Quranic Terminology: Discourse/Hadeeth

Published in February 22, 2020

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

 The Quranic/Arabic term (Hadeeth) means a discourse, a speech, an account, a parable, a story, conversing, a conversation, a dialogue...etc. This term has nothing whatsoever to do with the Sunnite Shiite, and Sufi hadiths/lies/falsehoods. Its linguistic root is H/D/Th. In the points below, we trace how the derivations of such an Arabic root are manifested in the Quranic text.

Firstly: the term (muhdith):

1- This adjective refers to a new, fresh discourse; it is mentioned twice in the Quran to refer to the Holy Quran itself: "The humankind’s Judgment has drawn near, but they turn away heedlessly.No fresh/muhdith reminder comes to them from their Lord, but they listen to it playfully." (21:1-2); "No fresh/muhdith reminder comes to them from the Most Merciful, but they turn their backs at it." (26:5).

2- This is because the Quranic Discourse is a new reminder descended among people who never received any warners before it: "Nor were you by the side of the Mount when We proclaimed. Rather, it was a mercy from your Lord, that you may warn people who received no warner before you, so that they may take heed." (28:46); "Yet they say, “He made it up.” In fact, it is the Truth from your Lord, to warn a people who received no warner before you, that they may be guided." (32:3); "But We gave them no book to study, and We did not send them any warner before you." (34:44); "To warn a people whose ancestors were not warned, and so they are unaware." (36:6).

Secondly: the term (yuhdith):

1- This verb refers to doing something new.

1/1: "Thus We have revealed it an Arabic Quran, and We have diversified the warnings in it, that perhaps they would become righteous, or it may produce/yuhdith a reminder for them." (20:113); the Quranic warnings serve as a new reminder for them so that they sanctify and revere their Lord God.

1/2: "O prophet! If any of you divorce women, divorce them during their period of purity, and calculate their term. And be pious before God, your Lord. And do not evict them from their homes, nor shall they leave, unless they have committed a proven adultery. These are the limits of God - whoever oversteps God’s limits has wronged his own soul. You never know; God may afterwards bring about/yuhdith a new situation." (65:1).

2- This verb refers to saying something new. For instance, within the story of Moses during his encounter with the good servant of the Lord God; i.e., another prophet: "Moses said to him, “May I follow you, so that you may teach me some of the guidance you were taught?” He said, “You will not be able to endure with me. And how will you endure what you have no knowledge of?” He said, “You will find me, God willing, patient; and I will not disobey you in any order of yours.” He said, “If you follow me, do not ask me about anything, until I myself make mention of it to you.”" (18:66-70).

Thirdly: to converse or to be engaged into a conversation: 

  There are several types of conversations in the Quranic text.

  This is about when people talk to one another.

1- "O you who believe! Do not enter the homes of the Prophet, unless you are given permission to come for a meal; and do not wait for its preparation. And when you are invited, go in. And when you have eaten, disperse, without lingering for conversation/Hadeeth..." (33:53); the nosy men contemporaries/companions of Muhammad used to enter his chambers/homes without being invited and they ate and chatted for long times. 

2- "The prophet told something/Hadeeth in confidence to one of his wives. But when she disclosed it, and God made it known to him; he communicated part of it, and he avoided another part. Then, when he informed her of it, she said, “Who informed you of this?” He said, “The All-Knowing, the All-Informed, informed me.”" (66:3); one of the wives of Muhammad spread the conversation/discourse/Hadeeth or the secret(s) he told her.

3- "And when they come across those who believe, they say, “We believe,” but when they come together privately, they say, “Will you inform them of what God has disclosed to you, so that they might dispute with you concerning it before your Lord?” Do you not understand?" (2:76); within their conversation/dialogue/Hadeeth in private, they blamed on another.

  This is about when people and creatures talk to their Creator, the Dominant Lord God, on the Day of Resurrection.

1- This is the talking or Hadeeth of the human beings to their Creator on the Last Day: "On that Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth were leveled over them. They will not conceal any discourse/Hadeeth from God." (4:42). The prophets and messengers will testify against their peoples on the Last Day and so will warners and preachers among non-prophets (we implore the Lord God to make our person one of those witnesses against our contemporaries): "And the earth will shine with the Light of its Lord; and the Book will be put in place; and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought in; and Judgment will be passed among them equitably, and they will not be wronged." (39:69). This is addressed by the Lord God to Muhammad: "Then how will it be, when We bring a witness from every community, and We bring you as a witness against these?" (2:41); the disbelievers will be in an extremely difficult situation and they will never be able to deny their sins as they talk to their Lord God: "On that Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth were leveled over them. They will not conceal any discourse/Hadeeth from God." (4:42).

2- This is the talking or Hadeeth of the earth to its Creator as per His command or inspiration to it. This is about this talking of the earth during the quake of the Hour: "When the earth is shaken with its quake. And the earth brings out its loads. And man says, “What is the matter with it?” On that Day, it will tell its tales. For your Lord will have inspired it." (99:1-5). The physical earth is overlapped with earthly Barsakh levels and the Barsakh levels of the heavens; all of them will be destroyed when the Hour takes place; new, eternal earth and heavens will be created for the manifestation of the Lord God on the Last Day: "On the Day when the earth is changed into another earth, and the heavens, and they will emerge before God, the One and Dominant Lord." (14:48); the earth will throw the deeds of human beings before its being smashed in the Tremendous Explosion of the Hour: "And when the earth is leveled out. And casts out what is in it, and becomes empty. And hearkens to its Lord, as it must." (84:3-6).

