Sahih al-Bukhari

Explanation and Analysis of the Document

The excerpt from Sahih al-Bukhari presented here is the second chapter, titled “Iman.” It contains forty-nine Hadith. This part of the Sahih provides an overview of the most important components of belief. The remarks in brackets in this excerpt denote the interpolation of the translator and are not part of the original Arabic. This chapter of the Sahih provides Muslims with concise, yet detailed information about the attitudes and actions that demonstrate the depth and sincerity of one’s belief in God. Repetition is a key feature of the entire Sahih, and this chapter is no exception. In some cases particular reports are repeated in more than one place in the text, and in other cases the same ideas are repeated in different Hadith.

The Five Pillars of Islam

The first Hadith lists what are commonly referred to as “the five pillars” of Islam. The term “five pillars” is so popular that it is found in all introductory texts on Islam. This Hadith is the source of that term, which does not appear anywhere in the Qur'an. The “five pillars” on which this Hadith says Islam is built are the testimony of faith (shahada), ritual prayer (salat), almsgiving (zakat), fasting (siyam), and pilgrimage (hajj). Each of these religious duties is mentioned or alluded to in various places throughout the Qur'an, but the Qur'an does not include such a concisely delineated list. By placing this Hadith at the beginning of the chapter on belief, al-Bukhari highlights the importance of these duties as the foundation of Muslim life and practices. Additional details of these foundational practices are found elsewhere in the Sahih, in separate chapters dedicated to each.

Al-Bukhari repeats the same or similar Hadith in different places in this chapter and throughout the Sahih. Because Hadith treating the same topic are found in different parts of the chapter, they are discussed thematically here, rather than in order. This is the way Muslims generally approach the study of the Hadith. With regard to almsgiving, Hadith 20 indicates that the Prophet went out of his way not to show favoritism toward those he may have loved in the distribution of alms. One of the Prophet’s companions questions him repeatedly about why he did not give alms to one whom the companion considered the most worthy. The Prophet’s exclamation indicates both that he did not wish to let his personal opinion influence the distribution of alms and that he feared favoritism on his part might corrupt the one he favored and put him on the path to Hell. Hadith 21 repeats almost verbatim the theme of Hadith 5, telling Muslims to “feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you don’t know.”

Hadith 44 returns to the topic of religious duties, with which al-Bukhari began this chapter of the Sahih. Hadith 1 is brief, giving only a concise listing of the religious duties that have come to be known as the “five pillars” of Islam. In contrast, Hadith 44 is a longer, narrative report. It is one of the longest Hadith in the chapter and embeds the list of duties in the context of a larger story that illustrates how the followers of Muhammad’s companions heard and related the words of Muhammad.

This story recounts a situation in which the narrator, Abu Jamra, learned of what the Prophet had said. He did not hear the words of the Prophet personally. Instead, he heard them from the Prophet’s companion, Ibn ‘Abbas. Abu Jamra begins by describing something of his relationship with Ibn ‘Abbas and then gives the context in which Ibn ‘Abbas related the story to him. After establishing the context in which he heard the story, Abu Jamra then recounts the story as told by Ibn ‘Abbas. There are some important differences from Hadith 1 in the Prophet’s instructions in this report. First, there is no mention of the pilgrimage. Instead, this Hadith mentions the obligation to pay one fifth of the spoils of war (“Al-Khumus”). Second, it prohibits consumption of alcoholic beverages by inference, in listing the names of the containers in which such beverages were made and saying that they are forbidden. This is an instance where the Hadith contains details not found in the Qur'an. Another key detail of Muslim worship not found in the Qur'an is the number of daily prayers, enumerated as five in Hadith 38.

The Qualities of a Faithful Muslim

Hadith 2–10 emphasize the distinctive qualities and attitudes of people who have attained faith. Hadith 2 informs us that there are more than sixty aspects of belief and emphasizes the quality of haya, which encompasses traits such as modesty, humbleness, self-discipline, self-respect, and scruples. Hadith 17 also identifies haya as a part of faith about which one believer should not preach to another. Haya is an inherent personal quality that stems from an individual’s faith rather than from the preaching of another. Belief and faith in God instill these traits in the faithful believer, who then manifests them in his or her behavior.

