The Qur'an and Hadith

Chapter Four : the Hadith

1. Preliminary Details & Definitions

HADITH (حديث) literally means `talk`. Its plural is AHADITH.(أحاديث) In SHI`A terminology `HADITH` means the talk of a MA`SUM and also that narration which describes the talk, action or `TAQRIR` of a MA`SUM. Talk of a MA`SUM includes his writings and sign (ISHARAH) also. If a MA`SUM abstains from a work or thing, then this abstaining also is counted as an `action` (in the above definition).

`TAQRIR` of a MA`SUM means that if a follower of a MA`SUM did a work in the presence of the presence of the MA`SUM and the said MA`SUM did not prohibit that work_ even though he was in a position to forbid it is he so wished_ then it is called `TAQRIR` of the MA`SUM. We may translate this term as `tacit approval` or `silent approval`.

If a narration does not reach up to a MA`SUM, it is not counted as ` HADITH ` according to SHI`A terminology. (Though sometimes a talk of a companion of a MA`SUM or a disciple of such a companion is called ` HADITH ` just as a figurative expression.) According to the SUNNI terminology, talk, action and TAQRIR of the Prophet, his companions and disciples of such companions is called ` HADITH `. HADITH is also known as KHABAR (خبر) i.e. news and ATHAR (أثر) i.e. trace or track.

Many terms will be used in the following chapters. It is, therefore, necessary to explain important ones beforehand. Here a compete tradition is given with its translation:

HAMMAD IBN SALMAH narrated from MUHAMMAD IBN ISHAQ who narrated from `AMR IBN SHU`AYB who narrated from his father who narrated from his father who said:

"I said, O Messenger of Allah, should I write everything which I hear from you?" The Prophet said, "Yes, I said, 'In pleasure and displeasure?" (That is, Should I write everything said by you in every condition?) The Prophet said, "Yes! Because I do not say any condition but the truth". The first part of the HADITH contains the names of the narrators who had transmitted it one to the other. This chain of narrators is called SANAD (سند) Its plural is ASNAD.

The second part is the actual narration beginning from "I said, 'O Messenger of Allah' up to the end of the HADITH. It is called MATN (متن) i.e. the next. The narrator is called RAWI (راوي). Its plural is RUWAT. The SANAD and MATN together are called one HADITH. A scholar of HADITH is called MUHADDITH (محدّث). Its plural is MUHADDITHUN or MUHADDITHIN.

2. The Status of HADITH.

After the QUR'AN, the HADITH of a MA'SUM is the most important binding authority (HUJJAT) IN Islam; and if anyone wants to succeed on the Day of Judgment, then he must follow the QUR'AN and HADITH together. For example Allah says in the QUR'AN; "O You who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Prophet and those who are Masters of the Affairs among you" (4:63).

In this AYAH Allah makes it obligatory for the believers to obey the Holy Prophet and the Masters of the Affairs, i.e. the Twelve Imams. Obviously nobody can follow the Holy Prophet and the Imams unless he knows what the Holy Prophet and Imams had said or done. And that brings us to AHADITH.

MEANING OF OBEDIENCE & FOLLOWING

To follow a MA'SUM means to do the same work as has been done by the MA'SUM with the same intention. For example, the Holy Prophet received some money from a Muslim by way of ZAKAH; if now someone usurps some property or money from someone without any religious authority it will not be called following in the foot-steps of the Prophet. It should be remembered that the AHADITH of the twelve Imams (a.s.) and the Lady FATIMAH AZ-ZAHRA (A.S.) are The AHADITH of the Holy Prophet himself.

The Imams themselves have made it quite clear many times. For example, IMAM MUHAMMAD BAQIR (A.S.) said, "When I narrate a HADITH without mentioning any chain of narrators, then my SANAD is from my father, who narrated it from my grandfather (IMAM HUSAYN) from his father (Imam Ali) from the Messenger of Allah who heard it from JIBRA'IL who was informed of it by Allah". The same declaration was made by IMAM JA'FAR AS-SADIQ (A.S.) about his own AHADITH.

A person who did not see a MA'SUM or did not hear from him, the only way for him to know the religion is through the AHADITH of the Holy Prophet, the 12 Imams and the Lady FATIMAH AZ-ZAHRA (peace be on them all). It is, however, necessary to see that the HADITH is authentic before acting upon it. In the following pages some details about the categories of AHADITH will be given to help the readers in this task.

3. The Categories of HADITH.

The value of a HADITH depends very much on the probity and trustworthiness of its narrators, the RUWAT.

THE RUWAT:

Some important qualifications of a RAWI are as follows:

The RAWI of a HADITH must be an adult (BALIGH), sane, Muslim, just (ADIL), and of good memory; according to the SHI'A ITHNA ASHERI sect, he should also be a SHI'A ITHNA ASHERI, though in some cases, the AHADITH narrated by non-ITHNA ASHERI Muslims are acceptable. ADIL means a person who does not commit any major sin (not intentionally) then he repents at once. Only an ADIL person can be relied upon. If he is not ADIL, he might forge AHADITH and mislead people. Good memory is necessary for a RAWI if he is to be trusted; otherwise, he may forget something and thus change, add or omit some wordings from the HADITH.

