Daily Wisdom Introduction

INTRODUCTION 

 In the Islamic scheme of things, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) occupies a pivotal position. It is one of the essential articles of faith for Muslims to believe in and abide by all that the Prophet (PBUH) said or did. His acts and sayings, referred to in Islamic terminology as Sunnah and Hadith respectively, are, therefore, of great importance and relevance for Muslims in all times and places. The esteem in which Muslims hold the Prophet (PBUH) does not hinge upon idolizing him. Rather, they cannot profess or practise Islam without drawing upon the example set by the Prophet (PBUH) . The following account brings into sharper focus the significance of the Prophet's Sayings in the broader world context of Islam.

According to the Qur'an, the Islamic Scripture, God sent the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to teach "the Book and wisdom" (al-Jumu'ah 62:2). At another place, the Qur'an outlines his role: "God has sent down this Reminder (the Qur'an) upon you that you may elucidate to the people the teaching that has been sent down for them" (al-Nahl 16: 44). The same truth is pressed home thus: "We sent among you a Messenger of your- selves, who recites to you our signs, purifies you, instructs you in the Book and in wisdom, and teaches you what you did not know" (al-Baqarah 2: 151). It is not therefore surprising that on being asked to spell out the Prophet's conduct, 'A'ishah, his wife, readily answered that his everyday life demonstrated what the Qur'an taught. The Islamic modes of worship, moral code, socio-political ideals, habits of thought, concern for the Hereafter and spiritual outlook were practised by the Prophet (PBUH) , and he served as a living role model for the early Muslims who came to know of or hear about him.

The Qur'an contains several directives urging Muslims to be kind to orphans, the poor, the elderly, women and children. However, they imbibed this moral lesson in the real sense on observing firsthand the Prophet's overflowing love and affection for the downtrodden of society. They saw with their own eyes that he used to skip meals in order to feed the needy. He led a frugal life while he generously helped the poor and the weak. Never did he hit nor take revenge against anyone, though he was persecuted for years. They noted with amazement how he spent his time on visiting the sick, attending funerals and consoling those in distress. As a father, husband and neighbour, he showed them how to perform these basic familial and social roles.His example in real-life situations was closely observed and followed faithfully by his companions. Most importantly, they taught subsequent generations to do the same. This explains why the Prophet's Sayings carry the pride of place in the Islamic worldview.

Another instance in point is afforded by the Qur'anic command for liturgical prayer, which underscores his central role in things Islamic. The Qur'an obliges every Muslim to offer daily prayers. However, it was the Prophet (PBUH) who illustrated all aspects of this command: time, place, number, ritual, and way of offering the prayer. Through his example, the Muslims realized the effectiveness of prayer in moulding their outlook on life. His Sayings thus set the agenda for professing and practising Islam.

Of all the Messengers of God, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) holds the distinction of being the last and final bearer of God's guidance for mankind. More signifi- cantly, he is the only Messenger whose entire prophetic career is meticulously preserved in writing. All that he said, did, approved or disapproved of, even with the slightest gesture, is recorded. From the beginning of his Prophetic call, a host of his followers fully devoted themselves to recording and transmitting faithfully his Sayings for posterity. With the passage of time this exercise gained in depth and grounding. The Hadith sciences soon developed into one of the most extensive branches of learning in the Islamic tradition. Some of the best Muslim minds collected, edited and promoted Hadith studies. This trend continues up to this day, and has contributed much to the popularity and importance of the Prophet's Sayings among Muslims across the world.

Muslims believe that the Prophet (PBUH) was constantly under God's care and supervision in discharging his Prophetic duty, and was inspired and guided by God in all of his acts. Accordingly Muslims are obliged to abide by his teachings, besides those ordained by the Qur'an. The Divine revelation constitutes what we know as the Qur'an, whereas the special knowledge imparted to the Prophet by God, which is reflected in his acts and sayings, represents what the Qur'an names as "wisdom". Imparting wisdom is specifically and recurrently mentioned in the Qur'an as the Prophet's main assignment: "God has revealed to you the Book and wisdom, and He taught you what you did not know." (al-Nisa' 4:113).

Elsewhere, the Prophet's family members are reminded of the Divine favours bestowed upon them: "Remember the signs of God and the words of wisdom which are rehearsed in your homes" (al-Ahzab 33:34). "Wisdom" in this verse instance signifies the Prophet's words and deeds. It also explains why it is so important to learn about and act upon the Prophet's Sayings.

