Abstract
Due to its unique position in Islamic epistemology, various viewpoints and opinions have naturally arisen in the Muslim society regarding the interpretation and analysis of hadith. According to Islamic belief, hadith as a whole, holds the status of a kind of wahi or divine revelation. How to interpret revelation is a very old question in Abrahamic religions. There is a long discussion and debate about this among different sections of the Muslim society. Especially between the traditionalist hadith scholars and the rationalist community, the disagreement on this issue is quite strong and long. After the fourth century of the Hijri, this disagreement dwindled a little, but at the end of the nineteenth century, under the influence of European colonization, this debate started in a new form by the hands of modernist Muslim thinkers. It is at this stage that the discussion of determining the acceptability of hadith based on meaning becomes important. In this essay, the views and practices of prominent people of both communities are presented in a descriptive manner and their thoughts are evaluated in an analytical manner. This write up has portrayed that judging the meaning of hadith is extremely difficult. For this reason, the article argues that opportunity exists for adherents of both schools of thought to reconsider their stance in the light of history and reality.
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