He who is
present here shall carry this message to the one who is absent.”
During the age of companions, Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz (R.A) wrote to the governor of Medina to
write down all the traditions of Prophet (PBUH) as they know them. A formal system of education of
Quran, Sunnah, Fiqqah and Tafseer started during Umar’s (R.A) caliphate period. With the expansion
of Islamic empire, the companions went to all corners of the Islamic world to teach Quran and
Hadith. Many scholars came from far off areas to learn from these companions. Jabir bin Abdullah
travelled from Makka to Syria for the sake of hearing a single Hadith. The first most authentic
compilation of Hadith in this period was Al Muwatta, which was collected by Imam Malik bin Ans in
94 A.H. The works of Shihab al Zuheri, collections of Abu Bakr (R.A) and Al Hazim are important
works of that period.
During the age of followers of companions, the matter was taken earnestly and spared no pain in
collecting traditions from different centers of learning. During this period, not only the traditions of
Holy Prophet (PBUH) were collected but also the verdicts and sayings of the house of the family of
the Prophet (PBUH) were compiled too. Outstanding works include Al Muwatta by Imam Malik bin
Ans, Kitab al-Athaar by Imam Abu Hanifa and Musnad by Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal. The Hanafi and
Maliki School of legal thoughts were formulated during this period in the light of the Hadith.

What was the significance of the Prophet not allowing the writing down of Hadiths in the early
days of his prophet hood? [4]
There is only one Sahih Hadith transmitted by Abu Sai’d al-Khudri in this matter which reads, “Do not
write from me anything except the Quran and whoever has written anything from me other than the
Quran should erase it.” It is disputed among scholars. According to Al-Bukhari and others, it is the
statement of Abu Sai’d himself, which is erroneously attributed to the Prophet. Some say that it was
forbidden to write down Ahadith on early days because all attention should be paid to the Quran
and its preservation, and later on, when there was no danger of neglecting Quran, the previous
order was abrogated. Some interpreted it saying that nothing should be written with the Quran on
the same sheet as this might lead someone to conclude that it belonged to Quran. This command
was given when the Quran was being revealed and the text itself was incomplete. Otherwise there
doesn’t appear to be any sound reason to forbid the writing of Ahadith. There are many examples of
writing Ahadith in the time of Prophet. Even those companions wrote Ahadith who quoted this
particular hadith. The Quran ordered to follow his conduct so how it would be possible without
preserving it by writing.

Write an account of the compilation of Hadiths during the period of the Successors of the
Successors (tabi’ al-tabi’in). [10]

In the second century of Hijrah the Compilers/Muhadditheen paid complete attention to compile
the Hadiths. This was so because some hypocrites and non-Muslims wanted to fabricate the Hadiths.
Imam Bukhari and other scholars took this seriously and introduced some principles to ensure the
authenticity of the Hadith. The Compilaers assessed both parts of the Hadith i.e Isnad and Matan in a
highly meticulous way.
For the Isnad, the chain of narrators were carefully studied and observed. Through the art of Asma-
UrRijal (Names of Men) their biographies were collected and investigated in detail. Each transmitter
had to be in possession of firm faith, sound mind, an excellent memory and an upright character. So
much so, if the transmitter had ever cheated anyone or even lied to anyone in the matter of joke the

