Hadith Literature: Its Origin, Development & Special Features

by Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi

The hadith , the sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, form a sacred literature which for the Muslims ranks second in importance only to the Qur'an itself. As a source of law, ethics and doctrine, the vast corpus of hadith continue to exercise decisive influence. Islamic scholarship has hence devoted immense efforts to gathering and classifying the hadith , and ensuring their authenticity. This book is the only introduction in English which presents all the aspects of the subject. It explains the origin of the literature, the evolution of the isnad system, the troubled relationship between scholars and the state, the problem of falsification, and the gradual development of a systematic approach to the material. This edition is a fully revised and updated version of the original, which was first published in 1961 to considerable scholarly acclaim. Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi was Professor of Islamic Culture in the University of Calcutta.

Genres: Islam, Religion

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Mesoscope · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really not the book I was looking for. I was hoping for a historical overview of Hadith, a review of some of the major collections, a look at some the key compilers, and a discussion of how Hadith material is received and valued by various Muslim societies.

I didn't really get any of that - it's a highly-technical close examination of much more specialized topics, moving breathlessly through long lists of Arabic names and untranslated titles of works. I suppose it's intended for an audience of specialists.

I don't love that the author says nothing about Shia Hadtih, other than he doesn't know anything about it and won't consider it. I don't know, maybe you should find out a bit about it if you're writing this book?

I also fundamentally disagree with its method and criteria. It's written from the perspective of an insider of the tradition, and doesn't employ what from my frame of values are the basic critical tools of scholarship. I do not agree, for example, that we can trust the works from a particular period because it was a time of great piety, and the reasons why are so manifold that I can't imagine arguing the point. I can only say the author is speaking from a totally different set of axioms than I am.

I did not find much of value or use here.

[ARHAM MOIN · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for someone wanting an introductory reading on the hadith literature. Its foci can be divided into three parts:

Firstly its account of the technical fields of hadith literature, including matn, isnad, asma al rijaal, types of hadith collections, transmission techniques, criticism etc. are quite well written in an introductory manner, giving the reader an understanding of the technical aspects of hadith literature.

The second is its historical narrative. By continuously mentioning the historical anecdotes relating to a specific period, or a specific scholar, one gets an idea of how this science was formulated practically in the Islamic world. The Author also explains how the different famous works on this subject were compiled, and this again gives an understanding of how the sprawling literature of hadith was eventually condensed.

The third focus is the introduction to the huge presence of women from the very beginning of hadith literature in the highest and lowest levels. This gives the reader an enormous outlook on the reality of this matter. Also, the contribution of western scholars, discussed briefly makes us understand what has been said by the orientalists on this subject and how they stand or fall. This makes the book a worthwhile read for anyone interested in understanding the bigger aspects of hadith literature as well as auxiliary subjects

[Nermeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

its good base to understand hadith literature,

[Wayfarer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introductory text on hadith literature its origins, development and special features. The text is an accessible introduction into the subject matter and has a chapter introducing the major hadith collections as well as works on Asma al-Rijal - the author strikes a curious balance making this text suitable for the interested reader as well as the beginning student in the field of Hadith Studies.

[Sara Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make sure you get the edition that includes few pages about the female scholars of hadith.