Roots Of Knowledge ROK 😊

Using Hadith as a Springboard Teachers who deliver Hadith classes are sometimes tempted to share their own interpretations or 'Ijtihad' with their students. This can be a slippery slope, especially if the view hasn't been thoroughly researched and fleshed out. Students will rarely contest their teacher's views. I sometimes see this happen on the mimber too, a speaker quoting a hadith to back up their own extrapolated view. It's a quick-fire way of evidencing that might work for the general public, but it doesn't hold up with those who have experience in the field. Even if someone doesn't strictly follow a school of fiqh, their research still needs to be honest. A view should really only be shared after thorough investigation or by attributing it to someone more learned. Otherwise it's half-baked and makes the tradition seem like a playground for anyone to experiment. My advice to anyone teaching Mishkat or even a book like Zaad at-Talibeen is to focus on giving a sound, established understanding of the text, rather than using the hadith as a springboard to promote personal views.