The short answer
- Believe, and say what you believe. Believe in one God, and in Muhammad ﷺ as His Messenger. This is the first of the five pillars (main parts) of Islam (Bukhari 8).
- Do the basics. Pray. Pay zakat (obligatory charity). Fast in Ramadan (the month of fasting). Go on Hajj (the journey to Mecca) if you are able (Bukhari 8, 3:97).
- The Quran comes first. The Sunnah (the Prophet's way) explains it and shows how to live it. Obeying the Prophet is obeying God (4:80).
- Nobody knows every hadith. There are thousands. You learn step by step, and you ask people who know.
- Questions are welcome. The early Muslims, men and women, asked the Prophet many questions.
- Allah
- The Arabic word for God. The quotes on this page say “Allah”. You may also see it spelled “Allāh” or “Allaah”. The rest of the page says “God”. They all mean the same.
- ﷺ
- A short blessing written after the Prophet's name. It means “God bless him and give him peace”.
- Sunnah
- The Prophet's way: what he said, what he did, and what he quietly approved (Wikipedia).
- Hadith
- One report about what the Prophet said, did, or approved. Much of the Sunnah reaches us through hadith.
- Messenger
- Another name for the Prophet Muhammad. The hadith often say “Allah's Messenger”.
- Companions
- The men and women who knew the Prophet and followed him.
- Bukhari, Muslim
- The two most trusted Sunni hadith books are Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Here “Muslim” is the name of the scholar who collected the book, not the word for a believer.
- Al-Albani
- A hadith scholar who lived from 1914 to 1999 (Wikipedia). We show his grade for hadith that are not in Bukhari or Muslim. A grade says how strong a hadith is (Part 4).
- Sahih
- Authentic, which means reliable. It is the highest grade a hadith can get (Part 4).
The Prophet's way
The Sunnah is the example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It is a model for Muslims to follow (Wikipedia). It has three parts: his words, his actions, and the things he saw and quietly approved (Wikipedia).
Why do Muslims follow it? Because the Quran itself says that the Prophet's job was to explain the Quran:
[We sent them] with clear proofs and written ordinances. And We revealed to you the message [i.e., the Qur’ān] that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.
In simple words: God sent the Quran to the Prophet, so that he would make it clear to people.
He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allāh; but those who turn away - We have not sent you over them as a guardian.
In simple words: if you obey the Prophet, you are obeying God.
For example, the Quran tells Muslims to pray. But it does not give all the details. The words and movements of the prayer, and how many times to repeat them, are found in hadith (Wikipedia).
Good news: scholars of Islamic law, such as al-Shafi'i, said that the most basic acts of worship were passed down “from the many to the many”. Muslims learn them from other Muslims, not from books of hadith (Wikipedia).
A good teacher gives you a textbook. Then the teacher also shows you how to do the exercises. The Quran is like the book. The Sunnah is like the teacher's example.
Sometimes you have a question, and the Quran does not answer it in detail. Then the answer is in what the Prophet taught. You do not have to search the hadith yourself. You can ask someone who knows (Part 4).
Ibn Kathir was a famous Sunni scholar (about 1300–1373) (Wikipedia). He explains a Quran verse (4:59) about what to do when people disagree (Ibn Kathir).
In simple words: when people disagree about any part of the religion, big or small, they must go back to the Quran and the Sunnah.
Read the exact words of Ibn Kathir
This is a command from Allah that whatever areas the people dispute about, whether major or minor areas of the religion, they are required to refer to the Qur'an and Sunnah for judgment concerning these disputes.
The Quran is the message. The Sunnah is the Prophet's example of how to live it.
You do not have to be a scholar
Here is an authentic hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, one of the two most trusted Sunni books (Wikipedia). A man came to the Prophet from Najd (a region of Arabia). He was asking about Islam.
