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While the hadith are not considered sacred to the same extent as the Quran, the hadith are viewed as an authoritative source for Muslims, nonethe- less. Here are two brief exam- ples of this:
Circumcision is not men- tioned in the Quran. Yet Mus- lim males are circumcised be- cause Muhammad is reported to have said that circumcision is one of five acts of purity for the faithful. Moreover, according to another tradition in the hadith, Muhammad cir- cumcised his grandsons short- ly after birth. Many Muslims, therefore, circumcise their sons when they are babies.
We are currently in the mid- dle of Ramadan and there are various hadith concerning this sacred month of prayer and fasting in Islam, including a hadith that divides Ramadan into three parts: mercy, for- giveness and salvation. Many embrace this popular hadith while others question its au-
To give an example from our own context, how much confidence would you have in a reported saying or action of our president if you only received it from Fox News, CNN, Twitter, The New York Times, QAnon, TikTok or NPR? To make it even more complicated, sometimes a re- port can be so influential even though it is false. Ask anyone who has ever heard of George Washington to tell you some- thing famous about our first president and you’ll probably get the story of Washington chopping down the cherry tree with a hatchet. When con-
What a wonderful story. It also never happened. It was made up by a preacher seven years after Washington died. And yet, the story continues and is accepted as true.
Why do we listen to sto- ries and traditions that are not based on sound evidence? What does that say about the story or tradition? More im- portantly, what does that say about us?
Many Muslims will not own or even touch dogs because they are considered defiled. This view is not expressed in
As mentioned, different Muslims designate different authoritative weight to dif- ferent traditions in the hadith. Here’s why: The hadith col- lections were transmitted and
I mention this because there are some traditions in the had- ith that are considered weak in terms of reliability but are well-known nonetheless and accepted as true, especially among non-Muslims. Per-
Jay Sakashita teaches reli- gion courses at Leeward Com- munity College and University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Reach him at misfitspirit808@gmail. com.
APRIL 5, 2023 MIDWEEK 21
What sources do you rely on to inform your beliefs and behavior? In Islam, there are several, including the hadith. The hadith are a collection of the reported sayings and tradi- tions of the prophet Muham- mad and other early Muslim leaders.
Traditions, Accuracy And The Pursuit Of Truth
the Quran, but is based on sev- eral hadith traditions.
taught orally for two centuries after Muhammad’s death. To ensure reliability, it was vital to know who was transmit- ting the words and deeds of the prophet. The hadith col- lections, therefore, usually list the transmitters to convey authenticity. Depending on the source, then, the reliability of the hadith fluctuates.
thenticity. You might wonder why does this matter?
fronted by his angry father, the 6-year-old boy said, “I cannot tell a lie — I chopped down the cherry tree.” His father was so moved that he de- clared little George’s courage and honesty were worth more than 1,000 cherry trees!
haps the best example of this is the belief in 72 virgins for martyrs of the faith. Nowhere in the Quran does it say that a person who kills others will be rewarded with 72 virgins — yet this belief persists.
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