Specific examples of the types of behaviors that represent the manifestation of the traits associated with haya are mentioned in Hadith 3–6. These Hadith variously describe the faithful believer as one who does not harm other Muslims by word or deed and who wishes for his fellow Muslim what he wishes for himself. Moreover, according to Hadith 3, a believer is also an emigrant (muhajir), one who abandons those things that are forbidden by God. The word muhajir historically refers to Muhammad and his original followers, who were forced to emigrate from Mecca to Medina in 622 because of the persecution they suffered at the hands of the pagan tribes of Mecca. The Meccan Muslims’ status as emigrants afforded them and their descendents a degree of prestige in the early Muslim community. Hadith 3 redefines muhajir as anyone who abandons that which has been forbidden by God. In this way, all faithful believers can attain the same status as Muhammad and the early Muslims.

Hadith 5 extends the good behavior required of a faithful believer beyond the Muslim community by defining very good Muslims as those who feed the poor and greet others, whether they know them or not. This requirement is repeated later in this chapter, in Hadith 21. The greeting referred to here is the greeting of peace. The Arabic text uses the term as-salaam, which refers to the common greeting as-salaamu alaikum (“peace be upon you”). Feeding the poor and offering greetings of peace to others, whether one knows them or not, are behaviors that help to foster a just and civil society, which according to Islam is a duty incumbent on humanity in general and on believers in particular.

Hadith 7–10 introduce love for the Prophet as a key element of belief. Love for the Prophet and the desire to follow his example is what motivates students of the Hadith, both in the early centuries and today. Loving the Prophet, and others, should not be for his sake or for one’s own. It should be for the sake of God, because Islam is submission to God alone.

Hadith 9 is essentially identical to Hadith 14. In addition to loving the Prophet and others only for the sake of God, these two Hadith say that the faithful should loathe the idea of reverting to a state of unbelief, because this would demonstrate being ungrateful (kufr) to God.

Hadith 10 states that loving the Ansar (literally, “helpers”), the residents of Medina who took in the Muslim emigrants when they were forced to flee from Mecca, is also a trait of faithful believers, while hating them is a sign of hypocrisy. Once again, belief engenders feelings that foster a sense of community, but hypocrisy gives rise to feelings that damage a sense of community. Treatment of the Ansar is taken up again later, in Hadith 17, where Muslims are enjoined to regard the haya of the Ansars as part of the faith.

Hadith 23–25 emphasize the proper behavior and attitudes expected of believers. The first declares the brotherly equality of master and slave. The master is responsible for dressing and feeding the slave as he himself dresses and eats. Moreover, the master must not ask the slave to undertake difficult tasks unless the master assists the slave in them. The structure of the story, where the narrator asks Abu Dhar why he and his slave are wearing the same kind of cloak, shows that such equality was something surprising to the people of the time. The second of these three Hadith prohibits Muslims from taking up arms against each other or helping a Muslim who intends to harm another Muslim. This reinforces the idea expressed earlier in the chapter that Muslims are not to harm one another by word or deed. Hadith 25 demonstrates how the Prophet explained the meaning of Qur'anic verses to his followers. In this case, he is elaborating on verse 83 of chapter 6 of the Qur'an, which is quoted at the beginning of Hadith 25. When the Prophet’s companions asked him who among them had not done wrong, the Prophet clarified the issue by citing another verse of the Qur'an (31:13), where the wrongdoing is defined as worshiping others along with God. According to still other verses of the Qur'an, worshiping others with God is the only wrong that God does not forgive.

Hadith 40 further illustrates the gravity of animosity between Muslims. The prophet was on his way to inform the people which night during Ramadan is the night of Qadr, but he found two Muslims quarreling, and God caused the Prophet to forget the date. The importance of the night of Qadr is also discussed in Hadith 28. The latter Hadith emphasizes the importance of praying on the night of Qadr, which falls within Ramadan and is the night Muhammad first received revelation of the Qur'an from the angel Gabriel. The Arabic word Qadr means “destiny” or “power.” The night of Qadr and its importance is highlighted in the five verses of chapter 97 of the Qur'an; verse 3 declares that the night of Qadr is “better than a thousand months."

