Abu Zayd̛s approach in Sunnah(tradition) and it̛s authenticity(hujjiyah)

Abstract

Abu Zeyd in his study of sunna, employing a hermeneutic approach, has based his study on two principles: making distinction between religion and religious knowledge and embracing historicism. He considers the term sunna and its wide authorization as religious knowledge, invented by scholars after the Holy Prophet (PBUH), therefore short of any justification. Based on historicism, he restricts the Prophet (PBUH) to the temporal and local circumstances of his life and considers his sunna as a historical issue which should not been followed. To him, the prophetic sunna is not based on revelation, otherwise accompanied with human faults and not even followed in the prophecy era. Therefore it was not codified and collected. Abu Zeyd’s position on sunna suffers from significant flaws due to its relying on deficient principles and employing them selectively and not systematically, as well as neglecting documents opposed to his theory. Eventually his approach to sunna and its authenticity is not acceptable.

Keywords

• authenticity of sunna
• historicism
• religious knowledge
• codification of sunna
• infallibility of the prophet (pbuh)
• revelation