The Role of the Science of Asbāb Wurūd al-Ḥadīth (Occasions of Ḥadīth) in Understanding Non-Legal Ḥadīths: A Specialized and Comparative Study of the Commentaries on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

Comprehending the precise meaning of human speech and prophetic discourse necessitates a profound understanding of its contextual background. In Islamic jurisprudence and textual sciences, just as the knowledge of Asbāb al-Nuzūl (occasions of revelation) is vital for Qur’anic verses, the knowledge of Asbāb al-Wurūd (contexts of prophetic utterances) holds a foundational status for Ḥadīths. This research paper examines the role of Asbāb al-Wurūd in understanding non-legislative Ḥadīths, specifically those pertaining to creed (ʻAqīdah), merits, eschatology, and tribulations (Fitan). The core focus of this study is a comparative analysis of six prominent commentaries (Shurūḥ) of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (namely Al-Mu'lim, Ikmāl Al-Mu'lim, Al-Minhāj, Fath al-Mulhim, Al-Ta'līq ʻalā Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim by Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn, and Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim by Sa‘īdī). The paper demonstrates how commentators utilized Asbāb al-Wurūd to resolve theological complexities and provide a scholarly defense against the objections raised by Orientalists and modernists, strictly adhering to the methodology of the pious predecessors (Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ).