Course Description

This course is a survey of the principles upon which the study of hadeeth rests. The historical milieu that surrounded the developments of this science are taken into account and the methodology of this science that gradually appeared is rendered against its historical environment along with an analysis of its content. The various classification schemes are discussed and how the many developments of the science, although possibly seen independent of each other, are interconnected accumulating finally into a comprehensive critical appreciation of Islamic sources.

I. OBJECTIVES

1. Educating and training students regarding Hadeeth terminology specific to the Hadeeth sciences.

2. Understanding the rules used by the hadeeth scholars for grading hadeeths according to their reliability.

3. Developing in the students an ability to distinguish the hadeeth of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) from that which is not.

II. CLASS CONTENT

     1. Introduction: The Status of the Sunnah in Islamic Law

     2. Hadeeth Science and its terminologies

     3. Division of Narrations: 1. Mutawaatir and 2. Ghayr Mutawaatir

     4. Division of Narrations: 1. Maqbool and 2. Mardood

     5. Hadeeth Mawdoo‘

     6. Division of Narrations: 1. Marfoo‘, 2. Mawqoof and 3. Maqtoo‘

     7. Hadeeth Qudsee

     8. Sahaabah: Definition and their characteristics.

     9. At-Taabi‘oon and those who followed them until the end of the era of narration.

     10. Mardood due to faults in the narrators: Either due to lack of Integrity (‘Adaalah) or lack of Accuracy ( Dabt)

     11. Methods of Hadeeth Narration

     12. Conditions for Hadeeth Narration

     13. Textual Harmonization,

     14. Hadeeth Books,

     15. Women Scholars of Hadeeth

III. TEXTBOOKS

A. Required Text:

     Bilal Philips, Usool al-Hadeeth 

B. Supplementary Texts:

     Suhaib Hasan, An Introduction to the Science of Hadith

     Muhammad Siddique, Hadith Literature

     Mustapha Azami, Early Studies in Hadeeth Literature

     Ibn Katheer, al-Baahith al-Hatheeth

     Ibn Salaah, Tadreeb ar-Raawee