Qawaid Fi Ulum al-Hadith (Principles of Hadith)

Qawa’id Fi Ulum al-Hadith (Underlying Principles of the Sciences of Hadith)
Also known as Muqaddima I‘la as-Sunan
By the critical Hadith scholar Mawlānā Zafar Ahmad al-Uthmānī

The importance of Hadith as a foundation for Islamic law, theology, and ethics cannot be overstated. Alongside the Qur’an, it constitutes the second primary source for Shariah and the practice of Islam. While no Muslim questions the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, there are differing views regarding the precise determination of what the Prophet ﷺ said and did. These differences arise from the diverse methodologies employed in establishing the normative practices of the Prophet ﷺ. Across the spectrum of thought, opinions range from outright rejection of Hadith to a highly literalist reading of it.

This translation offers another perspective on understanding Hadith. It presents the introduction to the extensive multi-volume work I‘la as-Sunan, which was originally written in response to the claim by the Ahl-e-Hadith that the school of Imam Abu Hanifah was deficient in Hadith.

In this introduction, the author outlines his methodology for composing I‘la as-Sunan. He seeks to dismantle the misconception that the science of Hadith is absolute and fixed. He argues that, since Hadith science is not prescriptive in Shariah, no single group can claim exclusive authority or a universal understanding of it. This work will particularly appeal to students with an interest in abstract theory and methodology, as well as advanced students of Hadith and Islamic thought.

About the Author

Mawlānā Zafar Ahmad al-Uthmānī, the distinguished nephew of Hakīm al-Ummah Mawlānā Ashraf Ali Thanawi, was born on 13 Rabi al-Awwal 1310 AH / 1892 CE. Blessed with an exceptional memory, he memorised the Qur’an at a young age and, from the age of seven, studied mathematics, Persian, and Urdu under Mawlānā Yāsīn, the father of Mufti Shafi.

He pursued Islamic sciences under various scholars, including his maternal uncle Hakīm al-Ummah, in Thana Bhawan and Kanpur. After obtaining licences (ijazah) in both sacred and rational sciences, he joined the Islamic seminary Mazahir Uloom and studied Hadith under the master and Gnostic Mawlānā Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri. He received his licence to teach Hadith at the young age of 18.

Mawlānā Zafar Ahmad al-Uthmānī subsequently became a professor of Islamic sciences at several institutions, including his alma mater Mazahir Uloom and Imdād al-Ulum in Thana Bhawan. He authored numerous works on the sacred sciences, with I‘la as-Sunan regarded as his magnum opus.