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Hadith was rejected. The compilers also ensured that the transmitter was present from the time he
collected or heard the Hadith till the time he transmitted it. In addition the first transmitter had to
be the companion of the Holy Prophet (SAW), for this the Muhaddithun compared the the place and
birth of the transmitter, the places and the people he met. Lastly, the chain of transmitters had to be
totally and perfectly uninterrupted.
Similarly, the Matn was checked thoroughly. They ensured it was in accordance with the teachings of
the Quran and Sunnah and was not conflicting with any of those two. For e.g. The Hadith will not be
accepted if it says to offer 6 daily prayers. Moreover, it should also not contradict with human
reason and logic. Example fasting the whole month without eating anything is outside human
capability. Matn also shouldn’t praise or condemn any person or tribe from the future or history by
calling its name. Finally, Matn should not contain details in a precise way about any future event.
The six Musannaf books werecompiled and thses books are the most authentic and reliable books of
all the Hadeeth books. They are called Sihah sitta.
Sahih Al-Bukhari (194-256 A.H): It was compiled by Imam Muhammad Bin Ismail Al-Bukhari. It is
considered to be the most authentic book of Hadis after the Holy Quran. In the compilation of this
book of Sahih Al-Bukhari, Imam Bukhari displayed a great critical ability and scrupulous accuracy.
The total number of Ahadis in this book is 9082 (which was selected from 600000 Ahadis). However
many of them were repeated with different Isnad. Without repetition the number goes down to
2602 Ahadis. His criteria for acceptance into the collection were amongst the most stringent of all
the scholars of Ahadith.
Sahih Muslim (204-264 A.H): It was compiled by Imam Muslim bin Hajjah and this is considered
second only to the Sahih al-Bukhari. These two collections Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are
collectively called Al-Sahihain, the two most authentic collections. Any tradition accepted by both
Bukhari and Muslim has been termed as Agreed Upon. Imam Muslim, he traveled widely to gather
his collection of Ahadith (plural of Hadith), including to Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, Syria and Egypt.
Out of 300,000 Hadith which he evaluated, approximately 4,000 were extracted for inclusion into his
collection based on stringent acceptance criteria.
Sunan Abu Daud (202-275 A.H): Abu Da’ud was another important compiler of hadith. Before
writing his Sunan he examined five lakhs of traditions, and selected from them only 4800 to be put in
his book. The whole task took him 20 years to complete. He kept up the scrupulous exactitude of his
predecessors in reproducing the traditions, which he had collected. But he differed from them in the
standard of his choice. He included in his Sunan not only the ‘genuine’ traditions (as al-Bukhari and
Muslim had done), but also such traditions as had been pronounced by some traditionists to be
weak and doubtful.
Sunan Tirmizi (209-279 A.H): It was compiled by Abu Isa al-Tirmizi. He was the first man to
determine the names, surnames, and title of the narrators of traditions and tide to fix the degree of
their reliability by inventing peculiar means of each tradition. His work is divided into 50 chapters
(Kutub) and contains 3956 Ahadis.Abu Isa al Tirmizi was a student of Abu Da’ud and his collection
follows and improves upon the techniques of classifying the hadith as proposed by his master. Jame
of Tirmizi contains all the traditions – legal, dogmatic and historical – that had been accepted by the
Muslim jurists of one school or another, as the basis of Islamic law.
Sunan Ibne Majah (209-273 A.H): Ibn Majah travelled widely to collect traditions from the
wellknown Traditionists of his time. He compiled several works of Hadith of which the most
important is the Sunan. In this work, Ibn Majah collected together 4000 traditions in 32 books
divided into 1500 chapters. The number of weak (dhaif) traditions it contains is not very large, just
about 30. But it does contain some traditions, which are considered by the authorities on the subject
to be forged (maudu’).

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Sunan Nasai (214-303 A.H): Al Nasai’ collected hadith in his work Sunan He entirely ignored the
point of view of his senior contemporary, al-Tirmizi on the question of the application of traditions
to various problems that might have been made by different schools of the Muslim juriprudence. His
main object was to establish the text of traditions and the differences between their various
versions, which he quotes extensively. In many places, he gives headings to the differences between
the various narrators. This book contains 5662 Ahadis and is divided well into chapters. Imam Nasai
is the best evaluator of the narrators of his time

Shia Collections of Hadeeth (Optional)

