AA,
What is the difference between hadith and sunnah?

Asalam alikum warahmatullah wabrakatu

The Sunnah refers to the commands, prohibitions, sayings, actions and tacit approvals of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). The whole of the Sunnah falls under the command of Allaah in His Book:

"Whatsoever the Messenger gives you then take it and whatsoever he prohibits you from then refrain from it." [Sooratul-Hashr 59:7]

The knowledge of the Sunnah has reached us via means of the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). The hadeeth refers to a combination of a text and a chain of narration (isnaad) beginning from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and ending at the scholar who recorded that hadeeth. There are a number of conditions that the hadeeth must meet based upon which it is divided into two broad categories saheeh (authentic) and da'eef (weak). The authentic hadeeth is that hadeeth from which beliefs and legislation can be derived. The weak hadeeth does not allow us to derive beliefs or legislation from it.

salamu 3alaykum.

This is a clear explanation of how sunna relates to hadith.

It should be made clear though that while authentic hadiths are bases for sunnah, there are differences between Muslims scholars about some of these hadiths, i.e. whether a certain hadith is authentic or not. Put differently, unlike their total agreement on the authenticity of the Qur'an, Muslim scholar do have disagreements about the authenticity of hadiths. Salam.

Louay Fatoohi

As-salamu alaykum

Just to add to the above, it is important to know that the scholars followed strict criteria in categorzing hadith into authentic and non-authentic. A more accurate terminology is 'the accepted hadith' which is the basis for 'ilm (knowledge) and practice, and unaccepted hadith which is not relied upon in knowledge or practice. Accepted hadith is any of the following categories: saheeh, hasan and hasan lighairehee. The unaccepted hadith 'hadith mardood' is the following: da'eef (weak) and maudoo' (fabricated).

For a hadith to be saheeh (ie: authentic) it has to meet the following conditions:
1. Continuous chain of narrators.
2. All narrators must be of outstanding character.
3. All narrators must be of outstanding memory.
4. The hadith must be free of any subtle defects let alone obvious ones.
5. The hadith of one trustworthy narrator must not disagree with other narrations by more reliable narrators.

The second category: hasan must also meet the above conditions except with a lesser degree on the third condition. The third category is in the case that a hadith has been declared weak but not a fabricated hadith or is not extremely weak and another hadith or number of ahaadith (plural of hadith) which are of the same level and on the same subject have been narrated. The sum of them can raise this hadith to the level of hasan. It is hasan therefor but not on its own merit.

One may find authenitc hadith in books whose authors followed a strict methodology of only narrating authentic hadith such as al-Bukhari and Muslim. Many other books can be trusted for authentic and hasan hadith such as the books of: An-Nasaai', Abu Dawoud, at-Tirmithi, and Ibn Majah: however the first three are more trusted. Imam Ahmad's Musnad and Imam Malik's al-Muwatta are also two of the more trusted records of hadith which the scholars paid a great attention to their valuable content.

This is to show that the scholars did not declare a hadith to be authentic or weak huphazardly. They rather followed a strict methodology. Moreover, this methodology included a meticulous study of the narrators' biography. For more on the subject, one may refer to the early books of hadith sciences such as: the Introduction to Fat'h ul Baari by Ibn Hajar, al-Baa'ith al-Hatheeth by Ibn Kathir and in English Hadith Methodology and Literature by Azami, and Introduction to the Sciences of Hadith by Suheib Hasan.

BismAllah ..
Salaam Alaikum everyone

Nice to be here Smile

From early times, I was taught to adhere to the Quraan alone by my late beloved parents. Much later in life, when I heard about the hullabaloo on Hadith by the "ulemas" I decided to get some first-hand information about it. I read Bukhari from cover to cover and a few other collections as well. I was disappointed beyond limits. For every single decent narrtion, there are 10 offensive ones. It didn't take me long to realise how correct my parents were to disregard this inappropriate literature called Hadith. Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) was a chosen messenger by the Almighty Allah. He (pbuh) was unusually wise, intelligent, compassionate and with a remarkable insight. I think it is very impertinent (if not downright improper) on the part of our "scholars" to attribute such false quotes as contained in the Hadith literature to our great Prophet (pbuh). As believers who love the Prophet, it is our duty to protect his reputation that evolved from an exemplary character, Alhamdulilah. The "ulemas & scholars" (or clergy in plain words) are tarnishing the image of the beloved Prophet and introducing negative innovations into our great Faith through Hadith and fatwas. These "scholars" officially admit that the Quraanic contents of today's Sharia is only approximately 5% from the Quraan. The rest are all from Hadith in the shape of Fiqh and fatwas. This is gross deviation, in the same way as the Jews and Christians deviated from the message of Allah. The Noble Quraan gives no warrant to such innovations as introduced by the Muslim clerics into Islam. These clerics have ruined the originality of Islam by making the man-written Hadith (written by self-serving imams) far more predominant over the Divine & original Quraan. This is a sad and serious situation. We must fear Allah, hold tightly to the Quraan alone as commanded by Him and shown by the final Messenger and seal of the prophets, Muhammed (Salallah alayhi Wasallam). We must reject / ignore all babblings of the imams and so-called scholars.

Moreover, Allah's guidance does not necessarily come by acquiring PhD diplomas from Islamic universities by spending thousands of dollars. Rather, anyone with a sincere desire to reach out to the Divine Power, to understand Him and reflect on His Words will find Allah most Responsive, Alhamdulilah. Allah grants guidance to whoever seeks for it with a contrite heart. There's no concept of blind following of spiritual leaders in the Quraan. True Islam comprises only of the Glorious Quraan and our rationality on the basis of Quraanic principles. Allah has given each one of us a degree of common sense and He surely expects us to use it. Thus, there's no need to get fixated on imams and 'scholars' by trusting them blindly and following every nonsensical fatwas and unauthentic hadiths which they have been putting on the table since the last 1200 years.

JazekAllah khair ..

Salaams and peace

I don't reject anything without studying it first. I was listening to a lecture by Dr. Gary Miller and he said the word "Iman" means faith but also means to confirm. You don't believe something blindly, you believe it because you checked it out.

I have done enough study on the Quran to believe it is the word of God. I am still trying to better understand Hadith and Sunnah. I have my opinions, but I don't want to blindly reject or embrace anything without understanding it first.

What I like about your post is it goes well with a hadith I read:

"I am a human being like you. When I give you any religious command, accept it. When I express my personal opinion, remember that I am nothing but a human being."