Classification, Application, and Differences

1. Classification, Application, and Differences Week 4 of Understanding the Prophetic Sunnah

2. Review: Grading Hadith • Saheeh – Most Authentic and Sound • Intrinsically Saheeh • Extrinsically Saheeh • Hasan – Acceptable, Good • Intrinsically Hasan • Extrinsically Hasan • Da’eef – Weak • Weakness due to Sanad • Weakness due to Matn

3. Hadith Da’eef • Does not meet by itself (intrinsically) the 5 discussed conditions for being accepted (Saheeh or Hasan) • Connected and Continuous Sanad • Integrity of the Narrator • Precision of the Narrator • Not shadh • Not ma’loool • Weaknesses are of many types and levels • Some are minor and easily strengthened • Some are severe and not to be considered • Differences between scholars on application • In Acts of Worship • In Virtuous Deeds that are not obligatory (Fadaail)

4. Types of Weakness • Due to the Continuity of the Sanad • ‘Ilm of the Maraaseel (Science of Breaks in Continuity) • Dates of Birth and Death of Narrators • Where they lived • Countries and cities visited and when they were there • Names of Teachers and Students • Due to a Shortcoming or Flaw in the Narrator • ‘Ilm al-Jarh wa al-Ta’deel (Science of Grading Narrators) • Biographies of the Narrators • Knowledge of the memory of the narrators • Due to a Flaw in the Matn (Shudhudh or ‘Illah) • ‘Ilm ‘Illal al Hadith (Science of the Flaws in Hadith)

5. How to Look at a Sanad

6. Flaws in the Sanad • Lack of Continuity • Where in the Sanad? • How many gaps? • Mu’allaq (Hanging) • Mursal • Munqati’ • Mu’dal • Is the Gap Apparent or Slight? • Apparent – Known by History • Slight (Khafi, Mudallas) • Contemporaries who never heard from one another • Contemporaries who heard

7. Hadith Mu’allaq • A Hadith where the bottom part of the chain is broken. • Farthest from the Origin of the Hadith • Can be One or More Narrators Missing • Could be for a Specific Purpose • Various Types of Hanging Narrations • Remove the Entire Chain • Remove everyone but last narrator or two • Remove the last narrator (apparent)

8. Mu’allaqat in Bukhari • 1341 in Bukhari • Clearly Attributed to Someone (Jazm) • Not clearly attributed (yurwa, dhukira) • Continuous elsewhere in the book – MOST • Not Connected in the book – 160 Total • Ruling on these Narrations • All of Category 1 are Saheeh • Category 2 Not Automatically Saheeh • Saheeh by others conditions • Hasan • Da’eef – Hasan extrinsically or he is stating the weakness

9. Hadith Mursal • A hadith where the top part of the chain is broken, where the tabi’ee narrates directly from the Prophet. • If any tabi’ee says, “the Prophet said…” and skips whoever is above him. • Wrong to say “where the Sahabi is missing” • Mursal is often a term used for any type of hole in the sanad

10. Hadith Mursal… • Ruling on using Muraseel as evidence • Generally Allowed • Not Allowed – Majority of Hadith Scholars (up to 6 or 7 missing) • Depends on the tabi’ee • Narrates from thiqaat – Allowed • Narrates from others – Not allowed • Allowed with Conditions and Supporting Narrations • Saheeh until the tabi’ee (before break) • Tabi’ee only narrates from acceptable people • Tabi’ee is himself thiqa (trusted, confidence in him) • Must be from the elder tabi’een • Another Narration with the same meaning or words • Another mursal narration from another sanad • Not taken from the teachers of the other tabi’ee’s narration • Agrees with the words of some of the companions • Agrees with the words of many scholars

11. Hadith Munqati’ • A hadith where there is a singular break in middle of the sanad, even if in more than one location. • Only one narrator missing in a particular location. • The break is before the companion

12. Hadith Munqati’

13. Hadith Mu’dal • A hadith where there is a break in middle of the sanad and includes two or more continuous narrators • Examples • If Imam Malik narrates on the Prophet (2+ missing) • Younger tabi’ee narrations • Shafi’ from ibn Umar • Can be Mu’dal and Mu’allaq • Can be Mu’dal and Mursal

14. Flaws in the Narrators • Related to his Integrity • Lies concerning the Prophet • Lies in his worldly affairs • Open and Flagrant Sinner • Character cannot be vouched for • Innovator • Related to his Precision and Memory • Makes Horrendous Mistakes Often • Quite Forgetful • Confused at Times • Contradicts others • Poor Memory – sometimes right, sometimes wrong

15. Flaws in the Matn • Mixes Words or Letters • Combines Narrations • Mixes mutoon and asaaneed

16. Acting Upon Weak Hadith • Not Allowed at All • Allowed if there is nothing else narrated on the issue, with conditions • A Distinction in what the hadith calls to: • Allowed in encouraging and motivating as well as extra virtuous deeds, with conditions • Not allowed in ‘aqeedah or ‘fiqh • Conditions for Acting Upon Weak Hadith • Weakness must not be severe • Must be supported by a general principle which is accepted • The one acting must realize the issue is not agreed upon or absolute

17. Causes for Differences • Differences in Usool al Fiqh (Legal Theory) • Differences in Hadith Sciences • Differences in Hadith Interpretations • Linguistic Differences • Intended Meaning • Differences in Knowledge

18. Differences in Legal Theory “Whoever touches his penis must make wudu.” “…is it anything other than a part of your body?” • Hanafi’s - If the hadith is a general necessity, it must be mutawatir • Difference over abrogation and tarjeeh

19. Differences in Legal Theory “Surely there is zakat due upon grazing livestock.” • Al Mafhum al Mukhaalafa • Zakat not due if the livestock is not grazing

20. Differences in Hadith Acceptance “There is no nikkah without a wali” • Weak according to Yahya ibn Maeen • Hanafi’s don’t use this hadith “Any woman who marries herself without the permission of her wali, then her nikkah is invalid. • Al Zuhri forgot about the particular hadith • Hanafi’s reject the hadith if the narrator forgot it (like eye witness)

21. Differences in Waqf and Raf’ “There is no ‘itikaaf without fasting.” • Narrated by Aisha • Narrated as being attributed to the Prophet • Also narrated as the words of Aisha • Shafi’ school say it’s the words of Aisha and not of the Prophet • Response – No contradiction • Attributed to the Prophet correctly • Attributed to a fatwa of Aisha

22. Interpretation of a Hadith “There is no prayer for the neighbor of the masjid except in the masjid.” • Which of the following does it mean? • No prayer is accepted or valid • No prayer is complete and perfect • Are there other hadith to explain this? • "Prayer in congregation is superior to praying individually twenty-seven times." (Bukhari and Muslim)

23. Other Differences… • Increase by a Trustworthy Narrator • Hadith Reached an Imam in Different Ways • Conditions on the Narrator’s Knowledge • Differences in Grading a Narrator • ibn Hajar • Dhahabi • Bukhari • Yahya ibn Ma’een

24. Conclusion • Must We Follow a Madhab? • Can We Pick and Choose from the Opinions? • Having a Methodology in Legal Theory • Having a Methodology in the Hadith Sciences • Following Scholarship is the Key • No One is Infallible except the Prophet • Many other considerations other than the literal and possible situational reasons for a narration.