KITAB AL KAFI The first book of Shia’s four collections is Al-Kafi-Fi-ilm-ud-Deen by Mohammad
Yaqub Kulyani usually called Shaikh Kulyani. The title is translated as “The sufficient in the knowledge
of religion”. Shaikh Kulyani divided his collection into three portions; Usulul Kafi, which is concerned
with the principle of religion, Fur ul Kafi which is concerned with the details of religious laws.
Rawdatul Kafi, which is concerned with various religious aspects and includes some writings of the
Imams, Al-Kafi comprises 16, 099 narrations.
He divided the portions into volumes and created different chapters in these volumes as per the
topic of hadith. In these sections he gathered Ahadith on the topics of religious practices and social
laws like salah, saum, zakat, hajj, slaughtering, marriage, divorce and oath etc. All the Ahadith in this
collection were individually examined through the science of hadith i.e. by the rules of isnad and
matn. Further, Ahadith were also classified as per their genuineness, Mostly Shaikh Kulyani gathered
Sahih Ahadith in his collection. However, just as Sahih Bukhari is the number one book for Sunni
Muslims, so is Al Kafi for Shia Muslims as it was compiled during the life of the representatives of
Imam Al-Mehdi.
MAN LA YAHDURUHUL FAQIH The second book of Shia’s four collections is Man la Yahdurul Faqih
by the famous scholar Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Babawaih, commonly known as Shaikh
Saduq. The title translates as “Every Man is his Own Lawyer “. In this collection Shaikh Saduq
gathered 9,044 Ahadith who he divided into small sections as per the theme/ topic of hadith.
Everything inside was carefully examined for authenticity by the rules of isnad and matn. This book is
not entirely Sahih, Shaikh Saduq also included Dhaif Ahadith in his collection. Generally, the Isnad
(Chains of the narrators) are absent. This is because the book was designed to help ordinary Shia
Muslims in the practice of the legal requirements in Islam. Therefore, this book, was not meant to be
a work for scholars, who would want to check the authorities.
He said regarding his book, “I compiled the book without Isnads so that the chains (of authority)
should not be too many (-and make the book too long-) and so that the book’s advantages might be
abundant. I did not have the usual intention of compilers (of books of traditions) to put forward
everything which they (could) narrate but my intention was to put forward those things by which I
gave legal opinions and which I judged to be correct. As with all Hadith collections, however, there is
no guarantee of the authenticity of each individual hadith and the reliability of each must be
separately assessed.”
TAHZIB UL AHKAM The third book of Shia’s four collections is Tahzibul Ahkam by the famous scholar
Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Hassan Tusi, commonly known as Shaykh Tusi. The title, Tahzib ul Ahkam,
is translated as ‘the Refinement of Laws’. The method he used to mention Ahadith is to write hadith
with its Isnad followed by AlMufid’s comments which are often followed by explanations of Al-Tusi.
He gathered 13,590 Ahadith in his collection which were divided into chapters and chapters into
sections like purity, salah, saum, zakat, hajj, marriage, divorce etc. His work concerns the practical
regulations for carrying out the Sharia, the holy law of Islam.

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AL ISTIBSAR The fourth book of Shia’s four collections is Al-Istibsaar by Shaikh Tusi, who is also the
author Tahzib ul Ahkam. The title is translated as ‘the Perceptive’. This collection is mainly the
summary of Shaikh Tusi’s another collection Tahzib ul Ahkam. The author intended to make a
reference book for a beginner so he made this collection of 5,511 Ahadith. The methods to collect
Ahadith in it are similar but briefer. There are not so many traditions used in this work and the
explanations are more concise.

