NOBLE PROPHET'S GLORIOUS MISSION:
"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom They find mentioned In their own (scriptures),- In the Torah and the Gospel;- for He commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; He allows them As lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe In him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is They who will prosper." (The Holy Qur'an: 7: 157)
Showing posts with label Hadith History. Show all posts
The importance of knowing the Narrators of Hadith
Monday, July 05, 2010
The narrators of Hadeeth are the most honourable and respectable Muslims, as they are keepers and preservers of Sunnah. Most of them are the companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, who witnessed the acts and learnt the sayings of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. Others are the successors of the companions. Who were blessed by Allaah and they are highly respected by all Muslims. They are shinning stars of Islam.
Their hearts were free from worldly desires. Reading their biographies will increase love and devotion towards them and develop more interest to be faithful and obedient in the heart of the Muslim who reads their biography.
However, what is often forgotten by many Muslims is that the above divine promise also includes, by necessity, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, for it is the practical example of the implementation of the Quranic guidance, the Wisdom taught to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, along with the Scripture, and neither the Quran nor the Sunnah can be understood correctly without recourse to the other.
Allaah preserved the Sunnah by enabling the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, and their followers, may Allaah have mercy on them, to memorize, write down and pass on the statements of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and the descriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessings of practicing the Sunnah. Later, as the purity of the knowledge of the Sunnah became threatened, Allaah caused the Muslim nation to produce outstanding individuals of incredible memory-skills and analytical expertise, who journeyed tirelessly to collect hundreds of thousands of narrations and distinguish the true words of precious wisdom of their Messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, from those corrupted by weak memories, from forgeries by unscrupulous liars, and from the statements of the enormous number of scholars, the Companions and those who followed their way, who had taught in various centers of learning and helped to transmit the legacy of Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam - all of this achieved through precise attention to the words narrated and detailed familiarity with the biographies of the thousands of reporters of Hadeeth. Action being the best way to preserve teachings, the scholars of Islam also revived the practice of the blessed authentic Sunnah.
Unfortunately, however, statements will continue to be attributed to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, although the person quoting them may have no idea what the people of knowledge in the field of Hadeeth science have ruled regarding those hadeeths, thus ironically being in danger of contravening the Prophet's, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, widely-narrated stern warnings about attributing incorrect/unsound statements to him.
A Hadeeth is composed of two parts: the Matn (text) and the Isnaad (chain of reporters). A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but it needs an authentic Isnaad with reliable reporters to be acceptable. 'Abdullaah Ibn Al-Mubaarak may Allaah have mercy upon him (d. 181 AH), one of the illustrious teachers of Imaam Al-Bukhaari may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The Isnaad is part of the religion, had it not been for the Isnaad, then people would have claimed whatever they wished."
Among the sciences of Hadeeth is the study of the chain of reporters (the Isnaad). Many Muslim scholars have specialized in this field. It includes identifying the name of each and every narrator (reporter), his character (his truthfulness, piety, public behavior), his ability and reputation as a memorizer and the types of narrations he is known to report, whether authentic, weak, fabricated, etc. In addition, each narrator should be identified by a rating given by other narrators who knew him. So all of these and many other details must be considered to know the degree to which a Hadeeth may be used as a basis for Islamic belief or practice (Sharee’ah), or merely as a point of interest (not to be attributed to the sayings, etc. of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam).
After the Book of Allaah (The Quran), the books of Hadeeth collection that were collected by Imaams Bukhaari and Muslim, may Allaah have mercy upon them, are considered by the Muslim scholars to be the most authentic books of Hadeeth. However, there are other famous scholars in the field who compiled books of Hadeeth such as; Abu Daawood (d.275), At-Tirmithi (d. 279), An-Nasaa’i (d. 303) and others may Allaah have mercy upon them.
However, what is often forgotten by many Muslims is that the above divine promise also includes, by necessity, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, for it is the practical example of the implementation of the Quranic guidance, the Wisdom taught to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, along with the Scripture, and neither the Quran nor the Sunnah can be understood correctly without recourse to the other.
Allaah preserved the Sunnah by enabling the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, and their followers, may Allaah have mercy on them, to memorize, write down and pass on the statements of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and the descriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessings of practicing the Sunnah. Later, as the purity of the knowledge of the Sunnah became threatened, Allaah caused the Muslim nation to produce outstanding individuals of incredible memory-skills and analytical expertise, who journeyed tirelessly to collect hundreds of thousands of narrations and distinguish the true words of precious wisdom of their Messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, from those corrupted by weak memories, from forgeries by unscrupulous liars, and from the statements of the enormous number of scholars, the Companions and those who followed their way, who had taught in various centers of learning and helped to transmit the legacy of Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam - all of this achieved through precise attention to the words narrated and detailed familiarity with the biographies of the thousands of reporters of Hadeeth. Action being the best way to preserve teachings, the scholars of Islam also revived the practice of the blessed authentic Sunnah.
A Hadeeth is composed of two parts: the Matn (text) and the Isnaad (chain of reporters). A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but it needs an authentic Isnaad with reliable reporters to be acceptable. 'Abdullaah Ibn Al-Mubaarak may Allaah have mercy upon him (d. 181 AH), one of the illustrious teachers of Imaam Al-Bukhaari may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The Isnaad is part of the religion, had it not been for the Isnaad, then people would have claimed whatever they wished."