Prohibitions

Hadith 11 continues the focus of Hadith 2–10 on behavior, but from a negative perspective. Where the first Hadith lists those things a believer is obliged to do, this Hadith lists those things that a believer is not to do. This list of prohibitions was given to listeners in the context of swearing allegiance to Muhammad. As in the case of the first Hadith, this one, too, brings together, in one concise list, items that are scattered throughout the Qur'an and adds others not found there. There are six specific prohibitions: worshiping anything else along with God, stealing, sexual intercourse outside of marriage, killing one’s children, making false accusations, and disobeying an order to do a good deed. Items 1–5 are found in various parts of the Qur'an. Item 6, however, is not included either directly or indirectly in the Qur'an. The Prophet’s additional comments about sin and punishment are also found only in the Hadith, but they nonetheless represent the common Sunni understanding. Hadith 12 predicts that there will be a time when the faithful believer will need to distance himself from a corrupt society and take refuge with his herds in a mountain or valley, where he can practice his religion freely, without interference.

The focus on attitudes and actions is balanced by the idea in Hadith 13 that the believer is required to do only what is easy, and this is emphasized again in Hadith 35. Hadith 16 offers a metaphor that indicates that among the companions of the Prophet there were varying levels of faith and practice. In Hadith 32, the Prophet takes up this theme again by emphasizing that the religion is easy, and he warns against extremism. Moderation is highlighted as an essential quality of believers. The theme continues in Hadith 34, which informs Muslims that the reward for good deeds far outweighs the potential punishment for bad deeds. Even those whose deeds land them in Hell are offered hope. Hadith 15 (along with Hadith 36) informs believers that even after the final judgment, whoever has even a minute amount of faith will be removed from Hell, cleansed, and sent to heaven.

Hadith 26 and 27 introduce the problem of hypocrisy, delineating the characteristics that make a believer a hypocrite: lying, breaking promises, betraying trusts, dishonesty, and insulting others in disputes. Such actions damage others by word and deed and damage the sense of community that faith is supposed to foster. This theme is taken up in the final selection, Hadith 43–49, which stress sincerity and the importance of intention; these Hadith caution believers to avoid those things that, while they may not be lawful or prohibited, are doubtful. All actions will be judged according to the intention behind them, and believers must strive to be sincere in all their words and actions.

Jihad

Hadith 18 is the basis for the widespread misconception that Islam was spread by the sword. While the Muslim empire did spread by military conquest, the people of conquered territories were seldom forced to convert. In most areas, it took a century or more for the majority of the population in conquered areas to become Muslim. This particular Hadith is one that Hadith opponents see as contradicting the Qur'an, which specifically orders fighting (qital in Arabic) only against those who begin hostilities against Muslims (Qur'an 2:190, 9:13). Muslims who attempt to reconcile this Hadith with the text of the Qur'an understand it in relation to Islam’s emphasis on proselytizing. Like Christianity, Islam claims to be the truth from God, sent to all humanity. It is the responsibility of the Prophet to spread the message. They see fighting, in this instance, as synonymous with exerting a great deal of effort (jihad in Arabic).

Throughout the Sahih various things are defined as “jihad,” which is generally understood by Muslims to be any effort undertaken for the sake of God. This includes caring for one’s family, as seen in Hadith 46 and 47. Hadith 29 reiterates the importance of jihad. Muslim jurists recognize four kinds of jihad: jihad of the heart, jihad of the tongue, jihad of the hand, and jihad of the sword. The first is the believer’s struggle to overcome personal weaknesses and strengthen the soul. The second is to argue against falsehood and to spread the message of truth. The third is good works, which include fulfilling one’s family responsibilities, as later indicated in Hadith 46 and 47.