Write a detailed account of the musannaf and musnad collections of Hadith. [10]

The kind of work in which the Ahadith are assembled together according to the themes is called
Musannaf, which means ‘divided up’,because it divides the Ahadith according to their themes. The
compilers examined the Matn rather than the Isnad.
The first organised works of Islamic scholars, called Musannaf, or books were organized topic wise.
These were mainly manuscripts that were developed during the first two centuries of Islam and
were arranged into chapters dealing with different legal or ritual questions, for example, prayer,
fasting, inheritance and other laws concerning the Muslim community etc.
The most authoritative collection of Musannaf collection was Al- Muawatta Imam Malik (711AD-
795AD) compiled by Imam Malik ibn Anas, a student of Imam Nafi. Imam Malik spent forty years of
his life in Madinah to compile this book. The "Muawatta" literally means "the levelled path" that is
easier to tread which is termed as the legal textbook, for it in he employed Ahadith together with
the Quran to establish points of legal teachings. Legal decisions drawn by him were based on
deductions from the Quran, Sunnah and Ijma. Legal scholars referred to the Musannaf collections to
know legal opinions of the Companions and Successors, and Hadith critics used them as evidence
when establishing the authenticity.
The narrators became the part of the chain of a Hadith. The Musnad meaning "supported" because,
it lists them under the names of the various Companions who come last in the transmission chains,
Isnad and so support or guarantee its authenticity. The entire Isnad is mentioned which allows the
Hadith to be traced back until Prophet (saw) In the late second/early third century AH there was a
shift towards Musnad collections, as they were arranged according to the Isnad. All the Ahadith
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, Ahadith of Hz Abu Bakr, Ahadith of
Hz Ali Ibn Abu Talib or Ahadith of Abu Huraira. These collections were useful to study the "Asma-ur-
Rijal" of a particular companion.
Muslims who were concerned with understanding legal teachings in the Ahadith did not find it an
easy collection to use, because it only divided the Ahadith according to the name of the first
transmitter. At this time Ahmed Ibn Hanbal was active making this collection. His Musnad consists of
27,700 Ahadith of which one fourth or one third are repetitions of Ahadith through different
narrations. Unfortunately, he could not complete his work due to his death, later completed by son.
Explain the main differences between musnad and musannaf Hadiths. [4]
Musnad are the compilation of Hadith in which Ahadith are collected according to the names of
narrators. For example, Ahadith quoted by Hazrat Abu Huraira will be written together in one place.
It is known as Musnad because it is a Sanad base compilation of Hadith. The best example of
Musnad collection is Musnad of Imam Ahmed Ibn Hambal. Musannaf compilations are those in
which Ahadith are collected according to the theme and subject matter. For example, Ahadith about
purification will be written together in one chapter.

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Musannaf literally means divided up and Ahadith are divided in such compilations topically. All the
six authentic compilation of Hadith are Musannaf compilations of Hadith. So, when we want to get
information about a particular narrator, so Musnad collections will help us, and if we want to get
information about one particular topic, so Musannaf collections will be more helpful. Musannaf
collections are more helpful for law makers as they get all Ahadith about a certain topic in one place.
In early times Muhaddithin made Musnad collection but in the third century they realized that
Musannaf are more beneficial so most of them adopted this way. Compiler of Musannaf keeps law
making purpose in mind so he tries to bring only Sahih and Hasan Hadith, whereas compiler of
Musnad tries to bring all available Ahadith of a certain in his compilation.

Outline the main teachings of the Hadith you have studied, from the passages set for the special
study, about the responsibilities of individual Muslims. [10]

