Lloyd L.
I. Summary and themes
This document consists of several anecdotes about the prophet Muhammad (Hadiths) that pertain to the Islamic tradition of fasting. The Hadiths are stories about the life of Muhammad that provide authoritative teachings on best religious practices for a wide range of subjects, as such they contain a summary of their provenance, a citation if you will know as the isnad.
This particular collection of Hadiths focuses on the appropriate practices for fasting including such topics as determining the time and length of the month of Ramadan, appropriate hygiene whilst fasting, and what to do if one fails to maintain their fast.
II. Analysis
These Hadiths not only provide a remarkably detailed set of rules for Muslims but also offer substantial insight into the structure of Islamic scholarship and the central role of Muhammad in Islamic tradition.
The rigorous nature of the Isnads demonstrates the emphasis placed on authenticity in Islamic teachings. By initiating each Hadith with the chain of transmission from Muhammad to the reader said Hadith becomes verifiably the teachings of the Prophet. This tradition is in stark contrast to the distinct lack of verifiable sourcing in Christian tradition. This difference between Christian and Islamic practice is demonstrative off the unique and central role Muhammad possesses in Islam. The role of Muhammad is to transmit the words of God (the Qur’an) to mankind and as such a direct emissary to a higher power his words and deeds are perhaps the only authoritative examples of how to best submit to the will of God, to be Muslim. Thus even the most mundane questions about religious practice are answered by imitating the practices of Muhammad himself. It follows then that any information not cited back to Muhammad is suspect.