A man from Najd with unkempt hair came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and we heard his loud voice but could not understand what he was saying, till he came near and then we came to know that he was asking about Islam. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You have to offer prayers perfectly five times in a day and night (24 hours)." The man asked, "Is there any more (praying)?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "No, but if you want to offer the Nawafil prayers (you can)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) further said to him: "You have to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan." The man asked, "Is there any more fasting?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "No, but if you want to observe the Nawafil fasts (you can.)" Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) further said to him, "You have to pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)." The man asked, "Is there any thing other than the Zakat for me to pay?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "No, unless you want to give alms of your own." And then that man retreated saying, "By Allah! I will neither do less nor more than this." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If what he said is true, then he will be successful (i.e. he will be granted Paradise)
In simple words: the Prophet told him the basics: five daily prayers, the fast of Ramadan, and zakat (obligatory charity). Each time, the man asked: “Is there more?” Each time, the Prophet said no. Extra prayers and fasts (Nawafil) are only if you want. The man said: “By Allah! I will neither do less nor more than this.” The Prophet said he would succeed if what he said was true.
In another report, a Bedouin (an Arab of the desert) asked the Prophet what good action would take him to Paradise:
A Bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "Tell me of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise, if I do it." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Worship Allah, and worship none along with Him, offer the (five) prescribed compulsory prayers perfectly, pay the compulsory Zakat, and fast the month of Ramadan." The Bedouin said, "By Him, in Whose Hands my life is, I will not do more than this." When he (the Bedouin) left, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever likes to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man." Narrated Abu Zur'a: From the Prophet (ﷺ) the same as above
In simple words: the Prophet told him to worship God alone and do the basics. The man said he would not do more. The Prophet said: “Whoever likes to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man.”
Neither man was given a long list. Each was told the basics and promised to do them. And as each man left, the Prophet said something good about him.
Religion is easy
… Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded …
So fear Allāh as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allāh]; it is better for your selves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful.
In simple words: religion is easy. If you overload yourself, you will not be able to keep going. So do not go to extremes, but try to do well. Be mindful of God as much as you are able.
Not everyone has to study everything
Scholars speak of two kinds of duty. Some duties are for every person, like the daily prayer (Wikipedia). Other duties are for the community. When enough people do them, the rest do not have to (Wikipedia). IslamQA, a Sunni website, says that seeking Islamic knowledge is the second kind. But each person must learn what they need for the worship they do and for their dealings with people (IslamQA).
IslamWeb is another Sunni website that gives fatwas. A fatwa is a scholar's answer to a religious question. IslamWeb once answered a new Muslim woman. She worried about gaps in her knowledge, a worry like yours (IslamWeb).
In simple words: general knowledge is enough for your faith. You must learn what makes your belief, your worship and your dealings with people correct. The rest is good to learn, but it is not your duty. Do not obsess. Ask when you need to. If you tried to find the answer, could not, and made a mistake without knowing, you will be forgiven, God willing.
Read the exact words of the fatwa
You should note that regarding faith, you must have a general and not a detailed knowledge of it; this is enough for your faith to be correct, and anything else is desirable to learn, not obligatory. It is obligatory to learn anything by which your ‘Aqeedah, your acts of worship and the interactions you engage in will be valid. Anything beyond this is among the communal obligations and not an individual obligation.
You should not obsess over these questions; it is enough for you to ask about what you need at its time before taking action ... However, if one endeavors to know the truth and is not able to do so, and he acts ignorantly, then he will be forgiven for it – Allaah willing.
(“‘Aqeedah” means your beliefs.)
You do not need to be a doctor to be healthy. You eat well and rest. When you are sick, you visit a doctor. In religion, you do the basics. When you have a question, you ask a scholar.
Believe, do the basics, and keep learning. That is a good Muslim life.
Thousands of hadith, many books
There is a very large number of hadith. The famous book of al-Bukhari alone has 7,563 hadith. Some of them appear more than once. Without the repeats, it has about 2,600 (Wikipedia). The scholar Ibn al-Salah reported that al-Bukhari said he left out other authentic hadith, to keep the book short (Wikipedia).
Across all the Sunni books, there are about seven to thirteen thousand different texts. But one text often came through several chains of people (see below). Scholars count each chain as a separate hadith. For example, if ten Companions reported the same event, scholars can count it as ten hadith. So the total number is much larger (Wikipedia).
Sunni scholars wrote six main hadith books, between about 840 and 912 (Wikipedia). They are the books of al-Bukhari, Muslim, al-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah (Wikipedia). The two most trusted are Bukhari and Muslim (Wikipedia).
