Contents

2 Definition...................................................................................................
3 Components..............................................................................................
4 Different schools........................................................................................
5 History, tradition and usage.........................................................................
5.1 History....................................................................................................

5.2 Shia and Sunni textual traditions...............................................................

5.2.1 Extent and nature in the Sunni tradition...................................................

5.2.2 Extent and nature in the Shia tradition......................................................

5.3 Modern usage...........................................................................................

6 Studies.......................................................................................................
6.1Ter minology: admissible and inadmissible hadiths.......................................

6.2 Biographical evaluation.............................................................................

7 Criticism.......................................................................................................
8 See also........................................................................................................
9 References....................................................................................................
10 Bibliography.................................................................................................
11 Further reading.............................................................................................

Definition
In Islamic terminology, according to Juan Campo, the term hadith refers to reports of
statements or actions of Muhammad, or of his tacit approval or criticism of something
said or done in his presence,though some sources (Khaled Abou El Fadl) limit hadith to
verbal reports and include the deeds of Muhammad and reports about his companions
only in the Sunnah,
Classical hadith specialist Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani says that the intended meaning of hadith
in religious tradition is something attributed to Muhammad but that is not found in the
Quran,Other associated words possess similar meanings including: khabar (news,
information) often refers to reports about Muhammad, but sometimes refers to traditions
about his companions and their successors from the following generation; conversely,
athar (trace, vestige) usually refers to traditions about the companions and successors,
though sometimes connotes traditions about Muhammad. The word sunnah (custom) is
also used in reference to a normative custom of Muhammad or the early Muslim
community.See also: Categories of Ahadith
Components
The two major aspects of a hadith are the text of the report (the matn), which contains the
actual narrative, and the chain of narrators (the isnad), which documents the route by
which the report has been transmitted.The isnad was an effort to document that a hadith
had actually come from Muhammad, and Muslim scholars from the eighth century until
today have never ceased repeating the mantra "The isnad is part of the religion - if not for
the isnad, whoever wanted could say whatever they wanted."The isnad means literally
'support', and it is so named due to the reliance of the hadith specialists upon it in
determining the authenticity or weakness of a hadith.The isnad consists of a
chronological list of the narrators, each mentioning the one from whom they heard the
hadith, until mentioning the originator of the matn along with the matn itself.
The first people to hear hadith were the companions who preserved it and then conveyed
it to those after them. Then the generation following them received it, thus conveying it to
those after them and so on. So a companion would say, "I heard the Prophet say such and
such." The Follower would then say, "I heard a companion say, 'I heard the Prophet.'" The
one after him would then say, "I heard someone say, 'I heard a Companion say, 'I heard
the Prophet..." and so on.
Different schools
Different branches of Islam refer to different collections of hadith, though the same
incident may be found in hadith in different collections:
In the Sunni branch of Islam, the canonical hadith collections are the six books, of which
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim generally have the highest status. The other books of
hadith are Sunan Abu Dawood, Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Al-Sunan al-Sughra and Sunan ibn
Majah. However the Malikis, one of the four Sunni "schools of thought" (madhhabs),
traditionally reject Sunan ibn Majah and assert the canonical status of Muwatta Imam
Malik.
In the Shi'a branch of Islam, the canonical hadith collections are the Four Books: Kitab
al-Kafi, Man la yahduruhu al-Faqih, Tahdhib al-Ahkam, and Al-Istibsar.
 In the Ibadi branch of Islam, the main canonical collection is the Tartib al-Musnad. This
is an expansion of the earlier Jami Sahih collection, which retains canonical status in its
own right.The Ahmadiyya sect generally rely on the Sunni canons.
Some minor groups, collectively known as Quranists, reject the authority of the hadith
collections.
The hadith also had a profound and controversial influence on moulding the
commentaries (tafsir) of the Quran. The earliest commentary of the Quran known as
Tafsir Ibn Abbas is sometimes attributed to the companion Ibn Abbas, but this is rejected
by scholars.The hadith were used in forming the basis of Shariah. Much of early Islamic
history available today is also based on the hadith and is challenged for lack of basis in
primary source material and contradictions based on secondary material available.
History, tradition and usage
History
This assertion re Muslim historians citing Uthman on hadith needs additional citations for
verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.
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Traditions of the life of Muhammad and the early history of Islam were passed down
mostly orally for more than a hundred years after Muhammad's death in AD 632. Muslim
historians say that Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (the third khalifa (caliph) of the Rashidun
Empire, or third successor of Muhammad, who had formerly been Muhammad's
secretary), is generally believed to urge Muslims to record the hadith just as Muhammad
suggested to some of his followers to write down his words and actions.Uthman's labours
were cut short by his assassination, at the hands of aggrieved soldiers, in 656. No sources
survive directly from this period so we are dependent on what later writers tell us about
this period.According to British historian of Arab world Alfred Guillaume, it is "certain"
that "several small collections" of hadith were "assembled in Umayyad times."In 851 the
rationalist Mu`tazila school of thought fell from favor in the Abbasid Caliphate.[citation
needed The Mu`tazila, for whom the "judge of truth ... was human reason," had clashed
with traditionists who looked to the literal meaning of the Quran and hadith for truth.
While the Quran had been officially compiled and approved, hadiths had not. One result
was the number of hadiths began "multiplying in suspiciously direct correlation to their
utility" to the quoter of the hadith (Traditionists quoted hadith warning against listening
to human opinion instead of Sharia; Hanafites quoted a hadith stating that "In my
community there will rise a man called Abu Hanifa [the Hanafite founder] who will be its
guiding light". In fact one agreed upon hadith warned that, "There will be forgers, liars
who will bring you hadiths which neither you nor your forefathers have heard, Beware of
them."[citation needed] In addition the number of hadith grew enormously. While Malik
ibn Anas had attributed just 1720 statements or deeds to the Muhammad, it was no longer
unusual to find people who had collected a hundred times that number of hadith.
Faced with a huge corpus of miscellaneous traditions supported differing views on a
variety of controversial matterssome of them flatly contradicting each otherIslamic
scholars of the Abbasid sought to authenticate hadith. Scholars had to decide which
hadith were to be trusted as authentic and which had been invented for political or
theological purposes. To do this, they used a number of techniques which Muslims now
call the science of hadith.
Sunni and Shia hadith collections differ because scholars from the two traditions differ as
to the reliability of the narrators and transmitters. Narrators who took the side of Abu
Bakr and Umar rather than Ali, in the disputes over leadership that followed the death of
Muhammad, are seen as unreliable by the Shia; narrations sourced to Ali and the family
of Muhammad, and to their supporters, are preferred. Sunni scholars put trust in
narrators, such as Aisha, whom Shia reject. Differences in hadith collections have
contributed to differences in worship practices and shari'a law and have hardened the
dividing line between the two traditions.
Extent and nature in the Sunni tradition
In the Sunni tradition, the number of such texts is ten thousand plus or minus a few
thousand. But if, say, ten companions record a text reporting a single incident in the life
of the prophet, hadith scholars can count this as ten hadiths. So Musnad Ahmad, for
example, has over 30,000 hadithsbut this count includes texts that are repeated in order
to record slight variations within the text or within the chains of narrations. Identifying
the narrators of the various texts, comparing their narrations of the same texts to identify
both the soundest reporting of a text and the reporters who are most sound in their
reporting occupied experts of hadith throughout the 2nd century. In the 3rd century of
Islam (from 225/840 to about 275/889), hadith experts composed brief works recording a
selection of about two- to five-thousand such texts which they felt to have been most
soundly documented or most widely referred to in the Muslim scholarly community. The
4th and 5th century saw these six works being commented on quite widely. This auxiliary
literature has contributed to making their study the place of departure for any serious
study of hadith. In addition, Bukhari and Muslim in particular, claimed that they were
collecting only the soundest of sound hadiths. These later scholars tested their claims and
agreed to them, so that today, they are considered the most reliable collections of hadith.
Toward the end of the 5th century, Ibn al-Qaisarani formally standardized the Sunni
canon into six pivotal works, a delineation which remains to this day.
Over the centuries, several different categories of collections came into existence. Some
are more general, like the mus annaf, the mujam, and the jmi, and some more specific,
either characterized by the topics treated, like the sunan (restricted to legal-liturgical
traditions), or by its composition, like the arbaniyyt (collections of forty hadiths).
Extent and nature in the Shia tradition
Shi'a Muslims do not use the six major hadith collections followed by the Sunni, as they
do not trust many of the Sunni narrators and transmitters. They have their own extensive
hadith literature. The best-known hadith collections are The Four Books, which were
compiled by three authors who are known as the 'Three Muhammads'.The Four Books
are: Kitab al-Kafi by Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni al-Razi (329 AH), Man la
yahduruhu al-Faqih by Muhammad ibn Babuya and Al-Tahdhib and Al-Istibsar both by
Shaykh Muhammad Tusi. Shi'a clerics also make use of extensive collections and
commentaries by later authors.
