The status of hadith
Question:
I have gone through a book, "Sahifa, Hamam bin Munnaba", translated by Prof. Maulana Mohd. Rafiq Chaudhary (Published by Maqtaba Quraniyat, First Edition, Sept 2004), which says that Hazrat Abu Huraira was the source of this collection and as he died in 57 Hijri, this sahifa was written in the first 50 years from the time of Prophet Muhammad (sws)'s demise.
Can I please have your opinion on the authenticty of this book, as you regard hadith literature as a supplement to the Qur'an and Sunnah (having been introduced to the Ummah at least 150 years after the Prophet's demise), and not as a source itself.
Response:
I know that there were a few texts in the form of manuscripts that were available in the first century. None of them, however, got the opportunity to be spread across in the Muslim ummah. Their availability was limited to a few people. My point is that if hadith contained important elements of Islamic teachings, such ahadith should have been available to all Muslim communities.
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