Clarifying Hadith Reports

Clarifying Hadith Reports which the Prophet’s words had not been conveyed in their proper context. In the terminology of hadith scholars, this kind of correction is called istidrak. Several leading scholars of Hadith collected these istidrakat. One such treatise was prepared by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, entitled ‘Ayn al-Isabah fi Istidrak ‘Aishah ‘ala al-Sahabah. To understand this matter, a few examples are given below. According to a narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, Abdullah ibn Umar reported the following statement concerning bathing: “I heard the Messenger of God say: Whoever among you comes for the Friday prayer should take a bath.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 894) Abdullah ibn Umar narrated this hadith in a simple form. Outwardly, it may give the impression that bathing on Friday is an absolute command. However, when Aisha al-Siddiqah narrated the same hadith, she also explained its reason—a reason she certainly came to know through her close companionship with the Prophet of Islam. She narrated it as follows: “People used to come for the Friday prayer from their homes and from the settlements outside Madinah. They would arrive covered with dust and perspiration. On one occasion, one of them came to the Prophet while he was with me. The Messenger of God said: ‘It would have been