Among the sciences of Hadeeth is the study of the chain of reporters (the Isnaad). Many Muslim scholars have specialized in this field. It includes identifying the name of each and every narrator (reporter), his character (his truthfulness, piety, public behavior), his ability and reputation as a memorizer and the types of narrations he is known to report, whether authentic, weak, fabricated, etc. In addition, each narrator should be identified by a rating given by other narrators who knew him. So all of these and many other details must be considered to know the degree to which a Hadeeth may be used as a basis for Islamic belief or practice (Sharee’ah), or merely as a point of interest (not to be attributed to the sayings, etc. of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam).
After the Book of Allaah (The Quran), the books of Hadeeth collection that were collected by Imaams Bukhaari and Muslim, may Allaah have mercy upon them, are considered by the Muslim scholars to be the most authentic books of Hadeeth. However, there are other famous scholars in the field who compiled books of Hadeeth such as; Abu Daawood (d.275), At-Tirmithi (d. 279), An-Nasaa’i (d. 303) and others may Allaah have mercy upon them.
Among the sciences of Hadeeth is the study of the chain of reporters (the Isnaad). Many Muslim scholars have specialized in this field. It includes identifying the name of each and every narrator (reporter), his character (his truthfulness, piety, public behavior), his ability and reputation as a memorizer and the types of narrations he is known to report, whether authentic, weak, fabricated, etc. In addition, each narrator should be identified by a rating given by other narrators who knew him. So all of these and many other details must be considered to know the degree to which a Hadeeth may be used as a basis for Islamic belief or practice (Sharee’ah), or merely as a point of interest (not to be attributed to the sayings, etc. of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam).
After the Book of Allaah (The Quran), the books of Hadeeth collection that were collected by Imaams Bukhaari and Muslim, may Allaah have mercy upon them, are considered by the Muslim scholars to be the most authentic books of Hadeeth. However, there are other famous scholars in the field who compiled books of Hadeeth such as; Abu Daawood (d.275), At-Tirmithi (d. 279), An-Nasaa’i (d. 303) and others may Allaah have mercy upon them.
What are the Collections of Hadith?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
There are two kinds of Hadith compilations: musannaf and musnad. In musannaf collections, hadiths are recorded under various headings dealing with juridical subjects. The most famous musannaf collections are:
- Sahih Al-Bukhari (d. AH 256/870 CE)
- Sahih Muslim (d. AH 261/874 CE)
- Sunan An-Nasa'i (d. AH 303/916 CE)
- Sunan Abi Dawud (d. AH 275/889 CE)
- Sunan At-Tirmidhi (d. AH 279/892 CE)
- Sunan Ibn Majah (d. AH 273/886 CE)
What are Matn, Sanad and Isnad?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
In each hadith, there are two elements: sanad or isnad, and matn. Sanad or isnad is the chain of narrators of the hadith, while matn is the text of the hadith. take the following hadith reported by Al-Bukhari as an example:
Al-Bukhari reported that: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us from Al-Layth from `Uqayl from Ibn Shuhba from `Urwah from `A'ishah who said, “Whenever the Prophet was given an option between two things, he used to select the easier of the two as long as it was not sinful; but if it was sinful, he would remain far from it.”
The phrase “Al-Bukhari reported that: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us from Al-Layth from `Uqayl from Ibn Shuhba from `Urwah from `A'ishah who said” represents the chain of narrators or isnad.
The statement “Whenever the Prophet was given an option between two things…” represents the matnof the hadith.
Courtesy:http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1158658458467&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah/LSELayout
Al-Bukhari reported that: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us from Al-Layth from `Uqayl from Ibn Shuhba from `Urwah from `A'ishah who said, “Whenever the Prophet was given an option between two things, he used to select the easier of the two as long as it was not sinful; but if it was sinful, he would remain far from it.”
The phrase “Al-Bukhari reported that: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us from Al-Layth from `Uqayl from Ibn Shuhba from `Urwah from `A'ishah who said” represents the chain of narrators or isnad.
The statement “Whenever the Prophet was given an option between two things…” represents the matnof the hadith.
Courtesy:http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1158658458467&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah/LSELayout
A Brief History of Hadith Methodology
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
By Dr. Suhaib Hassan
As time passed, more reporters were involved in each isnad (chain of narrators), and so the situation demanded strict discipline in the acceptance of hadiths; the rules regulating this discipline are known as mustalahal-hadith (Hadith methodology).
Among the early traditionists (muhaddithun, scholars of Hadith), the rules and criteria governing their study of Hadith were meticulous, but some of their terminology varied from person to person, and their principles began to be systematically written down, but scattered among various books; for example, in Ar-Risalah of Ash-Shafi`i (d. AH 204), the introduction to the Sahih of Muslim (d. AH 261) and the Jami`of At-Tirmidhi (d. AH 279). Many of the criteria of early traditionists, for example Al-Bukhari, were deduced by later scholars from a careful study of which reporters or isnads were accepted and rejected by them.
One of the earliest writings to attempt to cover methodology comprehensively, using standard (generally accepted) terminology, was the work by Ar-Ramahurmuzi (d. AH 360). The next major contribution was Ma`rifat `Ulum al-Hadithby Al-Hakim (d. AH 405), which covered 50 classifications of Hadith, but still left some points untouched; Abu Nu`aim Al-Asbahani (d. AH 430) completed some of the missing parts to this work. After that came Al-Kifayah fi `Ilm ar-Riwayah of Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi (d. AH 463) and another work on the manner of teaching and studying Hadith. Later scholars were considered to be greatly indebted to Al-Khatib’s work.
