The Prophetic Sunnah

1. The Prophetic Sunnah An Introduction to its Preservation, Compilation, Classification, and Application

2. Course Outline • Introduction to the Sunnah and Hadith • History of Hadith Compilation and Books • Hadith Terminology (Mustalah) • Fiqh of Hadith

3. Course Objectives • Understanding the History of Hadith Narration • Understanding the Major Books and Personalities • Learn the Basics of Hadith Classification • Understand the Application of Hadith in Islamic Law

4. Introduction to the Sunnah and Hadith • Understanding Mustalah • Mustalah (Technical Term): The agreement of a specific group of people with regards to a specific thing.

5. What Does Sunnah Mean? • Depends Who you ask… • Linguistically • customary action • habitual practice • norm • Fiqh • Mustahab / Mandoob – Recommended Action. • History • Anything to Do with the Prophet’s Life. • Usool • A statement, an action, or confirmation given by the Prophet. (Has ramifications in Islamic Law and Legal Theory) • One of the four main sources of deriving laws. • Hadith • A statement, an action, or confirmation given by the Prophet.

6. Conclusion • The terms Sunnah and Hadith are synonymous in the field of Hadith Sciences. • However, they may vary in other fields (i.e fiqh)

7. The Prophet and His Sunnah • Two Types of Wahi (Divine Revelation) 1. Quran • Words of Allah (the Mushaf) • Any recitation is an act of worship 2. Sunnah • Words of the Prophet • Some recitation is an act of worship • Guided by Allah

8. Authority of the Sunnah • Proof that the Sunnah is from revelation إن هو إلا وحي يوحى.وما ينطق عن الهوى - • Incidents from the Quran • Changing of the Qibla (al Baqara) • The Honey of Zainab (al Tahreem) • Command to marry Zainab (al Ahzaab)

9. Necessity of the Sunnah Explaining the Quran وأنزلنا إليك الذكر لتبين للناس ما نزل إليهم ولعلهم يتفكرون (16:44) هو الذي بعث في الأميين رسولا منهم يتلو عليهم آياته ويزكيهم ويعلمهم الكتاب والحكمة وإن كانوا من قبل لفي ضلال مبين (62:2)

10. Verses in the Quran Commanding Adherence to the Sunnah قل إن كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم والله غفور رحيم قل أطيعوا الله والرسول فإن تولوا فإن الله لا يحب الكافرين (3:31-32) يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تقدموا بين يدي الله ورسوله واتقوا الله إن الله سميع عليم يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا ترفعوا أصواتكم فوق صوت النبي ولا تجهروا له بالقول كجهر بعضكم لبعض أن تحبط أعمالكم وأنتم لا تشعرون (49:1-2) وما كان لمؤمن ولا مؤمنة إذا قضى الله ورسوله أمرا أن يكون لهم الخيرة من أمرهم ومن يعص الله ورسوله فقد ضل ضلالا مبينا (33:36) من يطع الرسول فقد أطاع الله ومن تولى فما أرسلناك عليهم حفيظا (4:80) فلا وربك لا يؤمنون حتى يحكموك فيما شجر بينهم ثم لا يجدوا في أنفسهم حرجا مما قضيت ويسلموا تسليما (4:65)

11. The Sunnah Explains Islam • Matters of Belief (Aqeedah) • Details about the Day of Judgement • About Paradise and Hell • Understanding our Creator • Legal Issues – Acts of Worship, Transactions • Prayer • Hajj • Marriage • Buying/Selling

12. Hadith During the Life of the Prophet • The Prophet taught the companions formally • The Prophetic Academy of Scholars and Dawah • Testing them on Hadith • Commanding them to Convey his words

13. Ashaab al Suffa وما كان المؤمنون لينفروا كافة فلولا نفر من كل فرقة منهم طائفة ليتفقهوا في الدين ولينذروا قومهم إذا رجعوا إليهم لعلهم يحذرون • 80 Companions studying full time • Living in the Masjid • Example of Abu Huraira

14. How Did the Companions Preserve the Hadith? • The Arab Civilization and Importance of Memorization • Writing • Real Life Application

15. Memorizing the Hadith • The Power of the Mind and Ability to Memorize • Photographic Memory • Arabs Used to memorize Hundreds of Poems in Jahiliya • Modern Day Examples • Andriy Slyusarchuk (Ukrainian professor) memorized the first 30 million places of pi, which were printed in 20 volumes of text. • Sergei Rachmaninov (composer and pianist) recalls a musical score after sight reading twice. • Stephen Wiltshire was able to draw a skyline in detail after a single helicopter ride. • Philosopher Swami Vivekananda was able to memorize ten volumes of the encyclopedia in only a few days. • Case of Solomon Shereshevskii

16. Were the Hadith Written Down? • Initial Prohibition…Why? • Fear of Mixing Quran and Hadith • Abrogation and Command to Write Hadith • Example of Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas

17. Preservation through Application • Results of Memorizing w/o application • A look into our own lives • Results of Memorizing w application • A glimpse into the method of the companions

18. Permission to Write Hadith • “Seek help from your right hand,” and pointed to something written. (Tirmidhi) • The Prophet told Rafi bin Khadij: “You may write. There is no harm.” (Tadrib ar Rawi) • Anas narrated that the Prophet said, “Preserve knowledge by writing it. (Jami’ al Bayan) • Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al Aas was commanded to write hadith. “Shall I write everything you say? Yes. “Whether you are content or angry?”…yes…

19. The Compilations of the Companions • Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Aas – 5000+ • The Sheets of Truth (al Saheefa al Sadiqa) • Anas ibn Malik - 2000+ • He wrote and reviewed with the Prophet • Jabir bin Abdullah – 1500+ • Used to write and teach his hadith in the Prophet’s masjid • Book of Hajj (much of it found in Saheeh Muslim) • Aisha– 2000+ • Urwa bin Zubair wrote her hadith • Amra bint Abdillah – her hadith were written (command of the Khalifa) • Abdullah ibn Abbas • His hadeeth were written in his life (by the People of Taaif) • Saeed ibn Musayyib wrote his hadeeth as well. • Abdullah ibn Omar – 1500+ • Nafi’ used to write his hadith.