Lecture:

INTRODUCTION TO HADITH & SUNNAH: THE

“TRADITIONS” OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW)

Allah has firmily commanded the Muslims to follow the actions and sayings of Holy
Prophet SAW. In Quran Allah Almighty says:

… ‫ٰۤي َاُّيَها اَّلِذ ۡي َن ٰا َم ُنۤۡو ا َاِط ۡي ُعوا َهّٰللا َو َاِط ۡي ُعوا الَّرُس ۡو َل‬
O who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger…(Surat an-Nisa`: 59)
‌ۚ ‫َم ۡن ُّيِط ِع الَّرُس ۡو َل َفَقۡد َاَطاَع‬
.…‫َهّٰللا‬
Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah." (Surat an-Nisa`: 80)"

‫َو َم ۤا ٰا ٰت ٮُك ُم الَّرُس ۡو ُل َفُخ ُذ ْو ُه َو َم اَ َنٰه ٮُك ۡم َع ۡن ُه َفانَتُهۡو ۚ‌ا‬

accept whatever the Messenger gives you and abandon whatever he tells you to “
abandon. Have taqwa of Allah... (Surat al-Hashr: 7)

MEANING OF “HADITH”:
The Arabic word hadith denotes “news” or “tidings” and “a word,” with the plural form
being ahadith. In ancient Arabic, the term was employed to express important news and
words that are esteemed. The Arabs used to refer to the news of their famous and
important days in pre-Islamic Arabia as ahadith and would describe those expressions.
The word hadith has been employed in the Qur’an to mean a special discourse. In the
Qur’anic verses, “…let them produce a discourse like it,” (at-Tur 52:34) and “Allah
sends down in parts the best of the words…,” (az-Zumar 39:23) hadith denotes a special
word, or sign.
The Hadith Studies has also been called Usul al-Hadith, or the methodology of Hadith .
Hadith scholars have determined a set of rules for the preservation of the Prophet’s words
and the communications of his Companions describing him, and to enable their transfer
to succeeding generations without alteration; as such, they have put forth a specific
methodology.

THE MEANING OF SUNNAH:

The word Sunnah, denoting such things as the visible part of the face, appearance, path,
character and nature, has acquired a particular meaning in the Islamic scholarly tradition
Alongside the widely accepted literal meaning of the word Sunnah—“a way,” “road” or
“path”—is its being used to refer to a thing’s distinctive characteristics. The words,
actions and behavior of the Prophet have become a path followed by human beings and
the ostensible, pronounced characteristics of the religion have become known through the
Sunnah.
The Sunnah are the words, approvals collectivelyof Allah’s Messenger, while the hadiths
are the duly reported narrations that convey these words, actions, and approvals (taqrir).
The Sunnah has been identified and recorded by means of the hadith. The Sunnah can
only be known for certain in our day through the hadith. In other words, the Sunnah is
known via the narrations of hadith scholars. Such being the case, in periods succeeding
the Age of Happiness, the words Sunnah and hadith have more often than not been used
interchangeably.
The two most important compiler/evaluators were Bukhari (d. 870 CE) and Muslim (d.
875), although four other collections are accepted by all Sunni Muslims (by al-Tirmidhi,
Abu Da’ud al-Sijistani, al-Nasa’I, and Ibh Majah).
Difference Between Hadith And Sunnah:
Sunnah is the way of the Prophet (SAW). The way prophet (SAW) Acted,prayed, slept
and coversed with people etc. Hadith on the other hand is the sayings of the
Prophet(SAW). You can say sunnah is derived from hadith.
Hadith Components
A Hadith is composed of two major parts, the text (which gave the actual content) and
the chain of transmission (which named the people who had reported this, going back to
the time of the Prophet.

A. Text (matn) B. Chain of Transmission (isnad)

The text or matn gave the actual account The reliability of Hadith was usually
of the Prophet’s words or behavior (“The judged by evaluating the chain of
Prophet said….”). A particular Hadith’s transmission, according to the criteria.
text was usually not questioned in itself,
unless it was contradicted by a more
authoritative source,either the Qur`an, or a
better-attested Hadith.
Final Hadith Classifications(kinds of Hadith)
Except for the rejected Hadith at far right, these classifications reflect the probability that
these Hadith are genuine, and do not presume to tell w/certainty.
A. Sahih (“exact”) B. Hasan C. Daif (“Weak”) D. Rejected
Sahih Hadith (the most (“Fair”) These are unreliable Munkar
reliable) are of two Hasan Hadith traditions, either (“denounced)”
sorts: are less reliable because A Hadith
1. If the isnad has many than the Sahih 1. The isnad is reported by a
transmitters in every Hadith. interrupted, and thus weak narrator,
single generation. These are the chain of whose content
2. If a Hadith with an Hadith in which eyewitness testimony runs counter to a
unbroken isnad has the isnad is does not go all the better-attested
only a few transmitters reliable and way back to the Hadith; this has
(one, two, etc.) in any unambiguous, Prophet, OR no authority, and
generation, it is reliable but the tradition 2. One or more of the is denounced.
if and only if the is not as strong reporters is considered Maudu
 transmitters were pious as for a Sahih unreliable (e.g., (“forged”)
Muslims, truthful, Hadith lacking true piety, This clearly has
reliable, of an age to being a liar, drinking no authority.
understand exactly alcohol, poor memory,
what they were or any other factor
learning, and reported impugning that
the Hadith’s text person's testimony).
verbatim.

Major books of Hadith:

Muslims view the six major hadith collections as their most important, though the order
of authenticity.
1. Sahih Bukhari, collected by Imam Bukhari (d. 256 AH, 870 CE), includes 7,275
ahadith
2. Sahih Muslim, collected by Muslim b. al-Hajjaj (d. 261 AH, 875 CE), includes 9,200
ahadith
3. Sunan Abu Dawood, collected by Abu Dawood (d. 275 AH, 888 CE), includes 4,800
ahadith
4. Jami al-Tirmidhi, collected by al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH, 892 CE), includes 3,956
ahadith
5. Sunan al-Sughra, collected by al-Nasa'i (d. 303 AH, 915 CE), includes 5,270 ahadith
6. Either:
 Sunan ibn Majah, collected by Ibn Majah (d. 273 AH, 887 CE), over 4,000 ahadith
 Muwatta Malik, collected by Imam Malik (d. 179 AH, 795 CE), 1,720 ahadith