After further contributions by Qadi `Iyad Al-Yahsubi (d. AH 544) and Abu Hafs Al-Mayanji (d. AH 580) among others, came the work which, although modest in size, was so comprehensive in its excellent treatment of the subject that it came to be the standard reference for thousands of scholars and students of Hadith to come, over many centuries until the present day:`Ulum al-Hadithof Abu `Amr `Uthman ibn As-Salah (d. AH 643), commonly known as Muqaddimat Ibn As-Salah(Muqaddimahof Ibn As-Salah), compiled while he taught in the dar al-Hadith (Hadith school) of several cities in Syria. Some of the numerous later works based on that of Ibn As-Salah are these:
----Based on the book: An Introduction to the Science of Hadith, with the author's kind permission. Excerpted, with some modifications from: http://www.ymofmd.com/hadith/Intro_Science_Hadith/asa1.htm
Courtesy: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1158658489226&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah/LSELayout
As time passed, more reporters were involved in each isnad (chain of narrators), and so the situation demanded strict discipline in the acceptance of hadiths; the rules regulating this discipline are known as mustalahal-hadith (Hadith methodology).
Among the early traditionists (muhaddithun, scholars of Hadith), the rules and criteria governing their study of Hadith were meticulous, but some of their terminology varied from person to person, and their principles began to be systematically written down, but scattered among various books; for example, in Ar-Risalah of Ash-Shafi`i (d. AH 204), the introduction to the Sahih of Muslim (d. AH 261) and the Jami`of At-Tirmidhi (d. AH 279). Many of the criteria of early traditionists, for example Al-Bukhari, were deduced by later scholars from a careful study of which reporters or isnads were accepted and rejected by them.
One of the earliest writings to attempt to cover methodology comprehensively, using standard (generally accepted) terminology, was the work by Ar-Ramahurmuzi (d. AH 360). The next major contribution was Ma`rifat `Ulum al-Hadithby Al-Hakim (d. AH 405), which covered 50 classifications of Hadith, but still left some points untouched; Abu Nu`aim Al-Asbahani (d. AH 430) completed some of the missing parts to this work. After that came Al-Kifayah fi `Ilm ar-Riwayah of Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi (d. AH 463) and another work on the manner of teaching and studying Hadith. Later scholars were considered to be greatly indebted to Al-Khatib’s work.
After further contributions by Qadi `Iyad Al-Yahsubi (d. AH 544) and Abu Hafs Al-Mayanji (d. AH 580) among others, came the work which, although modest in size, was so comprehensive in its excellent treatment of the subject that it came to be the standard reference for thousands of scholars and students of Hadith to come, over many centuries until the present day:`Ulum al-Hadithof Abu `Amr `Uthman ibn As-Salah (d. AH 643), commonly known as Muqaddimat Ibn As-Salah(Muqaddimahof Ibn As-Salah), compiled while he taught in the dar al-Hadith (Hadith school) of several cities in Syria. Some of the numerous later works based on that of Ibn As-Salah are these:
- Al-Irshad, an abridgement ofMuqaddimah, by An-Nawawi (d. AH 676), which he later summarized in hisTaqrib. As-Suyuti (d. AH 911) compiled a valuable commentary on the latter entitledTadrib Al-Rawi.
- Ikhtisar `Ulum al-Hadithby Ibn Kathir (d. AH 774);Al-Khulasahby Al-Taibi (d. AH 743);Al-Minhalby Badr Ad-Din ibn Jama`ah (d. AH 733);Al-Muqni`by Ibn Al-Mulaqqin (d. AH 802); andMahasin al-Istilahby Al-Balqini (d. AH 805 ), all of which are abridgements ofMuqaddimatIbn As-Salah.
- Nukatby Az-Zarkashi (d. AH 794);At-Taqyid wal-Idahby Al-`Iraqi (d. AH 806); andAn-Nukatby Ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalani (d. AH 852), all of which are further notes on the points made by Ibn As-Salah.
- Alfiyyat al-Hadithby Al-`Iraqi, a rewriting ofMuqaddimahin the form of a lengthy poem, which became the subject of several commentaries, including two (one long, one short) by the author himself;Fath al-Mughithby As-Sakhawi (d. AH 903);Qatar ad-Durarby As-Suyuti; andFath al-Baqiby Sheikh Zakariya Al-Ansari (d. AH 928).
- Al-Iqtirahby Ibn Daqiq Al-`Id (d. AH 702);Tanqih al-Anzarby Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al-Wazir (d. AH 840), which was the subject of a commentary by Al-Amir As-San`ani (d. AH 1182).
- Nukhbat al-Fikarby Ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalani, again the subject of several commentaries, including one by the author himself, one by his son Muhammad, and those of `Ali Al-Qari (d. AH 1014), `Abdur-Ra’uf Al-Munawi (d. AH 1031) and Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Hadi As-Sindi (d. AH 1138). Among those who rephrased theNukhbahin poetic form are At-Tufi (d. AH 893) and Al-Amir As-San`ani.
