YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad) The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey. What is Hadith? The collection of sayings and teachings of the Prophet Muhammed is called Hadith. The Quran and Hadith constitute the most authentic source of Islamic scriptures. Through the Hadith, we get a glimpse of the man Muhammed was, how he conducted himself and his practical demonstration of Quranic guidance. The Quran constitutes important basic principles but does not go into details. The Hadith, on the contrary, provides explanations for Quranic teachings. For example, in the Quran, God enjoins us to be steadfast in prayer (salah). It is through the Hadith we know how it should be performed, number of units to be offered each time, the different duas to be recited in different parts of the prayer, etc. What are the different books of Hadith? Some important books of Hadith are: Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan Al Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, etc. What does the Prophet say about seeking knowledge? The Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of seeking knowledge throughout life. He stated, “Seek knowledge even if you have to go as far as China,” indicating that the pursuit of knowledge should be relentless and without boundaries. This reflects the belief that knowledge is not limited to religious studies but encompasses all forms of wisdom beneficial to humanity. The Prophet also remarked that “it is the duty of every Muslim, man or woman, to acquire knowledge.” This highlights the quest for knowledge