Ahadith of the Holy Prophet are a valuable source of guidance regarding the conduct and
responsibilities of individual Muslims living in the community. Individual conduct is not only
important for the individual themselves but is also has an impact on the whole community. The
Prophet instructed his followers to establish their relationship with the fundamental source of
guidance, the Holy Qur’an so that it could continuously keep them on the right path. He, therefore,
equated this relation with the tethered camels and their owner: “He who studies the Quran is like
the owner of the tethered camels. If he attends to them, he will keep hold of them; but if he lets
them loose, they will go away.”
The Holy Prophet reminded his followers of observing various pillars of Islam and the impact of such
observances on the believer’s social conduct. He summed up this important relationship in this
Hadith; “A man asked the Messenger of God, “Do you think that if I perform the obligatory prayers,
fast in Ramadan, treat as lawful that is lawful and treat as forbidden that which is forbidden and do
nothing further, I shall enter paradise?” He said, “Yes.” Through this hadith the Prophet highlighted
the beneficial effects of regular prayer and fasting on an individual’s behaviour towards Halal and
Haram things. One who abstains from unlawful acts during a state of fasting will surely hate all
forbidden acts in daily living.
Performing lawful things like lawful earnings over the forbidden ones is a distinctive mark of Islamic
Teachings. Therefore, the Prophet admired those believers who work for themselves and do not try
to find undesirable alternatives for their own benefits. He declared; “No one eats better food than
that which he eats out of the work of his hand.” This implies that any occupation, profession or
means of earning that involves hard work is honoured by God, regardless of the nature of work. The
Prophet in another Hadith appreciated dignity of labour by saying, “One who works for himself is a
friend of Allah.”
The Prophet repeatedly stressed on the need of taking care of the poor, widows and other less
fortunate people living in a Muslim community. He promised huge rewards for those who are kind
and caring to such needy fellows. He said, “One who manages the affairs of the widow and the poor
man is like the one who exerts himself in the way of God, or the one who stands for prayer in the
night or fasts in the day.” By this Hadith he ensured that the reward of helping the dependent
people is no less than that for regular prayer and fasting.
In another Hadith, he guaranteed entry into Paradise of those who help and support the orphan; “I
and the man who brings up an orphan will be in Paradise like this”, and he pointed with his two
fingers, the index and the middle finger. By such gestures, the Prophet showed his special love for
the generous and caring believers.
The Prophet urged his followers several times for showing mercy and compassion to fellow Muslims,
since he has been sent as a Mercy for all. He prayed for those who demonstrated mercy and

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leniency in daily transactions by saying; “May God show mercy to a man who is kindly when he sells,
when he buys and when he demands his money back.” A community dominated by such kind-
hearted members is bound to flourish because of mutual love and care. Love negates jealousy and
selfishness and encourages sacrifice. For this reason, the Prophet told his followers; “God will not
show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others.” If all individuals of a Muslim community
sincerely follow these guidelines of the Prophet, they will contribute towards the development of a
healthy and flourishing society.

(Outline the main teachings of the Hadiths you have studied about the importance of Muslims
communal life. [10]
Giving references from the set Hadiths you have studied, outline the Prophet’s teaching about
care in the community. [10]
According to the teachings of the set of Hadiths you have studied, outline the ways in which
Muslims should treat one another. [10]
Outline the main teachings of Hadith about the conduct of Muslims in communal life. [10]

Hadith of the Holy Prophet provide detailed guidance to Muslims about both individual conduct and
life in community. Many of the 20 ahadith set for special study, instruct Muslims about their duties
towards fellow members of the community.
The Holy Prophet taught his followers to develop a deep sense of belonging to a family so that they
could be caring and considerate towards their brothers in faith. In this regard he said; “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 Hadith teaches Muslims about how they should feel or act towards other members of their
community. Eye and head are the most important parts of human body because if they are afflicted,
the whole body feels adverse effects. Similarly, if Muslims stop caring for their brothers, the entire
Muslim community will start losing strength.
The Prophet stressed on the need of establishing a strong link between beliefs, worship and social
behaviour. He stressed on sincerity in all aspects of our life. For this reason, he stressed upon, “…
sincerity to the leaders of the Muslims and their common people.” This Hadith asks for being
sensitive to the needs and rights of others in the community. They include one’s own relatives,
neighbours, and other members of the Muslim community.
For the purpose of strengthening communal ties among Muslims, the Prophet equated kindness
towards others with acts of charity; “Every person’s every joint must perform an act of charity
everyday the sun comes up; to act justly between two people is charity; to help a man with his
mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it is a charity; every step you take to
prayers is a charity; and removing a harmful thing from the road is a charity.” The Hadith repeatedly
mentions charity, which is not only aimed at helping financially, but also demonstrating a spirit of
readiness in helping those in need. The Prophet, therefore, expanded the meaning and scope of
charity by including in it all acts that involve the noble spirit of helping others in a variety of ways. A
community with such members is surely an exemplary community where none is unaware to the
needs and problems of others.
The Holy Prophet admired the noble deeds of helping the weak and unsupported by saying, “One
who manages the affairs of the widow and the poor man is like the one who exerts himself in the
way of God, or the one who stands for prayer in the night or fasts in the day.” The Prophet has
equated the reward of extending help to the needy and the vulnerable with that of Jihad and
observing religious obligations. Similarly, in another hadith, he highlighted the rights of the fellow
beings (huqoo-ul-Ibad), “I and the man, who brings up an orphan will be in Paradise like this”. He

