Hadith is a collection of statements and actions of Prophet Muhammad and his companions, classified into four categories. It is authenticated by scholars and used as legal evidence for Sharia law. Hadith is also examined against the Quran and influences different sects of Islam.
Hadith is the collection of Prophet Muhammad’s statements and deeds along with the statements and deeds of his companions. It is believed to have been collected starting 150 years after Muhammad’s death in AD 632, and is the basis of jurisprudence for Islamic law or sharia law. To begin to understand Islam, one must understand what parts constitute a hadith, how it is classified, and how it is legitimized to shape the Sharia.
There are two parts to hadith. The first part is matn, which is the specific content or text of the statements and actions of Muhammad and his companions. The second part is isnad, which is the record of the chain of transmitters up to Muhammad, similar to a family tree. While an isnad containing Muhammad’s bloodline carries more weight, one need not be related to Muhammad to be a transmitter.
Muslims classify hadith into four different categories. The first three categories refer specifically to Muhammad. Awl are the transmissions of the statements of Muhammad, fi’liare the transmission of the deeds or deeds of Muhammad and taqrir are the actions or deeds of the companions of the Prophet or others whom Muhammad approved. The fourth category of classification is qudsi, which are the words of the Prophet, inspired by Allah, which are not recorded in the Quran.
Once a hadith is subjected to critical analysis, it is authenticated, giving Sharia legitimacy by offering legal evidence. The process begins when Muslim scholars complete a thorough examination of the isnad. They seek information about transmitters and broadcasts and examine the matn in historical context. Once the analysis is completed, the hadith is scored as sahih (authentic), hasan (good), da’if (weak), and mawdu or batil (falsified). If a hadith turns out to be sahih or hasan, it is admissible as Sharia.
In addition to offering legal evidence for Sharia law, the authentication and interpretation of hadith have had significant influences on different sects of Islam. Each sect of Islam considers the different collections to be the legitimate ones. They decide which sayings to trust and which are untrustworthy. Hadith is also examined against the Quran and any statement that conflicts with the Quran is eliminated.
Muslims consider the Quran to be the Divine Word of Allah, and it is primarily in Islam. Hadith is second with believers who trust Muhammad’s words and deeds, so it helps in providing supplementation and clarification to the Quran. It provides Muslims with a window to observe the Prophet’s lifestyle and offer examples of what he did or said so that they can follow in his footsteps.
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