ONTOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF IMAM AL-BUKHARI’S SCHOOL OF HADITH STUDIES

Abstract

The ontological status of hadith is broader than the definition of it as merely “a report about the past” and encompasses its two-layered nature. At the first level, a hadith is a historical report concerning a statement, action, or tacit approval of the Prophet; at the second level, it is a bearer of normative meaning that guides the life of the Muslim community. Thus, the object of study simultaneously consists of the event that occurred, the narration concerning that event, and the rule derived from the narration. Abubakr Mustafoev characterizes hadith collectively as a religious, spiritual-moral, and historical source; such a classification demonstrates the necessity of not reducing the existence of hadith merely to the text itself.