It is necessary to understand the difference between:- (1) The Quran, which is a revelation from God. (2) The written Hadith, which are records of the Sunna, the traditions of the Prophet. and (3) the Oral transmission of Islamic teachings down the ages from Muhammad (saw) through the learned, the selected or initiated persons - the authorities in Quran 4:59. It is through these that the other two can be best understood. This article is concerned only with the Hadith as ordinarily understood.

It has been observed by an increasing number of Muslims that whereas the Quran calls itself a Guidance and Islam originally appears flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, in these latter days it has become rigid and legalistic. Whereas the emphasis in the Quran is on the cultivation of awareness of Allah, faith and knowledge, it is now mainly on forms, dogmas and rituals. In the past a number of learned and pious men considered it their right and duty to study and apply the Quran and Sunna (the acts and words of the Prophet (saw)), they also systematized and codified the Laws. But in these latter days this right and duty has been abandoned, the works of the past have become sacrosanct and Islam has been fossilized. Ideas and practices have been reduced by sloganization while many alien and incompatible ideas and practices have become prevalent. Whereas Islam requires that each person be responsible for his own salvation, most Muslims appear to blindly follow tradition or various authorities. The world has moved on, helped by the stimuli, impulses and momentum provided by Islam, but the Muslims themselves have stayed behind. The spirit seems to have gone out of Islam leaving only the vehicle, vessel or dead body. But, perhaps, it has only gone to sleep and can be awakened.

A better understanding can be reached if the following points are kept in mind:-

(1) It is also true that the Quran itself requires Muslims to obey the Prophet (saw) (3:31, 164, 4:59, 80, 5:92, 7:157-158, 8:20, 33:33, 48:10, 64:12 etc.) and that he was also given the wisdom to explain and apply it (2:129,269, 3:81,164, 62:2). The Messenger does not only deliver the message verbally, but demonstrates it in his life and actions. We are also warned against interpreting the Quran according to our own prejudices, fantasies and desires. Who could understand the Quran better than the Prophet himself? It was he who was sent by Allah and received the revelations and he is to be obeyed. There is no doubt also that those who have studied the Quran and Hadith intensively, intelligently and with a pure heart are likely to be closer to the truth than others. It is claimed by some sects that the Hadith are not required because the Quran says it is clear (44:2), self-consistent (39:23), detailed (6:115), the criterion (25:1) and we are required to judge only by what Allah has revealed in the Quran (5:44,47). But it is evident that many people reject or misunderstand the Quran and that there are many sects and many different interpretations of the same verses. We are also told that the ability to read does not guarantee understanding (2:121) and that Allah does not guide miscreants (9:19,24,80, 5:51,67,108, 10:36-37 etc.) and those who follow their own desires (28:50). Quran 3:7 tells us that clarity refers to the instructions in the Quran but there are other verses which people without knowledge may try to use to make mischief. One of the clear instructions constantly repeated is to obey the Messenger. The Quran clarifies (15:1, 26:2, 27:1 etc.) in that ideas in the Quran have been explained in several ways and misundertandings of past scriptures have been resolved but this does not mean that everyone can see and accept it. Past scriptures were also sent to clarify (37:114-117). It is not the eyes but the hearts that may go blind. (22:46, 5:71, 6:105, 11:24, 13:19). Things should not, therefore be altered arbitrarily. Research is required. It is not, therefore, possible to abandon the Sunna.

(2) There is a difference between the Sunna and the Hadith and the interpretations of the Hadith. Sunna means a way of doing things or conducting affairs, a set of practices, customs, rules, law etc. (8:38, 15:13, 17:77, 18:55, 33:38, 62, 35:43, and 48:23). When used to refer to human conventions and habits then they may be arbitrary, changeable, and unintelligent (e.g. 2:170). Strictly speaking Sunna, in the Quran, refers to the ways of Allah, which must also be distinguished from Allah Himself. When used for the actions of Allah it implies something objective and constant. A natural law or process is also Sunna. Sunna also applies to what He does through the Messengers or what the Messengers do as required by Allah. Here we have an intermediate meaning - the Sunna is objective but changes with conditions of life - there are different Sunnas associated with different Messengers. (5:48). The Quran does not actually speak about the Sunna or Hadith of the Prophet. These words cannot, therefore, be confined to the actions and sayings of the Prophet, nor to all the sayings and actions of the Prophet. They do not refer to what is a cultural convention of the times or place e.g. the way he was dressed. They cannot refer to an action when there is only one instance of it. But the action may be in conformity with a principle to which the Prophet, as a Prophet, adheres. It is that principle which is Sunna rather than the act itself.

