The article introduces the content of a scientific article by Zakir Qadiri, unknown in Russia but published in Turkey during the period of his emigration. The author, relying on a rich source base, including world-famous literary monuments, as well as scientific works of Western and Russian Islamic scholars, examines the phenomenon of oral tradition as a cultural and historical phenomenon. He describes the role and place of tradition among the Arabs and other peoples in pre-Islamic era, writes about the transformation of tradition in the Muslim environment and its institutionalization in the form of hadith. The article also examines the features, methodology, positive and negative aspects of the science of hadith, including the reasons and mechanisms for falsifying isnads and matns of hadiths. The material is an example of the scientific work of a deeply educated Muslim intellectual, prepared in accordance with Western scientific traditions. The published data represent a valuable contribution to the array of information about the history of Tatar religious, philosophical, and in general scientific and social thought, and will enrich the annals of the Russian Islamic studies community.