A chain of people
Each hadith came to us through a chain of people. Each person heard it from the person before.
- The Prophet ﷺ says or does something
- A Companion sees it or hears it
- A student hears it from the Companion
- More students pass it on, one after another
- A scholar writes it in a bookfor example, al-Bukhari (died 870)
Think of a family recipe. Your grandmother learned it from her mother. She taught it to your mother, and your mother taught it to you. If each person was honest and careful, you can trust the recipe. A hadith chain is like this. Scholars check every person in it.
Hadith were passed on by chains of people and later written in books. Imam al-Shafi'i said that no one knows all of the Sunnah (Part 5).
Strong, good, weak, and made up
Not every hadith is equally strong. In the centuries after the Prophet, hadith scholars made rules to check whether a report is authentic. They used grades such as sahih (authentic), hasan (good) and da'if (weak) (Wikipedia).
Think about news. A report from named, honest people who were there is strong. A report where nobody knows who said it is weak. A story that someone invented is fake. Hadith scholars ask the same questions: who said it, and can we trust them?
Scholars sometimes disagree
Grading is careful human work, so scholars do not always agree. One scholar may know something about a reporter that another scholar does not know (IslamQA). Here is a real example: the “73 groups” hadith in the book of al-Tirmidhi (Tirmidhi 2641). Two scholars, al-Albani and Ahmad Shakir, graded it “good” (hasan). Another scholar, Zubair Ali Zai, graded it “weak”. (My other page, “Which Way?”, explains this hadith.)
Sahih and hasan hadith are accepted as evidence in Islamic law (Wikipedia). The scholar Ibn Taymiyya said that Islam does not allow relying on weak hadith that are neither sahih nor hasan (IslamQA). Some weak hadith encourage good deeds. Can you act on them? Scholars have two views. Some say yes, with conditions. Others say no (IslamQA).
And if scholars disagree and you are not an expert? IslamQA says you follow the scholar you think knows more and is more religious (IslamQA). If that scholar says the hadith is authentic and it contains a rule, you act on it. If he says it is weak, there is no sin on you for not acting on it (IslamQA).
On this page, every hadith card shows its book, its number and its grade. When you read a hadith anywhere, look for the same three things.
Scholars check a hadith's chain and its text, and give it a grade. Sometimes they disagree.
Who are the imams?
In Sunni Islam, “imam” means a religious leader, a scholar, or the person who leads a prayer. An imam does not have to come from a special family or be appointed by God (Wikipedia). (Shia Islam, another group of Muslims, uses the word in a different way. See Part 4 of my other page, “Which Way?”.) “Imam” is also a title of honour for a respected scholar, especially a scholar of law. It is often used for the four men who gave their names to the four Sunni schools of law (Wikipedia). IslamQA says there were many great imams, but these four became famous (IslamQA).
The four imams of law
Four great scholars explained how to live by the Quran and the Sunnah. Each one gave his name to a “school” of Islamic law (a way of explaining the rules, such as how to pray). The schools took shape in the 800s and 900s (Wikipedia):
Abu Hanifa
699–767. The Hanafi school (Wikipedia).
Malik
Died 795 in Medina. The Maliki school (Wikipedia).
Al-Shafi'i
767–820. The Shafi'i school (Wikipedia).
Ahmad ibn Hanbal
780–855. The Hanbali school (Wikipedia).
Each of the four schools accepts the others as valid, which means acceptable (Wikipedia). Different regions mostly follow different schools. For example, the Maliki school is the main one in North and West Africa. The Hanafi school is the main one in South and Central Asia (Wikipedia).
If a hadith is authentic, the imams followed it
IslamQA says that all four imams said the same thing: if a hadith is authentic, they follow the hadith (IslamQA). Imam Malik said: “I am only human.” He told people to check his opinions. Take the ones that agree with the Quran and the Sunnah. Leave the rest (IslamQA).
Imam al-Shafi'i said that no one knows all of the Sunnah (IslamQA). So even this great imam did not know every hadith. And a man named al-Haytham ibn Jamil said he saw Imam Malik being asked 48 questions. To 32 of them, Malik answered: “I do not know” (Wikipedia).
