READING: HADITH AND ITS TERMINOLOGY
This section's reading is from Chapter One of Jonathan Brown's Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World. In this selection, Brown gives a broad overview of the meaning and import of the ḥadīth (pl. aḥādīth),
or the traditions and narratives of and about the Prophet Muhammad. He
notes that the Quran is not the only source for Islamic law, mysticism,
theology, philosophy, popular practice, etc.; the collection of ḥadīth complement
the Quran in informing the multifarious doctrines and practices of the
Islamic religious tradition, within which are found communities of
interpretation that may in fact contradict one another.
In this respect, Brown offers us a more detailed explication of the ḥadīth literature,
how they function in societies of Muslims across historical time and
geographical space, and the various components of a given ḥadīth. You will also gain a deeper understanding of the paramount role of the Prophet in the formation of the Muslim self.
Read Chapter One of Jonathan Brown's Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World,
entitled "The Prophet's Words Then and Now: Hadith and its
Terminology". (You can skip the section, 'The Contents of this Book'.)
https://www.scribd.com/read/248822808/Hadith-Muhammad-s-Legacy-in-the-Medieval-and-Modern-World
Note that you are encouraged to draw on this reading for the two
discussions that follow. There is a lot of content in it, so we suggest
you read it carefully and take some notes.
Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.