Sahih Muslim Research Articles

Violence and Muslims

Under what circumstances does Islam tolerate violence or armed struggle?What are the Islamic ethics of war? When Does Islam allow what the westernmedia calls “terrorism,” especially when Muslims are the target of violenceand terrorism? Can Muslims use violence to counter violence?Given existing realities, we need to answer such questions. American andBritish aggression in various countries, the Hindutva aggression in India,and the general global anti-Muslim environment have disturbed Muslimseverywhere. What steps should be taken to counter such negative trends?Ethics and ViolenceIn essence, violence is an unethical act. In a civilized world that values ethicalprinciples, violence is used only to deter and punish criminals and todefend oneself. One may use dialogue, persuasion, communication, andinformation to achieve an objective, but not violence. Violence cannot beused to achieve religious objectives, because it is an instrument of coercion.Islam, which is based on compassion, love, tolerance, gentleness, and forgiveness,prohibits coercion (2:256). Violence, destruction, and cruelty violateIslam’s very nature (7:199).Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, commanded gentleness andforbade harshness and violence. Sahih Muslim records that Ayesha narratedthat the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “God is kind, and likes kindness.For kindness, God rewards what He never gives due to violence or throughany other means” and that he said to Ayesha: “Be kind and avoid violenceand indecency. Kindness makes a situation best and unkindness makes itworst. This is why the Qur’an prohibits offensive violence and discouragesviolence even as a defensive means” (41:34-35) ...

Understanding the Hadith: the sacred traditions of Islam

Noted Indian writer and polymath Ram Swarup explores the meaning of Islam through the words of the Sahih Muslim, considered by Muslims to be one of the most authoritative of the collections of 'traditions' (Arabic Hadith) about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Like the Koran, these traditions are believed to be divinely revealed by Allah and they complement the verses of the Koran, in many cases expanding upon them and explaining the context of their revelation. As Swarup notes in his introduction, to Muslims the Hadith literature represents the Koran in action, stories of 'revelation made concrete in the life of the Prophet'. Among the orthodox they are considered as sacred as the Koran itself. To non-Muslims this work provides many insights into the mindset of the average Muslim who is raised on these traditions about Muhammad. It also underscores the gulf that exists between the sanctum of orthodox Islam and an increasingly secularised Westernised world.

Varieties of pronouncement stories in Sahih Muslim: A gospel genre in the hadith literature

Abstract Some of the hadiths in the standard Sunni collections resemble the gospel ‘pronouncement stories’ in so far as they are brief anecdotes in which the narrative element serves as the setting for a memorable saying. There are approximately 150 hadiths of this genre in Sahih Muslim. Most of them belong to one of the six types recognized by New Testament scholars. There is a preponderance of ‘correction stories’, ‘objection stories’ and ‘inquiry stories’, but there are also fourteen ‘commendation stories’, seven ‘quest stories’ and three ‘description stories’, as well as a number of hybrids. In addition to furnishing a tool for classifying hadiths on the basis of their formal characteristics, this typology throws light on the way in which the narrative element serves to enhance the impact of the pronouncement. Finally, although the Muhammad of Sahih Muslim and the Jesus of the gospels both correct and commend others, vindicate themselves in the face of objections, answer inquiries and respond to suppl...