HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, HRH Prince Moulay Rachid and HH Prince Moulay Ismail, chaired, on Monday at Casablanca royal palace, the third religious lecture of the holy month of Ramadan.

The lecture was given by Mohamed Benkirane, a member of the Larache Local Council of Ulema under the theme: “The preservation of the Prophet’s hadith by Amir Al Mouminine”, drawing on the hadith: “May Allah cause his face to shine, the man who hears a Hadith from us and conveys it, for perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed may remember it better than the one who (first) hears it.”

The lecturer started by saying that the Moroccan people witnessed this year the order given by HM the King to religious scholars (Ulema) to revive a program His Majesty dubbed “Al-durus Al-hadithia (Hadith Lessons) of Mohammed VI radio channel for holy Quran”. This program was outlined and launched by the sovereign to raise the awareness of Moroccans about the sacredness of Hadith and the obligation to shield it from ignorance, lies, misuse and extremism.

The lecturer stressed that the Hadith is of paramount importance in Islam and it is venerated by Muslims given its special characteristics as being the key to comprehend the revelation and its secrets.

He went on saying that it is the source of true and complete knowledge since it reveals the unseen and broadens the horizons of perception. The Hadith is also the true path to God and its will as stated in Quran: “and verily thou dost guide (men) to the straight way”.

It also has an explanatory and interpretive role for the Quran, by elucidating its verses through the Prophet’s sayings and deeds, making it an unparalleled source of teachings and laws concordant with God’s will.

The lecturer explained that the Sunnah helps souls transcend to true spirituality and it is the reference to decent and acceptable practices and ethics as says the Quran “and verily, you (Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character.”

He said that all erudite and respected Muslim scholars saw the Sunnah in this light and followed the Prophet’s teachings, each in its own sphere. Only if we consider all the aforementioned statement can we begin to understand why the Prophet called for spreading his Sunnah and its tenets, he underscored.

The lecturer said that the Prophet (pbuh) was adamant about how the Sunnah should be handed down and the conditions governing this process, calling for utter precaution and sticking to the exact wording, with no addition or omitting.

Benkirane said that, for this end, Muslims passed down Hadith based on two principles: exactitude and jurisprudence (Fiqh) pursuant to the Prophet’s order and in a situation where some untrue Hadith emerged, a fact that is beneficial since it drew the attention of religious scholars to respond with the help of some of the Prophet’s companions who were still alive.

This led to the a compilation of books like “Sahih al-Bukhari”, “Sahih Muslim” and “The Muwaṭṭa” which depict the genius of these Hadith-tellers who have a considerable stature, he said.

At the end of the lecture, HM the King was greeted by several foreign religious figures.