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SHARIAH: A TROUBLING QUESTION
Saleem Ahmed, Ph.D.[1]
I understand the Shariahis based upon the actions and sayings of prophet Muhammad (hadith). I further understand that the Shariah representsthe writings of the following five Muslim jurists: Jafar ibn Muhammad, 702-765; AbuHanifah, 699-767; Malik ibn Anas, 711-796; al-Shafi, 767-820; and Ahmad ibnHanbal, 780-855.
My dilemma: Althoughsupposedly based on hadith, doesn't the Shariah then pre-date most hadithcollections? In fact, the two most prolific hadith compilers -- Bukhari (816-878) and Muslim (826-883) -- were bornafter three of these jurists had died. And the other compilers (IbnMajah, 824-897; Abu Dawood, 824-897; Tirmidhi, 831-901; and Al-Nasai, 836-925)were either toddlers or youth when the remaining Sh
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