A Simple Guide to ISLAM
Hadith – Traditions
~ 84 ~
injunctions scrupulously. His practice was not a private matter; it
had the status of a detailed interpretation and application of the
Qur’an. Once a companion asked the Prophet’s wife Aisha about
the character of the Prophet. Aisha replied: “He was an
embodiment of the Qur’an.” The Qur’an repeatedly reminds us of
the importance of hadith, enjoining us to strictly follow the
Prophet:
“...Obey God and obey the messenger....” (4:58)
“Whatever the messenger gives you, take it and
whatever he forbids, abstain from it....” (59:7)
“And, truly, in the messenger of God you have a good
example for him who looks to God and the Last Day
and remembers God much.” (33:21)
The Qur’an thus provides the fundamentals of religion. It is the
hadith which furnishes us with the necessary details and
explanations. It is as if, the Qur’an is the text, and the Hadith the
commentary; the Qur’an being the theory and the Hadith being the
practice. Thus the Qur’an and Hadith cannot be separated from
one another. They are complementary to each other. Both are
equally essential for the establishment of religion.
COMPILATION OF HADITH — A BRIEF
HISTORY
The history of the compilation of Hadith may be broadly divided
into four stages:
1. The first stage relates to the period of the Prophet till 10 A.H.