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pointed with his two fingers, the index and the middle finger. It conveys the message that worship is
not restricted to confidential contact with God, but it as much wider

From the set Hadiths outline the Prophet’s teaching about the conduct of the individual in the
community. [10]

A Muslim is supposed to be sincere towards everyone in the community. He should be cooperative

and helpful for common Muslims and should also obey the rules. A believer should have civic sense.
He must avoid all such things which can be a source of discomfort for any other member of
community. He should think for other’s welfare as he thinks for his own benefit. “None of you
believes until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself.” A believer should maintain good
relationship with other members of community especially his neighbours. He should show
generosity and kindness in dealing with them. “He will not enter paradise whose neighbour is not
safe from his mischief.” A Muslim’s every action should be positive and beneficial for others. He
should not miss any opportunity to benefit others. He is promised of the reward of charity on small
such actions.
A Muslim should also play his role in purifying the community from all evils. Everyone has to do it on
his own capacity. People in authority can do it forcibly and other should at least raise their voice
against an injustice going on in community. “Whosever of you sees an evil action, let him change it
with his hand, and if he is not able to do so then with your tongue, and if he is not able to do so then
with your heart, and that is the weakest of faith.” Muslims should also participate in different forms
of Jihad and should donate generously in the cause of physical Jihad as it is for defense of Islam and
Muslim community. Muslims should work hard and avoid being dependent on other members of
the community. They should utilize their skills to increase the overall productivity and spend and
honourable life. “No one eats better food than that which he eats out of the work of his hand.”
Islam is a religion of social welfare. Muslim’s attention is diverted to those who cannot manage their
life themselves like widows, orphans, handicapped etc.
The people in authority are responsible to be kind to be ruled. Muslims should make the life of their
dependents and subordinates easier. “Be gentle and do not be hard, and cause rejoicing and do not
alienate.” They should practice honesty in all dealings with other members of community. They
should remain ethical even in difficult situations and in business transactions as well. Muslims are
encouraged to develop the quality of mercy in them. Islam never likes harshness and rigidity. Even
the Prophet’s whole life gave us the lesson of mercy on all creations. “God will not show mercy to
him who does not show mercy to others.”
Muslims should also avoid all such things which divide the community. They should never encourage
such literature and people who teach them to hate others. Instead, they should love all Muslims and
maintain unity. Muslims should give respect to all members of community even if the other person
is not rich or influential. Islam teaches us to value others’ character and faith.

How does following the example of Prophet in one’s behaviour towards others affect the
community? [4]
Today we see in our society that the people worry for themselves only and have become selfish
which is very bad. If we follow these teachings, we can develop a loving society where the needy
people will not been ignored. We see division in our society on the basis of caste, color, religious and
political belongings, material things etc. by following these teachings we can bring harmony and
unity in our community. Evil has spread widely in community just because we have forgotten our
duty to eradicate it. If we start following the teachings of the Prophet about neighbours, guests and

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others and start helping others like Prophet, we can establish an ideal community which will be an
example for others to follow.

