Introduction
Orthodox Muslims belief that all of
Muhammad's sayings and actions were divinely
guided by Allah. Most of the sayings
and actions of Muhammad are detailed in the
written oral traditions called, hadiths
(Arabic plural, ahadith). So, after the
Qur'an, the collection of hadiths occupy the
second place in divine inspiration for
Muslims. Since these writings are
vastly more extensive and detailed than the
Qur'an, they
provide the heart of Muslim culture and law.
The Sahih Al-Bukhari collection is
considered the most authentic of the various
collections of ahadith. The Preface to this collection is
given in the Sahih Bukhari section of this
web site.
The Sahih Muslim collection of ahadith
ranks second in the minds of the majority of
Muslim believers. The Introduction to
the collection is available under the Sahih
Muslim section of the web.
The Weak Hadith article answers
many Western Muslims who are embarrassed by
many traditional hadiths and who seek to
discredit these oral traditions. For
example, Muhammad believed that Satan stays
in the upper part of the nose all
night. Muhammad said that it was
necessary to wash the nose with water three
times to cleanse where Satan resided during the night.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said,
"If anyone of you rouses from sleep
and performs the ablution, he should wash
his nose by putting water in it and then
blowing it out thrice, because Satan has
stayed in the upper part of his nose all
the night."
Sahih Bukhari Volume. 4, Book 54, Number 516.
Muhammad's rationale for nose washing
seems to be based upon a superstitious view
of Satan's nocturnal residence. Still, from
an orthodox Muslim's perspective, "the
Prophet's words and deeds are the timeless
expression of the Will of Allah" for
all of humankind. In addition, Muhammad instructed his Muslim followers not to
urinate in holes. The rationale
given for not urinating in a hole is that
the jinn (genie) were inhabitants of
holes.
(29) 'Abd Allah b. Sarjis reported: The
Prophet (may peace be upon him) prohibited
to urinate in a hole.
Qatadah (a narrator) was asked about the
reason for the disapproval of urinating in
a hole. He replied: It is said that
these (holes) are the habitats of the
jinn.
Sunan Abu Dawud Volume 1 Chapter 14 Number
29.
Perhaps, Muhammad's reason was that urine
might extinguish a jinn's flame, since they
are supposedly composed of fire. However, the
hadithic record of Muhammad's sayings and
behavior goes far beyond superstitious
bathing rituals and urinating
locations. Some hadiths raise serious
questions about Muhammad's moral
instructions and behavior. In fact,
some hadiths would not be appropriate
reading for young people.
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