An Introduction to the Sciences of Ḥadīth (HDT 101)

Course Description

“Indeed, Allah has done a favor to the Believers by sending unto them a Messenger from amongst them to rehearse unto them His Signs, to cleanse them, and to teach them the Book and Wisdom. Indeed, they had been in manifest error before it.” (Āl-ʿImrān, 3:164)

ʿAbdullāh b. Mubārak said, “Indeed isnād is a part of this Religion [dīn]. Were it not for isnād, anyone could say whatever he wished.”

Have you ever wondered:

Why do we need ḥadīth when we have the Quran?
How reliable are the works of ḥadīth?
What’s so special about the Six Books of ḥadīth & their authors?
Why are Muslim scholars so obsessed with the isnād (chain of narration) system?
Why do so many scholars ignore sound ḥadīths?
Is there any value in a weak ḥadīth?

This course will answer these questions and many more!

Daily Schedule

10:00 – 11:00	Session 1
11:00 – 11:15	Break
11:15 – 12:15	Session 2
12:15 – 12:30	Break
12:30 – 1:15	Session 3
1:15 – 2:30	Lunch + Zuhr
2:30 – 3:45	Session 4
3:45 – 4:15	Break + Asr
4:15 – 5:30	Session 5

Course Objectives

To appreciate the importance of hadith literature
To explore the history of hadith collection and transmission
To learn about the different categories of hadith
To understand the differences between a reliable, weak, and fabricated hadith
To gain an overview of the famous Six Books of Hadith