By Paul Salahuddin Armstrong Hadith, narrations of the Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him, can be useful supplementary
material, which in some circumstances can help to clarify
certain matters. However, a few things should be born in mind
when referencing hadiths: 1). The only sacred scripture of Islam
is the Holy Qur’an, all other texts including hadith are of a
supplementary nature. Hadiths are not part of the sacred
scripture of Islam, even though they do make reference to the
purported words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad, peace and
blessings be upon him. 2). Hadiths vary in their degree of
reliability, some hadith are most likely authentic, as they’re
based on multiple narrations from individuals regarded as honest
and trustworthy members of the community, renowned for their
accurate memories; nevertheless, many hadith are no where near
as reliable and some are fraudulent. The great imams of hadith
themselves, threw out most of the narrations submitted to them
for collation. This fact in itself indicates