Hadith

Ḥadīth (حديث‎ ḥadīth, pl. Aḥādīth, أحاديث, ʼaḥādīth, also "Traditions") in Islam are the record of the words, actions, and silent approval, traditionally attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Within Islam the authority of hadith as a source for religious law and moral guidance ranks second only to that of the Quran.

156723

Hadith . Prophet Adam . Imam Ali b. Abi Talib

I heard a Shia scholar mention a narration in which the Prophet Muhammad (s) stated that he witnessed Imam Ali creating Prophet Adam with his own hands? Is this authentic?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

I have never seen such narration. Please ask those who claim it to provide its reference so that we can check it and research the authenticity of the narrators.

‘Wassalam.

156488

Hadith . Bihar al-Anwar . Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi

Some Shia folks claim that not all the Hadith mentioned in Biharul Anwar by Allama Baqir Majlisi are authentic. Is this true? If so, what proportion is inauthentic?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 2 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

Other than the holy Quran, we do not have a book that is completely authentic, from cover to cover. Even our early hadith books like al-Kafi, etc, are to be individually evaluated and scrutinised by experts of hadith grading.

The great book Bihar al-Anwar, by al-'Allamah al-Majlisi (q.s.) is no exemption as well. As for percentage or proportion, that cannot be defined as a whole, because each scholar could have different methodology of grading authenticity, and other related issues to hadith grading.

And Allah knows best

155223

Marja' . Taqlid . Hadith

Is it necessary to blindly follow a Marja in Taqleed? Is there any proof from Ahadith about this matter?

In every field of knowledge, reasonable persons follow the highly knowledgeable experts in that field. It is the logic of life that the less knowing must refer to the most knowing. It is in medicine, engineering, law, etc and no one objects on it at all. Why some people doubt it when it comes to religious knowledge? This doubt is illogical. Allah is Quran ordered to refer to those who are more knowledgeable.(Sura Al-Nahl, verse 43 and Sura Al-Angiaa', verse 7 and Sura Faaturm verse 14).

Following the verdict of the Marje' is the way for people to follow the authentic evidence derived by the highly learned experts in Islamic knowledge. Those who doubt Taqleed do not have any other way to know the evidence because they themselves are not experts in Islamic knowledge. Some of them follow less knowledgeable persons instead of following more knowledgeable which is type of injustice.

Wassalam.

147902

Woman . Children . Marriage . Life . Hadith

I have fertility problems, and I have come across Hadiths stating that a woman who cannot bear children is considered less valuable in marriage. Some hadiths also suggest that not having children implies a life not fully lived. Are these authentic?

Allah (SWT) Says in Quran: He (Allah) Renders barren whom He Wants).(Sura Al-Shura, Verse 50). It is the Decision and Wisdom of Allah who should be barren and sterile. No blame at all on the person who was created by Allah as barren or sterile. Marriage which aims having children needs a fertile wife, and that is the reason of the narrations. No doubt that Allah (SWT) Makes some of His creatures as sterile for reason in their favor even if they don't know it but it is definitely in their favor. It can be avoiding them a harm which can happen if they had children or any other serious reason.

'Wassalam.

143930

Sunni-Shi'a . Imamah . Fabricated Traditions . Hadith . Usul al-Kafi

How can Shia claim to have acquired knowledge from Imams if there are many fabricated hadiths in the chain of narration between Imams and the authors of Usul-e-Arba'a? Or are all these chains of narration considered authentic?

Same question should be put for Sunni books of Hadeeth. Thousands of narration were been fabricated by Sunni narrators for different reasons, so how Sunni Ulama identify the authentic? Our Shia scholars do thorough research on every narration and all its narrators. We don't accept but the narration which is according to Quran and authentic Hadeeth and which has been narrated by authentic narrators one after another. Our main books of Hadeeth have much more authentic Hadeeths that what our Sunni brothers have in their books of Hadeeth.

Wassalam.

144302

Women . Hadith . Sunni-Shi'a

When reading Hadiths from Shia and Sunni books, I sometimes come across descriptions of women as being less knowledgeable and lesser believers than men. Are these narrations authentic?

Knowledge and degrees of faith are open for women equally as open for men. Many women are much higher in knowledge and faith than thousands of men. Allah (SWT) Created Fatima (AS) who is higher in her knowledge and faith than all human beings except her father and her husband (SAWA). That proves that there is no gender discrimination at all in Islam.

Wassalam.

