The Rewards For Good Deeds

Islam is a complete way of life that enlightens through the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the true path of guidance and success in this world and the hereafter. However, one must accurately comprehend what has been ordained through the Sunnah and identify the authentic hadiths of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). To do that, it is imperative to understand the rules that govern the classification and definitions of hadith methodology and criticism.

Dr. Bilal Philips writes: “The Prophet’s sayings and actions were primarily based on revelation from Allah and, as such, must be considered a fundamental source of guidance second only to the Qur’an.” According to Dr. Philips, the Hadith, the record of these sayings and actions, plays a vital role in that it transmits revelation, tafseer (exegesis of the Qur’an), Islamic law, and the Islamic moral ideal. For instance, the Prophet’s “…character and social interactions became prime examples of moral conduct for Muslims. Consequently, the daily life of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as recorded in the hadith represents an ideal code of conduct. It is largely due to the science of hadith that the final message of Islam has been preserved in its original purity for all times.” In Usool al-Hadeeth, the reader will embark on a course of study that will, Allah willing, enable him or her to make critical and intelligent use of the body of Hadith literature in his or her daily life.

By Shaykh Ibn al-Uthaymeen

A commentary on the famous poem in the field of hadith sciences entitled al-Manzumah al-Bayquniyyah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (rahimullah).