Overview

‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ saying:
 “May Allah brighten a man who hears something from us, and he conveys it as he heard it. Perhaps, the one it is conveyed to, has more understanding of it than the one who heard it.”

– [Jami’ At-Tirmidhi, Kitab Al-‘Ilm]

The study of Hadith is relatively unexplored by most seekers of knowledge, let alone, the average Muslim. There are many reasons touted as to why this is the case. Some have claimed that the Hadith sciences are specialist fields that are out of the reach of the average Muslim. Some have even gone that extra mile, to say that it is totally unnecessary for a Muslim to learn these sciences, unless he or she is a scholar who has been tasked with issuing religious edicts. Is this really true, though?

Our understanding of The Prophet ﷺ is almost entirely predicated upon the Hadith literature. Interacting with said literature requires a specified, disciplined approach, as these requisite texts are subject to scrutiny in terms of their authenticity and interpretation. The study of Hadith and its related tools embody a whole lot of human sciences within them. This very dynamic nature of Hadith studies make it all the more interesting and also, much more sensitive towards textual distortion and misuse.

The failure to approach the Hadith texts with its necessary disciplines, has resulted in harms that are now unfortunately apparent and manifest in some factions of our society. Misunderstandings of authentic Hadith literature, or worse still, misattributions upon The Prophet ﷺ, are left unchallenged, unattended to, or much more worryingly, brushed aside, even by some from amongst the community of religious educators.

The road to truly understanding the best of mankind, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, can only be paved when the Hadith sciences and its disciplines are adhered to, so that the authentic teachings of The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are preserved. Every Muslim should inculcate within himself the love for Hadith, and the love for the sciences that protect The Sunnah, for it is a noble cause, for the love of The Prophet ﷺ Muhammad.