Hadith means events, records or reports (4:42,78,87,140, 7:68, 12:6,21,101,111, 18:6, 23:44, 31:6, 33:53, 34:19, 39:23, 45:6, 51:24, 52:59, 56:81, 66:2, 68:44, 77:50, 79:15, 85:17, 88:1). The event is caused by the rules and has effects that leave records in nature as well as in memories. In this sense the Quran is a Hadith (an event and a record of what Allah did and said), and is so called in the Quran itself. But this name is normally used to distinguish it from the Quran and refer to reports about the sayings and doings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and some of his companions (which are or ought to be Sunna). But this recording is done by human beings who have limitations and are fallible. Human beings also have to interpret both the Quran and the Hadith and this removes them even further from Allah.

This causes certain problems to arise:-

(i) There are great number of fabricated hadith which have been included by people who wished to advance their own prejudices or interests or the interests of a ruler or group or simply wished to make mischief among Muslims.

(ii) The Sunna of the Prophet are recorded by third parties, and are, themselves, open to different interpretations.

(iii) Whereas the Hadith are a source of early Islamic History, the whole context of conditions surrounding an event have not been observed or recorded. This makes assessment impossible or difficult. Nor does it follow that a record of historical facts should become a source of values. It has caused Muslims to become trapped in the past. Instead of learning from past mistakes, the various interpretations of this history has been allowed to divide Muslims and cause conflict between them.

(iv) There are, or appear to be, contradictions between different hadith. This may be because they relate to different circumstances.

(v) Some Sunna are obscure and also require further explanation. Many people have seized on these, given them their own naive or perverse interpretations in order to attack Islam or serve some other desire

(vi) The Prophet himself was dealing with the particular circumstances which arose in connection with the times, place and people he found himself in. We could learn from this how to apply and adapt in an intelligent manner, but not directly transfer these acts and ideas to a different set of circumstances.

(vii) Whereas it is true that Religion deals with universal and eternal truths, the Quran itself tells us about the changing forms it can take, and there has been a failure to distinguish between the essence and the form, the goal and the means.

(viii) Some Hadith appear to be rather simplistic and naive or even vicious and are a source of embarrassment to some Muslims. Some of these could very well have been opinions of some people and related just for that purpose. Others are the result of the fact that the Prophet spoke according to the level of understanding of the people. It is, therefore, these limitations which have to be taken into consideration. Nor could the Prophet have been a successful leader and done anything with a people that their state of development could not tolerate. The nature of the material also affects what can be done with it, and the potter must know the limitations of the clay.

(ix) Different sets of people use different sets of Hadith, and many people select whatever will justify their preconceived ideas.

(x) Hadith are also transmitted orally and often in private or esoteric circles where they may be better understood and may have remained protected from corruption, but are not generally available.

The Quran tells us:-

The third authorities mentioned in this verse could include the ulema or scholars, but they are not given the right to decide in a difference of opinion. According to some sects this third authority are the descendants of the Prophet through Ali. But this is not specified in the verse, nor does it give the right to decide, and we also read:-

(3) The Prophet tells us:-

It follows that the Quran takes priority over the Sunna, which includes only that which Muhammad (saw) says and does in his capacity as Messenger of God, and that takes priority over the opinion of scholars.

The Muslim is required to obey the Prophet because he has been sent by God and not as a man. Therefore, we must determine which of his sayings and actions are given to us as Prophet and which were given as a man. The Prophet himself distinguishes between what he said pertaining to religion and what he says about anything else. But Islam is regarded as a Unitary comprehensive system and, it is argued, everything is part of religion in Islam. There seems to be a misunderstanding here. There is certainly a difference between the spiritual and the physical (as shown in 32:8-9). Islam requires that the spiritual aspect of man should control all things. The techniques of Agriculture, Industry or Business are not religious matters, but the application of ethics to these activities is. We could make similar distinction in the Hadith so that the action itself is not a religious matter but its ethic, inner intention and spiritual consequences are. There is a distinction between the general principle and the particular form. There is also a distinction between the intention and the action. The same action can be good or evil according to the intention behind it, and also, of course, according to the way it is done and the conditions in which it is done. It is obvious that a mindless mechanical performance of rituals or mere outward imitation without inner content cannot have any inner spiritual benefit.

(4) But we are also told:-

We must assume that Islam requires each person to be his own priest and work for his own salvation. The Quran warns against following others who might lead a person astray. Indeed, it is by his own actions that a person modifies himself and grows. Even that which he accepts from others has to be digested and assimilated. It does not become his own unless it is understood and applied. Things must fit into a single self-consistent system within the heart. But no individual is isolated. He learns from experience and from others. That is why an educational system is required which not only provides text books but teachers to explain them. Knowledge accumulates because people learn from those who already know, but also from their errors. The idea that everything besides the Quran should be rejected cannot be regarded as an intelligent suggestion.

