Hadith

One day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sat with his companions, early in the morning. He asked, “who among you is fasting this day?” Abu Bakr said “I am.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, “who amongst you followed the funeral bier (i.e. a janaazah) today?” and Abu Bakr said “I have.” Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “who amongst you served food to the needy?” Abu Bakr said “I have.” Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “who amongst you visited a sick person today?” Again, Abu Bakr said “I have.”

A Muhaddith is one who studies and memorizes ahadith, and internalizes the science of hadith–the science that allows us to dissect and analyze ahadith and sort the authentic from the un-authentic. (You can read more about ahadith and their statuses here.) This includes memorizing the biographies of people involved in the narration, including their strengths and weaknesses (in terms of memory and piety).

Shaykh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albani, one of the greatest scholars of recent times, also studied ahadith and became a muhaddith–one the likes of we have not seen in centuries. This is why many contemporaries–scholars, imams, teachers–often will quote a hadith as saheeh or da’eef and say “according to Shaykh Al-Albani”. May Allah forgive his sins and accept all the amazing work he completed during his lifetime, ameen!

What exactly is a hadith? It’s a saying of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم). The Science of Hadith defines a hadeeth as “whatever is attributed to the Prophet, in terms of sayings, actions, approvals, and physical and character descriptions.” 1

Ahadith are an important part of Islam. They complement and the Qur’an, and provide us with numerous benefits and different types of information, including:

• Laws not directly stated in the Qur’an (eg. prohibition of visiting fortune-tellers)
• Details of things mentioned in the Qur’an (eg. how to make wudoo)
• A look into the lifetime of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم)
• Tafseer (explaination) of the Quran (eg. the story of the People of the Ditch)

Some people deny ahadith, and say “we don’t need no hadiths! We can just use Qur’an!” In response, refer them to this verse: