The Hadith of Jibril (peace be upon him) and its Role in the Integration of Islamic Schools of Thought and Islamic Jurisprudence — A Comparative Analytical Study

Abstract

This study has sought to move beyond traditional commentaries—which have largely confined themselves to explaining the meanings of Islam, faith and righteousness—to explore the hadith’s epistemological function in the development of Islamic sciences, highlight its role in achieving integration amongst Islamic schools of thought, and harness this integration to counter the rhetoric of extremism and takfir. The study has revealed that the secret behind the exceptional status of this hadith lies not only in its encompassing of the pillars of Islam, faith and benevolence, but also in the manner in which these elements are ordered. Whilst scholars of the past have addressed the Hadith of Jibril through commentary and analysis, there remains a need for an integrative reading of it. This research is based on a fundamental question: to what extent has the Hadith of Jibril (peace be upon him) contributed to building integration between the Islamic sciences and the Islamic schools of thought, and how can this integration be utilised to counter the rhetoric of extremism and takfir in the present day? Among the most important findings of the research are the following: - that the Hadith of Jibril represents one of the foundational texts for the overall structure of the Islamic religion, and is not merely a hadith concerning the chapter on faith. - that the hadith contributed to the establishment of the various Islamic sciences and linked them within a single epistemological framework.