- Alfiyyat al-Hadithby As-Suyuti, the most comprehensive poetic work in the field;Al-Manzumahby Al-Baiquni, which was expanded upon by, among others, Az-Zurqani (d. AH 1122) and Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (d. AH 1307);Qawa`id at-Tahdithby Jamal Ad-Din Al-Qasimi (d. AH 1332).
- Tawjih an-Nazarby Tahir Al-Jaza’iri (d. AH 1338), a summary of Al-Hakim’sMa`rifah.
----Based on the book: An Introduction to the Science of Hadith, with the author's kind permission. Excerpted, with some modifications from: http://www.ymofmd.com/hadith/Intro_Science_Hadith/asa1.htm
It Is Reported That The Prophet Said......
Friday, March 26, 2010One often reads “It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said…” or similar words. These reports are known as Hadiths (meaning “statements”, but often called Traditions in English). They have been handed down to us from the Companions, the Muslims who lived at the time of the Prophet.
Actually, a Hadith might be a report of what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, did, or what he approved or disapproved of. The collection of the deeds, practices, and words of the Prophet—known from the Hadiths—is known as the Sunnah, and it forms the second source of Islamic Law after the Qur’an.
Muslims accept the Sunnah as equivalent to the Qur’an, the Book of Allah (God), and its ordinances are of equal weight to the ordinances of the Qur’an. This is because both the Qur’an and Sunnah are from Allah.
Sometimes the Qur’an gives a general principle, and the details are known only from the Sunnah. An example of this is the five daily ritual Prayers (Salah). The Qur’an instructs us to remember Allah at various times of the day, but the details of exactly when and how to perform Salah are known from the Sunnah, the words and actions of the Prophet himself (peace and blessings be upon him).
Some Hadiths were written down during the life of the Prophet, while others were passed on orally and collected later. Scholars study the Prophetic Hadiths and their chains of oral transmission to determine which are valid or authoritative. No Hadith is held true or cited as a proof unless it can be authentically attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
There are six well known collections of Hadiths, the most authoritative of which are those by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. After a Hadith is quoted, it is common to cite the collection(s) from which it came. If the same Hadith appears in all of them, the words “agreed upon” or “the group” will usually follow it.
There are approximately 10,000 Hadiths. They are widely available in libraries and bookshops throughout the Muslim world. Some of the collections have been translated into English and other languages. But like the Qur’an, they can only be fully understood in Arabic, and only the Arabic text can be used in making religious rulings.
Stages of Recording Hadith
Monday, March 22, 2010Some people allege that there was no methodology for recording Hadith, especially during the Prophet's lifetime, and accordingly, this casts doubt about the authenticity of the science of Hadith and Sunnah in general.
As far as the first method is concerned, the Prophet used to repeat important things three times and then listen to what the Companions had learned from him. The second method includes all the letters of the Prophet to kings inviting them to Islam, and to Muslim governors detailing the rules of zakah and other legal matters. Likewise, the Prophet taught his Companions how to perform ablution, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and so on. This represents the third method of teaching the Sunnah by the Prophet.
The Companions played an important role in learning and teaching the Hadith of the Prophet. They used all the three methods applied by the Prophet to teach the Sunnah, and they committed hadiths of the Prophet to memory.
Writing Down of the Hadith (Tadwin Al-Hadith)
In Hadith literature, we are faced with hadiths that forbid and others that permit the writing down of hadiths.
Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri reported a hadith that forbids the writing down of hadiths: “Do not write from me anything except the Qur’an and whosoever has written anything from me other than the Qur’an should erase it.”
This is the only sound hadith in this regard. Other often-quoted hadiths that forbid the writing down of hadiths are weak and unacceptable. The above mentioned hadith is recorded in Al-Bukhari, and according to him it is the statement of Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri himself. The hadith meant that nothing should be written with the Qur’an on the same sheet, as this might lead to mixing the text of the Qur’an with that of the Hadith. This command was given when the Qur’an was being revealed bit by bit and was yet incomplete.
Another interpretation of the hadith is that it was forbidden to write down hadiths in early days because all attention was to be paid to the Qur’an and its preservation. Then later on, when there was no fear of abandoning the Qur’an, the previous order was abrogated and the Companions were permitted to write down hadiths. On the other hand, we have evidence that the Prophet approved of writing down his hadiths.
We find that many Companions recorded hadiths. For example, `Abdullah ibn `Amr was permitted and even encouraged by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to write down Hadith. In addition, some 50 Companions and many followers are said to have possessed manuscripts (sahifah, Arabic plural suhuf), which was used as a term to designate compendia of Hadith that emerged during the century before the formation of the classical collections. The original manuscripts have been lost, but a very few copies have survived. An example is the manuscript of Hammam ibn Munabbih, who learned from Abu Hurairah and from him he wrote his manuscript which contains 138 hadiths. This manuscript is believed to have been written down around the middle of the first century after the Hijrah (seventh century CE).
In the beginning of the second Hijri century, during the reign of `Umar ibn `Abdul-`Aziz (AH 97-101/715-19 CE) the texts of Hadith were committed to writing. The Sunnah was collected in Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Khurasan. Leading theologians uttered some statements warning against unscrupulous reporters and their unreliable reports.
Imam Malik (d. AH 179/795 CE) was the first to undertake the comprehensive and systematic compilation of Hadith. His work is known as Al-Muwatta’ (The Trodden Path). Later, other compilations came into existence.