Significance of Hadis in Thought and Action in Islam

Unless and until we follow Sunnah, it is not possible to carry out the commands, injunctions and
guidelines of the Holy Quran. For example, the Quranic injunction is to “keep up prayer and pay
Zakat, but no details thereto have been laid down in the Holy Quran. What is prayer, when and how
it is to be offered, what parameters have to be adhered to while offering the Salat have not been
spelled out in the Holy Quran? It was the Holy Prophet (PBUH) who by his own actions and saying
gave all details pertaining to prayer. Likewise, all details relating to collection and distribution of
Zakat too were provided by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and not the Holy Quran.
Along with the Holy Quran, obedience to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has been enjoined upon the
believers by Allah Almighty. The Holy Quran says: “And obey Allah and the Messenger, that ye may
find mercy.” (3:132) ….
“Those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to gardens, with rivers flowing beneath,
to abide therein (for ever) and that will be the Supreme achievement.” (4:13)
The Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) gives rules relating to all aspects of life. The Holy Prophet
(PBUH) gave his people a religion which he himself scrupulously practiced. He founded a state which
he administered, he led his armies in different encounters, he married and maintained a family. In all
these, whatever he did and the way he did became part of the Shariah, and hence a must for us all
to follow as such.
The deeds, behaviour, character and conduct of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam furnish a role
model for his followers. The Holy Quran says: “Verily in the Messenger of Allah ye have a good
example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day….” (33:21).
It is reported in Al-Bukhari that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: “Surely, I was only sent to complete
the most noble character traits.” According to an oft quoted tradition, when a person asked Hazrat
Ayesha about the conduct of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) many years after his death, she said: “Have
you not read the Quran? His conduct (Khulq) was the Quran. Whatever the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said
or did was inspired or revealed, for he neither said anything nor did anything of his own accord. The
Holy Quran says: “I follow only that which is inspired in me from my Lord.” (7:203)
Islam not only aims to purify the individuals who make the society but also strengthen the
foundation of the Muslim Community from within, emphasising the message of love, cooperation,
brotherhood, kindness and mercifulness to each other. A large set of Ahadis encompasses these two
types of behaviours wherein the Sunnah provides practical demonstration of how an individual can
become an asset for the Muslim Society by displaying kindness to his relatives, concern for his
neighbours, affection and support for the poor and the orphans, mercy towards the infirm and
servants, compassion for the young, respect for the elderly, sympathy for the grieved and cheer for
the depressed.

Past Paper Questions

2058/M/J/22
Write an account of the following three categories of Hadiths: • Sound Hadith (Sahih) • Good Hadith
(Hasan) • Weak Hadith (Da’if). [10]
In your opinion, why was it considered important to classify Hadiths into Sahih, Hasan and Da’if?
Give reasons to support your answer. [4]