Unlike Sunnis, Shia do not consider any of their hadith collections to be sahih (authentic)
in their entirety. Therefore, every individual hadith in a specific collection must be
investigated separately to determine its authenticity.
Modern usage
The mainstream sects consider hadith to be essential supplements to, and clarifications of,
the Quran, Islam's holy book, as well as for clarifying issues pertaining to Islamic
jurisprudence. Ibn al-Salah, a hadith specialist, described the relationship between hadith
and other aspect of the religion by saying: "It is the science most pervasive in respect to
the other sciences in their various branches, in particular to jurisprudence being the most
important of them.The intended meaning of 'other sciences' here are those pertaining to
religion," explains Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, "Quranic exegesis, hadith, and jurisprudence.
The science of hadith became the most pervasive due to the need displayed by each of
these three sciences. The need hadith has of its science is apparent. As for Quranic
exegesis, then the preferred manner of explaining the speech of God is by means of what
has been accepted as a statement of Muhammad. The one looking to this is in need of
distinguishing the acceptable from the unacceptable. Regarding jurisprudence, then the
jurist is in need of citing as an evidence the acceptable to the exception of the later,
something only possible utilizing the science of hadith."
Terminology: admissible and inadmissible hadiths
Main article: Hadith studies
Hadith studies use a number of methods of evaluation developed by early Muslim
scholars in determining the veracity of reports attributed to Muhammad. This is achieved
by analyzing the text of the report, the scale of the report's transmission, the routes
through which the report was transmitted, and the individual narrators involved in its
transmission. On the basis of these criteria, various classifications were devised for
hadith. The earliest comprehensive work in hadith studies was Abu Muhammad al-
Ramahurmuzi's al-Muhaddith al-Fasil, while another significant work was al-Hakim al-
Naysaburi's Marifat ulum al-hadith. Ibn al-Salah's Ulum al-hadith is considered the
standard classical reference on hadith studies.
Terminology: admissible and inadmissible hadiths
Main article: Hadith terminology
By means of hadith terminology, hadith are categorized as s a h h (sound, authentic),
d af (weak), or mawd (fabricated). Other classifications used also include: h asan
(good), which refers to an otherwise s a h h report suffering from minor deficiency, or a
weak report strengthened due to numerous other corroborating reports; and munkar
(denounced) which is a report that is rejected due to the presence of an unreliable
transmitter contradicting another more reliable narrator. Both sahh and hasan reports are
considered acceptable for usage in Islamic legal discourse. Classifications of hadith may
also be based upon the scale of transmission. Reports that pass through many reliable
transmitters at each point in the isnad up until their collection and transcription are known
as mutawtir. These reports are considered the most authoritative as they pass through so
many different routes that collusion between all of the transmitters becomes an
impossibility. Reports not meeting this standard are known as aahad, and are of several
different types.
Some hadith are also called hadith qudsi (sacred hadith), like Ziyarat Ashura[citation
needed]. It is a sub-category of hadith which some Muslims regard as the words of God
(Arabic: Allah). According to as-Sayyid ash-Sharif al-Jurjani, the hadith qudsi differ from
the Quran in that the former are "expressed in Muhammad's words", whereas the latter
are the "direct words of God". However, note that a hadith qudsi is not necessarily sahih,
it can also be daif or even mawdu.
An example of a hadith qudsi is the hadith of Abu Hurairah who said that Muhammad
said:
When God decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is
laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over My wrath.[non-primary source needed]
Biographical evaluation
Main article: Biographical evaluation
Another area of focus in the study of hadith is biographical analysis (ilm al-rijl, lit.
"science of people"), in which details about the transmitter are scrutinized. This includes
analyzing their date and place of birth; familial connections; teachers and students;
religiosity; moral behaviour; literary output; their travels; as well as their date of death.
Based upon these criteria, the reliability (thiqt) of the transmitter is assessed. Also
determined is whether the individual was actually able to transmit the report, which is
deduced from their contemporaneity and geographical proximity with the other
transmitters in the chain. Examples of biographical dictionaries include: Abd al-Ghani al-
Maqdisi's Al-Kamal fi Asma' al-Rijal, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani's Tahdhb al-Tahdhb and al-
Dhahabi's Tadhkirat al-huffaz.
Criticism
Main article: Criticism of Hadith
The major points of criticism of the Hadith literature is based in questions regarding its
authenticity, as well as theological/philosophical critiques. Muslim scholars questioned
the Hadith literature throughout its history, with Western academics also becoming active
in the field later on.
