A Brief Look at Hadīth and Related Literature and Sciences
by Leo Africanus
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Nonfiction
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A Brief Look at Hadīth and Related Literature and Sciences
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chapter 1:
A Brief Look at Hadīth and Related Literature and Sciences
A Brief Look at Hadīth and Related Literature and Sciences
chapter 1
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updated 09/15/08
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Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur’ān: O you who have attained to faith! Pay heed unto God, and pay heed unto the Apostle and unto those from among you who have been entrusted with authority… Verily, in the Apostle of God you have a good example… And most surely you [i.e. the Prophet:] conform (yourself) to sublime morality. And neither does he speak out of his own desire: that (which he conveys to you) is but (a divine) inspiration with which he is being inspired
The Holy Qur’ān is the primary source of knowledge for the Muslims without dispute. From the verses cited above it is evident that great emphasis is given to the sunna or practice of the Holy Prophet (SAW) in the form of his words, deeds and taqrir . The belief in the Prophet’s (SAW) infallibility by most Muslims and that of the Holy Imāms (AS) according to the Shī’a, coupled with the divine ordinances mentioned above necessitates their exemplar to be followed. Their sunna is available to us in the form of hadīth.
The Prophet (SAW) himself gave instructions to the effect that his sunna, in the form of both oral transmission and written text should be recorded and passed on. When a deputation from the tribe of Rabī‘a came to him in the early period in Madīnah, he concluded his instructions to them by saying, ‘Remember this and report it to those whom you have left behind.’ Similar to this, he is reported to have said, ‘Go back to your people and teach them these things.’ Bukhari related that after the Hajj, the Prophet (SAW) gave a sermon in which he said, ‘He who is present here should carry this message to him who is absent.’
Hadīth, therefore, were not generally written down, the main method of transmission was oral. The Arabs of pre-Islamic times were famed for their ability to accurately memorise vast quantities of poetry, this skill did not diminish after the advent of Islam. Many of the Prophet’s (SAW) traditions were noted in written form too and the collections belonging to various people were referred to as sahifas. In fact, the first book of hadīth compiled in the world of Islam was the sahifa of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (AS) which was dictated by the Holy Prophet (SAW) himself and recorded by the 1st Imām (AS). This book contains all the details regarding the lawful and unlawful as well as a document concerning blood money and indemnity for bodily injuries which used to be hung by the scabbard of his sword. Al-Bukhari has quoted from it.
Thus the first steps to record the hadīth were taken during the Prophet’s (SAW) lifetime. His companions however, differed in respect to the effort and interest each one had in the manner of learning, teaching and preserving the hadīth. Following the sad demise of the Prophet (SAW), during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar ibn Al-Khattab advised that hadīth should be solely transmitted orally and many written documents were burned or discarded. This was ordered to take place allegedly out of fear that the Qur’ān may become neglected. [!:] It was not until his great grandson, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz, became Caliph in 99AH, that this matter was reconsidered at the highest level of authority and written transmission was again encouraged.
What is a hadīth?
A hadīth is a narration regarding the sunna of the Prophet (SAW) and for the Shī’a also of the Imāms (AS) and consists of:
a) the isnād – the chain of transmitters
b) the matn – the main text.
The Collections
The collections of hadīth can be regarded from two perspectives: the Sunni and the Shī’a. The works are distinct from each other for numerous theological, technical and factional differences. The foremost reason is that the Shī’a view the majority of companions of the Prophet (SAW) as unreliable narrators of his sunna because of their acceptance of the institution of the caliphate. This resulted in the majority of the Prophet’s (SAW) hadīth too being narrated by or through the Imāms (AS).
There are 6 canonical Sunni collections of hadīth which are regarded as sahih or correct, namely:
a) Sahih of al-Bukhari (Bukhari, DOB 194 AH)
b) Sahih of Muslim (Muslim, DOB 240 AH)
c) Sunan of Abu Dawūd (Abu Dawūd, 202-275 AH)
d) Sunan of an-Nisa’i (An-Nisa’i, 215-303 AH)
e) Sunan of ibn Majah (ibn Majah, DOB 209 AH)
f) Sunan of Tirmidhi (Tirmidhi, 209-279 AH)
The major works of the Shī’a, who regard the Qur’ān as the only sahih book, can be separated into 3 groups: the early, late and modern.
The Early Group of Collections
a) Al Kāfi fi ‘ilm ad-Dīn ‘The Sufficient in the Science of Religion’ –Muhammad al-Kulayni (d. 328/939)
b) Man la yahduruh al-Faqīh ‘He who has no Jurist present’ – Muhammad ibn Bābūya (d. 381/991)
c) Tahdhīb al-Ahkām ‘The Rectification of Judgements’ – Muhammad aţ-Ţusī (Shaykhuţ-Ţā’ifa) (d. 460/1067)
d) Al-Istibşār ‘The Perspicacious’ – Muhammad aţ-Ţusī (Shaykhuţ-Ţā’ifa) (d. 460/1067)
The authors are collectively known as the 3 Muhammads of the early period. (For detailed analysis of these texts see Great Shi’i Works by Dr. I.K.A. Howard.
The Late Group of Collections
a) Al-Wāfī ‘The Complete’ – Muhammad ibn Murtadhā (Mulla Muhsin-I-Fayd) (d. 1081/1680)
b) Wasā’il ash-Shī’a ‘The Means of the Shi’a’ – Muhammad ibn Hassan (Al-Hurr al-‘Āmili) (d.1104/1692)
c) Bihār al-Anwār ‘Oceans of Lights’ – Muhammad Bāqir Majlisī (d. 1110/1695).
The are unsurprisingly referred to as the 3 Muhammads of the late period. Incidentally, Bihār al-Anwār is a modest 111 volumes in total!
The Modern Group of Collections
There are 2 major works attributed to the modern era.
a) Mustadrak al-Wasā’il ‘The rectification of al-Wasa’il’ – Husayn an-Nuri aţ-Ţabarsī (d. 1320/1902)
b) Jāmi’ ahādīth ash-Shī’a ‘A collection of Shi’a Traditions’ – as-Sayyid al-Burūjirdī (d. 1380/1961)
The Issue of Forgery
Imām Muhammad al-Bāqir (AS) addressed Jābir (his companion) saying, “O Jābir! By Allāh, a tradition emerging from an authentic source is infinitely better for you than anything the sun shines over, till it sets.”
Although the forgery of hadīth took place during the time of the Prophet (SAW), he vehemently spoke out against it and it was thus minimal. (There were one or two renowned practitioners of the art though). Following the Prophet (SAW) however the practice became widespread for factional and political gains. The response of the Ulema was the conception of ‘Ilm ar-Rijaal or literally ‘The Science of Men’.
‘Ilm ar-Rijāl
This science was developed to examine the chain of narrators (isnād) of hadīth, assessing their credibility as narrators, and thereby classifying the reliability of hadīth. The system of classification resulted in 4 broad bands of assignment (the criteria for which were not exact or agreed upon unanimously).
a) Sahīh – Correct
b) Hassan – Good
c) Muwaththaq – Trustworthy
d) Da’īf – Weak
In addition, 2 further categories were introduced:
a) Mutawātir – Successive. (Given to a hadīth narrated by several chains of narrators and widely accepted as authentic.) Such hadīth are usually binding in matters of fiqh or law.
b) Khabar al-Wāhid – Single information. (Assigned to a hadīth narrated by only a single chain of narrators.) Such hadīth are used as guides in lawmaking.
The science necessitated in-depth analysis of individuals and consequently numerous biographical dictionaries appeared. The primary authors of which being Ahmad ibn ‘Alī an-Najāshi, Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al-Kashishī and Shaykhuţ-Ţā’ifa.
The subsequent undertaking of the role of narrator by the Ulema themselves ensured biographical literature concerning the scholars was soon made available. The 8 major works are:
a) Ma’ālim al-‘Ulamā ‘Guide Posts of the Ulema’ – ibn Shahrāshūb
b) Amal al-‘Āmil ‘The Hope of the [Jabal:] Amil’ – Al-Hurr al-‘Āmili
c) Lu’lu’āt al-Bahrayn ‘The Pearls of Bahrain’ – Yusuf al-Bahrānī
d) Nujūm as-Samā ‘The Stars of the Firmament’ – Muhammad ‘Alī Kashmiri
e) Rawdat al-Jannāt ‘The Garden of Paradise’ – Muhammad Bāqir al-Khwansari
f) Qisas al-‘Ulamā ‘Stories of the Ulema’ – Muhammad Tunukābunī
g) Tabaqāt a’lām ash-Shī’a ‘The Generations of the Eminent Persons among the Shi’a’ – Āghā Buzurg Ţihrānī
h) A’yān ash-Shī’a ‘The Notables of the Shi’a’ – Muhsin al-Amīn
Conclusion
The dynamic, powerful force that is Islam relies heavily upon the Holy Qur’ān and the sunna of the Prophet (SAW) and his 12 vicegerents (AS) for all aspects of its all-encompassing nature. The resurgence of the ‘Spirit’ of Islam amongst Muslims in the West and the fact that we find most primary sources tracing back to the Masoomeen (AS) to be in Arabic and almost inaccessible has meant that whilst Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari are parts of our everyday vocabulary, sadly the great works of the Shi’a have gone largely unnoticed.
