Tradition Flashcards
What are the differences between Hadith and Sira in terms of composition and their approach to the transmission of prophetic reports
o Hadith refers to narrations that are attributed to the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) who narrate a statement or a story about or related to the Prophet (pbuh). The Hadith has reached us through individual or a few narrators in every generation. Hadith is a very rich source of understanding the life of the Prophet (pbuh), his way of living (Sira) and the history of Islam and the Qur’an. Hadith is also a good facilitator to study the Qur’an and the established Sunnah although understanding these two sources is not depending on Hadith.
o The Sira (Prophets Biography) is a collection of narrations about the people and events surrounding the Prophet (SAW) arranged in a chronological order. The amount of rigor put into authenticating and analysing the chains and narrators of an event that is found in the Sira is lower than narrations used in the Sunnah or Hadith. As for Sira this is not the case, the narrations used include all the authentic and acceptable ones, along with ones with weaknesses from non-Muslims. The reason for including these weaker narrations is to fill in gaps or holes in the story. So in conclusion, we cannot derive or use as our proof for worship, beliefs or methodology from the Sira alone, we have to use the authentic Sunnah as our primary reference and not rely upon Sira alone.
What is the role of the hadith as a source of historical knowledge and religious wisdom?
A collection of traditions containing sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which, with accounts of his daily practice (the Sunna), constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Qur’an.
Without the required explanations and illustrations given by the Prophet (through the Hadith), the Qur’an may be misunderstood and misinterpreted by people. So the Prophet took care to explain and demonstrate to his companions how the Qur’anic verses must be read and understood. That is to say, the importance of Hadith is linked to the importance of the Qur’an.
For example, the details of how to perform salah, for instance, were given by the Prophet through his words and action, and not by the Qur’an. This means that we wouldn’t know how to pray, fast, pay zakah, or perform Hajj without the examples given by the Prophet as recorded in the Hadith. Indeed, all necessary details are given in the Hadith, not in the Qur’an.
It is therefore obligatory that we look up to the Prophet’s morals and exemplary character and carry them out in our lives. We can never do so without studying Hadith. When `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked to describe the character of the Prophet, her definitive answer was, “His character was that of the Qur’an.” In other words, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) personified the best ideals and values of the Qur’an. How could we then neglect the Hadith, which alone can lead us to the precise ways in which the Prophet exemplified the Qur’anic ideals?
What is the role of the sira as a source of historical knowledge and religious wisdom?
o The Sira is a collection of narrations about the people and events surrounding the Prophet (SAW) arranged in a chronological order. The amount of rigor put into authenticating and analysing the chains and narrators of an incident or event that is found in the Sira is far lower than when a narration is used in the Sunnah or Hadith.
o Only the top narrations, namely Sahih or Hasan are used in the books of Hadith and Sunnah. As for Sira this is not the case, the narrations used include all the authentic and acceptable ones, along with ones with weaknesses. The reason for including these weaker narrations is in order to fill in gaps in the story. The reason we do this is because if we were to be just as strict and apply the same rules in accepting narrations in the Sira as Hadith then, this would mean that we wouldn’t be able to get narrations about the status of the Arabs, and the forefathers of the Prophet (SAW) because everyone who narrated them were Non-Muslims.
o So, since we use weaker narrations in Sira, we cannot use the Sira as evidence to support rulings and beliefs found in fiqh (Islamic Juriprudence) or aqeedah (Islamic Belief) from the Sira.
What are the differing views of leadership and religious authority?
Ali was Muhammad (PBUH)’s first convert and constant companion. He was even hinted at by Muhammad (PBUH) to be the successor of Islam after he passes away. However, when the Ummah met to decide on the successor after his death, they didn’t chose Ali but instead Abu Bak’r.
All Shi’as believe that Abu Bak’r, Umar and Uthman knew that Muhammad (PBUH) wanted Ali as the next successor of Islam- so Shi’as regard the first three Caliphas as the great traitors of Islam and they are publically cursed in Shi’a Juma prayers.
Shiites consider Ali and the leaders who came after him as imams. Most believe in a line of 12 imams, the last of whom, a boy, is believed to have vanished in the ninth century in Iraq after his father was murdered. Shiites known as Twelvers anticipate his return.
Because of the different paths the two sects took, Sunnis emphasize God’s power in the material world, sometimes including the public and political realm, while Shiites value in martyrdom and sacrifice.
What are the similarities amongst Sunni and Shi’a?
They both believe that there is only one all-powerful God who created the world and all life in it.
They also believe in Shaytan, Angels, and Demons.
Shia and Sunni believe that Islam began in 610 CE when Muhammad (pbuh), the last prophet, began receiving messages from God. These revelations were recorded in the Qur’an by his followers, which both sects respect as the Holy Book.
In practicing their religion, both groups recognize the Five Pillars of Islam which provide the framework for everyday life. These pillars include: testifying the existence of only one God and Muhammad (pbuh) as his prophet, taking part in prayer 5 times daily, giving charity, fasting during Ramadan, and making the pilgrimage to Mecca. These two sects also believe that the purpose of human life is to praise God so that one day the gates of Paradise will open for them.
What are the differences amongst Sunni and Shi’a?
Over time, the Shia began to give more importance to specific Hadith and Sunnah literature, leaning toward those that were written by family and close associates of the Prophet. The Sunni, however give the same importance to all Islamic literature. This difference has created a different understanding of Islamic law between the two.
Shia followers also visit and honour shrines of past Imams, saints, and scholars. In the eyes of many Sunni, this is blasphemous and equivalent to worshipping other deities (shirk).
Some ritualistic differences can also be noted between the two. When Sunnis pray, they kneel so that their head touches their prayer mat. Shias, however, kneel so that their head touches bare earth or a small clay block taken from a holy place.
Shia Muslims believe that the Imam is sinless by nature and that his authority is infallible because it comes directly from God. Therefore, Shia Muslims often venerate the Imams as saints. This well-defined clerical hierarchy can play a role in governmental matters as well. Iran is a good example in which the Imam, and not the state, is the ultimate authority. Sunni Muslims counter that there is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders, and certainly no basis for the veneration or intercession of saints. Sunni Muslims contend that leadership of the community is not a birth right, but a trust that is earned. It may be given or taken away by the people themselves.
Sunnis accuse the Shiites of elevating Ali to the level of Muhammad (pbuh) himself. But a counter-criticism is that the Sunni’s are incorrect since Shiites agree that Muhammad (pbuh) was the last of the prophets, a central tenet of Islam.
They believe that everything in the Qur’an has a hidden meaning which needs interpreting by religious leaders. Some Shi’as believe that the Qur’an is not final and that it can be added to by the Imams and that it was altered by Sunnis so that references to the 12 Imams were missed out.
Shi’as add to the Shahada ‘and I bear witness that Ali was the friend of God’.
What is the significance of the Prophet Muhammad’s life and death in the formation of the early Muslim community and different traditions within Islam?
The Prophet is influential as he was the first Muslim and left the world with a complete religion (unlike previous Prophets). However once he died, different Islamic groups were formed who viewed the Qur’an differently from each other- which led to Sunnism and Shi’ism.
What do the different narratives of succession relate to and explain the major differences between Sunnism and Shi’asm?
The Sunnis critique their sources; transmitted from the prophet (ﷺ); objectively, use these sources to find authentic background interpretations of the main source (the Quran), and objectively formulate rulings based on these interpretations and supporting authentic Hadith.
The Shia have no process for authenticating any narrations, not even their own, depending on the specific argument that they are trying to put forward at the time. This is why they cannot ever compile a book of narrations with only those narrations they deem authentic, and why their books are sometimes contradictory. Their faith is therefore always changing, with borrowed elements from almost every Islamic group (like the mu’tazilla school).