References
"hadith". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2005.
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"Hadith". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
A.C. Brown 2009, p. 3.
Ibn Hajar, Ahmad. al-Nukat ala Kitab ibn al-Salah, vol. 1, p. 90. Maktabah al-Furqan.
A.C. Brown, Jonathan (2014). Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of
Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy. Oneworld Publications. p. 18. ISBN 978-1780744209.
A.C. Brown, Jonathan (2009). p. 67.
A.C. Brown 2009, p. 4.
Islahi, Amin Ahsan (1989) [transl. 2009]. Mabadi Tadabbur-i-Hadith (translated as:
"Fundamentals of Hadith Interpretation") (in Urdu). Lahore: Al-Mawrid. Retrieved 2
June 2011.
The Future of Muslim Civilisation by Ziauddin Sardar, 1979, page 26.
Aisha Y. Musa, The Quranists, Florida International University, accessed May 22, 2013.
Neal Robinson (2013), Islam: A Concise Introduction, Routledge, ISBN 978-
0878402243, Chapter 7, pp. 85-89
"Mawrid Reader". ejtaal.net.
al-Kuliyat by Abu al-Baqa al-Kafawi, p. 370; Mu'assasah l-Risalah. This last phrase is
quoted by al-Qasimi in Qawaid al-Tahdith, p. 61; Dar al-Nafais.
Lisan al-Arab, by Ibn Manthour, vol. 2, p. 350; Dar al-Hadith edition.
Campo, Juan Eduardo. ""Hadith"". Encyclopedia of Islam.
Abou El Fadl, Khaled (22 March 2011). "What is Shari'a?". ABC RELIGION AND
ETHICS. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
al-Asqalani, Ahmad ibn 'Ali. Fath al-Bari (in Arabic). 1. Egypt: al-Matba'ah al-
Salafiyyah. p. 193. ISBN 1-902350-04-9.
Tadrib al-Rawi, vol. 1, pp. 3941 with abridgement.
Ilm al-Rijal wa Ahimiyatih, by Mualami, p. 16, Dar al-Rayah.
^ Tirmidhi, "Ilm," 12.
^ Collected in the Musnad of Ahmad (10\15-6\ 6510 and also nos. 6930, 7017 and 1720),
Sunan Abu Dawud (Mukhtasar Sunan Abi Dawud (5\246\3499) and elsewhere.
Roman, provincial and Islamic law, Patricia Crone, p2
Guillaume, Alfred (1954). Islam (2nd (Revised) ed.). Penguin. p. 89. ISBN 0140135553
Martin, Matthew (2013). Mu'tazila - use of reason in Islamic theology. Amazon.
Retrieved 8 September 2015.
Islam the Straight Path, John Eposito, p.81
See the references and discussion by Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah Thalathatu rasa'il fi
ulum al-hadith; risalat abi dawud ila ahl makkata fi wasf sunanihi, pg 36, footnote.
Beirut: Maktaba al-Matbu'at al-Islamiyah: 2nd ed 1426/2005.
The earliest book, Bukhari's Sahih was composed by 225/840 since he states that he spent
sixteen years composing it (Hady al-Sari, introduction to Fath al-Bari, p. 489, Lahore:
Dar Nashr al-Kutub al-Islamiya, 1981/1401) and also that he showed it to Yahya ibn
Ma'in (p. 8, ibid.) who died in 233. Nasa'i, the last to die of the authors of the six books,
died in 303/915. He probably completed this work a few decades before his death: by 275
or so.
Counting multiple narrations of the same texts as a single text, the number of hadiths
each author has recorded roughly as follows: Bukhari (as in Zabidi's Mukhtasar of
Bukhari's book) 2134, Muslim (as in Mundhiri's Mukhtasar of Muslim's book) 2200,
Tirmidhi 4000, Abu Dawud 4000, Nasa'i 4800, Ibn Majah 4300. There is considerable
overlap amongst the six books so that Ibn al-Athir's Jami' al-Usul, which gathers together
the hadiths texts of all six books deleting repeated texts, has about 9500 hadiths.
Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah, p. 160 Dar al-Maaarif edition
Ignc Goldziher, Muslim Studies, vol. 2, p. 240. Halle, 1889-1890. ISBN 0-202-30778-6
Scott C. Lucas, Constructive Critics, Hadth Literature, and the Articulation of Sunn
Islam, p. 106. Leiden: Brill Publishers, 2004.
Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary, translated by William McGuckin de Slane.
Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. Sold by Institut de France
and Royal Library of Belgium. Vol. 3, p. 5.
Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi, Hadith Literature, Cambridge, Islamic Texts Society, 1993,
edited and revised by Abdal Hakim Murad.
Momen, Moojan, Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985, p.174.
Mohammad A. Shomali (2003). Shi'i Islam: Origins, Faith and Practices (reprint ed.).
ICAS Press. p. 35. ISBN 9781904063117.
Ulum al-Hadith by Ibn al-Salah, p. 5, Dar al-Fikr, with the verification of Nur al-Din
al-Itr.
See:
"Hadith," Encyclopedia of Islam Online;
"Hadith," Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world.
"Qu'est-ce que le hadith Qudsi ?". aslamna.info.
Related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.
B. Hallaq, Wael (1999). "The Authenticity of Prophetic Hadth: A Pseudo-Problem".
Studia Islamica. No. 89 (1999): 7590. JSTOR 1596086. (registration required (help)).
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Berg, H. (2000). The development of exegesis in early Islam: the authenticity of Muslim
literature from the formative period. Routledge. ISBN 0-7007-1224-0.
Lucas, S. (2004). Constructive Critics, Hadith Literature, and the Articulation of Sunni
Islam. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 90-04-13319-4.
Robinson, C. F. (2003). Islamic Historiography. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-
521-62936-5.
Robson, J. "Hadith". In P.J. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; W.P.
Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912.
Swarup, Ram. Understanding Islam through Hadis. Exposition Press, Smithtown, New
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Brown, Jonathan A. C. (2004). "Criticism of the Proto-Hadith Canon: Al-daraqutni's
Adjustment of the Sahihayn". Journal of Islamic Studies. 15 (1): 137.
doi:10.1093/jis/15.1.1.
Recep Senturk, Narrative Social Structure: Anatomy of the Hadith Transmission
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Studies and Texts, 69).
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Modern World (Foundations of Islam). Oneworld Publications. ISBN 978-1851686636.

I hope that you can clarify this topic for me in some detail: Are hadeeth and Sunnah
synonymous, or is there a difference between them? I am asking this question because I
read that some Orientalists and some Muslims who specialise in Islamic sciences do not
regard these two words as different in meaning. Do you agree with that? I hope that you
can explain to me in some detail.
The Defferent between Sunnah and Hadith
Published Date: 2014-02-12
Praise be to Allah
The difference in terminology among scholars is one of the issues that is usually a
difference in wording. That is because terminology results from a scholar choosing a
particular word to refer to something; hence when differences occur, the difference is in
wording but not in meaning.
With regard to the issue of differentiating between the words Sunnah and hadeeth,
we may say that these two words may mean the same thing in some contexts, and may
mean different things in other contexts.
Firstly: places where they mean the same thing
1.Whatever is narrated from or about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) of words, actions or approval may be called hadeeth or it may be called
Sunnah.
Shaykh Abdullah al-Judayyi said:
The basic meaning of the word Sunnah is fundamentally the same as the definition
given by hadeeth scholars, as mentioned above for the word hadeeth, when mentioned
in general terms without anything to describe what is being spoken of. That excludes the
reports that speak of the physical description of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him); but this exclusion is only when talking about the Sunnah in the context of
it being one of the sources of shareeah. In that context, the reports that speak of his
description are not part of the Sunnah; rather the Sunnah is only based on his words,
deeds and approval. End quote.
Tahreer Uloom al-Hadeeth
2.One of the names of the saved group, the group that will continue to adhere to the
commands of Allah, is Ahl al-Hadeeth. They are also called Ahl as-Sunnah.
3.The books that deal with the transmission of reports from the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) and the Sahaabah, and the words of the righteous early
generations, are called Kutub al-Hadeeth; they are also called Kutub as-Sunnah.
Secondly: places where they mean different things:
1.The term Sunnah is applied to the Prophet's (may the peace and blessings of Allah be
on him) guidance which is well-established in a general sense in all of his affairs,
meaning his path, his methodology and his way. In this context, the scholars do not
usually use the term hadeeth.
