On Friday, 13 September 2024, IHRC held an online author evening with Mufti Muadh Chati, author of the book An introduction to the Science of the Noble Hadith. The event was moderated by Ahmed Uddin.
WATCH HERE:
Mufti Muadh began the discussion by sharing why he always gets excited about talking about the book:
“This is the book of the sunnah of the Prophet(saw) and we should just be really grateful that Allah (swt) takes any little work from us in defending the Sunnah.”
In mentioning the battle of Uhud, Mufti Muadh emphasised how the companions protected the Prophet’s (saw) life. He said:
“I believe that as Muslims in this world and especially in this day and age where we have so many ideas and globalisations, we have the opportunity to play the same role to play as the companions. Allah has blessed each one of us with unique qualities… although we cannot defend the life of the Prophet (saw) by putting our bodies on the line, we can put our minds, thoughts, and research into defending the legacy of the Prophet (saw).”
Mufti Muadh discussed how the book came about beginning from his experiences as a student of Darul Uloom, the courses they teach, his specialising in hadith and the background of his teachers. He explains that it was his teachers who inspired him to start laying the foundations of this book, namely Mufti Shabir Ahmad and Mufti Hussain Kadodia.
He then explained that as he further delved in to his studies, teaching and writing, he came to realise:
“As I got more into the reading, I got more time to do writing and and Allah (swt) opened more opportunities… I realised that there was a gap in the Islamic Seminary education [and] in our traditional scholarship.”
The gap he referred to was not just learning the fiqh itself, but also the historical context of fiqh and as such, his books aims to bridge the gap.
Mufti Muadh and Ahmed Uddin
Mufti Muadh talked through the different sections of the book and what they each offer, including different genres of hadith, introductions and explanations to other hadith books, how to use computer programmes to study hadith, how to present findings about hadith, plus a lengthy reference list. He also offered other book references and reading suggestions, including Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World by Jonathan A.C. Brown.
During the Q&A, Ahmed and Mufti Muadh talked about advice for the person trying to pursue Islamic knowledge whilst dealing with day-to-day responsibilities and life’s challenges, learning the discipline and art of reading, our purpose as Muslims, the need for funding for scholars in the UK, and tarbiya.
Mufti Muadh also discussed historical critical methods, Orientalist perspectives and Qur’anic approaches to understanding hadith.
