Hadith: A Persistent Tradition in Indian Culture
Keywords: Mashariq al-Anwar, Kanz al-ʿUmmal, ʿAbd al-Haqq ibn Sayf al-Din al-Bukhari
Al-Dihlawi, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Tahir al-Fatini, Anwar Shah Kashmiri, Shah ʿAbd al-
ʿAziz ibn Wali Allah.
َأ
َتَر ْكُت ِفيُكْم ْمَر ْيِن َلْن َتِضُّلوا َما َتَمَّس ْكُتْم ِبِهَما ِكَتاَب الَّلِه
َوُس َّنَة َنِبِّيِه1
Hadith is a corpus of the sayings or the traditions of Prophet ( )صلى الله عليه وسلم. As the
Quran is guiding this Ummah the Hadith also guides the religious and he moral ethics of the
life. Our Prophet Muhammad ( )صلى الله عليه وسلمleft behind him, I have left behind two things,
and you will never go astray as long as you hold fast onto them i.e. The Quran and Sunnah.
These Hadiths were highly preserved with many reports of varying length and authenticity. It
is the sources through which a Muslim could understand the practices of Muhammad (صلى
)الله عليه وسلمand the Muslim Ummah. After the Prophet ( )صلى الله عليه وسلمthese
Hadiths guided the Ummah as most companions used to preserve the Hadith of Prophet (
)صلى الله عليه وسلم. Gradually the Hadith was collected in a systematic compile report,
Tabain and Tabiu Tabain collected, classified and authenticated the Hadiths under different
methodologies and aspects. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim were reputed to be among the
most stringent of these periods. Their contributions, both entitled as Jami al- Sahih, were the
most authoritative collections of Hadiths. Beside these, in different periods, scholars had
contributed their work in this field like the rest of works in Sihah Sittah, the six authoritative
books of Hadith.
Within a short period, the Hadith collection process gained steam, leading to the collection of
numerous Hadith compilations throughout the Muslim world. This occurrence was
advantageous since it gave later academics the idea to gather simplified versions of
significant and relevant Hadiths for the benefit of people who lacked the necessary
knowledge or time to read the large and dense collections of Hadith literature. These
particular collections of Hadith were put together as Musnad or Musannaf compilations. The
)899\2( )) أخرجه مالك في ((الموطأ: التخريج 1
compiler of each of these publications was associated with a specific school of Islamic
Jurisprudence. In summary, the Hadith is distinct and the second main focus of Islamic
Shariah, maintaining a level of excellence and concrete authenticity that is on par with or
higher than that of the holy Qur'an. Hadith is not the exclusive source of data regarding the
early history of Islam and Pre-Islamic Arabia, and for the advancement of Islamic law and
thinking in general specifically. It has contributed much to creating a shared the entire
Islamic world's culture.
Hadith Transmission and Compilation Tradition in India
The study of hadith and its propagation have been crucial in forming India's religious and
cultural landscape, safeguarding and advancing Islam's precepts, and continuing to be
immensely influential in the lives of Indian Muslims. From the first moments of India's
Islamic opening to Islam, the science of hadith made its way there. In Kashf Al-Zunun, Al-
Jalbi2 mentions that a Mujahidin3, who travelled to India in Allah's path; was known to be the
pioneer to the science of Hadith, even if he wasn't the first author in the field of hadith. It was
the beginning of second hijrah century, the science of Hadith started to expand in Arab region
while the Hadith became as red Sulphur in India, in place the Fiqh, and Usul Al- Deen
overtook people when the Arab’s rule had vanished from Sind and the Ghaznavid and
Ghawrid kings conquered it, they were the succession of people arrived from Khurasan 4 and
Transoxiana5, which continued for many centuries until the Indian trade was assimilated into
Greek wisdom. Mashariq al-Anwar6 by Al-Saghani was the extent of Hadith in the Indian
sub-continent, while some were elevated to Masabih al-Sunnah by Al-Baghawi or Mishkat
al-Masabih.
By the tenth century a new renaissance was started to preserve the science of Hadith, The
authors of Kanz al-ʿUmmal, Shaykh Husam ad-Din ʿAli al-Muttaqi 7(d. 975 AH), and Majma'
2
Kâtip Çelebi, a Turkish author of 17th century in Ottoman Empire. Together with writing several
treatises and articles, he edited the Kaşf az-Zunūn, a comprehensive worldwide bibliographic
encyclopaedia of literature and sciences. It is originally titled as
كشف الظنون عن أسامي الكتب والفنون
3
Al-Rabi Ibn Al-Subayh As-Saʿdi
4
It is Located in today’s north-eastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan and northern Afaganistan.
5
the Latrin name for a region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to modern-
day eastern Uzberkistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Turkmenistan and
southern Kyrgyzstan. Geographically, it is the region between the rivers Amu Darya to its south and the Syr
Darya to its north.
6
Author: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saghani al-Hindi (796/1393)
7
‘Ala al-Din ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd-al-Malik Husam al-Din al-Muttaqi al-Hindi (888 - 975 AH), a sunni scholar
belongs to the southern town of Madhya Pradesh.
al-Bihar, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Tahir al-Fatini 8 (Patni), his pupil (d. 986 AH). These two
authored outstanding works on hadith science and contributed noteworthy service to it. Next
came Shaykh ʿAllāmah ʿAbd al-Haqq ibn Sayf al-Din al-Bukhari Al-Dihlawi 9 (d. 1052 AH),
who learned the science of Hadith from the scholars of the Hijaz and spread it in India,
making Delhi its Centre. He set to work seriously spreading the science of Hadith and serving
it by teaching and writing commentaries; as a result, the scholars turned towards the science
of Hadith and the Sahih spread widely. His son and his grandchildren succeeded him in this
field so the great scholars rose from every corner. Then Shaykh Al-Islam Ahmad Ibn Abdur
Rahim Al-Dahlawi known to be Shah Wali Allah 10 (died in 1176 H) travelled to Hijaz and
studied the Hadith from his teacher Abu Tahir Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Kurdi Al-Madani.
