About the Podcast:
- How do we know that hadith are reliable?
- How do theological biases impact the transmission and acceptance of hadith?
- How can hadith scholarship navigate modern challenges of authenticity while preserving its theological integrity?
In this episode, we critically examine the journey of hadith from the Prophet to the present day with Dr Haidar Hobballah. From transmission methodologies to contemporary debates, this discussion unpacks the complexities of separating fact from fiction in a legacy spanning over 1,400 years. We explore the science of hadith criticism, the shift from oral to written transmission, debates over canonical texts like the Kutub al-Arba‘a, the reliability of narrators, and the impact of theological bias and sectarian identity on the Shi’i tradition.
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Learn More About Our Guest:
Dr Haidar Hobballah is Head of the Department of Hadith and History at Al-Mahdi Institute and a Senior Lecturer in Hadith Studies. He holds a PhD in Comparative Religions and Christian Theology and has authored over two dozen books in jurisprudence, legal theory, theology, and hadith studies. His English articles and lecture transcripts are available at hobbollah.com.
Read More of His Insights:
Hobballah, H. (2024) ‘The Transmission of Hadith from Kufa to Qom in the Second and Third Centuries’. Paper presented at Compiling a Tradition: The History and Development of the Early Imāmī Hadith Corpora, Al-Mahdi Institute, Birmingham, 12-13 February.
Hobballah, H. (2019) ‘Qiyas & The Mysterious Case of Ibn al-Junayd‘, transcribed and translated by Sayyid Ali Imran. Available at: hobbollah.com
Hobballah, H. ‘The Illegitimate Child in Islamic Jurisprudence: A Reading and Rectification’, translated by Rida Jichi. Available at: hobbollah.com
