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Hasna bint Bakri Najjar

Died
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Born in
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Hasna bint Bakri Najjar is a contemporary scholar of hadith sciences, best known for her study on the documentation of the Sunnah titled Kitabat al-Hadith al-Nabawi fi Ahd al-Nabi bayn al-Nahy wa al-Idhn ("The Recording of Prophetic Hadith in the Era of the Prophet between Prohibition and Permission") .

Scholarly Contributions and Views

In her research on early hadith transmission, Najjar refutes claims suggesting that contradictory narrations on writing hadith were fabricated due to alleged conflicts between the partisans of hadith (Ahl al-Hadith) and the jurists of legal reasoning (Ahl al-Ra'y). She maintains that neither camp held a uniform stance, as figures from both traditions included those who disapproved of writing as well as those who practiced it .

Examining the reports regarding the prohibition (nahy) and permission (idhn) of transcribing hadith during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Najjar presents several points of reconciliation and critical assessment:

  • Reconciliation of Narrations: She argues that reports of prohibition and permission apply to differing circumstances. The prohibition pertained to writing hadith on the same sheet alongside the Quran, whereas permission applied to keeping them separate. Alternatively, prohibition was directed at individuals feared to rely solely on writing at the expense of memorization, while permission was granted to those secured against that risk .
  • Evaluation of Reports: She holds that reports permitting transcription outweigh those prohibiting it, noting that the majority of prohibitive narrations contain weakness .
  • Nature of the Prohibition: Najjar concludes that the prohibition was circumstantial and reasoned (mu'allal), rather than an intrinsic prohibition, because writing is not inherently forbidden in Islamic law .
  • Scope of Early Documentation: She documents that hadith was recorded during the Prophetic era both individually for personal retention and study, and officially by Prophetic instruction for calling people to Islam, expounding the fundamentals and religious obligations of the faith, and administering political and economic affairs .

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List of Works