Who should check the imams' opinions? Imam Ahmad told scholars not to follow anyone blindly. But he allowed ordinary Muslims to follow scholars (Wikipedia). Traditionally, a person who is not qualified to judge the evidence may follow a scholar. One researcher says all Sunni Muslims agree on this (Wikipedia). IslamQA says there is nothing wrong with this, because ordinary people are told to ask the people of knowledge (IslamQA).
Read the exact words of the imams
The quotes spell some words in another way. Abu Haneefah = Abu Hanifa. Al-Shafa’i = al-Shafi'i. Hadeeth = hadith. Saheeh = sahih (authentic). Madhhab = school of law. “The companion of this grave” = the Prophet.
Imam Abu Haneefah said: “If the hadeeth is saheeh then that is my madhhab.” ... And according to another report he added: “We are human, we may say something today and retract it tomorrow.” And he said: “If I say something that goes against the Book of Allah or the report of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), then ignore what I say.”
Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “I am only human, sometimes I make mistakes and sometimes I get things right. Look at my opinion and whatever is in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah, take it, and whatever is not in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah, ignore it.” ... (“Everyone’s statement can be taken or rejected except for the companion of this grave”)
Imam al-Shafa’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “There is no one who will not be unaware of some of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Whatever I say or whatever guidelines I establish, if there is a report from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which is different to what I said, then what matters is what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, and that is my opinion.”
Malik is famous for declaring: "The shield of the 'alim is: 'I do not know.' If he neglects it, he will receive a mortal blow." ... al-Haytham ibn Jamīl said: "I saw Mālik ibn Anas being asked forty-eight questions, and he replied to thirty-two of them: 'I do not know.'"
In simple words: an ‘alim is a scholar. Saying “I do not know” protects a scholar, like a shield.
Remember the textbook and the teacher from Part 1. Now imagine four helpers who explain them to the class. Each helper says: “I am only human. If my words are different from the book or the teacher, follow the book and the teacher.” Students who cannot check everything still learn well from a good helper. The book is the Quran. The teacher is the Prophet. The helpers are the imams.
The imams were teachers, not new prophets. They pointed people to the Prophet.
Questions are welcome
Islam does not ask you to switch off your mind. The Quran asks people to think carefully about the Quran itself:
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’ān? If it had been from [any] other than Allāh, they would have found within it much contradiction.
In simple words: think carefully about the Quran. If it came from someone other than God, you would find many contradictions (parts that disagree with each other) in it.
The Quran even teaches the Prophet this prayer: “My Lord, increase me in knowledge” (20:114). And the Prophet said:
… If Allah wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend the religion. …
In simple words: when God wants good for a person, He helps them understand the religion.
Women asked too
A woman named Umm Sulaym once asked the Prophet a very private question about women's bodies. She began by saying: “Verily, Allah is not shy of (telling you) the truth.” The Prophet answered her (Bukhari 130). Another woman asked him how to wash after her period. Aisha, the Prophet's wife, praised women like her:
… How good are the women of Ansar (helpers) that their shyness does not prevent them from learning religion
In simple words: the Ansar (“the helpers”) were the Muslims of Medina who welcomed the Prophet (Wikipedia). Aisha praised their women. Their shyness did not stop them from learning their religion.
Listen to your heart
The Prophet taught that your heart can feel when something is wrong:
… I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about virtue and vice. He said: Virtue is a kind disposition and vice is what rankles in your heart and that you disapprove that people should come to know of it
… Leave what makes you in doubt for what does not make you in doubt. The truth brings tranquility while falsehood sows doubt. …
In simple words: goodness is good character. A wrong thing makes your heart uneasy, and you would not want people to see it. When you are in doubt, leave what makes you doubt for what does not. Truth brings peace to the heart.
This is about choosing right and wrong in your own life, when something is unclear. It is not a way to judge an authentic hadith. If a hadith feels hard, see Part 7.