In this regard, it is very important to note that there are two kinds of compilations:musnad and musannaf. Inmusnad collections, hadiths are arranged alphabetically under the names of the Companions on whose authority these hadiths were reported. An example of this kind is theMusnad of Ibn Hanbal (d. AH 241/855 CE).
In musannaf collections, hadiths are recorded under various headings dealing with juridical subjects such as As-Sihah As-Sittah (The Six Authentic Books of Hadith), namely the compilations of Al-Bukhari (d. AH 256/870 CE), Muslim (d. AH 261/874 CE), An-Nasa’i (d. AH 303/916 CE), Abu Dawud (d. AH 275/889 CE), At-Tirmidhi (d. AH 279/892 CE), and Ibn Majah (d. AH 273/886 CE).
Evolution of the Science of Hadith
As time passed, many hadiths appeared due to several reasons. Some of these hadiths were not authentic. Therefore, it was quite necessary to sift out the authentic from the fabricated. One can say that this task was as necessary as that of removing the weeds from a flower bed. To be sure, the task was not that easy for early scholars to develop a tool by which they could regulate such immense Hadith literature.
It should be observed that the rules and criteria developed by Hadith scholars regulating their study of Hadith were meticulous, but some of their terminology varied from person to person, and their principles began to be systematically written down, but scattered among various books, for example, the Risalah of Ash-Shafi`i, the introduction to theSahih of Muslim, and the Jami`of At-Tirmidhi. Many of the criteria of early Hadith scholars, such as Al-Bukhari, were deduced by later scholars from a careful study of which reporters or isnads (chains of transmission) were accepted or rejected by them.
In this way the science of Hadith (mustalah al-hadith) emerged. It was the purpose of this science to sift, organize, develop, and systemize earlier material. Scholars put forward theories, expanded biographical works of all generations, made full and well-defined classification of narrators and hadiths, and subjected works of leading compilers to vigorous scrutiny, sparing not even Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Courtesy: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1158658454996&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah/LSELayout
Hadith Narrators Among the Prophet's Companions
Monday, March 22, 2010
By Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Among the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) were famous narrators of Hadith. They enjoyed the firsthand experience of hearing the Prophet's teachings and observing his conduct. Below are some information on the seven most famous narrators among the Companions. They are also among those called the mukaththiroon (i.e., those who narrated a lot of hadiths), as they narrated more than a thousand hadiths each.
Abu Hurairah
Abu Hurairah stands at the top of the list of Hadith transmitters. This is because of the sheer bulk of his narrations. He was regarded by the Prophet himself as the most eager, among all Muslims, to acquire the knowledge of Hadith.
Belonging to the tribe of Daws, an offshoot of the great clan of Azd, Abu Hurairah came to Madinah in the seventh year of the Hijrah (the Prophet's migration to Madinah). On being told that the Prophet was in Khaybar, he went there and accepted Islam. Since that time and until the death of the Prophet, Abu Hurairah constantly remained in the company of the Prophet, attending him and memorizing his words during the day, thereby sacrificing all worldly pursuits and pleasures.
We are told that Abu Hurairah would divide his nights into three parts: one for sleeping, one for praying, and one for studying. After the death of the Prophet, he was appointed governor of Bahrain for a while during the caliphate of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab. He also acted as governor of Madinah under the early Umayyad caliphs. He died in AH 59 (678 CE).
When the Prophet died, information about religion and jurisprudential judgments had to be sought indirectly. At that time, Abu Hurairah (who instructed more than 800 students in Hadith) poured out the store of knowledge he had so meticulously accumulated. At times he was taken to task for reporting certain hadiths unknown to other Companions. But he would reply that he had simply learned what the Ansar (Muslims of Madinah) had missed because they had been attending to their lands and properties, and what the Muhajirun (Immigrants to Madinah) had failed to learn because of their commercial activities.
Once he was taken to task by `Abdullah ibn `Umar for relating a particular hadith, so Abu Hurairah took him to `A'ishah, who bore witness to the truth of what Abu Hurairah had related. His knowledge and memory were also tested by Marwan ibn Al-Hakam, the then governor of Madinah. Having written down some hadiths related by Abu Hurairah, Ibn Al-Hakam wanted him to relate the same after a year. He found them to be exactly identical to Abu Hurairah's earlier narration.
When one considers Abu Hurairah's intense dedication to learning Hadith, his devotion to the Prophet, and the various tests applied to his memory and scholarship by his contemporaries, one finds it inconceivable that he would have fabricated any hadith. This does not mean, however, that some material was not falsely imputed to him at a later time. The fact that he narrated a uniquely large number of hadiths did make inventing hadiths in his name an attractive proposition.
`Abdullah ibn `Umar
The son of Caliph `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, Ibn `Umar is the second most prolific narrator of Hadith. He and his father had simultaneously accepted Islam, and they immigrated to Madinah together. Ibn `Umar took part in many battles during the Prophet's lifetime; he also took part in the wars in Mesopotamia, Persia, and Egypt. However, he maintained strict neutrality in the conflicts that erupted among the Muslims following the assassination of the third caliph, `Uthman ibn `Affan.
Despite the immense esteem and honor in which he was held by all Muslims, who repeatedly asked him to become caliph (an offer which he refused), he kept himself aloof from factional strife. Throughout those years, he led an unselfish, pious life, setting an example of an ideal citizen, just as his father had set an example of an ideal ruler. He died in Makkah in the year AH 74 (692 CE) at the age of 87.
`Abdullah's long association with the Prophet and his kinship with the Prophet's wife Hafsah and with certain other Companions offered him a superb opportunity to learn Hadith. His long, peaceful life gave him time and leisure enough to teach and spread the hadiths he had learned among the Muslims who assiduously sought them.
He was renowned for the extreme scrupulousness with which he related hadiths. Ash-Sha`bi, the famous Hadith narrator, remarks that he did not hear a single hadith from him for a whole year. When Ibn `Umar related hadiths, his eyes would be filled with tears. His activities in the service of Islam, his austere life, his straightforward and honest character, and his careful treatment of the hadiths render the material we have from him of the highest value.
Anas ibn Malik
At the age of 10, Anas was presented by his mother, Umm Sulaym, to the Prophet following the Hijrah. From that time and until the Prophet's death, Anas was the Prophet's favorite attendant, and afterward he was appointed by Abu Bakr As-Siddiq as a tax collector in Bahrain. Toward the end of his life, Anas settled in Basra, where he died in 93 AH (711 CE). He is said to have lived more than a hundred years.
During the 10 years he spent in the Prophet's service, he was able to memorize a large number of his words. Later, he also learned a good deal of the Prophet's hadiths from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, and many other Companions. His knowledge of Hadith was so copious that his death was regarded as a deathblow to half of the entire mass of hadiths. Scholars of Hadith accept him as one of the most prolific narrators of Hadith.
Mother of the Believers `A'ishah
`A'ishah occupies the fourth place among the mukaththiroon. She enjoyed the constant company of the Prophet for about eight years and a half. She died in 57 AH (676 CE) at the age of 65.
`A'ishah was naturally endowed with a retentive memory and a developed critical faculty that enabled her to memorize a large number of ancient Arab poems, for which she was a recognized reference. During her lifetime, she was also esteemed for her expertise in medicine and Islamic law.
Regarding Hadith, not only did she learn a large volume of hadiths from her husband but also she showed critical appreciation of them and corrected many Companions' mistakes in understanding.
When, for instance, Ibn `Umar related that the Prophet had said that the dead are punished in their graves on account of the wailing of their relatives, she pointed out that the Prophet had said that while the dead are punished in their graves for their sins, their relatives weep for them.
It was on account of her extensive knowledge of Hadith and Islamic law that even the most important Companions sought her advice on jurisprudential problems. A long list of those who related Hadith on her authority may be found in Ibn Hajar's book Tahtheeb At-Tahtheeb.
`Abdullah ibn `Abbas
He was born three years before the Prophet's Hijrah and was thirteen years old at the time of the Prophet's death. He was greatly loved by the Prophet, as is apparent from the hadiths that concern him. He died in AH 68 (687 CE) at the age of 71.
It appears that despite his youth he learned a few hadiths directly from the Prophet. Ibn Hajar refers (quoting Yahya ibn Al-Qattan) to the assertion that Ibn `Abbas related only four to ten hadiths from the Prophet, and adds that this estimate is incorrect because the authentic books of Al-Bukhari and Muslim alone contain more than ten hadiths related by Ibn `Abbas directly from the Prophet.
There is, however, no doubt that the number of hadiths related by Ibn `Abbas directly from the Prophet is very small in comparison with what he related via some Companions. He learned these hadiths through years of hard labor. He remarked, "Whenever I expected to learn any hadith from a Companion, I would go to his door and wait there until he came out and said, 'O cousin of the Prophet, what brings you here? Why did you not send for me?' And I would reply that it was only proper that I go to him. Then I learn the hadith from him."
Ibn `Abbas was held in universal awe for his intellectual powers and capacity for memorization. He was entirely devoted to the study of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and was loved and respected for his scholarship by all the first four caliphs, as well as his contemporaries. He collected a large body of hadiths, which he wrote down in books. He delivered lectures on them to his disciples. His tafseer (exegesis) of the Qur'an (which was handed down by his student Mujahid) is well known. It has been referred to by numerous later commentators.
Jabir ibn `Abdullah
This Companion is one of the early converts to Islam in Madinah. He was present in Makkah at the second meeting of the Prophet and the first group of Muslims of Madinah .He took part in 19 battles in the Prophet's company, and died in Madinah in ca. AH 74 (693 CE) at the age of 94.
Not only did he learn hadiths from the Prophet but also he learned hadiths from many of the Prophet's important Companions, including Abu Bakr, `Umar, and others. He also studied under some of the Tabi`in (first generation after the Prophet), including the famous Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Abu Bakr. He used to teach Hadith regularly in the mosque in Madinah.
Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri
His name is Sa`d ibn Malik, and he is another early convert of Madinah. His father was killed during the Battle of Uhud. He, himself, took part in 12 of the battles fought during the Prophet's lifetime. He died in Madinah in AH 64 (683 CE).
Like Abu Hurairah, he was one of Ahl-us-Suffah — those people who lived on the porch of the Prophet's dwelling by the mosque in order to dedicate themselves to an austere life of Prayer and learning. He learned the Sunnah from the Prophet, as well as from his important Companions, such as Abu Bakr, `Umar, and Zayd ibn Thabit. He was considered the best jurist among the young Companions.
`Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al-`Aas
He was an early convert who struggled for the cause of Islam, enjoyed the company of the Prophet for many years, and lived long enough after the death of the Prophet to transmit the hadiths that he had learned from him. Although he lived during the period of the civil war, Ibn `Amr resembled Ibn `Umar in keeping himself aloof from factional strife. He was, however, present at the Battle of Siffin at the insistence of his father, but he took no active part in it. Later, he deeply regretted that he had been present there at all.
His interest in perpetuating the Sunnah of the Prophet was intense. He wrote down all the hadiths he had learned from him, collecting a thousand of them in one work that he called As-Sahifah As-Sadiqah. When he settled in Makkah, students of Hadith flocked to him in droves. But, because he lived for the most part of his life either in Egypt or in At-Ta'if and because he occupied himself more with Prayer than with the teaching of Hadith, the later generations of Muslims received fewer hadiths from him than from Abu Hurairah, `A'ishah, and others.
Courtesy: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1258880642916&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah/LSELayout
Among the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) were famous narrators of Hadith. They enjoyed the firsthand experience of hearing the Prophet's teachings and observing his conduct. Below are some information on the seven most famous narrators among the Companions. They are also among those called the mukaththiroon (i.e., those who narrated a lot of hadiths), as they narrated more than a thousand hadiths each.
Abu Hurairah
Abu Hurairah stands at the top of the list of Hadith transmitters. This is because of the sheer bulk of his narrations. He was regarded by the Prophet himself as the most eager, among all Muslims, to acquire the knowledge of Hadith.
Belonging to the tribe of Daws, an offshoot of the great clan of Azd, Abu Hurairah came to Madinah in the seventh year of the Hijrah (the Prophet's migration to Madinah). On being told that the Prophet was in Khaybar, he went there and accepted Islam. Since that time and until the death of the Prophet, Abu Hurairah constantly remained in the company of the Prophet, attending him and memorizing his words during the day, thereby sacrificing all worldly pursuits and pleasures.
We are told that Abu Hurairah would divide his nights into three parts: one for sleeping, one for praying, and one for studying. After the death of the Prophet, he was appointed governor of Bahrain for a while during the caliphate of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab. He also acted as governor of Madinah under the early Umayyad caliphs. He died in AH 59 (678 CE).
When the Prophet died, information about religion and jurisprudential judgments had to be sought indirectly. At that time, Abu Hurairah (who instructed more than 800 students in Hadith) poured out the store of knowledge he had so meticulously accumulated. At times he was taken to task for reporting certain hadiths unknown to other Companions. But he would reply that he had simply learned what the Ansar (Muslims of Madinah) had missed because they had been attending to their lands and properties, and what the Muhajirun (Immigrants to Madinah) had failed to learn because of their commercial activities.
Once he was taken to task by `Abdullah ibn `Umar for relating a particular hadith, so Abu Hurairah took him to `A'ishah, who bore witness to the truth of what Abu Hurairah had related. His knowledge and memory were also tested by Marwan ibn Al-Hakam, the then governor of Madinah. Having written down some hadiths related by Abu Hurairah, Ibn Al-Hakam wanted him to relate the same after a year. He found them to be exactly identical to Abu Hurairah's earlier narration.
When one considers Abu Hurairah's intense dedication to learning Hadith, his devotion to the Prophet, and the various tests applied to his memory and scholarship by his contemporaries, one finds it inconceivable that he would have fabricated any hadith. This does not mean, however, that some material was not falsely imputed to him at a later time. The fact that he narrated a uniquely large number of hadiths did make inventing hadiths in his name an attractive proposition.
`Abdullah ibn `Umar
The son of Caliph `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, Ibn `Umar is the second most prolific narrator of Hadith. He and his father had simultaneously accepted Islam, and they immigrated to Madinah together. Ibn `Umar took part in many battles during the Prophet's lifetime; he also took part in the wars in Mesopotamia, Persia, and Egypt. However, he maintained strict neutrality in the conflicts that erupted among the Muslims following the assassination of the third caliph, `Uthman ibn `Affan.
Despite the immense esteem and honor in which he was held by all Muslims, who repeatedly asked him to become caliph (an offer which he refused), he kept himself aloof from factional strife. Throughout those years, he led an unselfish, pious life, setting an example of an ideal citizen, just as his father had set an example of an ideal ruler. He died in Makkah in the year AH 74 (692 CE) at the age of 87.
`Abdullah's long association with the Prophet and his kinship with the Prophet's wife Hafsah and with certain other Companions offered him a superb opportunity to learn Hadith. His long, peaceful life gave him time and leisure enough to teach and spread the hadiths he had learned among the Muslims who assiduously sought them.
He was renowned for the extreme scrupulousness with which he related hadiths. Ash-Sha`bi, the famous Hadith narrator, remarks that he did not hear a single hadith from him for a whole year. When Ibn `Umar related hadiths, his eyes would be filled with tears. His activities in the service of Islam, his austere life, his straightforward and honest character, and his careful treatment of the hadiths render the material we have from him of the highest value.
