In the name of Allah the Merciful the Compassionate

INTRODUCTION

There are two main sources for an understanding of Islam: the Holy Qur’än and the collections of the recorded words, actions and sanctions of the Prophet Muhammad which make up the sunna and which are~ normally referred to as Hadith.

As the Holy Qur’ãn is the word of Allah it must be strictly followed; in the same way the teachings contained in the Prophet’s sunna must be observed by all who profess to be Muslims, for about them the Holy Qur’ãn says: ‘And whatsoever the Messenger giveth you, take it. And what­soever he forbiddeth, abstain (from it).”

Thus the sunna, in the form of Hadith, is complemen­tary to the Holy Book itself: it helps to explain and clarify the Holy Qur’än and to present practical applications of its teachings. Without a study of Hadith a Muslim’s know­ledge of his faith remains incomplete, and without it the non-Muslim is unable to form a true picture of the Islamic faith and its fundamental spiritual, moral, legislative, and cultural principles………….