Al-Allaamah as-Sayyid Sulaymaan an-Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Hadeeth refers to every incident that is attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
even if he only did it once in his life, and even if it was narrated from him by only one
person. With regard to the word Sunnah, in reality it is used of his actions I mean
how the Messenger (peace be upon him) did things that has been transmitted to us via
mutawaatir actions, in the sense that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did it, then the
Sahaabah did it after him, then the Taabieen did it after them, and so on. It does not
necessarily mean that there is a narration describing that action; rather this refers to the
way in which a particular act was performed and was passed down through the
generations by means of tawaatur (i.e., passed down by so many to so many that it is
inconceivable that they could have all agreed upon a lie). This is what is called
Sunnah, and this is mentioned alongside the Book (the Quran) in the hadeeth in which
the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I am leaving among you two things and you will
never go astray so long as you adhere to them: The Book of Allah, may He be exalted,
and the Sunnah of His Messenger. This is what it is not permissible for any Muslim, no
matter who he is, to forsake or go against, otherwise he has no share in Islam. End quote.
Majallat al-Manaar, 30/673
2.The scholars use the word Sunnah to describe adhering to Islam in the manner
prescribed, without adding to it or introducing innovations into the religion; they do not
call that hadeeth. For example, Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Mahdi al-Mashhoor said:
Sufyaan ath-Thawri is an imam (leading scholar) in hadeeth, but he is not an imam in
Sunnah; al-Awzaai is an imam in Sunnah but he is not an imam in hadeeth. Maalik ibn
Anas is an imam in both.
Tareekh Dimashq by Ibn Asaakir, 35/183
Al-Haafiz Abu Amr ibn as-Salaah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
Some of them said of Imam Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he combined
knowledge of the Sunnah and of hadeeth; what is the difference between the Sunnah and
hadeeth?
He (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
In this context, Sunnah is the opposite of bidah (innovation). A person may be ascholar
of hadeeth yet also be an innovator. Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) combined
both Sunnahs; he was a scholar of the Sunnah, i.e., hadeeth, and also believed in the
Sunnah, i.e., his way was that of Ahl al-haqq (the people of truth), with no bid ah
(innovation). And Allah knows best. End quote.
Fataawa ibn as-Salaah, 1/139-140
3.The fuqaha use the word Sunnah when explaining the ruling on doing a specific
action as being mustahabb (liked or encouraged); they do not use the word hadeeth in
this context.
4.When the scholars speak of reports and whether they are saheeh (sound) or daeef
(weak), they only use the word hadeeth; they do not use the word Sunnah. So they
say This is a daeef (weak) hadeeth; they do not say This is a daeef Sunnah, because
of them the Sunnah is that which is proven in the hadeeths; therefore they sometimes say
This hadeeth is contrary to qiyaas (analogy), the Sunnah and ijmaa (scholarly
consensus).
And Allah knows best.
The Classification Of Hadith
The final verdict on a hadith, i.e. Sahih (sound), Hasan (good), Da`if (weak) or Maudu`
(fabricated, forged), depends critically on this factor.
Among the early traditionists, mostly of the first two centuries, ahadith were classified
into two categories only: Sahih and Da`if; al-Tirmidhi was to be the first to distinguish
Hasan from Da`if. This is why traditionists and jurists such as Ahmad, who seemed to
argue on the basis of Da`if ahadith sometimes, were in fact basing their argument on the
ahadith which were later to be known as Hasan.65
We now examine in more detail these four important classes of ahadith.
Sahih
Al-Shafi`i states the following requirement in order for a hadith which is not Mutawatir
to be acceptable:
"Each reporter should be trustworthy in his religion; he should be known to be truthful in
his narrating, to understand what he narrates, to know how a different expression can
alter the meaning, and report the wording of the hadith verbatim, not only its meaning.
This is because if he does not know how a different expression can change the whole
meaning, he will not know if he has changed what is lawful into what is prohibited.
Hence, if he reports the hadith according to its wording, no change of meaning will be
found at all. Moreover, he should be a good memoriser if he happens to report from his
memory, or a good preserver of his writings if he happens to report from them. He should
agree with the narrations of the huffaz (leading authorities in hadith), if he reports
something which they do also. He should not be a Mudallis, who narrates from someone
he met something he did not hear, nor should he report from the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) contrary to what reliable sources have reported from him. In
addition, the one who is above him (in the isnad) should be of the same quality, [and so
on,] until the hadith goes back uninterrupted to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) or any authority below him."
Ibn al-Salah, however, defines a Sahih hadith more precisely by saying:
"A Sahih hadith is the one which has a continuous isnad, made up of reporters of
trustworthy memory from similar authorities, and which is found to be free from any
irregularities (i.e. in the text) or defects (i.e. in the isnad)."
By the above definition, no room is left for any weak hadith, whether, for example, it is
Munqati`, Mu`dal, Mudtarib, Maqlub, Shadhdh, Munkar, Ma`lul, or contains a Mudallis.
