Hadith Literature: Authenticity, Authority, Reception

Undergraduate / Graduate

This advanced graduate seminar explores various genres within hadith literature, a vast corpus encompassing traditions about the speeches, and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad. Beyond examining different types of hadith collections, the course will trace the development of classical hadith scholarship and the critical methodologies employed by classical and medieval scholars in evaluating hadiths. In addition, the seminar will analyze key texts that discuss the role of hadith in law, theology, and Sufism, as well as its significance in the daily religious life of Muslims. The course will also introduce the intertextualities between Twelver Shi'ite and Zaydi hadith traditions and the Sunni hadith corpus, offering a comparative perspective on hadith transmission and interpretation across different Islamic traditions.