CIHR 6: Does the Companions' statement, "The Qur'an is sufficient for us," mean that they did not accept sunnah as source of information?
In order to understand whether the statements by Umar ibn al-Khattab and Aisha that “the Qur'an is sufficient for us” imply that “the Qur'an is the sole source of religion and there is no need for hadiths”, we must first establish the context. We then need to examine whether both companions held this belief during their lifetimes, and how they approached hadiths.

Umar ibn al-Khattab said these wor...

Contemporary Issues in Hadith Research 5: What should we understand from the verse: "The judgment belongs only to Allah"?
The phrase "Judgment belongs only to Allah" is present in three verses of the Quran: one in Surah al-An'am and two in Surah Yusuf. The Khawarij used these verses as a slogan against Ali ibn Abi Talib to achieve their political goals. More recently, these verses have been used as evidence, again in the form of slogans, by the Qur'aniyyun school that emerged in India in the second half of the 19th c...

Contemporary Issues in Hadith Research 4: Why does religion have two separate sources, the Qur'an and the Sunnah?
Allah intended to convey His message to humankind through His prophets. This approach facilitated a more effective transmission of the divine message, thereby ensuring a more profound comprehension among people. It is clearly stated in the Qur'an: “Indeed, Allah has done the believers a great favor by raising a messenger from among them” (Ali ‘Imran, 3:164). In this context, the concept of Allah’s...

Contemporary Issues in Hadith Research 3: Is there a need for hadith and sunnah to understand the Qur'an, which is described as "clear"?
The Qur’an was revealed gradually over a span of about twenty-three years, primarily in response to specific events. In order to comprehend the verses, it is necessary to evaluate them in conjunction with other relevant verses and paying attention to the order of their revelation. Therefore, it is imperative to comprehend the verse that characterises the Qur'an as a clear book within the context o...

Contemporary Issues in Hadith Research 2: What is the place of sunnah in Islam? Why is it necessary to refer to sunnah?
Why is it necessary to refer to the words and deeds of the Prophet (pbuh) when we already have Allah’s book (Qur’an) to live and learn our religion? 

This question may seem reasonable if if one does not consider the Qur'an in its entirety, particularly the verses related to the duties and attributes of the Prophets. However, a Muslim who reads and reflects these verses, will understand that t...

Contemporary Issues in Hadith Research 1: What do hadith and sunnah mean? What are the differences between them?
The texts that describe the words, deeds and behaviors attributed to the last Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) are referred as “hadith”. These texts contain information regarding the Prophet’s worship, family life, moral principles and personal life. Additionally, they address his political actions as a statesman, the agreements he made, the decisions he rendered as a judge, and his role as a mediator in g...

Health and Free Time
As reported by Ibn Abbas, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Health and free time are two great blessings the benefits of which most people are deceived about." (Bukhari, Riqaq,1) This hadith invites us to consciously make use of the "time" that starts with our birth and ends with our death in the best way. It focuses our attention on the two important blessings which we possess and use selfishly, ...

Hadith on Times of Conflict and Civil War
As civil war and terrorism wreak havoc on Muslim countries, some words of the Prophet addressing how Muslims should behave in times of fitna (chaos, civil war, conflict). Most of these hadith are selected from the collection of abu Dawud, a hadith scholar whose books are amongst the sahih-sitta (six books of Prophetic Traditions considered most authentic) and while they immediately addressed the ...

Don't Be Angry; Enter Paradise!
One of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) asked Prophet Muhammad for advice. He asked that the advice be short so that he would be able to remember it. "Don't get angry," said the Prophet. The same Companion repeated his request for some brief advice; each time he received the same answer from the Prophet each time, "Don't get angry!" (Source; Bukhari, A'dab, 76) Anger is a natur...

The Obligations of Seeking Knowledge, Exemplified by Aisha
The first obligation for a woman is to know her religion by studying the Holy Book, al-Quran, reciting and understanding it. She also has to be familiar with the science of Hadith and the life (Sirah) of the Prophet (peace be upon Him), and the other women Companions and those who followed them (Taba`un) and those who were model virtuous women. Sayyidah A`isha (Allah be pleased with her) was exc...

An Essay on the Tradition of Forty Hadith
Through this form of religious education, consisting of forty stages, between Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and people, a person can elevate himself to a certain level of knowledge. Traditions are the true offspring of a civilization or culture through which that civilization can survive. The tradition of forty hadiths (sayings of the Prophet) is one of the precious elements that carries on the nobilit...

The Prophet's Tolerance
Coming from the Arabic root samaha, musamaha (tolerance) means to forgive and to pardon. The word hosgoru is used in Turkish and the word tolerance in English. As a term, it is used for the understanding and gentle behavior towards everyone, without prejudice, of someone who is mature and good-intentioned. Truly this is a high virtue possessed only by people of superior morality. Both too much and...