THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION THE HOLY TRADITIONS WITH SHORT NOTES Vou. | BY MOHAMED MANZUR ILAHI Member of The Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’ at Islam Lahore (India) Ist Epition Price 1,000 Copies 1932 Rs. 3 or 6sh. www.aaiil.orgPRINTED AT THR RIPON PRINTING PRESS BULL ROAD, LAHORE BY MIRZA MOHAMMAD SADIQTHE HOLY TRADITIONS OR HADITH Hadith or Tradition in Islamic terminology signifies the sayings and the practice of the Holy Prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam, and includes the practice of his Companions in his presence to which he took no objection. The value of Hadith as an exposition of the principles and doctrines of Islam, is very great. Besides after the Holy Quran it is the chief source from which material can be drawn for a life study of the Holy Prophet and early History of Islam, During the life-time of the Holy Prophet sufficient measures were taken for the preservation and safe delivery of his sayings and practice, as his Companions and their immediate followers made every effort to commit to memory the words they heard from his lips for various reasons. The injunc- tions and commandments contained in the Holy Quran were practised and taught to the Companions by the Holy Prophet by his personal example. There is, therefore, no doubt his sayings and practice had, from the beginning, acquired great importance amongst his followers. Then “certainly you have in the Apostle of Allah an excellent exemplar” (33 : 21) being an injunction of the Quran, his sayings and practices were taken with enthusiasm, memorized and hoarded with unprecedented zeal and jealousy by the Muslims. Hence it was but natural that these should be faithfully preserved and safely delivered to the new-comers. There was not a single case of deliberate fabrication of the traditions so long as the Companions of the Holy Prophet and their immediate followers lived. It was only after these two generations had passed away that a mass of fabricated traditions grew up. But the danger was at once perceived by the