The Preservation and Authenticity of Ḥadīth As a Source of Sīrah: A Critique of Robert Spencer’S Views on Historicity of Muḥammad

The account of the deeds and sayings of the prophet (ﷺ) has been carefully preserved since the dawn of Islam. This is what actually led Ernest Renan to believe that “[Islam] was born in the full light of history”, and that the life of Muḥammad (ﷺ) can be known as explicitly as that of any sixteenth century reformer. Notwithstanding, some contemporary writers doubt the historicity of Muḥammad (ﷺ) ; Robert Spencer is one of them. He is an American author. He is quite famous for his criticism of Islam and the prophet of Islam. He has published twelve books so far. He is a member of Melkite Greek Catholic Church. He contends that Muḥammad’s (ﷺ) historical value is in no way greater and more reliable than mythological figures or characters such as Robin Hood and Macbeth. He maintains that the very idea of subjecting the traditionally accepted account of the life of Muḥammad (ﷺ) and the origins of Islam will be regarded by many Muslims as an affront. To substantiate his argument, he rigorously criticizes the historical value of ḥadīth. He argues that aḥādīth were fabricated and compiled in the third century. He maintains that aḥādīth were concocted much later to be used as weapons in political strife and religious controversies. This paper is an academic attempt to prove that aḥādīth were painstakingly preserved and for that purpose various techniques were employed. Besides, it also sheds light on the reasons for the fabrication of aḥādīth and the ways and means utilized for sifting the genuine aḥādīth from forgeries. Findings of this article suggest that the minute details of the life of Muḥammad (ﷺ) have been scrupulously preserved; hence aḥādīth can be used as a reliable source of Sīrah.

Personality and Psychological Contracts: Mediating Roles of Epistemic Curiosity and Rule-Following Behavior With Moderating Role of Uncertainity Avoidance

This study evaluates what and how personality traits (Big Five) of employees form their psychological contracts with respective employers. Therefore, apart from testing the direct relations between personality traits of employees and their psychological contracts towards employers, the present study investigates the ex planatory mechanisms (epistemic curiosity & rule-following behavior) between the Big Five personality traits and dimensions of psychological contracts, which in cludes transactional, relational, balanced and ideological contracts. In addition, the moderating role of individual level uncertainty avoidance is also examined in the relations between personality traits and explanatory mechanisms i.e. epistemic curiosity and rule-following behavior. Trait activation theory provides overarch ing theoretical framework for this study and norms of reciprocity offer additional support. Time-lagged data in three time-lags were collected from 469 respondents employed in various public and private sector organizations across Pakistan. Results indicate that Openness to Experience positively relates to transactional, balanced and ideological contracts and negative relates to relational contracts. Conscientiousness positively relates to transactional contracts and negatively re lates with relational, balanced and ideological contracts. The other personality dimension Extraversion positively relates to relational contracts and ideological contracts whereas it negatively relates to transactional contracts. Similarly, Agree ableness is found positively related with relational contracts and negatively with transactional and ideological contracts. Finally, Neuroticism negatively relates with all types of psychological contracts. Regarding explanatory paths, epistemic curiosity and rule-following behavior ex plain the relations between specific personality traits and psychological contracts as epistemic curiosity explains the relations between Openness to Experience, Con scientiousness and Extraversion and psychological contract types. While in case of rule-following behavior, majority of the hypotheses stand accepted, except for balanced contracts. In case of moderation, the results show that uncertainty avoid ance weakens relationship between Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness and x Extraversion and epistemic curiosity. The results regarding moderating role of uncertainty avoidance in the relations between Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism and rule-following behavior could only be partially claimed due to the fact that uncertainty avoidance was not found affecting the relation between Con scientiousness and rule-following behavior. Overall directions of buffering effects were somehow mixed as compared to expectations. These results have theoretical as well as practical significance. The study makes theoretical contribution in psychological contracts body of knowledge by adding two new explanatory mechanisms to elucidate the reasons why people with certain personality traits form different types of psychological contracts and what affect individual level uncertainty avoidance has on these relations. The practitioners can also benefit from these finding as they can ensure better expectations management and personality-job fit.