Post by Sapphire Capital on Jul 14, 2008 2:48:56 GMT 4
Many scholars agree that three foundations underlie the guidance contained in the Islamic faith. These are Aqidah, Akhlaq and Shari`ah. Aqidah governs the principles of faith and belief in Islam. Akhlaq defines the Islamic ethical code as it relates to personal conduct. Nowadays, the term Shari`ah (literally 'path to a fount') is treated as being synonymous with the term Ahkam (literally 'law'). Shari`ah governs all forms of practical action, itself comprised of Ibadat (the law pertaining to devotional matters) and Muamalat (the law pertaining to activity in the political, economic and social spheres). Generally speaking, only the law of Muamalat is considered enforceable in an Islamic court of law. Ibadat, along with Aqidah and Akhlaq, are not usually subject to juridical sanction.
The Qur'an is regarded by Muslims as the ultimate unimpeachable reference when establishing Islamic law. The practice and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., known as Sunnah (literally 'way' or 'path'), and the sayings of the prophet, known as the Ahadith (singular Hadith), are next in order of importance when deriving Islamic principles. During the time of the Prophet, ahadith were passed on verbally by the many reliable narrators who had committed them to memory. Some of the most important narrators of ahadith were :
Ibn al-As died 65 AH Compiles al-Sahifa al-Sidaqa
Abu Hurayra governor of Medina, died 59 AH
Abd Allah ibn Umar son of the second caliph, died 74 AH
Anas ibn Malik companion and tax-collector, died 93 AH.
Aisha Um Al-Mumminin wife of the prophet, died 57 AH.
Ibn Abbas died 68 AH, renowned for intellect and reliable ahadith.
Jabir ibn Abd Allah died approximately 74 AH, early Medinan convert.
Abu Said ibn Malik died 64 AH, early Medinan convert.
Ibn Masud early convert, renowned for Qur'anic commentary.
A definitive compilation of ahadith was probably not attempted until the reign of al-Mamun when, in response to growing unease at the hundreds of thousands of varying and contradictory ahadith that had become widespread, the major compilers and biographers of the prophet produced what have now become standard works. The six most authentic ahadith collections, the Sihah Sitta or al-Kutub al-Sitta, are those of Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Daud, Nasa'i and ibn Majah.
The prophet said that '... after I am gone differences will arise among you. Compare whatever is reported to be mine with the Book of God. That which agrees therewith you may accept as having come from me. That which disagrees you will reject as a fabrication'. Thus arose a strict scientific method, under which reported ahadith and sunnah were scrutinised for authenticity. For example, the honesty and virtue of the one reporting such ahadith, as well as the chain of reporting (the isnad), had to be well established in order for a hadith to be authenticated by the early writers. Bukhari used some 4,000 ahadith and Abu Daud some 4,800.
Islamic scholars, ulema, may find an area of human activity for which no reference is made in the Qur'an, Ahadith or Sunnah. In such a case, theologians may indulge in ijtihad, the forming of independent judgements, so as to guide Muslims in the relevant activity. The resulting jurisprudence is termed fiqh (literally comprehension) and the passing of a judgement is termed a fatwa. Fiqh is derived in two ways. Firstly, through achieving a consensus among ulema, termed Ijma, and secondly through deduction by analogy with existing principles, termed Qiyas. Under no circumstance can the injunctions of the Qur'an be negated or annulled by reference to any other source. Shari`ah is thus composed of laws derived from the Qur'an, Sunnah, Ijma and Qiyas. There are four major Sunni schools, these being the Hanifi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali, and two major Shia schools, the Ithna Ashari's and the Ismaili's. Whilst the sects differ in some fundamental aspects of Islamic belief, the schools themselves sought not to found a new variant of the sect's belief but rather to arrive at new methods of studying existing guidance.
Categories of Ahadith
Sahifa hadith compiled by companions or those of the following generation.
Risala hadith on one topic.
Musanaf hadith on most or all topics, arranged into chapters by topic.
Jami collection of Hadith on all major topics.
Musnad hadith with an isnad traceable to a companion, or else of reliable authority.
Sunan hadith relating to Ibadat and Muamalat.
The Qur'an is regarded by Muslims as the ultimate unimpeachable reference when establishing Islamic law. The practice and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., known as Sunnah (literally 'way' or 'path'), and the sayings of the prophet, known as the Ahadith (singular Hadith), are next in order of importance when deriving Islamic principles. During the time of the Prophet, ahadith were passed on verbally by the many reliable narrators who had committed them to memory. Some of the most important narrators of ahadith were :
Ibn al-As died 65 AH Compiles al-Sahifa al-Sidaqa
Abu Hurayra governor of Medina, died 59 AH
Abd Allah ibn Umar son of the second caliph, died 74 AH
Anas ibn Malik companion and tax-collector, died 93 AH.
Aisha Um Al-Mumminin wife of the prophet, died 57 AH.
Ibn Abbas died 68 AH, renowned for intellect and reliable ahadith.
Jabir ibn Abd Allah died approximately 74 AH, early Medinan convert.
Abu Said ibn Malik died 64 AH, early Medinan convert.
Ibn Masud early convert, renowned for Qur'anic commentary.
A definitive compilation of ahadith was probably not attempted until the reign of al-Mamun when, in response to growing unease at the hundreds of thousands of varying and contradictory ahadith that had become widespread, the major compilers and biographers of the prophet produced what have now become standard works. The six most authentic ahadith collections, the Sihah Sitta or al-Kutub al-Sitta, are those of Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Daud, Nasa'i and ibn Majah.
The prophet said that '... after I am gone differences will arise among you. Compare whatever is reported to be mine with the Book of God. That which agrees therewith you may accept as having come from me. That which disagrees you will reject as a fabrication'. Thus arose a strict scientific method, under which reported ahadith and sunnah were scrutinised for authenticity. For example, the honesty and virtue of the one reporting such ahadith, as well as the chain of reporting (the isnad), had to be well established in order for a hadith to be authenticated by the early writers. Bukhari used some 4,000 ahadith and Abu Daud some 4,800.
Islamic scholars, ulema, may find an area of human activity for which no reference is made in the Qur'an, Ahadith or Sunnah. In such a case, theologians may indulge in ijtihad, the forming of independent judgements, so as to guide Muslims in the relevant activity. The resulting jurisprudence is termed fiqh (literally comprehension) and the passing of a judgement is termed a fatwa. Fiqh is derived in two ways. Firstly, through achieving a consensus among ulema, termed Ijma, and secondly through deduction by analogy with existing principles, termed Qiyas. Under no circumstance can the injunctions of the Qur'an be negated or annulled by reference to any other source. Shari`ah is thus composed of laws derived from the Qur'an, Sunnah, Ijma and Qiyas. There are four major Sunni schools, these being the Hanifi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali, and two major Shia schools, the Ithna Ashari's and the Ismaili's. Whilst the sects differ in some fundamental aspects of Islamic belief, the schools themselves sought not to found a new variant of the sect's belief but rather to arrive at new methods of studying existing guidance.
Categories of Ahadith
Sahifa hadith compiled by companions or those of the following generation.
Risala hadith on one topic.
Musanaf hadith on most or all topics, arranged into chapters by topic.
Jami collection of Hadith on all major topics.
Musnad hadith with an isnad traceable to a companion, or else of reliable authority.
Sunan hadith relating to Ibadat and Muamalat.