Islamic Online University

The Foundations of Islamic Studies 101

Islamic
Online
University
http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com

Islamic Online University

The Foundations of Islamic Studies 101

The Foundations
of
Islaamic Studies
By
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
CHAPTER THREE:

HADEETH

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The Foundations of Islamic Studies 101

3.1 DEFINITIONS
Definition of Hadeeth
The Arabic word hadeeth basically means an item of news, conversation, a tale, a
story or a report, whether historical or legendary, true or false, relating to the
present or the past. Its secondary meaning as an adjective is new as opposed to
qadeem, old. However, like other Arabic words (e.g. salaah, zakaah), its
meaning changed in Islaam. From the time of the Prophet (r), his stories and
communications dominated all other forms of communication. Consequently, the
term hadeeth began to be used almost exclusively for reports which spoke of his
actions and sayings.1
Usage of the Word hadeeth
The term hadeeth has been used in both the Quraan2 and the prophetic traditions
according to all of its linguistic meanings. The following three categories are the
most notable usages. It has been used to mean:
a) The Quraan itself

Then leave Me alone with those who reject this communication
(Quraan)
Soorah al-Qalam, (68):44

Indeed, the best form of communication is the Book of Allaah3
b) A historical story

1
2

Hadith Literature, p. 1 and Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, pp. 1-3.
The term hadeeth is mentioned 23 times in the Quraan.

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Has the story of Moses reached you? SoorahTaahaa, (20):9

You may speak about the Children of Israel without 4
c) A general conversation

When the Prophet confided in one of his wives Soorah at-Tahreem, (66):3.

Molten copper will be poured in the ear of whoever eavesdrops on the
conversation of people who dislike him doing so or flee from him.5
Among the hadeeth scholars the term hadeeth means whatever is transmitted
from the Prophet of his actions, sayings, tacit approvals, or physical
characteristics. Scholars of Islaamic Law do not include the physical appearance
of the Prophet in their definition.
Importance of Hadeeth:
1. Revelation
The Prophets sayings and actions were primarily based on revelation from Allaah
and, as such, must be considered a fundamental source of guidance second only to
the Quraan. Allaah in the Quraan said concerning the Prophet (r):

4
5

Saheeh Al Bukhaaree, vol.

Saheeh Al Bukhaaree, vol.

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He (Muhammad) does not speak from his desires; indeed, what he

says is revelation. Soorah an-Najm (53):3-4
Therefore, the hadeeth represents a personal source of divine guidance which
Allaah granted His Prophet (r) which was similar in its nature to the Quraan
itself. The Prophet (r) reiterated this point in one of his recorded statements,
Indeed, I was given the Qur aan and something similar to it along with it.6
2. Tafseer:
The preservation of the Quraan was not restricted to protecting its wording from
change. Were that the case, its meanings could be manipulated according to
human desires, while maintaining its wording. However, Allaah also protected its
essential meanings from change by entrusting the explanation of the meanings of
Quraan to the Prophet (r) himself. Allaah states the following in the Quraan
regarding its interpretation:

And I revealed to you the Reminder (Quraan) in order that you
explain to the people what was revealed to them. Soorah an-Nahl,
(16):44
Therefore, if one is to understand the meanings of Quraan, he or she must
consider what the Prophet (r) said or did regarding it. E.g. In the Quraan, Allaah
instructs the believers to offer salaah (formal prayers) and pay zakaah (obligatory
charity) in Soorah al-Baqarah, (2), verse 43. However, in order to obey these
instructions correctly, one must study the methodology of the Prophet (r) in this
regard. Among his many clarifications concerning salaah and zakaah, he
instructed his followers saying Pray as you saw me pray,7 and he specified that
2.5% of surplus wealth, unused for a year,8 should be given as zakaah.
3. Laws
One of the primary duties of the Prophet (r) was to judge between people in their
disputes. Since his judgements were all based on revelation, as stated earlier, they
6
7
8

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must be considered a primary source of principles by which judgements are

carried out in an Islaamic State. Allaah also addressed this responsibility in the
Quraan saying:

O believers, obey Allaah, obey the Messenger and those in authority

among you. If you dispute about anything, refer it to Allaah and the
Messenger. Soorah an-Nisaa, (4):59
Thus, hadeeths are essential for the smooth running of the law courts in an
Islaamic State.
4. Moral Ideal
Since the Prophet (r) was guided by revelation in his personal life, his character
and social interactions became prime examples of moral conduct for Muslims
until the Last Day. Attention was drawn to this fact in the following Quraanic
verse:

Surely there is for all of you a good example (of conduct) in the way of
Allaahs Messenger.
Soorah al-Ahzaab, (33):21
Consequently, the daily life of the Prophet (r) as recorded in hadeeth represents
an ideal code of good conduct. In fact, when the Prophets wife, Aaishah, was
asked about his conduct, she replied, His character was the Quraan.9
5. Preservation of Islaam
The science of narration, collection and criticism of hadeeth was unknown to the
world prior to the era of the Prophet (r). In fact, it was due in part to the absence
of such a reliable science that the messages of the former prophets became lost or
9

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distorted in the generations that followed them. Therefore, it may be said that it is
largely due to the science of hadeeth that the final message of Islaam has been
preserved in it is original purity for all times. This is alluded to in the Quraanic
verse:

Indeed, I have revealed the Reminder, I will, indeed, protect it. Soorah
al-Hijr, (15):9
Hadeeth and the Sunnah
The term hadeeth has become a synonym for the term sunnah, though there is
some difference in their meanings. Sunnah, according to Arabic lexicographers,
means a way; course; rule; manner of acting or conduct of life.10 Sunnah, as a
technical term in the Science of hadeeth, refers to whatever statements, acts,
approvals, physical or character descriptions that are attributable to the Prophet
(r) along with his biography before or after the beginning of his prophethood. It
is thus synonymous with the term hadeeth.
However, according to Usool al-Fiqh science (legal methodology), sunnah
refers to only the statements, acts and approvals of the Prophet (r). It also refers
to whatever is supported by evidence from the shareeah; the opposite of bidah.
And in the Legalistic science of Fiqh the term sunnah refers to recommended acts
authentically attributable to the Prophet (r); the does of which is rewarded and
the non-doer is not punished. It is also used to refer to the opposite of bid ah as in
the statement: Sunnah divorce and Bidah divorce.
According to its general definition, the Quraan is the most important part
of the sunnah conveyed by the Prophet (r).11 It may also be said that the
hadeeths were the containers or storehouse in which the sunnah of the Prophet
(r) was conveyed during his life time and after his death.

THE STRUCTURE OF HADEETH

10
11

Laness Lexicon, vol. 1, p. 1438.

Al-Bidah, p. 67.

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: r

(( ))

Musaddad told us that Yahyaa informed him from Shubah, from Qataadah, from
Anas from the Prophet (r) that he said:

None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he
loves for himself.12
Collected by al-Bukhaaree
This means that the Hadeeth scholar Muhammad ibn Ismaaeel al-Bukhaaree
collected in his book of Hadeeths called Saheeh al-Bukhaaree the statement:
None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for
himself. which he heard from his Hadeeth teacher Musaddad, who heard it from
his teacher Yahyaa, who was informed by his teacher Shubah that he heard it
from his teacher Qataadah, a student of the Prophets companions, who heard it
quoted by the Prophets companion Anas ibn Maalik from Prophet Muhammad
(r).
COMPONENTS

A Hadeeth consists of two main parts: the Sanad

( )and the Matn. ()

The Sanad (also called Isnaad)

The list of the narrators of the saying or action of the Prophet (r) is called the
Sanad. For example, in the above Hadeeth the Sanad is: Musaddad told us that

12

(Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic-English), vol.1, p.19, no.12). It is also collected by Muslim (Sahih
Muslim (English Trans.), vol.1, p.31, no.72).

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Yahyaa informed him from Shubah from Qataadah from Anas from the Prophet
(r) that he said:
The Matn
The text of the Hadeeth or what the Prophet (r) actually said or did is called the
Matn. For example, in the above Hadeeth the Matn is: None of you truly
believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

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