Questions are welcome. But the Prophet warned against too much questioning, especially questions that could make religion heavier. Someone once asked him if Hajj must be done every year:
… Allah has made Hajj obligatory for you; so perform Hajj. Thereupon a person said: Messenger of Allah, (is it to be performed) every year? He (the Holy Prophet) kept quiet, and he repeated (these words) thrice, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: If I were to say" Yes," it would become obligatory (for you to perform it every year) and you would not be able to do it. Then he said: Leave me with what I have left to you, for those who were before you were desroyed because of excessive questioning, and their opposition to their apostles. So when I command you to do anything, do it as much as it lies in your power and when I forbid you to do anything, then abandon it
In simple words: if the Prophet had said “yes”, Hajj every year would have become a duty that people could not do. So he said: leave me with what I have left to you. He warned that people before them were destroyed by too many questions, and by going against their prophets. Then he said: when I command something, do it as much as you can. When I forbid something, stay away from it. This warning is about questions that add heavy rules. It is not about honest questions to learn.
Ibn Kathir explains a related Quran verse (5:101). He says that in this verse, God teaches believers good manners: do not ask about useless things (Ibn Kathir).
So: asking to learn and understand is good. Asking about useless things, or asking to make religion harder, is not.
Ask, think, and listen to your heart about right and wrong. When a hadith is hard, ask someone who knows.
What to do if something does not make sense
One day you may read a hadith that seems strange or hard. That is normal. Here is what you can do.
- Check where it comes from. Which book? Which number? A quote with no source is not a hadith you must accept.
- Check its grade. Is it authentic, good, weak, or made up (Part 4)?
- Read the explanation. Scholars wrote books that explain the hadith. A hadith often makes more sense when you know the story around it: when and why it was said.
- Ask a trusted teacher. Do not look for answers in angry online comments.
- It is okay to say “I don't know yet”. See below.
A man named Masruq heard the Companion Ibn Mas'ud say this to a group of people. Masruq passed it on:
… If somebody knows something, he can say it, but if he does not know it, he should say, "Allah knows better,' for it is a sign of having knowledge to say about something which one does not know, 'Allah knows better.' …
In simple words: if you know, say it. If you do not know, say “God knows best”. That is not weakness. It is a sign of real knowledge.
A hard hadith is a question, not a reason to give up. Check, read, ask, and be patient.
I am a Muslim. I do not know every hadith, and I never will. There are too many, and that is not my job.
My job is to believe in God and His Messenger, to pray, to fast, and to be a good person. When I have a question that the Quran does not answer, I look at what the Prophet taught. And I ask people who know.
You can do the same. Start small. Ask questions to learn, as many as you need. God sees your effort.
For the bigger picture of Sunni, Shia and Sufi Islam, see the other page: Which Way?
Where every quote comes from
Quran: Saheeh International, as shown on quran.com. Hadith: the English texts on sunnah.com. We got them through a free tool called “hadith-api”. Every hadith card shows a grade. For books other than Bukhari and Muslim, it is al-Albani's grade. Other sources:
- Wikipedia, “Sunnah”
- Wikipedia, “Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani”
- Wikipedia, “Hadith”
- Wikipedia, “Ibn Kathir”
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged English) on Quran 4:59, quran.com
- Wikipedia, “Sunni Islam”
- Wikipedia, “Fard”
- IslamQA, “What is the ruling on seeking Islamic knowledge?” (answer 20092)
- IslamWeb, “An individual Muslim is required to have general not detailed knowledge about faith” (fatwa 281047)
- Wikipedia, “Kutub al-Sittah”
- Wikipedia, “Sahih al-Bukhari”
- Wikipedia, “Hadith terminology”
- IslamQA, “What should the Muslim do with regard to scholarly differences of opinion as to whether a hadeeth is sound or weak?” (answer 70455)
- IslamQA, “Our attitude concerning da’eef (weak) ahaadeeth which speak of good deeds” (answer 44877)
- Wikipedia, “Imam”
- IslamQA, “Why are there differences of opinion among the imams concerning fiqhi matters? Is it essential to follow one of the madhhabs?” (answer 128658)
- Wikipedia, “Madhhab”
- Wikipedia, “Abu Hanifa”
- Wikipedia, “Malik ibn Anas”
- Wikipedia, “Al-Shafi'i”
- Wikipedia, “Ahmad ibn Hanbal”
- IslamQA, “Brief overview of the madhhab of Imam Abu Haneefah” (answer 46992)
- Wikipedia, “Taqlid”
- Wikipedia, “Saqifa”
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged English) on Quran 5:101, quran.com