let me nuance it a bit more: I don't believe they should be followed as strictly as some of us want the rest to believe.....they should be taken as history writing.........and as such if you find a particular thing interesting or worth to do, you might do it.........but don't make it some kind of devinely inspired action....and certainly don't start 'shoving' them unto others.....because that -i think- goes a bit too far in the importance given to the hadith.
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Originally posted by NeSCio: *
**they should be taken as history writing.........and as such if you find a particular thing interesting or worth to do, you might do it*.........but don't make it some kind of devinely inspired action....and certainly don't start 'shoving' them unto others.....because that -i think- goes a bit too far in the importance given to the hadith.
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just a question: so for you hadith is not a religious thing to follow so that you may get the reward for following it?
yes and no.
Yes in the sense that there might be some reward for following a certain thing......but that will not be because you did that action per se, but more perhaps because of the intention you had that by emulating the Prophet for you it might be a sign of respect to him (but on a side-track the question remains whether what we have NOW as the Hadith books are indeed the words of the Prophet and have not been changed before and after they were put on paper).
No in the sense that I don't think that for a certain aspect there is a clear deviding line between right and wrong. Moreover i think there might be a smooth overlap...perhaps a spectrum.....perhaps something like a 'Gauss normal curve'......to indicate that there might be multiple ways of achieving the same reward for doing a certain action. And in this sense, one can of course say that doing blindly what the Prophet did would get you maximum points, but on the other hand it can be justifiable argued that instead of following blindly you think for yourself what other reasonable options there are, so you get reward for thinking actively about religion and not accept everything that is chewed for you.
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*Originally posted by NeSCio: *
No in the sense that I don't think that for a certain aspect there is a clear deviding line between right and wrong. Moreover i think there might be a smooth overlap...perhaps a spectrum.....perhaps something like a 'Gauss normal curve'......to indicate that there might be multiple ways of achieving the same reward for doing a certain action. And in this sense, one can of course say that doing blindly what the Prophet did would get you maximum points, but on the other hand it can be justifiable argued that instead of following blindly you think for yourself what other reasonable options there are, so you get reward for thinking actively about religion and not accept everything that is chewed for you.
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'Follow', Not Innovate.
Would you pray salah differently if you find another reasonable way of doing it by thinking on your own?
i've thought about this question quite often......and i think (i'm not sure........yet! however, I'm inclined towards it) i would. but of course I certainly would keep in mind the things that the Qur'an describes as an essential part of the salah, like Sajda etc. But some certain aspects of sajda (like having the balls of ur feet touching the ground or having ur forearms in the air...or touching the ground in a certain order (chin, nose, forehead)) i think are not essential
Do you think they are not essential even though prophet:saw: performed it that way?
the answer to this question will bring us back to my post 3 posts back.
Anyway, I think that of all the things the Prophet did, and which are important are mentioned in the qur'an. The fact that certain things are not mentioned in the Qur'an will mean that they are not as important as the things that are....and thus one cannot these two things. Another reason for the things that Prophet did and that are mentioned in the Qur'an being more important than the others is because Allah promises us to keep those things intact.
For example, even you will agree that doing a sajda per se (this is mentioned in the qur'an )is more important than the little details which are often associated with it (these are mentioned in the Hadith....and thus are not as important than the ones in the Quran)
This is the comon perception that hadith was not compiled in app:saw: time…infact there were individual sahifas…
secondly…for your scientific approach…it is not always possible to back an information with document …even today we see many evidences that are based on oral transmissions rather then written documents…