Anas ibn Malik
At the age of 10, Anas was presented by his mother, Umm Sulaym, to the Prophet following the Hijrah. From that time and until the Prophet's death, Anas was the Prophet's favorite attendant, and afterward he was appointed by Abu Bakr As-Siddiq as a tax collector in Bahrain. Toward the end of his life, Anas settled in Basra, where he died in 93 AH (711 CE). He is said to have lived more than a hundred years.
During the 10 years he spent in the Prophet's service, he was able to memorize a large number of his words. Later, he also learned a good deal of the Prophet's hadiths from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, and many other Companions. His knowledge of Hadith was so copious that his death was regarded as a deathblow to half of the entire mass of hadiths. Scholars of Hadith accept him as one of the most prolific narrators of Hadith.
Mother of the Believers `A'ishah
`A'ishah occupies the fourth place among the mukaththiroon. She enjoyed the constant company of the Prophet for about eight years and a half. She died in 57 AH (676 CE) at the age of 65.
`A'ishah was naturally endowed with a retentive memory and a developed critical faculty that enabled her to memorize a large number of ancient Arab poems, for which she was a recognized reference. During her lifetime, she was also esteemed for her expertise in medicine and Islamic law.
Regarding Hadith, not only did she learn a large volume of hadiths from her husband but also she showed critical appreciation of them and corrected many Companions' mistakes in understanding.
When, for instance, Ibn `Umar related that the Prophet had said that the dead are punished in their graves on account of the wailing of their relatives, she pointed out that the Prophet had said that while the dead are punished in their graves for their sins, their relatives weep for them.
It was on account of her extensive knowledge of Hadith and Islamic law that even the most important Companions sought her advice on jurisprudential problems. A long list of those who related Hadith on her authority may be found in Ibn Hajar's book Tahtheeb At-Tahtheeb.
`Abdullah ibn `Abbas
He was born three years before the Prophet's Hijrah and was thirteen years old at the time of the Prophet's death. He was greatly loved by the Prophet, as is apparent from the hadiths that concern him. He died in AH 68 (687 CE) at the age of 71.
It appears that despite his youth he learned a few hadiths directly from the Prophet. Ibn Hajar refers (quoting Yahya ibn Al-Qattan) to the assertion that Ibn `Abbas related only four to ten hadiths from the Prophet, and adds that this estimate is incorrect because the authentic books of Al-Bukhari and Muslim alone contain more than ten hadiths related by Ibn `Abbas directly from the Prophet.
There is, however, no doubt that the number of hadiths related by Ibn `Abbas directly from the Prophet is very small in comparison with what he related via some Companions. He learned these hadiths through years of hard labor. He remarked, "Whenever I expected to learn any hadith from a Companion, I would go to his door and wait there until he came out and said, 'O cousin of the Prophet, what brings you here? Why did you not send for me?' And I would reply that it was only proper that I go to him. Then I learn the hadith from him."
Ibn `Abbas was held in universal awe for his intellectual powers and capacity for memorization. He was entirely devoted to the study of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and was loved and respected for his scholarship by all the first four caliphs, as well as his contemporaries. He collected a large body of hadiths, which he wrote down in books. He delivered lectures on them to his disciples. His tafseer (exegesis) of the Qur'an (which was handed down by his student Mujahid) is well known. It has been referred to by numerous later commentators.
Jabir ibn `Abdullah
This Companion is one of the early converts to Islam in Madinah. He was present in Makkah at the second meeting of the Prophet and the first group of Muslims of Madinah .He took part in 19 battles in the Prophet's company, and died in Madinah in ca. AH 74 (693 CE) at the age of 94.
Not only did he learn hadiths from the Prophet but also he learned hadiths from many of the Prophet's important Companions, including Abu Bakr, `Umar, and others. He also studied under some of the Tabi`in (first generation after the Prophet), including the famous Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Abu Bakr. He used to teach Hadith regularly in the mosque in Madinah.
Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri
His name is Sa`d ibn Malik, and he is another early convert of Madinah. His father was killed during the Battle of Uhud. He, himself, took part in 12 of the battles fought during the Prophet's lifetime. He died in Madinah in AH 64 (683 CE).
Like Abu Hurairah, he was one of Ahl-us-Suffah — those people who lived on the porch of the Prophet's dwelling by the mosque in order to dedicate themselves to an austere life of Prayer and learning. He learned the Sunnah from the Prophet, as well as from his important Companions, such as Abu Bakr, `Umar, and Zayd ibn Thabit. He was considered the best jurist among the young Companions.
`Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al-`Aas
He was an early convert who struggled for the cause of Islam, enjoyed the company of the Prophet for many years, and lived long enough after the death of the Prophet to transmit the hadiths that he had learned from him. Although he lived during the period of the civil war, Ibn `Amr resembled Ibn `Umar in keeping himself aloof from factional strife. He was, however, present at the Battle of Siffin at the insistence of his father, but he took no active part in it. Later, he deeply regretted that he had been present there at all.
His interest in perpetuating the Sunnah of the Prophet was intense. He wrote down all the hadiths he had learned from him, collecting a thousand of them in one work that he called As-Sahifah As-Sadiqah. When he settled in Makkah, students of Hadith flocked to him in droves. But, because he lived for the most part of his life either in Egypt or in At-Ta'if and because he occupied himself more with Prayer than with the teaching of Hadith, the later generations of Muslims received fewer hadiths from him than from Abu Hurairah, `A'ishah, and others.
Courtesy: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1258880642916&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah/LSELayout
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