The Effect of Classical Period Hadith Commentaries on Our Understanding of Hadiths
Hadiths, considered one of the fundamental sources of Islam, have been the subject of significant efforts by hadith scholars to better understand the hadith corpus formed through their compilation and classification. The most intense manifestation of these efforts is seen in commentaries. It should not be assumed that the need for commentaries arises solely from a desire to understand. While we believe this is the most important reason, there are also other factors beyond the need for understanding. For instance, there are various specific reasons such as the inner world of the commentators or their surroundings, sect affiliation, and educational activities. This study will attempt to identify the factors that influence the effort to understand hadiths in terms of content and text. Commenting on a hadith work is undoubtedly the result of significant effort. The works created by commentators, who generally engage in this activity as a form of understanding, possess certain characteristics that provide us with information about the general structure of commentaries. These characteristics, while mostly beneficial in relation to hadiths, can sometimes lead to negative outcomes in our understanding. The contributions of these characteristics of commentaries to the correct understanding of hadiths are examined in the work. The effects of hadith commentaries on our understanding of hadiths today are discussed through examples related to certain marriage and divorce issues, and the study seeks to answer the question of how we can benefit from commentaries more effectively.
Keywords: Hadith; Commentary; Classical Period; Understanding; Reason; Divorce; Marriage