The Social and Oral Structure of Isnad (Chain of Transmission ):
The more than 1400 year-old social network of hadith (sayings of the Prophet) scholars is known traditionally as the isnad (chain of transmission) system which includes innumerable scholars in Islam’s broad geography. The intellectual pursuit of these scholars is known as the science(s) of hadith. Here the ilim (science) faces a systematic accumulation of knowledge. As an academic pursuit, the Sc...

A Critique and Evaluation of Narrations Concerned with the Reco
It is an undeniable fact that writing plays a significant role in passing information on to future generations. However, recording information is not sufficient on its own for reliable transfer, as the soundness of information is not so much related to whether it has been recorded or not, but rather is connected with the reliability of the transmitters. As a matter of fact, there are many written...

Development of Narration Literature
The hadith (sayings of the Prophet) literature has developed in the following stages: a) The Kitabat al-Hadith, that is the recording of a hadith on paper during the period of the Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet) and the early Tabiin (Successors of Companions of the Prophet). b) The Tedvin al-hadith (collection of hadith), the compilation of scattered materials over the last quarter of the firs...

Kutub Al-Sitta (The Six Books)
The hadith (sayings of the Prophet) literature has developed in the following stages: a) The Kitabat al-Hadith, that is the recording of a hadith on paper during the period of the Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet) and the early Tabiin (Successors of Companions of the Prophet). b) The Tedvin al-hadith (collection of hadith), the compilation of scattered materials over the last quarter of the firs...

On the Hadith Studies in Turkey
The period between 1920 and 1950, which could be labeled "a political vacuum of religious education", was no different for hadith (sayings of the Prophet) studies. However, the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs gave Ahmed Naim the duty of translating and interpreting the summary of Sahih al-Bukhari by al-Zabidi into Turkish and the new alphabet so that the Turkish nation cou...

On the Greeting (of peace)
As related by Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (pbuh) said the following: “I swear to Allah that you will not go to heaven unless you have faith. You will not be deemed to have believed unless you love one another. Should you do so, shall I tell you a way to love one another? Spread greetings among yourselves!” (Muslim, Iman 93-94) Faith, as it is described in the Holy Quran, is a concept that has roots...

Modesty Stems From Faith
As related by Ibn Umar, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) passed by a Muslim from Medina who was telling his brother to stop being modest and said to him: “Leave him as he is; for modesty stems from faith.” (Buhari, Faith 16; Muslim, Faith 57-59) Every Muslim who believes in Allah -the All-hearing, All-seeing and All-knowing- knows that a person is not alone even if no one is at his side. He is always in t...

Experiencing the Sweetness of Belief: Affection, Sincerity and S
Quoted by Anas ibn Malik, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “There are three things which cause anyone who takes refuge in them to experience the sweetness of belief: To love Allah and His Messenger more than anything else. To love a person only for the sake of Allah. To dislike the thought of reverting to disbelief as much as they would dislike being cast into the fire.” (Bukhari, Iman 9; Muslim Ima...

Patience
The believer is one who has patience and who praises Allah.Reported by Abu Yahya Suhayb Ibn-i Sinan, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:“The condition of the believer is worthy of envy and admiration, because every state they are in is a cause of benefaction. Such a quality is unique to the believer: When they are delighted, they praise and this is a benefaction; when they suffer harm, they show p...

Changing Guard With Our Parents
عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال رغم أنف، ثم رغم أنف، ثم رغم أنف قيل: من يا رسول الله! قال من أدرك أبويه عند الكبر، أحدهما أو كليهما فلم يدخل الجنة Abu Hureirah related that the Prophet said: "Someone who sees the old age of his mother and father or just one of them and does not enter heaven - may he be wretched, may he be wretched, may he be wretched." (Muslim, Birr 9,10) Our parents are "hands...

Opening a Perfect Door: Repentance
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ) مَنْ لَزِمَ الاِسْتِغْفَارَ جَعَلَ اللهُ لَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ هَمٍّ فَرَجاً، وَمِنْ كُلِّ ضِيقٍ مَخْرَجاً، وَرَزَقَهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ(. "If someone constantly asks for forgiveness, Allah will show him a way out from every difficulty and a way to salvation from every sorrow, and He will give sustenance from an unexpected source" (Abu Davud, Vitr 26). ...

Two Things to Envy
لا حسد إلا في اثنتين رجل آتاه الله مالا فسلط على هلكته في الحق ورجل آتاه الله الحكمة فهو يقضي بها ويعلمها As narrated by Abdullah Ibn Masud, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Only these two people should be envied: One is the person who spends all the wealth Allah gave him on the path of righteousness, and the other is the person who judges with the knowledge Allah gave him and teaches it to oth...