The role of sound reasoning in hadith-text examination
There is no denying the fact that the compendia of Prophetic traditions (Hadith) comprise all categories of reports: highly authentic, authentic, deemed to be authentic, weak, and fabricated. Muslim scholars developed several criteria to authenticate hadith. But these criteria are generally to au...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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London Academy of Iranian Studies
2010
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| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/18523/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/18523/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/18523/1/The_role_of_sound_reasoning_in_hadith-text_examination.pdf |
| Summary: | There is no denying the fact that the compendia of Prophetic traditions (Hadith) comprise
all categories of reports: highly authentic, authentic, deemed to be authentic, weak, and
fabricated. Muslim scholars developed several criteria to authenticate hadith. But these
criteria are generally to authenticate the chain of narrators through which hadith is
reported and recorded. Hadith experts concluded that the authentication of the Chain
ensures authenticity of the Text reported. That is why, almost all hadith authorities
concentrate on the authentication of hadith by authenticating the Chain in the hadithreport.
Very few scholars have paid attention to verify the Text of hadith independently.
It is not always necessary that if the Chain seems to be authentic, the Text will also be
authentic. In order to check the position of the Text of hadith there should certainly be
some logically acceptable criteria. One such criterion to check the reliability of hadith-
Text is human reason. The Qur’an has, a number of times, invited man to use his reason
in determining the nature of the things he tackles or deals with. It is, then, quite logical to
read, treat and deal with rationally what has been recorded by Muslim scholars as sayings
and doings of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). This paper represents a humble attempt to
apply the criterion “sound reasoning” to some selected hadith as recorded in al-Bukhari’s
work, Al-Jami‘ al-Sahih and Muslim’s compilation of hadith, Al-Sahih. The selected
traditions are twelve (12). An effort has been made to make a critical analysis of the
reported version of hadith. The objective of this exercise is not to discredit the value of
hadith in Islamic life. But the task carried out in the paper is to ascertain whether there
are lacunae in the reported wordings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). |
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