After that, he came back to India and focused all of his fervor on the Hadith. As a result, the
State of Hadith was created, and its soft wind flew from east to west, north to south, and
settled upon the students—the people who were interested in the study of hadith—from even
the most remote regions of the country.
After him was Shah ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn Wali Allah 11, who passed away in 1239 AH. He
guided the great Hadith scholars, the most well-known and effective of whom in
disseminating Hadith and training scholars. Being his grandson Shaykh Muhammad Ishaq ibn
Muhammad Afdal al-'Umari12 (d. 1262 AH), who succeeded to the Hadith leadership in the
last period and became the ultimate authority in training. And major cities became the Centre
for the studies of Hadith including Bhopal, Delhi, Lucknow, Saharanpur, Panipat, Deoband
and Moradabad. Shaykh Rashid Ahmad Gangohi13, who studied under Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ghani
ibn Abi Saʿid al-Mujaddidi, had his Centre of practice at Gangoh (died 1323 AH). His
spiritual guidance, teaching, and fatwas issuance influenced most of people. He taught a wide
variety of sciences before focusing solely on teaching the noble Hadith. Yahya ibn
Muhammad Isma'il al-Kandahlawi, whose knowledge and intelligence were kindled, had a
well-established scholarly ability. In a compilation he named al-Kawkab Al-Durri, or The
8
He was the last Tahirid governor of Khurasan during the Abbasid Caliphate. Then later appointed as the
governor of Baghdad from 885-889.
9
A Hanafi scholar who wrote fatwa against the one who titled Ibn Taymiyyah as Shaykh Al-Islam. His famous
work was Muljimat al-Mujassima
10
A Sunni Sufi scholar of Naqshabandi order, His father Shah Abdul Rahim Muhaddis-e-Dehlvi was also a
famous muhaddis of his time. He was known to be Muhaddith because of his contribution in field of Hadith.
11
He is known as the Muhaddith and Mujaddid from India. He was the son of Shah Waliullah so he followed
the trend of his father.
12
The grandson of Abdul Aziz Dehlawi, the migrant to the Holy Mecca, He acquired sanad in hadith from
Shaykh ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Karim ibn ‘Abd al-Rasul al-Makki
13
He was a Deobandi Scholar, author of Fatawa-e-Rashdiyyah, Both studied the books of hadith under Shah
Abdul Ghani Mujaddidi
Pearly Star, he collected the teachings he had received from the master on the analysis of
Sunan al-Tirmidhi. In a separate book, he collected his own insights regarding the analysis of
al-Jami' al-Sahih by al-Bukhari. Like these hundreds of scholars had passed away in India
who had worked to preserve the Ahadith of Prophet ( )صلى الله عليه وسلم. Thousands of
books had been published from them the most famous Sharah of Al-Bukhari was written by
Anwar Shah Kashmiri14 named as Fayz Al-Bari ‘ala Sahih Al-Bukhari.
REFERANCE
Abdul Bari Musliar. n.d. https://www.islamkavadam.com/prasthanam/keralam-panditha-
pramughar-abdul-bari-muslyar.
Hanafi, Muhammad Idris Al Kandelvi As Siddiqi Al. At Taliq As Sabih Ala Mishakat Al
Masabih . Digital Library Of India, 1935.
Ishaq, Muhammad. India's Contribution To The Study Of Hadith Literature. University of
Dacca, 2012.
Nadwi, Dr. Bahauddeen Muhammad Jamaluddeen. قطاف ثمار الملخين في شرح صحاح الشيخين.
Malapuram, 2016.
Nadwi, Shaykh Abu’ l-Hasan ʿAli al-Hasani. "How Hadith Came to India." IlmGate, 2012.
P, SAKKEER HUSSAIN. DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC STUDIES IN KERALA.
DEPARTMENT OF ISLAMIC STUDIES, 2010.
RASHID, DR RAFAQAT. EVALUATION OF MISHKAT AL-MASABIH AS A SOURCE
BOOK OF HADITH AND ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE. JANUARY 31, 2018.
RASHID, DR RAFAQAT. EVALUATION OF MISHKAT AL-MASABIH AS A SOURCE
BOOK OF HADITH AND ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE. January 31, 2018.
Sayeed, Asma. Hadith. Oct 20, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Bukhari.
Siddiqi, Dr. Muhammad Zubayr. Hadith Literature. Calcutta University, n.d.
جامعة دار الهدى.100 ". "النشاطات الحديثية في كيرال.أنس سي تي
.2014 ، الهند،االسالمية
About
14
26 November 1875 – 28 May 1933 was an Islamic scholar and poet from Kashmir in the early twentieth
century, best known for his expertise in the study of hadith, a strong memory, and a unique approach to
interpreting traditions.
Mohamed Thaha, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. PG scholar, Department of Quran and Related
Sciences, Darul Huda Islamic University, Kerala.
