Historical Approach in Understanding Hadith

Abstract

It is not an easy thing to be able to draw a line of understanding between the social situation that gave birth to the hadith and the life of the people when they want to apply the hadith. It is not enough just to understand the hadith as it is written in the text. It is also not possible to add the text of the hadith because the Prophet as the only source on which the hadith can be relied upon has died. Even more wrong, if you throw away the text of the hadith because it is considered not in accordance with the times. This article aims to complete the lack of existing literature, especially regarding efforts to understand hadith through a historical approach in the modern era. The methodology used in this research is qualitative, through literature and field studies. Beginning with a literature study, then reading about the social situation and cultural background prevailing in the community. Two hadith themes, through two channels of transmission were chosen as research samples, namely the hadith narrated by Abu Dawud number 570, about the virtue of praying a woman in her room and the hadith narrated by al-Nasa’i number 1773, about the command to read more prayers. The contextual side of hadith information has a temporal historical nature that requires adjustment to the conditions of society in every era. Contextual understanding of hadith is not something new, let alone taboo. Because the Prophet and his companions have used a contextual method in understanding the verses of the Qur'an and also the hadith. Hadith spirituality in the form of understanding and its application is carried out by continuing to read hadith texts and then contextually studied through various scientific approaches including historical approaches