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The Holy Qur’ān is the primary source of knowledge for the Muslims without dispute. From the verses cited above it is evident that great emphasis is given to the sunna or practice of the Holy Prophet (SAW) in the form of his words, deeds and taqrir . The belief in the Prophet’s (SAW) infallibility by most Muslims and that of the Holy Imāms (AS) according to the Shī’a, coupled with the divine ordinances mentioned above necessitates their exemplar to be followed. Their sunna is available to us in the form of hadīth.
The Prophet (SAW) himself gave instructions to the effect that his sunna, in the form of both oral transmission and written text should be recorded and passed on. When a deputation from the tribe of Rabī‘a came to him in the early period in Madīnah, he concluded his instructions to them by saying, ‘Remember this and report it to those whom you have left behind.’ Similar to this, he is reported to have said, ‘Go back to your people and teach them these things.’ Bukhari related that after the Hajj, the Prophet (SAW) gave a sermon in which he said, ‘He who is present here should carry this message to him who is absent.’
Hadīth, therefore, were not generally written down, the main method of transmission was oral. The Arabs of pre-Islamic times were famed for their ability to accurately memorise vast quantities of poetry, this skill did not diminish after the advent of Islam. Many of the Prophet’s (SAW) traditions were noted in written form too and the collections belonging to various people were referred to as sahifas. In fact, the first book of hadīth compiled in the world of Islam was the sahifa of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (AS) which was dictated by the Holy Prophet (SAW) himself and recorded by the 1st Imām (AS). This book contains all the details regarding the lawful and unlawful as well as a document concerning blood money and indemnity for bodily injuries which used to be hung by the scabbard of his sword. Al-Bukhari has quoted from it.
Thus the first steps to record the hadīth were taken during the Prophet’s (SAW) lifetime. His companions however, differed in respect to the effort and interest each one had in the manner of learning, teaching and preserving the hadīth. Following the sad demise of the Prophet (SAW), during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar ibn Al-Khattab advised that hadīth should be solely transmitted orally and many written documents were burned or discarded. This was ordered to take place allegedly out of fear that the Qur’ān may become neglected. [!:] It was not until his great grandson, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz, became Caliph in 99AH, that this matter was reconsidered at the highest level of authority and written transmission was again encouraged.
What is a hadīth?
A hadīth is a narration regarding the sunna of the Prophet (SAW) and for the Shī’a also of the Imāms (AS) and consists of:
a) the isnād – the chain of transmitters
b) the matn – the main text.
The Collections
The collections of hadīth can be regarded from two perspectives: the Sunni and the Shī’a. The works are distinct from each other for numerous theological, technical and factional differences. The foremost reason is that the Shī’a view the majority of companions of the Prophet (SAW) as unreliable narrators of his sunna because of their acceptance of the institution of the caliphate. This resulted in the majority of the Prophet’s (SAW) hadīth too being narrated by or through the Imāms (AS).
There are 6 canonical Sunni collections of hadīth which are regarded as sahih or correct, namely:
a) Sahih of al-Bukhari (Bukhari, DOB 194 AH)
b) Sahih of Muslim (Muslim, DOB 240 AH)
c) Sunan of Abu Dawūd (Abu Dawūd, 202-275 AH)
d) Sunan of an-Nisa’i (An-Nisa’i, 215-303 AH)
e) Sunan of ibn Majah (ibn Majah, DOB 209 AH)
f) Sunan of Tirmidhi (Tirmidhi, 209-279 AH)
The major works of the Shī’a, who regard the Qur’ān as the only sahih book, can be separated into 3 groups: the early, late and modern.
The Early Group of Collections
a) Al Kāfi fi ‘ilm ad-Dīn ‘The Sufficient in the Science of Religion’ –Muhammad al-Kulayni (d. 328/939)
b) Man la yahduruh al-Faqīh ‘He who has no Jurist present’ – Muhammad ibn Bābūya (d. 381/991)
c) Tahdhīb al-Ahkām ‘The Rectification of Judgements’ – Muhammad aţ-Ţusī (Shaykhuţ-Ţā’ifa) (d. 460/1067)
d) Al-Istibşār ‘The Perspicacious’ – Muhammad aţ-Ţusī (Shaykhuţ-Ţā’ifa) (d. 460/1067)
The authors are collectively known as the 3 Muhammads of the early period. (For detailed analysis of these texts see Great Shi’i Works by Dr. I.K.A. Howard.
