The DEEN in BYTES Series | HADEETH101 Sciences Of Hadeeth - part 1:

Definition

The Arabic word HADEETH basically means ‘an item of news, conversation, a tale, a story or a report,’ whether historical or legendary, true or false, relating to the present or the past. Its secondary meaning as an adjective is ‘new’ as opposed to ‘qadeem - old’. However, like other Arabic words (e.g. salaah, zakaah), its meaning changed in Islam.

From the time of Rasulullah (saw), his stories and communications dominated all other forms of communication. Consequently, the term HADEETH began to be used almost exclusively for reports which spoke of his actions and sayings.

Usage of the Word

The term HADEETH has been used in both the Qur’an and the prophetic traditions according to all of its linguistic meanings. The following three categories are the most notable usages. It has been used to mean:

a) The Qur’an

فَذَرْنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ

“Then leave Me alone with those who reject this communication (Qur’aan)…” (Al-Qalam 68:44)

b) A historical story

وَهَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰ

“Has the story of Moses reached you?” (Taahaa 20:9)

c) A general conversation

وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ النَّبِيُّ إِلَىٰ بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ حَدِيثًا

 “When the Prophet confided in one of his wives…” (At-Tahreem 66:3)

Among the Hadeeth Scholars the term HADEETH means ‘whatever is transmitted from the Prophet of his actions, sayings, tacit approvals, or physical characteristics’. Scholars of Islamic Law (Fiqh) do not include the physical appearance of the Prophet in their definition.

 (to be continued – main ref: Bilal Philips, The Fundamentals of Hadeeth Studies, 2003)