The Status of Women

Hadith 22 is one of two Hadith about women in this chapter of the Sahih. In this Hadith, the Prophet recounts seeing in a vision that the majority of the people in Hell will be women who are ungrateful to their husbands. This is one of many misogynistic Hadith, which are said to have been disputed by no less than the Prophet’s wife Aisha, who criticized a number of Muhammad’s companions for inaccuracy in reporting what the Prophet had said about women. The other Hadith about a woman in this chapter is one attributed to Aisha, in which the Prophet cautioned Aisha's female guest against overzealous religious practices (Hadith 35).

Ritual Observances and Ramadan

Hadith 28, 30, and 31 discuss the rewards of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, in which Muslims fast each day from dawn to dusk. The first emphasizes the importance of praying on the night of Qadr, which falls within Ramadan and is the night Muhammad first received revelation from the angel Gabriel. The exact day in Ramadan is not known, but it is said to be one of the last ten nights of the month. Muslims are encouraged to offer extra prayers during these nights, seeking the blessings of the night of Qadr and the forgiveness of their past sins. The next Hadith in this group extends the same blessings to those who perform extra night prayers throughout the month. Because of this, many Muslims will spend each night of Ramadan praying in the mosque. The third Hadith offers Muslims blessings and forgiveness for the fast itself. Fasting and prayer are activities that strengthen the soul of the believer and encourage humbleness and good works, those essential qualities that were addressed in the beginning of the chapter.

Hadith 33 tells the story of the qibla, the direction to which Muslims turn in prayer. When Muhammad first arrived in Medina, he and his followers turned toward Jerusalem. However, he desired to pray toward the Ka’ba in Mecca, which Muslims believe was built by Abraham as the first house of worship to the One True God. By Muhammad’s time, the Ka’ba was said to be filled with some 360 idols worshipped by the Arab pagans. An important part of Muhammad’s mission was to rededicate the Ka’ba to the worship of the One True God. Although the change of direction caused friction between the Muslims and the Jewish tribes, facing the Ka’ba in prayer from Medina is seen as an important step in this process.

Another report that touches on the relationship between the Muslims and the Jews is Hadith 37. Unlike most of the Hadith in the Sahih, this is not a report about the Prophet Muhammad. It is a report about his companion, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was the second leader of the community after Muhammad’s death. In response to a Jew who suggested that the day of the revelation of the Qur'an, described in chapter 5, verse 3, should be taken by Muslims as a day of celebration, 'Umar tells him that the verse was revealed during Muhammad's farewell pilgrimage and that the day of revelation is, in fact, already a day of celebration by the Muslims.

Fundamental Beliefs

Hadith 25 serves as an explanation of Qur'anic verses 6:83 and 31:13, emphasizing the seriousness of worshipping anything or anyone along with God. There is no greater wrongdoing in Islam.

Hadith 41 is another lengthy narrative Hadith that defines a number of important terms: Iman, Islam, and Ihsan. In defining these terms, the Hadith summarizes the key beliefs and practices of the religion. An important aspect of the story is that it describes the coming of the angel Gabriel in the form of a man to ask Muhammad for religious instruction while Muhammad was sitting among his companions. Muhammad’s companions are not aware that the man is Gabriel until Muhammad informs them, after Gabriel has left.

The first word of Muhammad's reply in this Hadith is translated here and in other reports as “faith,” but it is also the word for “belief.” Those things in which Muslims must believe are God, the angels, the prophets (who bring God’s guidance), and the day of resurrection and judgment, when all human beings will meet God. Islam is defined by absolute monotheism and the obligatory religious duties of prayer, charity, and fasting. Perfection of faith and practice results from a constant awareness of God’s presence. Those who have not attained such a level of awareness are advised to remember that God is watching. Although the hour of judgment is known only to God, this Hadith goes on to describe the signs of the last days and the approach of that hour.

Following the detailed discussion of beliefs and practices is a single Hadith (42) that describes the encounter between the Roman emperor Heraclius and the leader of Muhammad’s Meccan opponents, Abu Sufyan. The emperor asks Abu Sufyan about the size of the nascent Muslim community. In particular, he asks whether anyone was unhappy with Islam after embracing it. When Abu Sufyan replies in the negative, the emperor declares that this is the sign of a true faith. Muslims cite this Hadith to demonstrate that even the mighty Roman emperor recognized the validity of Islam.