Intro to the Sciences of Hadith

I had started a mini-cirriculum plan a while back with this post on the intro to the Sunnah. The previous post covered an introduction to the sunnah, its status, and the biographies of some of those who compiled hadith. For this post I wanted to give an overview of the resources available in English to help understand some of the terminologies used, and take a very basic look at what the “science” of hadith actually comprises. In practicality, it is important to have an understanding of the issues in hadith science. It will aid one in reading hadith books, and at the least have background knowledge of some criticisms, and what they mean. It will aid the student even in reading english books, and understanding footnotes related to takhreej, and also give the student something by which to discern reliability of sources. Most of all though, it gives you an eman boost by seeing the care with which it was preserved, and the work that went into it. It is a miracle that no other ummah has. Here are some resources I have compiled, I am sure I left out a lot, so please utilize the comments section for more materials you have.

Collectors of Hadith and Intro to the Sunnah

Since i just finished listening to Suhayb Hasan’s sciences of hadith cd set, i thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of resources for learning sciences of hadith in english. Before jumping into it though,

Istikharah pt. 5

Misconceptions

The Prophet(saw) said: “Whoever introduces into this affair of ours, it is rejected” (Muslim).

The first misconception is about repeating Istikharah. There is a hadith about repeating it 7 times, but it is weak. There is a narration from a sahabi about repeating 3 times, but that indicates that there may be permissibility of repeating.

Some cultures have adopted dreams as

Istikharah pt. 4

What is it made for, and how to interpret it?
There is no istikharah for obligatory actions such as making Hajj or waking up for fajr. There is also no istikharah for haram actions such as commiting zina. It is made for matters that are allowed and matters one has a choice in.

Jaabir (ra) said “He (saw) used to teach us istikharah in all of our affairs.”

An-Nawawi holds that,

Reviving an Abandoned Sunnah - Istikharah pt. 3

Etiquettes of the Du’aa
The most important aspect of du’a is to ask from Allah(swt) alone, and from no one else.

Say: “Who is he who can protect you from Allâh if He intends to harm you, or intends mercy on you?” And they will not find, besides Allâh, for themselves any Walî (protector, supporter, etc.) or any helper. (Al-Ahzab 33:17)

The Prophet(saw) said, “So if you ask, then ask only of Allah” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Saheeh al Jaami 7957)

And if Allâh touches you with hurt, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He will. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Yunus 10:107)

The second aspect is

Reviving an Abandoned Sunnah - Istikharah pt. 2

What the Du’aa Means

Salat-ul-Istikharah is for everybody. It’s a way for all of us to implore Allah for divine guidance and mercy. It is yet another invaluable resource from Allah to keep us on the straight and narrow Sirat al-Mustaqim. The Prophet(saw) told all Muslims about Istikharah, not just the scholars. Despite this gift, too many of us take the advice of our friends and parents, or accept the norms of our society and act without ever wondering what Allah wants us to do. We must stop looking to the dunya for guidance. We must begin to consult Allah.

Istikharah contains affirmation of

Reviving an Abandoned Sunnah - Istikharah pt. 1

Insha’Allah I will post up some notes I compiled previously for a khutbah on Istikharah.

What is Istikharah?

We are humans, powerless in this sphere of life, knowledgeable only enough to survive. So why shouldn’t we turn to Allah and seek His perfect help whenever we require it? Allah responds to the call of His servant when he asks for guidance, and we are after all seeking to do something in order to please Him.

Istikharah means to

Reviving an Abandoned Sunnah - SubhanAllahi wa Bihamdihi

Allah’s Apostle (saw) said, “Whoever says, ‘Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi,’ one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea. (Bukhari)

The Prophet said, “(There are) two words which are dear to the Beneficent (Allah) and very light (easy) for the tongue (to say), but very heavy in weight in the balance. They are: ‘Subhan Allah wa-bi hamdihi’ and ‘Subhan Allah Al-’Azim.” (Bukhari)

“The most beloved of speech according to Allah is when the servant says, ‘Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi’ (How Transcendent is Allah and we praise him!).” (Muslim)

“The most beloved of speech according to Allah the Most High is that which Allah chose for his Angels: Subhana Rabbi wa bihamdihi, Subhana Rabbi wa bihamdihi, Subhana Rabbi wa bihamdihi.” (Tirmidhi, Sahih)