Conceptual Study of Clinton Bennett’s Thoughts About Hadith

Abstract

From the very beginning, orientalists started inquiring and recertifying the facts regarding the classical sources of Islam; their main focus was Qur’an and hadith and thereby the personality of Holy Prophetﷺ. Nineteenth century and the present time are the climax of oriental criticism and research of the Islamic literature. In fact all orientalists and especially Clinton Bennett have tried to reconstruct and refine the classical literature of Islam afresh, namely Qur’an, hadith and the biography of Holy Prophet ﷺ.When they failed to discredit the text of Qur’an because of the protection of hadith as an only explanation and certification of the intended meanings of divine revelation, they concentrated their all attacking efforts on hadith itself.

            Clinton Bennett is one of those orientalists who’s main focus has been the Classical sources of Islam and especially hadith sciences, that is why Bennett has successfully been able to create a new structure of hadith and a new vision of the exegesis of the holy Qur’an, of his own.

            The study under hand focuses on the Authenticity of hadith, Objection on the Credibility of Hazrat Abu Hurayrah and criticism on the principles of Matan, which deals with the responsive point of view of Mr. Bennett regarding different aspects of hadith literature. The topics like Authenticity of hadith, possibility of mutual contradictory matter, the integrity of hadith narrators, the principles of narration and comprehension of hadith (Rivayat & Dirayat) as discussed by Bennett in his various books especially in “In Search of Muhammad (ﷺ)”, have been hereby reviewed and analyzed. This research is descriptive and analytical in nature and presents a detailed analysis of the work, it is based upon.