143544

Hadith . Qur'an . God (Allah) . Imam Ali b. Abi Talib . Prophet Muhammad

Can you provide authentic references from Quran and Hadith books and a logical explanation for the belief that Allah spoke to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through the voice of Mola Ali (AS)?

Bismihi ta'ala

There are references that when the holy Prophet (s.a.w.) went in his Mi'raj journey, Allah ta'ala communicated with the Prophet (s.a.w.), in the voice of Imam Ali (a.s.). This is among the merits of Imam Ali (a.s.).

Of course, in Sunni sources, like al-Durr al-Manthur, v. 4, p. 154-5, it says the Prophet (s.a.w.) heard the voice of Abu Bakr.

But Sunni sources also narrate it being Imam Ali (a.s.).

We have absolute belief that Allah ta'ala does not have a body, or anything material, and even in this case of "communicating", it was casting the sound.

So, the voice was not Imam Ali (a.s.), but the casting of a sound to an angel that resembled the voice of Imam Ali (a.s.), because it was the most loved of sounds for the Prophet (s.a.w.).

Some Sunni references for this narration:

al-Manaqib, by al-Khwarazmi, p. 78, p. 6, h. 61.

Yanabi' al-Mawaddah, v. 1, p. 246, h. 28.

With prayers for your success

143370

Ramadan . Hadith . Usul al-Kafi

What is the scholarly stance on the Ahadith reported in Kutub Al-Arba'a that suggest that the month of Ramadan is always 30 days long?

Such narrations are not to be taken for granted and most of our great scholars did not follow it in their verdicts. It might be talking about a specific year and can not be taken for all the years.

‘Wassalam.

140558

Hadith . Earth . Angels

I understand there is a Hadith that the Earth is balanced on the back of an angel and the angel is riding a bull and the bull is on a whale. Is this narration, or any similar one, authentic?

Bismihi ta'ala

Prior to anything, we must first establish whether the narration is authentic, as far as the text and the chain as well.

If we were to assume it's all good as far as its issuance from a Ma'sum (a.s.), then we most certainly cannot take it in its literal meaning, and it must be interpreted in such a way that would make sense. Whale could refer to the orbit, maybe because the whale's back is not flat, and for the earth, it has "the equatorial bulge", the water could refer o space, rock could refer to planets, and so on.

Some of these explanations have been given in commentaries on al-Kafi.

The Imam (a.s.) is duty-bound to say things that are not above or beyond people's comprehension at that time. There could be words omitted for brevity, like how the Quran addresses people and certain things.

The following is a good detailed answer (in Arabic) from the holy Shrine of Imam Husain (a.s.):

https://alrasd.net/arabic/islamicheritagee/3590

And Allah ta'ala knows best

136553

Masah . Ring . Water . Hadith . Shrine . Barakah

Can you share any narration from any Imam talking about making Masah of a piece of cloth, ring or water bottle with the Zareeh of any Imam in order to give it blessing?

Quranic verses in Sura Yousuf are the strongest evidence in this matter.

Prophet Yousuf told his brothers: Take this shirt of mine and cast it on the face of my father, he will turn clear-sighted. (12:93).

'We have many authentic narrations on the blessings which can be obtained by touching (Masah) of blessed items like Black stone, Zareeh of most humble servants of Allah, Quranic text, etc.

Wassalam.

135586

Scholars . Hadith

Does there exist a text where the Shia scholars have extracted and compiled the fully authentic Ahadith from all four of their main books?

The four main Shia books of Hadeeth are Al-Kafi, Al-Faqeeh, Al-Istibsar and Al-Tahtheeb. All of them are published separately and there is a new edition having all these four books in one set of volumes. Most of the narrations in these books are authentic and the number of Hadeeths in these books is much more than the number of the narrations in all the six Sunni books of Hadeeth ( Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah, Abi Dawood, and Nasaa'ee.).

Every Shia scholar studies every Hadeeth and researches the chain of narrators and the meanings of the text as he understands and comes out with his own result about the authenticity and the meaning of it. No one can force his opinion on other scholars as scientific research is free in Shia Islam for every qualified scholar. That is why, we do not believe in closing the gate of Ijtihad and research in every narration.

Wassalam.

135605

Hadith . Satan

Does there exist any reliable Hadith that says that he who has no Shaykh has Satan as his Shaykh?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 3 years ago

The expression من ليس له شيخ شيخه الشيطان is not found in the extant hadith collections. It is attributed to some Sufis.