Sheikh Khaled El-Gendy, a member of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, said that the science of narration was a key means through which the Quran was preserved and that the same methodological approach was used in preserving the Prophetic Sunnah.

During Thursday’s episode of the program “La'allahum Yafqahoon,” he explained that the Quran reached Muslims through mass transmission and precise narration, as reflected in different Quranic readings, including the narration of Hafs from Asim.

The Importance of Narration Science

El-Gendy explained that the science of narration relies on accuracy, verification and transmission across generations.

He stressed that this methodology was not limited to the Quran but was also applied to the Prophetic Sunnah.

According to his explanation, Muslim scholars developed detailed methods for examining hadith reports and classified them into categories including authentic, weak and sound narrations. They also identified fabricated reports, known as mawdu‘ hadith.

How Scholars Examined Hadith Reports

El-Gendy argued that the existence of weak hadith reports does not indicate a flaw in the Sunnah.

Rather, he said, identifying weak and fabricated narrations demonstrates the effectiveness of the scholarly methodology used to examine and classify reports.

He compared the process to identifying a forged text by comparing it with an established original and examining whether it corresponds to it.

Was There a Missing Period Before Hadith Compilation?

El-Gendy rejected the idea that there was a completely “missing” period between the time of the Prophet Muhammad and the later compilation of hadith into major books.

He explained that hadith reports were known and circulated among the Companions and their successors before they were later collected into major written compilations.

According to his remarks, the later emergence of large hadith compilations does not mean that the reports themselves were previously unknown.

El-Gendy Warns Against Attacking Narration Methodology

El-Gendy stressed that challenging hadith books or questioning the science of narration represents, in his view, an attempt to undermine the scholarly methodology used by Muslim scholars to examine religious texts.

He emphasized that Muslim scholars developed various tools to verify narrations and distinguish reliable reports from unreliable ones, helping transmit religious sources across generations.

What is the science of narration?

It is a methodology concerned with transmitting reports and examining their chains, accuracy and reliability.

What did Khaled El-Gendy say about Quranic preservation?

He said the Quran reached Muslims through mass transmission and precise narration, pointing to Quranic readings such as Hafs from Asim.

Do weak hadith reports indicate a flaw in the Sunnah?

According to El-Gendy, no. He argued that identifying weak and fabricated reports demonstrates the rigor of hadith scholarship.

Were hadith reports known before major compilations?

El-Gendy said hadith reports were known and circulated among the Companions and their successors before being collected into major written compilations.

What is a fabricated hadith?

A fabricated hadith is a false report attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, and hadith scholars worked to identify and warn against such reports.