Fabrication of hadith – 1

Saturday, October 3, 2009

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah

Source : http://www.readingi slam.com/ servlet/Satellit e?cid=1248187606 790&pagename=IslamOnlin e-English- AAbout_Islam/ AskAboutIslamE/ AskAboutIslamE

According to Muslims, the main sources of legislation are the Quran, which Muslims believe is the word of God, and the Sunnah or Hadith (sayings, deeds, and tacit approvals) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Quran is well-protected and preserved as Allah (God) promised to protect it against any corruption or alternation.

With regards to the issue of fabrication in the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, let's first define what a fabricated hadith is. A fabricated hadith is a hadith which is falsely ascribed to the Prophet while in fact he did not pronounce it. It is not permissible to narrate such hadiths.

Most of the fabricated hadiths were introduced in Muslim literature by the fabricators themselves. They forged the statements and invented the chain of transmission (called isnad) from their own imagination.

As for the beginning of fabrication, it is very difficult to determine the beginning of the fabrication of hadiths. Some scholars maintain that the fabrication of hadith took place during the lifetime of the Prophet.

Other scholars views that the fabrication started during the caliphate of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet's cousin. Another group of scholars say that the fabrication was introduced in hadith literature during the caliphate of the third Caliph Uthman ibn Affan.

The fabricated hadiths can be divided into two categories: intentionally fabricated hadith, which is called hadith mawdu (invented or fabricated hadith), and unintentionally fabricated hadith, which is referred to as hadith batil (invalid hadith).

Some of the causes on intentional fabrication include: fabrication by heretics, political differences, favor seekers, storytellers, human frailties, ignorant ascetics, and the prejudice of the fabricator for his or her own town, race, or imam.

 Some of the causes of unintentional fabrication include: novelty, mistakes, inaccuracy, indirect transmission, failure to copy, lack of qualification, and lost books.

Posted by Baseerath at Saturday, October 03, 2009  

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