It is not necessary that a RAWI should be a scholar or learned person.

The Four Types Of Hadith

ALLAMAH AL-HILLI and the ULAMA coming after him have divided the AHADITH into four categories according to the qualifications of the RUWAT:

1. SAHIH (Correct: True): A HADITH all of whose RUWAT are SHI'A ITHNA ASHERIS and all have been praised for their trustworthiness. For example, such wordings have been used for all of them: "He is trustworthy- THIQAH": "His AHADITH are correct- SAHIHU'L- HADITH" and such other words which show their trustworthiness.

2. HASAN (Good): A HADITH, all of whose narrators are SHI'A ITHNA ASHERIS but not all of them have been praised for trustworthiness; instead some or all have been praised in such word: "He is virtuous -MUSTAHSAN" or "He is of good memory- HAFIDH".

3. MUWATHTHAQ (Reliable): A HADITH not all of whose narrators are SHI'A ITHNA ASHERI, but all have been praised for trustworthiness.

4. DA'IF (Weak): A HADITH, which is neither SAHIH, HASAN nor MUWATHTHAQ.

The first three categories are considered as genuine. DA'IF has got no worth at all, unless it was accepted by all 'ULAMA of the early period, in which case it is called MAQBUL (acceptable), that is, accepted by early scholars. As has been mentioned earlier, a HADITH consists of a SANAD (chain of narrators) and a MATN (text). If a HADITH is classified as DA'IF (weak), it means that that particular SANAD is weak. But that same text might have been narrated somewhere else with SAHIH, HASAN or MUWATHTHAQ SANAD; and the value of HADITH will change accordingly.

MUTAWATIR & WAHID

HADITH is also classified into "MUTAWATIR" and "WAHID" categories based on the number of its ASNAD:

1. MUTAWATIR (متواتر) : It means a HADITH narrated at every stage by so many people that the very number of narrators is enough to create a conviction of its truth. A HADITH is classified as MUTAWATIR only if it fulfils the following four conditions:

(a) There must be, in all stages of narration, so many people that common sense cannot accept their coming together to forge a lie. If the number is great, fro example, in the beginning and the end but too small in the middle, such a HADITH is not called MUTAWATIR.

For example, the number of the narrators of the HADITH "INNAMA 'L-A'MALU BI 'N-NIYYAT- Verily, the actions are valued by the intentions" is too great in the middle and the later stages, but in the beginning its only narrator in UMAR IBN AL-KHATTAB. So, this HADITH is not MUTAWATIR.

(b) The information conveyed should be about a thing which can be felt by one of the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch). (c) The hearers should not have prior knowledge of that matter. (d) The hearers should not have a prior doubt about that information nor a preconceived belief opposed to that information.

If a HADITH is classified as MUTAWATIR, then there is no need to look at its individual ASNAD, or the credentials of its RUWAT. MUTAWATIR is of two kinds:

i. MUTAWATIR in words:

A HADITH, which is narrated by all narrators with the same wording. For example, the HADITH "MAN KUNTU MAWLAHU FA HADHA 'ALIYUN MAWLAHU - He whose Master am I, 'Ali is his Master", and also the HADITH "MAN KADHABA 'ALAYYA FAL-YATABAWWA' MAQ'ADAHU FI 'N-NAR"- whoever tells a lie on me, should prepare his abode in the Fire", are MUTAWATIR in words. ii. MUTAWATIR in meaning:

If the narrators use different wordings but there is a common factor in all narrations, then that common factor will be called MUTAWATIR in meaning. For example, let us suppose that some one says that 'ALI IBN ABI TALIB (A.S.) killed 35 enemies in the battle of BADR; another says that he conquered the fortress of KHAYBAR; a third one says that he stayed fighting in UHUD while others had fled away, and likewise. Now all such narrations have one common factor- that 'Ali (a.s.) was extra -ordinarily brave person. Though each and every narration in itself may not be MUTAWATIR but the braver of Ali is MUTAWATIR.

2. WAHID: The second main category of HADITH based on the number of narrators is WAHID (واحد). Every HADITH, whose narrators are not so many as to make it MUTAWATIR, is called WAHID.

As the MUTAWATIR HADITH creates a sure knowledge of its truth, it is obligatory to follow it. But the WAHID HADITH creates not a sure knowledge but only a reasonable assumption of its truth. However, if the WAHID HADITH is substantiated by the context or association (QARINAH) which creates certainty of its truth, then it will be obligatory to accept and follow it like a MUTAWATIR HADITH. Here are a few examples of such contexts:

• Conformity with logical reasons;

• Conformity with the clear meaning of the QUR'AN;

• Conformity with other authentic AHADITH;

• Conformity with an unanimous belief of the Muslims and / or the SHI'A sect of Islam.

