How to study and understand the hadiths is very important. Abu Dharr continues with is enlightening discussion of this vital topic.
Abu Dharr continues his review of hadiths, true and made-up or misinterpreted, so that Muslims would have a better understanding of this vital subject that has often been used for partisan point-scoring.
In his regular column, Abu Dharr continues to delineate correct hadith from those that have been inserted to suit vested interests. Readers show pay attention.
In hadith literature, there are some hadiths that purport to report verbatim what the noble messenger (pbuh) said while others reflect the meaning of what he said. In his ongoing series, Abu Dharr sheds light on this point.
Inviting the thinking Muslims to ponder, Abu Dharr in his regular column repeatedly emphasizes that hadiths must be evaluated against the ayats of the noble Qur’an. No hadith, no matter what the chain of narrators, can be accepted if it contradict the noble Qur’an.
Thoughtful Muslims need to understand that everything attributed to our beloved Prophet (pbuh) may not necessarily be correct. There were some characters in early Islamic history that attributed to the noble Messenger (pbuh) statements that he could not have said because they contradicted the Qur’an.
In his continuing series on Hadith compilation, Abu Dharr calls upon Muslim from both sides of the sectarian divide to set aside their preconceived ideas and begin to see the other’s point of view with an open mind.
In his ongoing examination of the compilation of hadith literature, Abu Dharr continues to provide insights that should enlighten sincere Muslims to look at this crucial issue with greater clarity.
The Prophet (pbuh) had expressly forbidden his companions from writing his hadiths. That explains why there are few hadiths narrated by his close companions yet there are others that have taken much liberty with them. It is a serious matter that needs close attention.
In his ongoing series on hadith, Abu Dharr reminds us that while appointed by Allah and protected from sin, Prophets were still human beings. And in mundane worldly affairs, they need not be experts. That, however, does not diminish their stature as Prophets.
In this series of articles, Abu Dharr aims to separate the sound hadith from the forged ones. For the thoughtful enlightened Muslims, this is a welcome contribution; for the literalists and stuck in cultural traditions, this would cause heart-burn.
There is a difference between what the noble Messenger (pbuh) said and what was reported that he said. Since Hadith literature was compiled many centuries after our beloved Prophet (pbuh) left this world, it is important to sift through the copious volumes of Hadith literature.
Muslims must sharpen their critical thinking and look very carefully at what passes for hadith. Not everything attributed to the noble messenger (pbuh) may be correct because some vested interests in early Islamic history needed to furbish their credentials through forgeries.
Tackling on the sensitive issue of hadith compilation, Abu Dharr posits that any hadith that contradicts the Qur’an must be rejected. The noble Messenger (pbuh) who taught us the Qur’an could never go against its teachings. There is need to sift such hadiths.
Some Muslims have elevated hadiths to the same level as the Qur’an and even more than the Qur’an (nastaghfirullah). It is time to sift the hadith literature to distinguish the genuine hadith from those that cannot be fully verified. Abu Dharr embarks on this arduous task.
If Muslims want to learn how hadith literature has been distorted, these two books will help them in this quest.
2