Qawl, Fiʿl, Taqrīr and Ḥāl: Learning Through Examples
The learner can recognize Hadith as a report of the Prophet's ﷺ saying, action, tacit approval, or state. Read the bilingual lesson for Qawl, Fiʿl, Taqrīr and Ḥāl: Learning Through Examples and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. What will we learn?
In the previous lesson, we learned that Hadith reports the Prophet's ﷺ sayings, actions, approval and qualities. Today we will use short examples to identify: • What did he ﷺ say? • What did he ﷺ do? • What action was shown to be allowed in his presence? • What quality of his ﷺ was described? Goal: Identify the relevant feature of an example and explain why.
2. Qawl (قول): his ﷺ saying
The Prophet ﷺ said: إِنَّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ (Sahih al-Bukhari: 1) Translation: Actions are judged by intentions. • Qawl (قول) means something he ﷺ said. • This reports his ﷺ words about intentions, so it is an example of qawl.
3. Fiʿl (فعل): his ﷺ action
This is reported about the beginning of prayer: كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ إِذَا افْتَتَحَ الصَّلاَةَ (Sahih al-Bukhari: 735) Translation: He ﷺ would raise both hands to shoulder level when beginning the prayer. • Fiʿl (فعل) means something he ﷺ did. • This excerpt describes raising his hands rather than quoting a saying. The relevant feature is an action.
4. Taqrīr (تقریر): allowing an observed action
Khalid ibn al-Walid ate ḍabb1 meat in the Prophet's ﷺ presence. He ﷺ did not eat it himself, but when asked, explained that it was not forbidden. Khalid reports: فَاجْتَرَرْتُهُ فَأَكَلْتُهُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَنْظُرُ (Sahih al-Bukhari: 5537) Translation: I drew it towards me and ate it while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was watching. • Khalid did the eating; the Prophet ﷺ was watching and did not forbid it. • A report of his ﷺ approval of another person's action in this way is called taqrīr (تقریر). 1. Ḍabb: A lizard-like desert animal found in Arabia; this account concerns its meat.
5. Taqrīr is not a speech
In everyday Urdu, taqrīr can mean a public speech. That is not its meaning here. Taqrīr in Hadith: Someone's words or actions become known to the Prophet ﷺ and his approval is shown, for example by observing an action without forbidding it. • In Khalid's account, the Prophet ﷺ knew what was being eaten. • He did not call it forbidden or stop Khalid from eating. • His ﷺ not eating it himself did not mean he was forbidding it.
6. Ḥāl (حال): a description of his ﷺ qualities
Al-Bara ibn Azib described him ﷺ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرْبُوعًا، بَعِيدَ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَنْكِبَيْنِ (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3551) Translation: The Prophet ﷺ was of medium height and broad-shouldered. • Ḥāl (حال) includes descriptions of his ﷺ appearance and character qualities. • This example describes his height and shoulders rather than a particular action or saying. It is therefore an example of ḥāl.
7. Two features within one account
Look again at Khalid's account: • The Prophet ﷺ stated that ḍabb was not forbidden: this is something he said, or qawl (قول). • Khalid ate while the Prophet ﷺ watched without forbidding him: this shows approval, or taqrīr (تقریر). How to identify the feature: Look at which part of the account the question asks about. One account can report more than one feature.
8. Another person's action alone is not enough
Simply being told that someone performed an action does not establish the Prophet's ﷺ approval. • The account must also show that the words or action became known to him ﷺ. • It must convey his ﷺ approval. Both are clear in Khalid's account: the Prophet ﷺ was watching and did not forbid him. Remember the distinction: His ﷺ own action is fiʿl; his ﷺ approval of someone else's action is taqrīr.
9. Lesson summary
• Qawl (قول): Something he ﷺ said, such as the saying about intentions. • Fiʿl (فعل): Something he ﷺ did, such as raising his hands when beginning prayer. • Taqrīr (تقریر): His ﷺ approval of another person's words or actions, such as watching Khalid eat without forbidding him. • Ḥāl (حال): A description of his ﷺ qualities, such as medium height. After reading an example, explain which feature is reported and why.
Practice questions
Question 1
Why is his ﷺ raising his hands at the beginning of prayer an example of fiʿl?
- It describes his ﷺ physical build.
- It describes something he ﷺ did.
- It describes permission for another person's action.
Question 2
Which feature identifies taqrīr in the account of Khalid eating?
- Khalid drew the food towards himself.
- The Prophet ﷺ did not eat the food himself.
- The Prophet ﷺ watched Khalid eat and did not forbid him.
Question 3
Match each description to its term. Consider only the feature stated.
Question 4
An account mentions only a person's action. What more is needed to identify Prophetic taqrīr?
- The person's name and where they lived.
- Praiseworthy words used by the person telling the account.
- His ﷺ awareness of the action and his ﷺ approval.
Question 5
In Khalid's account, how should we identify the Prophet's ﷺ answer that the food was not forbidden? Consider only his answer.
- Taqrīr, because the wider account also contains approval.
- Qawl, because this feature is something he ﷺ said.
- Fiʿl, because the account mentions his ﷺ withdrawing his hand.
Question 6
A description of the Prophet's ﷺ appearance can be part of Hadith even when that passage quotes no saying of his.
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