Error Rectification Guidelines: An Objective Study in the Prophetic Tradition

Abstract

This article aims to identify the guidelines for error correction in the Prophetic tradition, highlighting the proper approach to be taken for error rectification, the needed awareness to avoid falling into a greater error than the one to be rectified, and the way Prophet Muhammad dealt with those who made mistakes. The inductive approach was employed for the study purpose to extract relevant hadiths from the Prophetic tradition to illustrate these guidelines. The study is divided into an introduction and three sections. The first section examined sincerity to Allah, while the second section addressed justice and impartiality in error correction. The third section emphasized prioritizing the correction of major errors. The key findings of the study showed that understanding the important guidelines related to sincerity to Allah and intending to seek His pleasure in the matter of error correction was of paramount significance, highlighting that error is inherent to human nature and that justice and impartiality in correcting errors is crucial. It was also concluded that it was necessary to prioritize the correction of major errors to ensure effective rectification and significant impact on the person who made the mistake.