Why Hadith Mubarka is important

The two fundamental sources of Islam are the Qur'an (the word of God) and the Sunnah
(the example) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). By Sunnah, we mean the
actions, sayings and silent permissions (or disapprovals) of the Prophet.
The word "Sunnah" is also used to refer to religious duties that are optional. Here, we are
concerned with Sunnah in the sense of the recorded sayings (Hadiths) of Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). In this sense, Hadith is considered to be
second to the Qur'an. It is impossible to understand the Qur'an without reference to the
Hadith; and it is impossible to explain a hadith without relating it to the Qur'an.

The Qur'an is the message, while the Hadith is the verbal translation of the message into
pragmatic terms, as exemplified by the Prophet. While the Qur'an is the metaphysical basis
of the Sunnah, the Sunnah is the practical demonstration of the precepts laid down in the
Qur'an.
The duty of the Messenger was not just to communicate the message, rather, he was
entrusted with the most important task of explaining and illustrating that message. That is
the reason why Allah Himself has commanded the following:
{Say: Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he (the Prophet)
is only responsible for the duty placed on him (i.e. to convey Allah's Message) and
you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance.
The Messenger's duty is only to convey (the message) in a clear way.} (An-Nur
24:54)
This verse clearly tells us the overriding importance of Hadith to Muslims. They should be
eager to learn and follow the teachings of the Prophet as expressed in Hadith. If we are
negligent in this respect, it is we who have to answer before Allah.
Speaking of the importance of Hadith, we need to take into consideration two broad aspects
of the subject. We know that Allah Almighty revealed the Qur'an to His chosen Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So it is through the Prophet we come to
hear the word of Allah; and it is the Prophet himself who can properly explain and
demonstrate the precepts in the Qur'an. Without the required explanations and illustrations
given by the Prophet, the Qur'an may be misunderstood and misinterpreted by people.

So the Prophet took care to explain and demonstrate to his companions how the Qur'anic
verses must be read and understood. That is to say, the importance of Hadith is linked to
the importance of the Qur'an. For example, the details of how to perform salah (ritual
prayer), for instance, were given by the Prophet through his words and action, and not by
the Qur'an. This means that we wouldn't know how to pray, fast, pay zakah, or perform Hajj
without the examples given by the Prophet as recorded in the Hadith. Indeed, all necessary
details are given in the Hadith, not in the Qur'an.
The revelation of the verses of the Qur'an took place at critical junctures in the life of the
Prophet. Of course, there are verses of universal application and significance, irrespective of
the context in which those verses were revealed. But there are other verses that can be
understood or interpreted only in the light of the actual context in the life of the Prophet,
which called for that revelation. There are many examples. For instance, the following verse
in the Surah Aali `Imran:
{If any one disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge hath
come to thee, Say: Come! Let us gather together, our sons and your sons, our
women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: then let us earnestly pray.
And invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie.} (Aal- `Imran 3:61)
This verse talks about mubahalah (invoking the curse of Allah on those who take a
dishonest stand); and was revealed when the Prophet was conferring with the Christian
delegation from Najran in 631 CE This example clearly shows how we need to refer to the
life and example of the Prophet to understand the context, as well as the meaning of
verses, such as the above mentioned one in the Qur'an.

The foregoing shows how Hadith, in practical terms, explains, clarifies, and paraphrases the
Qur'an. If we reject the Hadith, we may misread the Qur'an; so Hadith is central to a proper
understanding of the Qur'an.
In the Qur'an, Allah Almighty commands us not only to obey the Messenger, but also to
abide by his decisions as follows:
{But no, by the Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make you (the
Prophet) judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance
against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction.} (An-Nisaa'
4:65)
And surely we find such decisions only in the Hadith; the duty of Muslims is to accept the
Prophet's decisions whole-heartedly. The Qur'an also orders the faithful to emulate the role
model of the Messenger and reckons it to be the only way to gain the pleasure of Allah.
It is therefore obligatory that we look up to the Prophet's morals and exemplary character
and carry them out in our lives. We can never do so without studying Hadith. It is most

illuminating in this respect to learn that when `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was
asked to describe the character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), her
definitive answer was, "His character was that of the Qur'an." In other words, Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) personified the best ideals and values of the
Qur'an. How could we then neglect the Hadith, which alone can lead us to the precise ways
in which the Prophet exemplified the Qur'anic ideals?