converttobe
New Member
As someone learning about Islam on my path to conversion, I would like to understand what the relative importance of the Quran and the Hadeeth is.
Many of my Muslim friends seem to value the Hadeeth much less than the Quran. I've noticed that the widely-discussed criticisms of Islam often involve Hadeeth rather than Quranic verses.
A typical example is the value of women. For example:
Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0142:
It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Umar that the Messenger of Allah observed: O womenfolk, you should give charity and ask much forgiveness for I saw you in bulk amongst the dwellers of Hell. A wise lady among them said: Why is it, Messenger of Allah, that our folk is in bulk in Hell? Upon this the Holy Prophet observed: You curse too much and are ungrateful to your spouses. I have seen none lacking in common sense and failing in religion but (at the same time) robbing the wisdom of the wise, besides you. Upon this the woman remarked: What is wrong with our common sense and with religion? He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Your lack of common sense (can be well judged from the fact) that the evidence of two women is equal to one man, that is a proof of the lack of common sense, and you spend some nights (and days) in which you do not offer prayer and in the month of Ramadan (during the days) you do not observe fast, that is a failing in religion.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/001.smt.html#001.0142
The above is quite shocking to many people. My question is: how much value should/does it have to Muslims given that it is not sourced from the Quran itself?
Thank you.
Many of my Muslim friends seem to value the Hadeeth much less than the Quran. I've noticed that the widely-discussed criticisms of Islam often involve Hadeeth rather than Quranic verses.
A typical example is the value of women. For example:
Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0142:
It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Umar that the Messenger of Allah observed: O womenfolk, you should give charity and ask much forgiveness for I saw you in bulk amongst the dwellers of Hell. A wise lady among them said: Why is it, Messenger of Allah, that our folk is in bulk in Hell? Upon this the Holy Prophet observed: You curse too much and are ungrateful to your spouses. I have seen none lacking in common sense and failing in religion but (at the same time) robbing the wisdom of the wise, besides you. Upon this the woman remarked: What is wrong with our common sense and with religion? He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Your lack of common sense (can be well judged from the fact) that the evidence of two women is equal to one man, that is a proof of the lack of common sense, and you spend some nights (and days) in which you do not offer prayer and in the month of Ramadan (during the days) you do not observe fast, that is a failing in religion.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/001.smt.html#001.0142
The above is quite shocking to many people. My question is: how much value should/does it have to Muslims given that it is not sourced from the Quran itself?
Thank you.