  This is about discourses/Hadeeth of human beings who seek to undermine, cast doubt on, and argue against the Quran: "When you encounter those who gossip about Our revelations, turn away from them, until they engage in another discourse/Hadeeth. But should Satan make you forget, do not sit after the recollection with the wicked people." (6:68); "He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear God’s revelations being rejected, or ridiculed, do not sit with them until they engage in some other conversation/Hadeeth. Otherwise, you would be like them. God will gather the hypocrites and the disbelievers, into Hell, altogether." (4:140).

  This is about rejecting the Quran in order to spread and/or believe in distracting Hadeeth/discourses in religion: "Among the people is he who trades in distracting Hadeeth/discourses; intending, without knowledge, to lead away from God’s Path, and to make a mockery of it. These will have a humiliating torment." (31:6).

 This is about reading the Quran to others to preach them: this is addressed to Muhammad who received the Bounty of the Quran: "But proclaim/haddeth the Bounty of your Lord." (93:11).

 This is about the Quranic term (Hadeeth) in the sense of (account) or (story): this is about Quranic stories: "Has the story/Hadeeth of Abraham’s honorable guests reached you?" (51:24); "Has the story/Hadeeth of Moses reached you?" (79:15 + 20:9); "Has there come to you the story/Hadeeth of the legions? Of Pharaoh and Thamood?" (85:17-18).

 This is about accounts of the Last-Day events: "Has the account/Hadeeth of the Overwhelming reached you?" (88:1) and the context 88:2-16 explains the meaning of 88:1.

 The Quranic term (Hadeeth) sometimes refers to the Quranic Discourse only.

1- "Perhaps you may destroy yourself with grief, chasing after them, if they do not believe in this Discourse." (18:6); the term (Hadeeth) here is the Quran itself.

2- "Do you marvel at this Discourse?" (53:59); the term (Hadeeth) here is the Quran itself.

3- "Is it this Discourse that you take so lightly? " (56:81); the term (Hadeeth) here is the Quran itself.

  Of course, the Quranic Discourse is the Absolute Truth and it contains no falsehoods or fabrications; it is the Best Discourse: "...And whose discourse/Hadeeth is more true than God's?" (4:87); "...This is not a fabricated discourse/Hadeeth, but a confirmation of what came before it, and a detailed explanation of all things, and guidance, and mercy for people who believe." (12:111); "God has sent down the Best Discourse/Hadeeth..." (39:23). The Quranic Discourse is not understood by disbelievers who reject it: "...so what is the matter with these people, that they hardly understand this Discourse/Hadeeth?" (4:78).

  The Quranic Discourse/Hadeeth is unique and unparalleled; there are no discourses like it at all: "So let them produce a discourse/Hadeeth like it, if they are truthful." (52:34). Yet, the cursed author of hadiths, Al-Bokhary, invented a hadith about Muhammad allegedly given the Quran and a 'parallel discourses' like it! The cursed Al-Bokhary rejects the Quran especially this Quranic verse: "Say, “If the humankind and the jinn came together to produce the like of this Quran, they could never produce the like of it, even if they backed up one another.”" (17:88).

  The polytheistic disbelievers who reject and deny the Lord God's Quranic Discourse believe in other discourses; they will be severely punished by the Lord God: "So leave Me to those who reject this Discourse/Hadeeth; We will proceed against them gradually, from where they do not know." (68:44). They commit this sin despite the fact that in Islam, the Holy Quran is the Only Discourse to believe in as per the following Quranic verses.

1- "Have they not observed the government of the heavens and the earth, and all the things that God created, and that their time may have drawn near? Which discourse/Hadeeth, besides this, will they believe in?" (7:185).

2- "In what discourse/Hadeeth, beyond this, will they believe?" (77:50).

3- "These are God’s Verses which We read to you in Truth. In which discourse/Hadeeth, after God and His Verses, will they believe?" (45:6).

Lastly:

1- We quote the following from the Best Discourse; the Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "The Fire lashes their faces, and therein they grimace. “Were not My Verses read to you, and you kept on rejecting them?” They will say, “Our Lord, our wretchedness prevailed over us, and we were a people astray. Our Lord! Bring us out of this. If we ever returned, we would truly be evil.” He will say, “Be despised therein, and do not speak to Me. There was a group of My servants who would say, 'Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us, and have mercy on us; You are the Best of the merciful.' But you made them a target of ridicule, until they made you forget My remembrance; and you used to laugh at them. Today, I have rewarded them for their endurance. They are the ones who are the triumphant.” He will say, “How many years did you remain on earth?” They will say, “We remained a day, or part of a day; but ask those who keep count.” He will say, “You remained only for a little while, if you only knew. Did you think that We created you in vain, and that to Us you will not be returned?”" (23:104-115).

2- We hope that people would ponder the Quran so that they fear their Lord God within piety and so that they are reminded of their death and of the Last Day.