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Oral tradition has been defined as a testimony transmitted orally from one generation to another. Its special characteristics are the fact that it is oral and its manner of transmission, in which it differs from written sources. The oral tradition is complicated andi t is noteasytofindadefinition whichcovers all its aspects. A written record is an object: a manuscript, a tile, a tablet. But a verbal record can be defined in several ways, because a speaker can interrupt his testimony, correct himself, start again, and so on. A rather arbitrary definition of a testimony might therefore be: all the statements made by one person about a single sequence of past events, provided that the person had not acquired new information between the various statements. In that case, the transmission would be contaminated and we should be faced with a new tradition. Some people, in particular specialists like the griots, are familiar with traditions concerning a whole series of different events. Cases have been known of a person reciting two different traditions to account for the same historical process. Rwandan informants related two versions o f a tradition about the Tutsi and the Hutu, one according to which the first Tutsi had fallen from Heaven and had met the Hutu on earth, and the second according to which Tutsi and Hutu were brothers. Two completely different traditions, the same informants and the same subject! That is why the phrase 'a single sequence of events' has been included in the definition of a testimony. Lastly, everyone knows the case of the local informant who tells a composite story, based on the different traditions he knows.
A tradition is a message transmitted from one generation to the next. B u t all verbal information is not tradition. The eye-witness's verbal testimony mustfirstbe singled out. This is of great value because it is an immediate source, not a transmitted one, so that the risks of distorting the content are minimal. Any valid oral tradition should in fact be based on an eye-witness account. Rumour must be excluded, because although it certainly transmits a message, it depends b y definition on hearsay. Hence its grapevine character. It becomes so distorted that it can be of value only as expressing apopular reaction to a given event. That too can give rise to a tradition when it is repeated by later generations. Finally there is the true tradition, which transmits evidence to future generations.
The origin of traditions may therefore lie in eye-witness testimony, in a rumour or in a new creation based on different existing oral texts combined and adapted to create a new message. But only the traditions based on eye- witness accounts are really valid. The historians of Islam understood that very well. They developed a complicated technique to determine the value of the different Hadiths, or traditions purporting to be the words of the Prophet as recorded by his companions. With time, the number oí Hadiths became very large andit wasnecessary to eliminate those for which the chain of informants (Isnad) linking the scholar who had recorded them in writing to one of the Prophet's companions could not be traced. For each link the Islamic chronicler worked out criteria of probability and credibility identical with those employed in present-day historical criticism. Could the intermediate witness know the tradition? Could he understand it? Was it in his interest to distort it? Could he have transmitted it and if so when, how and where?
Posted By: Steve Williams
Saturday, January 17th 2015 at 2:59AM
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I never really thought about how Islam is based on oral tradition.
Saturday, January 17th 2015 at 4:10AM
Steve Williams
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SUBJECT?
Nature of oral tradition
OR
selfProfessed 'whiteMan' steveAdam CONTINUOUS lyingDisrespect at BIA, about the African Asian FIRST tradition of RECORDED WRITING History, Scholarship and Science.......
what kind of Misconception or LIE is this ......?
"........I never really thought about how Islam is based on oral tradition. "
Saturday, January 17th 2015 at 3:10AM
Steve Williams
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you Must be referring to the ABILITY and DUTY of All Muslims in Africa Asia, Europe, America and Pacifica to ORALLY learn AlQur’âan in Arabic by Heart for the past 1435+ YEARS!
as AlQur’âan has been RECORDED by WRITING since the BEGINNING of the Words of the Creator of Adaam(as) were given to Mohamed(saw)
AlQur’âan was verbally revealed by the Creator of Adaam(as); to Mohamed(saw), through Jibreeal over a period of approximately 23 years, beginning in 609, and concluding in 632 CE, the year of his death.
AlQur’âan is the most important miracle of Mohamed(saw)
Many companions of Mohamed(saw) served as scribes and were responsible for writing down the revelations.
After the death of Mohamed(saw), AlQur’âan was compiled by his companions who had written the ayah during his life.
Ali ibnAbiTaleeb, the adopted son, nephew and first Believer compiled AlQur’âan shortly after the death of Mohamed(saw).
Abu Bakr, the Chosen Leader to the Muslim Community and Wealthiest Muslim, decided to collect AlQur’âan from these recorders in one volume so that it could be preserved.
Zayeed ibnThaabit was the person to collect AlQur’âan since "he used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allaah's Apostle".
A group of scribes, most importantly Zayeed, collected the ayah and produced a hand-written manuscript of AlQur’âan .
AlQur’âan remained with Abu Bakr until he died.
Zayeed's collecting AlQur’âan from parchments, palm-leaf stalks, thin stones, animal bones and from men who knew it by heart is recorded in earlier narratives.
After Abu Bakr, Hafsa bint Umar, widow of Mohamed(saw) , was entrusted with AlQur’âan .
AlIslaam is based on the Recorded and Written Revelations of the Muslims from the beginning of the Revelations to Mohamed(saw) from the Creator of Adaam(as)..........
Saturday, January 17th 2015 at 9:57AM
robert powell
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Thanks Robert. What about the hadiths?
Saturday, January 17th 2015 at 10:08AM
Steve Williams
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What about the hadiths?
Saturday, January 17th 2015 at 9:08AM
Steve Williams
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The Hadeeth (ahadeeth, plural) are traditions of Prophet Mohamed(saw) giving Mankind important information about him and his life.
They are usually narrations about a certain incident in which he said or did something.
AlQur'aan, are the Words of the Creator of Adaam(as) given to Mohamed(saw)
AHadeeth typically follow a chronological order, and most of them are compiled by category (Prayer,
Fasting, Faith, Hajj, Marriage, Burial, etc.).
AHadeeth are where Muslims determine the Sunnah (or wayý) of the prophet, which is the words, actions, and practices of Mohamed(saw).
This is key in AlIslaam since Muslims are commanded to obey and emulate him, by a NUMBER of Verses of
AlQur'aan...................
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Sûrat Al-A‘râf
[The Heights of Knowledge(or The Walls with Elevations) ] VII
In the Name of Allâah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. Alif-Lâm-Mîm-Sâd.
2. This is AlQur’âan, sent down unto you Mohamed, so show the greatest courage now, to Warn all; and be a reminder to the Believers.
158 Mankind! I am sent to you all, as the Messenger of Allaah, to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no Illaah but He: it is He That gives both life and death.
So believe in Allaah and His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allaah and His words: follow him that you may be guided correctly.
Sûrat An-Nisâa’
(The Women) IV
In the Name of Allâah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. Mankind!
Be dutiful to Rabannah, Who created you from a single person - Adaam, and from Adaam - He created his wife Hawwâ, and from them both He created many men and women; and fear Allâah through Whom you demand your mutual rights, and do not cut the relations of the wombs (kinship)
Surely, Allâah is Ever an All-Watcher over you.
80. He who obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allâah, but he who turns away, then we have not sent you Mohamed as a watcher over them.
Saturday, January 17th 2015 at 10:49AM
robert powell
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