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Write a detailed account of the two components of Hadiths: • chain of transmission (isnad) and •
text (matn) [10]
Both of these components are equally important for establishing the authenticity of Hadiths. Do you
agree? Give reasons to support your answer. [4]
2058/O/N/21
Referring to the set Hadiths write about the benefits to the community of following the Prophet’s
guidance. [10]
Why is the example of the Prophet (pbuh) important for Muslims today? [4]
Write about the checks made on the transmitters of Hadiths and on the text of Hadiths to ensure
their authenticity. [10]
Why was so much importance given to collecting and preserving authentic Hadiths? [4]
2058/21/M/J/20
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]
In your opinion what were the main reasons for Hadith collections? Give reasons for answer. [4]
2058/22/O/N/20
Write an account of: • the reasons given by scholars for compiling Hadith collections, and; • the
checks made to confirm their authenticity. [10]
What is the purpose of having false Hadiths in Hadith collections? [4]
2058/O/N/19
From the set Hadiths you have studied outline the Prophet’s teachings on the individual conduct of
Muslims. [10]
How do Muslims benefit in their community life by following the guidance given in the Prophet’s
Hadiths? [4]
Write a detailed account of the musannaf and musnad collections of Hadith. [10]
In your opinion, from the two Hadith collections above, which is the more useful to Muslims? Give
reasons for your answer. [4]
2058/M/J/19
Give a detailed account of the checks made on the text and narrators of Hadiths. [10]
In your opinion what are the main advantages of carrying out checks to confirm the reliability of
Hadiths? [4]
Write an account of the compilation of Hadiths during the period of the Successors of the Successors
(tabi’ al-tabi’in). [10]
Why do you think the chain of narrators (isnad) of a Hadith is given so much importance in
establishing its genuineness? [4]
2058/O/N/18
What measures were taken in early Islamic times to check the reliability of Hadiths? [10]
Why was it important for the Muslim community to have authentic Hadiths? [4]
Hadiths are broadly classified as sound (sahih), good (hasan) and weak (da’if). Write a detailed
account of these three categories of Hadiths. [10]
What in your opinion is the importance of classifying Hadiths? [4]
2058/21/M/J/17
Write a descriptive account of the terms isnad and matn of a Hadith and the role they play in
establishing the genuineness of a Hadith. [10]
How does the Muslim community benefit by having genuine compilations of Hadiths? [4]
2058/O/N/17

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Write about the relationship between the Qur’an and the Hadiths of the Prophet and say what the
difference is between Hadith Qudsi and Hadith Nabawi. [10]
Why do you think it was important for the Prophet to give permission to his companions to write
down his Hadiths? [4]
Write an account of how the Hadiths of the Prophet stress upon the unity of the Islamic community.
Use at least four set Hadiths from the syllabus to develop your answer. [10]
Why do you think Islam gives so much importance to maintaining unity within the Islamic
community? [4]
2058/22/M/J/16
Write a detailed account of the parts of a Hadith and say how these parts help in determining the
different categories of Hadiths, namely; sahih; hasan; da’if and mawdu’. [10]
Why do you think the Prophet practised and encouraged the use of ijma’? [4]
2058/22/O/N/16
Giving references from the set Hadiths you have studied, outline the Prophet’s teachings about care
in the community. [10]
How can the teachings of the Prophet concerning care in the community be applied today? [4]
2058/M/J/15
Give an account of how the Prophet’s Hadiths have been a source of guidance to Muslims in putting
their faith into practice. [10]
Why do the Prophet’s Hadiths link belief and action so closely? [4]
Write an account of the parts that make up a Hadith, and describe the checks made by the collectors
of the Hadiths to ensure the accuracy of their collections. [10]
(b) Why was it important to check the accuracy of Hadiths? [4]
2058/21/O/N/15
Describe how the Prophet’s Hadiths can be used together with the Qur’an to help Muslims
understand and practise their faith. [10]
How could your community be improved by applying the Prophet’s Hadiths more fully? [4]
2058/M/J14
Describe how the compilers of the Prophet’s Hadiths checked the biographies of the transmitters,
and say why they thought it was important to do so. [10]
In your opinion what are the main advantages of having authentic Hadiths? [4]
What rules did the writers of the six authentic books (Sihah Sitta) apply to ensure the authenticity of
Hadiths? [10]
Why in your opinion was it important for them to apply these rules? [4]
Outline the main teachings of the set Hadiths about the conduct of Muslims in communal life. [10]
How do you think following the guidance of the Prophet (pbuh) as regards communal living can
improve society today? [4]
2058/21/O/N/14
What do Muslims generally understand by the terms: • isnad and matn of Hadiths; • musannaf and
musnad Hadiths? [10]
Which in your opinion is more beneficial for Muslims to have; musannaf collections or musnad
collections of Hadiths? Give reasons for your answer. [4]

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