(January 8, 2016 at 9:03 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Sorry if this has been answered already. I have a question for my Muslim brothers. But what is the difference between the Quran and the Hadith? Which is more important? Is a Muslim supposed to follow both?
*Edited. Was watching TV when I wrote it the first time lol.
Hadiths are sayings attributed to the Prophet or the 12 Imams (if you are Shia) that have chains (so and so narrated from so and so). People study the people narrating it, and determine if everyone in the chain is trustworthy enough to deem the hadith authentic.
Some people believe hadiths can cancel out Quran (for example stoning hadiths cancel out Quran command to lash), the majority of Muslims are of this opinion.
Shia and Sunni alike believe in this. Furthermore, majority of Muslims (shia and sunni) don't believe it's really up to them to study hadiths, but to follow a learned scholar regarding hadiths and follow what they explain is the rulings.
So this whole check hadiths with Quran is just a theory, it has no real practice. This specially given people don't reflect over verses of Quran much.
In reality, hadiths more important then Quran to Muslims although they will all claim Quran is more important. The reason is hadiths are followed more then Quran through scholars.
That said, I think ilmel rijaal (the science of trustworthiness or lack of that of humans and their biographies) was more of bias tool then a real knowledge or science and should be used only to increase probability of truth of a report.
That said I do believe some hadiths have been narrated numerously with many authenticated chains as well as non-authenticated chains, that there is no doubt about them. Those stand almost as important as Quran to me personally.
Quran however to me is the most important. I don't believe hadiths can abrogate Quran or cancel out Quranic commands either.
That said in theory - Shia and Sunni - Muslims both believe hadiths should be referred to Quran. But in reality, it's a different practice then what is in theory.
