Publisher’s Foreword

Dedication

Dr. Taha Husayn's Foreword

The Author’s Response

Definition of the Book

Narrating Hadith Through Denotation:

A General Word:

Introduction of the Second Edition 13

For Truth and History

Introduction To the Third Edition

Al-sunnah

Position of Sunnah in Religion:

Companions and Hadith Relating:

To Lie Against Messenger of Allah:

Fabricating Lies Against the Prophet After His Death:

The Companions Criticizing Each Other:

Narrating Hadith By Meaning and Disagreement Among Scholars:

Forms of Tashahhud:

Word of Monotheism:

Examples On Narrating Hadith By Meaning Hadith of Islam and Faith:

Hadith of Ali’s Sahifah:

Disadvantage of Narrating Hadith Through Meaning

Detriment of Narration Through Meaning Linguistically and Rhetorically

Narration in Islam

Composition of Hadith and Its Causes

Detriment of Tales and Talebearer:

The Abbasid State:

The Righteous Fabricators

Ka’b Al-ahbar: 245

Wahb Ibn Munabbih:

Abd Allah Ibn Sallam:

Ka’b and Umar:

Ka’b’s Cunning and Stratagem:

Some Companions Relating From Jewish Rabbis:

Political Stratagem

Ka'b and Mu'awiyah:

Masihiyyat in Hadith

Abu Hurayrah

Shaykh Al-mudirah:

His Imposture (tadlis)

First Narrator Accused in Islam:

His Reporting From Ka'b Al-ahbar:

Abu Hurayrah Follows the Umayyads:

Fabrication of Traditions Against Ali

Narrations of Great Companions

Ambiguous Traditions

The Twelve Caliphs:

Al-dajjal (impostor) 447

Tadwin Al-qur'an:

Revelation Scribes:

A Meditative Pause:

Tadwin Al-hadith: 468

Writing of Hadith Was Forcibly Done:

Stages of Changeability of Tadwin:

Effect of Delay in Tadwin:

The Shiah and Writing of Hadith

Parts of Khabar:

Best Care Was Given To Sanad:

Famous Hadith Books

Malik and His Muwatta’:

Al-bukhari and His Book

Muslim and His Book

Are Sahihayn Containing Most Correct Traditions?

Abu Dawud

Al-tirmidhi

Al-nasa’i

Musnad Ahmad

Ahmad Reporting From an Apostate Companion:

Jarh and Ta’dil

Reliability of the Companions

Adopting Reliability of All the Sahabah

Hypocrites Among Sahabah and Surat Al-tawbah:

Sorcery Hadith Is of Ahad:

Asking For Hadith Without Fiqh (and What the Traditionists Nicknamed With)

Conclusion

The Greatest Calamity Inflicted Islam:

Aspects of Preponderance Contain Contradiction:

Rules and Principles

Original Rules of Rituals and Transactions:

Bibliography

Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith

Al-sunnah
=========

Before starting the discussion I committed myself to, truth calls me to
give a foreword identifying in it the word “Sunnah” in respect of
linguistics and terminology, demonstrating how it is judged by the
Prophet’s traditions, and the position it occupies in religion, after
which I go forward God-willing.

Lexically, “al-Sunnah” is defined to be the paved method and followed
conduct, or the followed example. Its plural is sunan. The linguists say
that it is derived from the saying: sanna al-ma’ (water), which meaning:
he continued pouring it (water). Hence the Arabs resembled the
straightforward method with the poured out water, which is due to
succession of its flow on one course shall be like one thing.

A poet said: <span id="_anchor_18"></span>18

Never be fed up of a conduct you followed,

The first be content with a rule is he who leads it.

In origin: to prescribe a good rule is to lay down a good method. And it
is said, also: He followed his guide, and so and so is mutasannin, i.e.
following the sunnah.

Ibn Taymiyyah said in Iqtida’ al-sirat al-qadim:

The sunnah is the habit, and the repeated method, that people may or may
not consider to be a worship. The Most High said: “Indeed, there have
already been before you examples, travel ye therefore in the earth…”
(3:136)

The Prophet (S) said too: “You shall verily follow the sunan, (conducts)
of those who preceded you.” Ittiba‘ (following) is to tread in

somebody’s steps and following his example.

The Prophet’s Sunnah is his sirah (conduct) he used to follow, and
Allah’s sunnah (method) may be said to mean the method of His Wisdom,
and the way of obedience to Him, such as: “(Such has been) the way of
God concerning those who have passed away before; and never shalt thou
find in the way of God any change.” (33:62), and “…and never shalt thou
find in the course of God any alteration ” (35:43)

In al-Ta’rifat, al-Jurjani is reported to have said: Al-Sunnah, in
language, is the method (tariqah), whether be pleasant or not. According
to Shari‘ah (Islamic Law) it is the method followed in religion with no
prescription or obligation. The sunnah is every act or practice which
the Prophet (S) persevered on doing it, with leaving it sometimes. If
this perseverance be out of worship it will be a guidance sunnah, and if
it be out of habit it will be a superfluous sunnah.

The Messenger’s Sunnah represents his and his close Companions’ acts and
conduct (sirah). It is known from the Companions through practice and
apprising, like: so and so is of the Sunnah. Then the traditionists
termed the Messenger’s speech as hadith and sunnah, i.e. it is a
modernized term that was never known in the language, nor used in its
literature. I have employed this term in denominating my book and the
theme of my research. It would be rather better to call it: Defence of
hadith, since it is laid down in fact for this purpose. So I have added
it in the title of this edition.

It is said that the term ‘sunnah’ being used for every saying or act or
report ascribed to the Prophet.

  
  
  
  

18. He is Khalid ibn Utbah al-Hudhali, the nephew of Abu Dhu'ayb
al-Hudhali.