The Late Group of Collections
a) Al-Wāfī ‘The Complete’ – Muhammad ibn Murtadhā (Mulla Muhsin-I-Fayd) (d. 1081/1680)
b) Wasā’il ash-Shī’a ‘The Means of the Shi’a’ – Muhammad ibn Hassan (Al-Hurr al-‘Āmili) (d.1104/1692)
c) Bihār al-Anwār ‘Oceans of Lights’ – Muhammad Bāqir Majlisī (d. 1110/1695).
The are unsurprisingly referred to as the 3 Muhammads of the late period. Incidentally, Bihār al-Anwār is a modest 111 volumes in total!
The Modern Group of Collections
There are 2 major works attributed to the modern era.
a) Mustadrak al-Wasā’il ‘The rectification of al-Wasa’il’ – Husayn an-Nuri aţ-Ţabarsī (d. 1320/1902)
b) Jāmi’ ahādīth ash-Shī’a ‘A collection of Shi’a Traditions’ – as-Sayyid al-Burūjirdī (d. 1380/1961)
The Issue of Forgery
Imām Muhammad al-Bāqir (AS) addressed Jābir (his companion) saying, “O Jābir! By Allāh, a tradition emerging from an authentic source is infinitely better for you than anything the sun shines over, till it sets.”
Although the forgery of hadīth took place during the time of the Prophet (SAW), he vehemently spoke out against it and it was thus minimal. (There were one or two renowned practitioners of the art though). Following the Prophet (SAW) however the practice became widespread for factional and political gains. The response of the Ulema was the conception of ‘Ilm ar-Rijaal or literally ‘The Science of Men’.
‘Ilm ar-Rijāl
This science was developed to examine the chain of narrators (isnād) of hadīth, assessing their credibility as narrators, and thereby classifying the reliability of hadīth. The system of classification resulted in 4 broad bands of assignment (the criteria for which were not exact or agreed upon unanimously).
a) Sahīh – Correct
b) Hassan – Good
c) Muwaththaq – Trustworthy
d) Da’īf – Weak
In addition, 2 further categories were introduced:
a) Mutawātir – Successive. (Given to a hadīth narrated by several chains of narrators and widely accepted as authentic.) Such hadīth are usually binding in matters of fiqh or law.
b) Khabar al-Wāhid – Single information. (Assigned to a hadīth narrated by only a single chain of narrators.) Such hadīth are used as guides in lawmaking.
The science necessitated in-depth analysis of individuals and consequently numerous biographical dictionaries appeared. The primary authors of which being Ahmad ibn ‘Alī an-Najāshi, Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al-Kashishī and Shaykhuţ-Ţā’ifa.
The subsequent undertaking of the role of narrator by the Ulema themselves ensured biographical literature concerning the scholars was soon made available. The 8 major works are:
a) Ma’ālim al-‘Ulamā ‘Guide Posts of the Ulema’ – ibn Shahrāshūb
b) Amal al-‘Āmil ‘The Hope of the [Jabal:] Amil’ – Al-Hurr al-‘Āmili
c) Lu’lu’āt al-Bahrayn ‘The Pearls of Bahrain’ – Yusuf al-Bahrānī
d) Nujūm as-Samā ‘The Stars of the Firmament’ – Muhammad ‘Alī Kashmiri
e) Rawdat al-Jannāt ‘The Garden of Paradise’ – Muhammad Bāqir al-Khwansari
f) Qisas al-‘Ulamā ‘Stories of the Ulema’ – Muhammad Tunukābunī
g) Tabaqāt a’lām ash-Shī’a ‘The Generations of the Eminent Persons among the Shi’a’ – Āghā Buzurg Ţihrānī
h) A’yān ash-Shī’a ‘The Notables of the Shi’a’ – Muhsin al-Amīn
Conclusion
The dynamic, powerful force that is Islam relies heavily upon the Holy Qur’ān and the sunna of the Prophet (SAW) and his 12 vicegerents (AS) for all aspects of its all-encompassing nature. The resurgence of the ‘Spirit’ of Islam amongst Muslims in the West and the fact that we find most primary sources tracing back to the Masoomeen (AS) to be in Arabic and almost inaccessible has meant that whilst Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari are parts of our everyday vocabulary, sadly the great works of the Shi’a have gone largely unnoticed.
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