The Approach of Said Nursi Towards Weak (Daif) Hadiths in ‎the Risale-i Nur Collection

Abstract

The Risalah An-Nur is a compilation of thoughts by the prominent Turkish Islamic scholar and thinker,Said Nursi. The life challenges he faced span two distinct phases: “Old Said,” which is associated with his direct involvement in political affairs during the rule of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and “New Said,” marking a turning point in his outlook where he shifted focus toward writing the Risalah An-Nur. This article aims to examine how Said Nursi interacted with weak (da'if) hadiths in his writings by analysing the principles and criteria he applied in their use. This study employs a library-based methodology, focusing on selected texts within the Risalah An-Nur that contain weak (da'if) hadiths and comparing them with authoritative hadith compilations from Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah to establish a foundation for his usage. The findings indicate that Said Nursi did not entirely reject weak (da'if) hadiths; instead, he employed them particularly in the context of virtues of deeds (faḍā'il al-a‘māl), in line with the stance of the majority of scholars (jumhūr ‘ulamā’). He used such hadiths to reinforce moral and spiritual messages, but not as binding legal evidence. In several instances, Said Nursi cited hadiths without mentioning their classification, yet the contextual usage suggests that he was aware of their level of authenticity. His focus was on the spiritual messages embedded in the hadiths, considering their educational and transformative impact on the soul, despite the hadiths being weak in terms of chain of narration (sanad). This study concludes with a reflection on Said Nursi’s contribution to contemporary Islamic thought, particularly in enriching the discourse on the role and priority of hadith in the life of the Muslim community.

Keywords

• approach
• said nursi
• weak hadith
• risalah an-nur