A Study of John Burton’s Theory on the Origins of the Hadīth

Abstract

Western scholars have been interested in the origins and historical reliability of ḥadīth literature since roughly the third quarter of the XIX. century. There have been scholars whose works stand out because of their significance for further Hadīth scholarship and originality. They all claimed crucial problems regarding the origins and transmission of Hadīth and its literature, then struggled to solve them through the modern methods of literary and historical criticism. In this context, John Burton’s (d. 2014) work seems to be highly influenced by his predecessors. Yet, his idea about the role of the Qur’ān in the development of Hadīth literature has still been considered original. Hence, Burton could be considered one of the authors whose ideas on Hadīth scholarship have proven to be influential enough to raise discussions. Burton’s views on the Qur’ān and its history have been studied from different angles by Turkish researchers. But little is known about his theses on the Hadīth literature. This article will focus on how his theory and method on the Qur’ān manuscripts shaped his arguments in An Introduction to the Hadīth. First, there will be a brief introduction to John Burton’s intellectual biography followed by an examination of his main theses regarding the classical Hadīth scholarship. Second, an evaluation and summary of Burton’s ideas on the origins of Hadīth will be presented. Finally, his conclusions will be compared with the views of prominent Western Hadīth scholars such as Ignaz Goldziher (d. 1921) and Joseph Schacht (d. 1969) and will be reviewed from the Islamic perspective.