(5) There is a great amount of controversy about the Hadith and this is causing much unnecessary confusion among Muslims. This is probably because they have not been classified in an adequate and useful manner. It has been shown in a previous article that much research has been done into the Hadith by scholars in the past. There are about 700,000 Hadith attributed to the Prophet. Of these around 90% were rejected by early Muslims as not authentic or doubtful. Al-Bukhari, who classified the Hadith as Sahih (genuine), Hasan (fair) and Daif (weak), is said to have examined about 600,000. These are not separate Sunna, but chains of transmission. He retained 7,397. These, when different reports of the same event are taken into consideration, reduce to about 4000. However, though all the Hadith in his book are genuine, it not true to say that these are the only authentic ones. It contains a selection. It is Mukhtasar, an abridgement. Bukhari himself claims to have memorised 100,000 Sahih Hadith.

But there are still different versions of the same event and differences of opinion as to the importance of various Hadith and which should be accepted. There are Hadith which contradict each other and even the Quran, or appear to because they refer to different things or circumstances; some seem obscure or trivial. Very little or nothing is said about the meaning, circumstances or context in which something was said and done, and what the mood or intentions were, what the explanation for some obscure remarks was, how it was understood by different people; whether it was clear, ambiguous, literal, metaphorical or symbolic; whether it was an instruction to a person or a group or to all; was it private or public; a general statement or something referring to a particular person, event, circumstance; or was it an example, a suggestion, an observation; was it humorous, a consolation, a rebuke; what level of understanding was it meant for, what it applied to and whether it had universal application or was something confined to a certain time, space or people.

It is necessary to understand that the context, the intention, the effects and the value of a Sunna are also important. Some things, which are of high importance in some circumstances, are less so in others.

The Hadith could probably be classified more usefully as follows:-

2 - Those given by the Prophet as general instructions to regulate the life of the community.

3 - Those which are relevant only to the particular times and places and people among whom the Prophet found himself. But even these may tell us how the Quran can be applied or adapted.

4 - Those which were meant to teach

5 - Hadith which are not records of what the Prophet said or did, but interpretations by others as to what he meant or what his intentions were.

6 - The opinions of the Prophet's close companions who had advanced understanding of Islam and were trusted by the Prophet.

7 - Those which expound the meaning of the verses in the Quran or illuminate understanding of the Quran.

9 - Those which interpret the principles in the Quran through particular circumstances.

10 - Those which tell us how things were understood by some people in the past.

11 - Those which are obscure for various reasons:-

(a) Because of the limitations of our understanding,

(b) Because we do not know the circumstances or context in which they apply

(c) Because we do not understand the idiom, similes or the way language was used in the past when the experiences of life were different.

(d) Because we do not know to whom things were said and to whom it applied - It could be that if there are two sides to something, then to the person who sees only one side, the other side has to be pointed out. It could then be that two opposite things are said to two different people. Someone might be too aggressive and another too mild, for instance.

(e) Because we do not know the mood or intention i.e. whether it was humorous or serious or rhetorical, an agreement or rebuke. Whether it was a statement of fact, conditional, an instruction, or meant to have a particular psychological effect on particular listeners.

(f) Whether something was meant for all time or only for the circumstances in which the Prophet found himself. And so on.

12 - Those which concern the personal practices of the Prophet.

13 - Those which record things which are trivial and accidental such as what the Prophet wore or what he did at home or said to his wife. But even this may illuminate a general attitude of the Prophet and nature of the times.

14 - Hadith which were added by others for their own purposes and interests or those of the rulers, or consist of the opinions of those who were hostile to Islam or failed to understand some aspects of it. But even these teach us something about human nature, societies and history.

15. Hadith that have a symbolic meaning or refer to a level of existence other than the obvious.

16. Those that are meant to have an affect rather than convey a meaning.

But these are only suggestions and further research should be undertaken.

It is necessary to understand that what the past scholars of the Quran and Sunna have determined, agreed upon and stated is not false, but may be misunderstood today because of changes in circumstances. They may also cease to have become significant and useful. It is the context of life and the mentality of people, which determine the meaning, and utility of statements. It is absolutely necessary that the Quran and Sunna should be continually studied and the results restated in the light of contemporary conditions of living and conceptual systems and should refer to the events that occur now.

It does not, therefore, help if one refers to the learned men of the past.

Why did the first three rulers of the muslims (Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthmaan) make no effort to preserve the Sunnah of the Prophet (sawa). I wonder: How come the Sunnah of the Prophet was not preserved the way the Qur'an was preserved?

The Prophet (saw)who caused the verses of the Quran to be memorized and written down did not insist that the same should be done with the Sunna. There was to be a complete distinction between what came from Allah (through the higher mind) and that which came from the human mind immersed in the affairs of the world just as there is a difference between Heaven and earth and between the Ideal and the practical.

It seems reasonable to suppose that we are required to go by the Quran.

The Sunna are interpretations and applications of the Quran for the particular circumstances and conditions of life in which the Prophet (saw)found himself. They are, therefore, guidance about how to adapt. They are not meant to be straight jackets when conditions change.

The Quran came to transform man and his conditions of life. Particularly to think in an objective manner (i.e. in accordance to the nature made by Allah). It seems an absurdity to me that measures have been taken to fossilise Islam instead.