How were hadith readings used to encourage piety in medieval Muslim communities?

In medieval Muslim communities, hadith readings were instrumental in constructing cultures of piety and encouraging the masses to adopt values and habits promoted by scholars, rulers, and preachers.1

Historical records from the 12th and 13th centuries confirm that public readings of short, topical hadith collections were a common practice intended to exhort listeners toward greater virtue, asceticism, and piety. These readings often served a ceremonial function, sanctifying significant occasions such as the birth of a child or the ascent of a dynast to power.1

Beyond these public gatherings, hadith literature played a broader role in shaping the spiritual lives of ordinary Muslims. By the 9th century, the emulation of the Sunnah—the example of the Prophet Muhammad—had become an essential part of daily life, regulating personal habits ranging from the use of scent to the grooming of a beard. Furthermore, Sufi scholars and practitioners specifically utilized hadiths that emphasized the development of the spiritual self, asceticism, and the human striving for a connection with the divine to foster deeper religious devotion.21