Revelation and Science Vol. 01, No.03 (1433H/2011) 115-121 Inference and Probability in Methodology of ×adÊth Jesni Shamsul Shaari*, Abdurezak Abdulahi Hashi, Nurul Nabihah Othman, Nur Izatul Firdaus bt Mohd Sutarzi, Nor Atiqah Rozlin. Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Abstract A central feature in the study of ÍadÊth methodology is in ensuring the authenticity of a narration attributed to the Prophet (s.a.w). While the details of criterion may differ somewhat between scholars, the common principles would see scrutiny of the content of a ÍadÊth as well as the chain of transmission. It is thus with these that scholars are able to determine the condition of the reports attributed to the Prophet ( s.a.w). In this work, we propose to model the transmission of ÍadÊth in the context of binary channels and use the Bayes theorem from basic Probability Theory to discuss authenticity of a narration in a quantitative language. We present the model and further apply it to analyze certain types of ÍadÊth, including the muttawÉtir and aÍÉd. Keywords: ×adÊth transmission, chain, probability theory, analysis Abstrak Ciri utama dalam kajian metodologi hadith adalah memastikan kesahihan penceritaan yang dikaitkan dengan Nabi (s.a.w). Walaupun kriteria terperincinya mungkin berbeza antara sarjana tetapi prinsip umumnya sama iaitu meneliti isi kandungan ÍadÊth dan rantaian penurunan. Dengan ini, sarjana dapat menentukan keadaan laporan yang dikaitkan dengan Nabi (s.a.w). Melalui kajian ini, kami mencadangkan untuk membina model penurunan ÍadÊth dalam konteks saluran binari dan menggunakan teorem Bayes iaitu Teori Kebarangkalian asas untuk membincangkan kesahihan penceritaan dengan bahasa kuantitatif. Model yang dikemukakan akan digunakan untuk menganalisis hadith tertentu termasuk muttawÉtir dan aÍÉd. Kata kunci: penurunan ×adÊth, rantaian, teori kebarangkalian, analisis Introduction The way of life (sunnah) of Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w) is important and very much attached to the Qur‟an. i It elucidates the Qur‟an, and thus provides detailed and actual account of the Qur‟Énic teachings. However, while the Qur‟an was documented fully (in different materials) and even memorized by a big number of companions (qurrÉ‟) at the time of the Prophet (s.a.w), Muslim historians acknowledge that full-scale documentation of the sunnah have neither materialized during the lifetime of the Prophet (s.a.w) nor at the time of the Companions (saÍÉbah). ii They further acknowledge that the idea of ÍadÊth documentation come into the picture in the last part of the first century of Hijrah (Muslim calendar) and did not materialize fully until the early decades of the second century of the Hijrah. Though ÍadÊth documentation was an imperative step towards understanding the message of the Qur‟an correctly, equally important was the methodology of ÍadÊth compilation. Given the fact that, there were, already, thousands of narrations attributed to the Prophet (s.a.w) some of which are forged or fabricated, scholars have to struggle to discover common principles through which the authenticity of the reports (ÍadÊth) are established and understood. While the ÍadÊth methodology was developed thoroughly, it is arguably the case that it may lack *Corresponding author: Jesni Shamsul Shaari Department of Theoretical and Computational Sciences Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Jalan Istana, Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan 25200, Pahang, Malaysia E-mail: jesni@iium.edu.my