Why is Hadith important to Muslims?

Answer 1

Answer 1A hadith is a saying of Muhammad or a report about something he did. Over time, during the first few centuries of Islam, it became obvious that many so-called hadith were in fact spurious sayings that had been fabricated for various motives, at best to encourage believers to act righteously and at worse to corrupt believers' understanding of Islam and to lead them astray. Since Islamic legal scholars were utilizing hadith as an adjunct to the Qur'an in their development of the Islamic legal system, it became critically important to have reliable collections of hadith. While the early collections of hadith often contained hadith that were of questionable origin, gradually collections of authenticated hadith called sahih (lit. true, correct) were compiled. Such collections were made possible by the development of the science of hadith criticism, a science at the basis of which was a critical analysis of the chain of (oral) transmission (isnad) of the hadith going all the way back to Muhammad. The two most highly respected collections of hadith are the authenticated collections the Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. (Sahih literally means "correct, true, valid, or sound.") In addition to these, four other collections came to be well-respected, although not to the degree of Bukhari and Muslim's sahih collections. These four other collections are the Sunan of Tirmidhi, NASA'i, Ibn Majah, and Abu Da'ud. Together these four and the two sahih collections are called the "six books" (al-kutub al-sitta). Two other important collections, in particular, are the Muwatta of Ibn Malik, the founder of the Maliki school of law, and the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the founder of the Hanbali school of law.

Answer 2

The answer to your question (because the above, while right and good, did not answer the question well) is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the living, breathing, walking Qur'an. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the very embodiment of the Qur'an. He is the exegesis of the Qur'an. Without the teachings of the Prophet of God (peace be upon him) we Muslims would not know how to live by the Qur'an. The Qur'an says "pray". Muhammad teaches us how, and when. The Qur'an says "fast". Again, Muhammad shows us what fasting is all about.

Every detail that we need to know in our lives came from the best, most noble example of humanity. Those who hurl insults at Muhammad do not know the truth. Even those who think they have an argument about his marriage to Aisha - the young wife - do not know the facts.

May the Peace and blessings of Almighty God (Allah) be upon our Prophet - the Final Messenger to Mankind - Muhammad.

Answer 2

Hadith is important to Muslims because it provides them with a detailed record of the teachings, actions, and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. It helps Muslims understand and interpret the teachings of the Quran, provides guidance on various aspects of life and worship, and serves as a source of legal and moral authority in Islamic traditions. Hadith also helps preserve the Sunnah, the way of life exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad, which is considered crucial for Muslims to follow.