God in the Qur'an both sanctions and sanctifies the Prophet's Way in this proclamation:

As for him who sets himself against the Prophet and follows a path other than that of the believers even after true guidance has become clear to him, God will let him go the way he has turned to, and will cast him into Hell - an evil destination.(Al-Nisa' 4:115)

Numerous instances in early Islamic history corrob- orate the point that Muslim rulers were guided by the Prophet's Rulings and Sayings in deciding any matter. It is on record that the Caliph Abu Bakr asked publicly about asked the Prophet's Precedent on any issue that was not in his knowledge. On coming to know what it was, he decided the matter accordingly. The same holds true for Muslim rulers and peoples of later times. They sought and still seek to live by the Prophet's teachings in all aspects of their life. This is the enduring significance and relevance of his Sayings in the lives of more than one billion Muslims around the world today.

Among the many collections of the Prophet's Sayings, edited assiduously by several scholars in the early history of Islam, the following deserve mention. Those interested in the subject would find their study rewarding:

Bukhari's al-Jami' al-Sahih 

 Abu 'Abdullah b. Isma'il al-Bukhari (810-870), of Persian descent, was born in Bukhara, now in Central Asia. God had blessed him with a strong intellect and a sharp retentive memory which contributed much to his later fame as one of the foremost Hadith scholars. In his forty-year-long search collecting the Sayings of the Prophet (PBUH) , he visited almost all the important centres of Islamic learning in different parts of the  Muslim world. For example, he stayed at Basra for five years, in Hijaz, part of the present-day Saudi Arabia for six years, and travelled several times to Egypt, Kufa and Baghdad. The fruits of his diligent scholarship are collected in his Sahih al-Bukhari, containing his careful selection of 7275 thematically arranged Sayings of the Prophet (PBUH). These are sub- divided into 100 sections and 3450 chapters.

Muslim's Sahih

Sahih Muslim, another major Hadith collection by Abu Husain Asakir Muslim b. Hajjaj (817-874), is second in rank to Bukhari's Sahih. Muslim was born in Nishapur and travelled widely in Persia, Iraq, Syria and Egypt to master the discipline of Hadith. After examining a large number of the Sayings, he finally selected 4000 authentic reports which feature in his collection.

Abu Dawud's Sunan

Abu Dawud Sulayman b. al-Ashtah (817-888) of Arab stock was most probably born in Basra. He pursued the study of Hadith in Arabia, Persia, Syria and Egypt and tried to gather all the reported Sayings of the Prophet. His collection, Sunan, retains the meticulous standards of scholarship found in the works of Bukhari and Muslim. However, his collection also includes some reports that are regarded as unreliable by some scholars. Nonetheless, Abu Dawud does well in pointing out the defects in such reports.

Tirmidhi's Jami

As an illustrious student of Abu Dawud, Abu 'Isa Muhammad b. 'Isa (821-892) carried further the work of his teacher and spiritual master. He also learnt Hadith at the feet of Bukhari and Muslim. His labelling of reports as genuine or otherwise is one of the most valuable aspects of his work.

Nasa'i's Sunan

Abu 'Abd al-Rahman Ahmad b. Shu'ayb al-Nasa'i (827-915) hailed from Khurasan. He studied Hadith in Central Asia and visited Egypt and Syria to collect Hadith. His Sunan, a large collection of the Prophet's Sayings, is one of the six standard works on the subject. A striking feature of this work is that it contains variants of many Hadith reports, followed by Nasa'i's comments on the authenticity or otherwise of each report.

Ibn Maja's Sunan

Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad b. Yazid, popularly known as Ibn Maja (822-887), was born at Qazwin in Persia. To gain a thorough knowledge of Hadith, he visited Persia, Iraq, Syria, Arabia and Egypt. Contained in his collection are 4000 Sayings of the Prophet (PBUH) divided into 32 sections and 1500 chapters.

Bayhaqi's Sunan

Abu Bakr Ahmad b. al-Husain of Nishapur, popularly known as Bayhaqi (994-1066), learnt Hadith at the feet of many eminent scholars. His Sunan stands out for its thematic arrangement and its method of evaluating Hadith reports.

Malik's Muwatta'

Malik b. Anas (711-795) stands out as a distinguished jurist and Hadith scholar of Madina in the Arabia peninsula. His collection of Hadith, Muwatta' also contains the rulings of Madinan jurists. His work is one of the earliest extant writings on Hadith and jurisprudence.