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Islamic Tradition and Ethics

Amirkhani, Islamic ethics

SHAFAQNA- What follows is Shafaqna’s review of the article entitled as ‘Tradition and Ethics’, written by Muhsin Mu’ini, which is published as Chapter 4 of the book ‘Hadith: An Entry from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam’, Edited by Gholamali Haddad Adel, Mohammad Jafar Elmi, Hassan Taromi-Rad. 

The main part of the traditions of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Ahlal-Bayt (A.S) pertain to ethical issues. Totally, the purpose of appointing the noble Prophet (PBUH) to prophethood is believed to be the perfection of noble ethical traits; this is shown in the frequency of terms like Akhlaq (ethics), Khulq (disposition), Taqwa (God-consciousness), Wara (piety, godliness) and Sidq (truthfulness) in books of tradition. Islamic ethics in its primary form consists of traditions of the Prophet (PBUH) and narrations from the companions. The traditions of the Imams (A.S) consist of two parts: the transmission chain and the textual content.

If a prophetic tradition in which Divine Reward has been promised for a particular deed is recounted to a person and that person hopes to receive it acting upon it, the reward will be granted to them but some authors of ethical books have not applied the strictness prevalent in juridical studies, thereby, recounting defective traditions and even subject matter. Sections of significant tradition sources, among both Shia and the Sunni were set apart for practical ethical themes and at times theoretical moral issues and many specific tradition collections pertaining to ethical issues were compiled from the earliest period of completion of traditions.

Also traditionists have collected ethical traditions alongside traditions pertaining to other themes in their books. Shia’s traditionist and renowned companions of the Imams (A.S) have written a book titled Ketab Al zuhd, of which it is extant in the companions of Imam Ridha (A.S), Imam Jawad (A.S), and Imam Hadi (A.S). The other kind of books pertaining to ethical traditions constitute those wherein their authors have collected traditions about the noble Prophet’s (PBUH) ethics, mode of conduct, and comportment, with the approach that he is a role model.

In the fourth/tenth and fifth/eleventh centuries, also ethical traditions in regard to various themes have been collected the aphorisms of the noble Prophet(PBUH) comprising varied issues (Jawami Al-Kalim) and many ethical instructions have been collected and many scholars have written commentaries on it after the author’s death. One of the most important and famous ethical books in the world of Islam under the title of Ihya Ulum al Din was written in which the author has accorded particular attention to Prophetic traditions and it has disregarded transmission chains and has cited traditions mentioned in various books suitable to his taste.

This arrows a lot of criticism that he was not well-versed in the sciences of tradition and in the analysis of narrators of transmission authorities and that a lot of defective traditions have found their way into his book. Still, there are other disapproving traditions books. Nonetheless, they were not deniers of the existence of authentic traditions in the book. Finally, the book has undertaken to extrapolate or explain traditions and sound traditions have been separated from weak ones. And besides thematic disagreement, defective traditions has been erased and deemed trustworthy by Shias has been added to it.

In the seventh century on the model of the books on practical philosophy i.e. ethics, a book has been written and a circle seems in 40 chapters after referring to Quranic verses related to the subject matter has been arranged and the traditions narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) and the Ahlal-bayt (A.S) as well as the sayings and poems of eminent scholars related to the theme has been collected. In the eighth/fourteenth century, ethical admonitions in the traditions has been collected in which thirty-five ethical traditions of the noble Prophet has been elucidated.

In the ninth century, a great deal of ethical traditions which is an exposition of forty prophetic traditions has been cited and in the tenth century commenting upon prophetic traditions has been said about and this course of events continued in the subsequent centuries to the present times and the conviction of the writers as the divine revelation has been the cause of compiling traditional ethical works. However, these kinds of books do not intend to present an ethical system based on elucidation of the principles and ends and the general rules of Islamic ethics but are primarily considered a kind of traditional writing. The essential theme of ethical traditions is so important that even ethical philosophical books at times adduce prophetic traditions.

Hadith and Quranic Exegesis

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