If a WAHID HADITH is associated with any of the above mentioned contexts, it must be accepted and followed. If it is not joined by any such context, then also according to many 'ULAMA, it is allowed to follow it, provided it is not against any accepted tenets of the religion.

4.Recording of the AHADITH.

As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the Holy Prophet (P) encouraged people to write down whatever they heard him saying. Unfortunately, the first three Caliphs reversed this policy and forbade people to narrate or write any HADITH of Prophet (P). The first caliph burned such writings and this policy was followed by the 2nd and the 3rd caliphs.

In contrast to this policy, IMAM ALI IBN ABI TALIB (A.S.) always emphasized the importance and essentiality of writing the AHADITH. Many companions of the Prophet like 'ABDULLAH IBN ABBAS, SALMAN AL-FARISI, ABU DHARR AL-GHIFARI, BILAL and ABU RAFI' wrote down the traditions of the Holy Prophet. Likewise many of their disciples, like MITHAN TAMMAR, ALI IBN ABU RAFI, RABI'AH IBN SUMAY, ASBAGH IBN MUBATAH, UBAYDULLAH IBN AL-HUR, and SULAYM IBN QAYS AL-HILALI also wrote the traditions heard from Imam Ali and other trustworthy companions.

Unfortunately almost all those books are now lost except the book of SULAYM IBN QAYS AL-HILALI. The system established by the Prophet (P) and Ali (a.s.) was followed by the Imams of AHLUL-BAYT, and we find that thousands of famous companions of Imams (a.s) had collected all the AHADITH they heard from them. Some of those companions are so highly respected that a HADITH narrated by any one of them is considered authentic by many SHI'A scholars. Such companions of the Imams are divided into three groups:

First Group consists of six companions of Imam MUHAMMAD AL-BAQIR (A.S.) and Imam JA'FAR AS-SADIQ (A.S.) as follows:

1. ZURARAH IBN A'YAN.
2. MA'RUF IBN KHARABBUDH.
3. BURAYD IBN MU'AWIYAH AL-BIJILLI.
4. ABU BASIR AL-ASADI.
5. FUDAYL IBN YASAR.
6. MUHAMMD IBN MUSLIM ATH-THAQAFI.

Some people count ABU BASIR AL-MURADI in place of ABU BASIR AL-ASADI. Second Group consists of six companions of Imam JA'FAR AS-SADIQ (A.S.) as follows:

1. JAMIL IBN DARRAJ.
2. ABDULLAH IBN MASKAN.
3. ABDULLAH IBN BUKAYR.
4. HAMMAD IBN UTHMAN.
5. HAMMAD IBN ISA.
6. ABAN IBN UTHMAN AL-AHMAR.

Third Group consists of six companions of Imam MUSA AL-KAZIM (A.S.) and Imam ALI AR-RIDHA (A.S.) as follows:

1. YUNUS IBN ABDU 'R-RAHMAN YAQTINI.
2. SAFWAN IBN YAHYA AL-SABIRI.
3. ABDULLAH IBN AL-MUGHIRAH.
4. MUHAMMAD IBN ABI 'UMAYR AL-AZDI.
5. AL-HASAN IBN MAHBUB.
6. AHMAD IBN MUHAMMAD IBN ABI NASR.

Some people count HASAN IBN ALI IBN FADDAL in place of HASAN IBN MAHBUB; others add the name of FADHALA IBN AYYUB or UTHMAN IBN ISA in this list. Some other famous names are ABU HAMZAH ATH-THUMALI, ABAN IBN TAGHLIB, JABIR INB YAZID AL-JU'FI, MUHAMMAD IBN QAYS, HISHAM IBN AL-HAKAM, HISHAM IBN SALIM, ABDULLAH IBN YAHYA AL-KAHILI, ALI IBN RI'AB AL-KUFI, MANSUR IBN HAZIM, ALI IBN YAQTIN IBN MUSA, ABDULLAH IBN MUGHIRAH AL-BIJILLI, MU'AWIYAH IBN HUKAYM, ZAKARIYYAH IBN ADAM, ISMA'IL IBN MIHRAN, ABDU'R-RAHMAN IBN ABI NAJRAN AT-TAMIMI, HUSAYN IBN SA'ID IBN AL-HAMMAD, ALI IBN MAHAZYAR AL-AHWAZI, FADHL IBN SHADHAN, ABU JA'FAR AHMAD IBN MUHAMMAD IBN ISA, AYYUB IBN NUH IBN DARRAJ, ALI IBN IMAM JA'FAR AS-SADIQ (A.S), AHMAD IBN ISHAQ AL-QUMMI.

These are some of those highly respected companions of Imams (a.s) who collected traditions and wrote many other books, which are mentioned in their biographical details and in SHI'A bibliographical works. In short, from the days of Imam Ali (a.s) up to the days of Imam HASAN AL-ASKARI (A.S.) companions of Imams (a.s) wrote more than 6600 books, most of them containing the AHADITH of the Holy Prophet (P) and the Imams (a.s).