A scholar once said: ‘Any person who has a collection of Hadith in his house, is as if in the presence of the Prophet who is in conversation with him.’ (Jami’ul Usool, Vol. 1. p. 194)

The above-mentioned saying is not only about what the Prophet had to say, but by implication, it also indicates a form of companionship with the Prophet.

None of the sayings of the Prophet of Islam recorded in the Books of Hadith are purely abstract in sense. Indeed, every saying has a special background. That is to say, the Prophet on different occasions faced a variety of situations and, in accordance with the demands of each situation, he gave people advice. In this way, each saying of the Prophet of Islam relates to particular sets of circumstances. All the sayings of the Prophet are of topical relevance.

If the individual deepens his understanding of the Hadith and conceptualizes the background to it, this in itself will be like being in the presence of the Prophet. He will perceive that he is not only reading the sayings of the Prophet, in a book, but is also reading between the lines of the Prophet’s sayings and thus mentally refreshing himself about their background. If the reader of the Hadith is enthusiastic about it, he will feel as if he is actually experiencing the companionship of the Prophet. In this way, there will be a manifold enhancement of his understanding of the Hadith.

On reflection, it will be realized that the reader of the Hadith is not just a reader: he is more of a ‘listener’ seated along with the Companions in the presence of the Prophet of Islam. This is one of the creative ways of studying the Hadith. And studying the traditions of the Prophet in this creative manner is undoubtedly the greatest source of purification.

Source: Discovering God