Contemporary Hadith Issues 12: Who are the Companions That Narrated the Most Hadiths?
While the total number of the Companions (Sahabah) is estimated to be between 60,000 and 100,000, hadiths are reported to have been narrated from only about 1,000 to 1,300 of them. This means that no narrations have reached us from the vast majority of the Companions. Moreover, the number of hadiths transmitted from many of those is quite a few. Indeed, of this group of around 1,000 Companions, ne...

Contemporary Hadith Issues 11: What Does “Sahaba”(Companions) Mean? What Is Their Role in Hadith Transmission?
The term sahaba(companions) is derived from the root suhbah, which means "to accompany someone, to be a sahabi or friend to them." It refers to the first generation of Muslims who had the privilege of the companionship of our Prophet (pbuh). Although sahaba is grammatically a plural noun, its singular form is sahabi (companion). While there are minor differences in its precise definition, accordin...

Contemporary Hadith Issues 10: What are the Conditions for a Transmitter (Rawi) to be Deemed Trustworthy (Thiqah)?
For a Hadith to be accepted as authentic(sahih), it must fulfill certain specific criteria. Foremost among these is the requirement that the transmitters(rawi), who pass the Hadith down to subsequent generations, be trustworthy. Requiring integrity and competence in those who transmit the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) is both a religious and a scholarly necessity. The Qur’an highlights the cruc...

Contemporary Hadith Issues 9: How Were the Hadiths Transmitted and When Were They Written Down?
One of the most debated issues concerning hadith is whether anything learned from the Prophet (pbuh) was written down in any form during his lifetime. According to a widespread but mistaken assumption, hadiths were not written down at all during the time of the Prophet and the Companions; rather, they were preserved solely through memorization, transmitted orally from generation to generation, and...

Contemporary Hadith Issues 8: What is "wisdom(hikmah)" and what is its relationship with the sunnah?
Allah gave the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) only divine knowledge in the form of the Qur'an. Therefore, the "wisdom(hikmah)" given to the Prophet in the verses refers to the Qur'an. Is the claim that "Allah gave His last messenger no knowledge other than the revelation of the Qur'an" therefore true?

The Qur'an states that Allah granted prophethood (nubuwwat), messengership, a book, and in particular wi...

Contemporary Hadith Issues 7: Are All the Prophet's Statements and Actions of the Same Religious Significance?
As Muslims, when we recite the Shahada (declaration of faith), we affirm that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the servant and messenger of Allah. Thus, in addition to acknowledging his selection as a prophet, we also acknowledge his humanity, his role as a servant of Allah. The Quran specifically emphasizes this point, instructing the Prophet to address people with the words, "I am only a man like you,...

CHI 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 Hadith Issues 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 Hadith Issues 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 Hadith Issues 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 Hadith Issues 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 Hadith Issues 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...