The Scholarly Methodology of Islamic Preaching: From the Prophetic Era to the Contemporary Age

اسلامی خطابت کا علمی منہج: عہدِ نبوی ﷺ سے عصرِ حاضر تک

Abstract

This study examines the role of preachers and imams in Islamic history with particular focus on their methodology of deriving evidence from narrations (riwāyāt) and the resulting impact on Muslim society. From the Prophetic era to the period of the Tābiʿūn and beyond, religious discourse has played a central role in shaping moral consciousness, legal understanding, and collective identity. While early Islamic scholarship established rigorous principles for verifying and interpreting narrations—such as scrutiny of chains of transmission (isnād), textual analysis, and alignment with the broader objectives of Sharīʿah—historical developments reveal instances where these standards were not consistently upheld in public preaching. The study analyzes both the foundational methodological principles of hadith-based argumentation and the deviations that emerged due to political motives, popular expectations, emotional storytelling, and the circulation of weak or fabricated narrations. Through selected historical case studies, the research demonstrates how uncritical use of narrations influenced public perception, doctrinal formation, and social attitudes. It further argues that the misuse of narrations not only undermines scholarly integrity but also distorts religious consciousness at a collective level. In light of contemporary challenges—particularly the rapid dissemination of religious content through digital media—the paper emphasizes the urgent need to revive methodological rigor, ethical responsibility, and critical awareness in religious preaching. The study concludes that the reform of religious discourse is inseparable from the reform of methodological engagement with narrations, and that restoring scholarly discipline in public preaching is essential for preserving theological balance and social harmony.