Internship Insights: Mapping Seerah and Hadith

This interview features Mushfiq, a recent intern at Greentech Apps Foundation (GTAF), who worked with the Research and Development (R&D) team on an innovative project called “Seerah-Hadith Mapping.” Over the course of four months, Mushfiq contributed to linking key events in the Seerah with relevant hadiths, aiming to enhance users’ understanding of Islamic history and teachings. In this discussion, he shares his experiences, the challenges faced, skills developed, and how the project has influenced his academic and career aspirations.

Riasat: Thank you for joining us today! Could you start by telling us a little about your internship experience at Greentech Apps Foundation?

Mushfiq: Thank you for having me! I had the privilege of interning for four months at Greentech Apps Foundation (GTAF) in Bangladesh. I was part of the R&D team, where I worked on a fascinating project called “Seerah-Hadith Mapping.” It was a challenging yet rewarding experience.

Riasat: That sounds interesting! Could you explain what the “Seerah-Hadith Mapping” project is all about?

Mushfiq: Absolutely! The project involved mapping relevant hadiths to specific paragraphs within Seerah. The goal was to find related hadiths that corresponded with certain events or teachings mentioned in the Seerah. Essentially, it was about linking historical narrative with authentic religious sources.

Riasat: That must have required a deep understanding of both Seerah and Hadith literature. What was your role in the project?

Mushfiq: Yes, it definitely required some in-depth research. My role was to help identify and match relevant hadiths to the Seerah paragraphs. We used specific tools and methodologies to scan through hadith collections and pinpoint those that were contextually relevant to the events or topics being discussed in the Seerah. It was a collaborative effort, as the team worked together to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the mappings.

Riasat: What were some of the challenges you faced while working on this project?

Mushfiq: One major challenge was the sheer volume of hadith literature, which required a detailed and careful approach. At the same time, creating a set of test-cases for accuracy measurement was quite challenging. Another difficulty was ensuring that the hadiths we selected were relevant in terms of the meaning of the Seerah paragraph, since the Hadith and Seerah literature is quite rich and required a deep understanding of them. There were times when we had to go back and re-evaluate certain mappings to ensure everything aligned correctly with the Seerah narrative.

Riasat: It sounds like a meticulous process. What would you say was the most rewarding part of the internship?

Mushfiq: For me, the most rewarding part was being able to contribute to a project that has real-world significance. Mapping the Seerah and hadiths together provides a deeper understanding of Islamic history and teachings, and I felt proud to be a part of something that could potentially benefit so many people, and will help in easing the learning of Seerah along with their Hadith references. It also helped me grow in terms of research skills and collaboration.