The definition also excludes Hasan ahadith, as will be discussed under that heading.
Of all the collectors of hadith, al-Bukhari and Muslim were greatly admired because of
their tireless attempts to collect Sahih ahadith only. It is generally understood that the
more trustworthy and of good memory the reporters, the more authentic the hadith. The
isnad: Al-Shafi`i --- Malik --- Nafi` --- `Abdullah b. `Umar --- The Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace), is called a "golden isnad" because of its renowned
reporters.
Some traditionists prefer Sahih al-Bukhari to Sahih Muslim because al-Bukhari always
looked for those reporters who had either accompanied or met each other, even if only
once in their lifetime. On the other hand, Muslim would accept a reporter who is simply
found to be contemporary to his immediate authority in reporting.68
The following grading is given for Sahih ahadith only:
1. those which are transmitted by both al-Bukhari and Muslim;
2. those which are transmitted by al-Bukhari only;
3. those which are transmitted by Muslim only;
those which are not found in the above two collections, but
4. which agree with the requirements of both al-Bukhari and Muslim;
5. which agree with the requirements of al-Bukhari only;
6. which agree with the requirements of Muslim only; and
7. those declared Sahih by other traditionists.69
Hasan
Al-Tirmidhi means by hadith Hasan: a hadith which is not Shadhdh, nor contains a
disparaged reporter in its isnad, and which is reported through more than one route of
narration.
Al-Khattabi (d. 388) states a very concise definition, "It is the one where its source is
known and its reporters are unambiguous."
By this he means that the reporters of the hadith should not be of a doubtful nature, such
as with the Mursal or Munqati` hadith, or one containing a Mudallis.
Ibn al-Salah classifies Hasan into two categories:
1. one with an isnad containing a reporter who is mastur ("screened", i.e. no
prominent person reported from him) but is not totally careless in his reporting,
provided that a similar text is reported through another isnad as well;
2. one with an isnad containing a reporter who is known to be truthful and reliable,
but is a degree less in his preservation/memory of hadith in comparison to the
reporters of Sahih ahadith.
In both categories, Ibn al-Salah requires that the hadith be free of any shudhudh
(irregularities).71
Al-Dhahabi, after giving the various definitions, says, "A Hasan hadith is one which
excels the Da`if but nevertheless does not reach the standard of a Sahih hadith."72 In the
light of this definition, the following isnads are Hasan according to al-Dhahabi:
1. Bahz b. Hakam --- his father --- his grandfather;
2. `Amr b. Shu`aib --- his father --- his grandfather;
3. Muhammad b. `Amr --- Abu Salamah --- Abu Hurairah.
Reporters such as al-Harith b. `Abdullah, `Asim b. Damurah, Hajjaj b. Artat, Khusaif b.
`Abd al- Rahman and Darraj Abu al-Samh attract different verdicts: some traditionists
declare their ahadith Hasan, others declare them Da`if.73
Examples of Hasan hadith
Malik, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim reported through their isnads from `Amr b.
Shu`aib --- his father --- his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) said,
"A single rider is a devil (i.e. disobedient), two riders are two devils, but three makes a
travelling party."
Al-Tirmidhi declares this hadith to be Hasan because of the above isnad, which falls short
of the requirements for a Sahih hadith.74
Several weak ahadith may mutually support each other to the level of Hasan.
According to the definitions of al-Tirmidhi and Ibn al-Salah, a number of similar weak
ahadith on a particular issue can be raised to the degree of Hasan if the weakness found in
their reporters is of a mild nature. Such a hadith is known as Hasan li ghairihi (Hasan due
to others), to distinguish it from the type previously-discussed, which is Hasan li dhatihi
(Hasan in itself). Similarly, several Hasan ahadith on the same subject may make the
hadith Sahih li ghairihi, to be distinguished from the previously-discussed Sahih li
dhatihi.
However, in case the weakness is severe (e.g., the reporter is accused of lying or the
hadith is itself Shadhdh), such very weak ahadith will not support each other and will
remain weak. For example, the well-known hadith, "He who preserves forty ahadith for
my Ummah will be raised by Allah on the Day of Resurrection among the men of
understanding", has been declared to be Da`if by most of the traditionists, although it is
reported through several routes.75
Da`if
A hadith which fails to reach the status of Hasan is Da`if. Usually, the weakness is one of
discontinuity in the isnad, in which case the hadith could be Mursal, Mu`allaq, Mudallas,
Munqati` or Mu`dal, according to the precise nature of the discontinuity, or one of a
reporter having a disparaged character, such as due to his telling lies, excessive mistakes,
opposition to the narration of more reliable sources, involvement in innovation, or
ambiguity surrounding his person.
The smaller the number and importance of defects, the less severe the weakness. The
more the defects in number and severity, the closer the hadith will be to being Maudu`
(fabricated).76
Some ahadith, according to the variation in the nature of the weakness associated with its
reporters, rank at the bottom of the Hasan grade or at the top of the Da`if grade. Reporters
such as `Abdullah b. Lahi'ah (a famous judge from Egypt), `Abd al-Rahman b. Zaid b.
Aslam, Abu Bakr b. Abi Maryam al-Himsi, Faraj b. Fadalah, and Rishdin b. Sa'd attract
such types of varying ranks as they are neither extremely good preservers nor totally
abandoned by the traditionists.77
Maudu`
Al-Dhahabi defines Maudu` (fabricated, forged) as the term applied to a hadith, the text
of which goes against the established norms of the Prophet's sayings (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace), or its reporters include a liar, e.g. the forty ahadith known as
Wad'aniyyah or the small collection of ahadith which was fabricated and claimed to have
been reported by `Ali al-Rida, the eighth Imam of the Ithna 'Ashari Shi'ah.78
A number of traditionists have collected fabricated ahadith separately in order to
distinguish them from other ahadith; among them are Ibn al-Jauzi in Al-Maudu`at, al-
Jauzaqani in Kitab al-Abatil, al-Suyuti in Al-La'ali al- Masnu'ah fi 'l-Ahadith al-
Maudu`ah, and `Ali al-Qari in Al-Maudu`at.
Some of these ahadith were known to be spurious by the confession of their inventors.
For example, Muhammad b. Sa`id al-Maslub used to say, "It is not wrong to fabricate an
isnad for a sound statement."79 Another notorious inventor, `Abd al-Karim Abu 'l-Auja,
who was killed and crucified by Muhammad b. Sulaiman b. `Ali, governor of Basrah,
admitted that he had fabricated four thousand ahadith declaring lawful the prohibited and
vice-versa.80
Maudu` ahadith are also recognised by external evidence related to a discrepancy found
in the dates or times of a particular incident.81 For example, when the second caliph,
`Umar b. al-Khattab decided to expel the Jews from Khaibar, some Jewish dignitaries
brought a document to `Umar apparently proving that the Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) had intended that they stay there by exempting them from the jizyah
(tax on non-Muslims under the rule of Muslims); the document carried the witness of two
Companions, Sa'd b. Mu`adh and Mu'awiyah b. Abi Sufyan. `Umar rejected the
document outright, knowing that it was fabricated because the conquest of Khaibar took
place in 6 AH, whereas Sa'd b. Mu`adh died in 3 AH just after the Battle of the Trench,
and Mu'awiyah embraced Islam in 8 AH, after the conquest of Makkah!82
The author, in his Criticism of Hadith among Muslims with reference to Sunan Ibn
Majah, has given more examples of fabricated ahadith under the following eight
categories of causes of fabrication:83
1. political differences;
2. factions based on issues of creed;
3. fabrications by zanadiqah (enemies-within spreading heretical beliefs);
4. fabrications by story-tellers;
5. fabrications by ignorant ascetics;
6. prejudice in favour of town, race or a particular imam;
7. inventions for personal motives;
8. proverbs turned into ahadith.
Similar to the last category above is the case of 6Isra'iliyat ("Israelite traditions"),
narrations from the Jews and the Christians84 which were wrongly attributed to the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
Classification of Hadith
Book:
Introduction to Al-Hadith
Chapter No.:
3
Hadith-e-Qudsi
It is that Hadith which Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) quotes from Allah Ta'ala.
In other words it is a statement of Allah Ta'ala quoted by Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) and which is not in the Quran.
Difference between Hadith-e-Qudsi & the Quran
In Quran both the words as well as meaning is revealed by Allah Ta'ala.
In Hadith-e-Qudsi only meaning is revealed by Allah Ta'ala which is put into words by
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). So Hadith-e-Qudsi is not of the same status as
Quran. We cannot touch Quran without Wadhu, such is not the case with Hadith-e-
Qudsi. The whole Quran was revealed to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
through Angel Jibraeel (AS) whereas Ahaadith-e-Qudsiyah were revealed through other
agencies like dream and Ilham (intuition) in addition to Angel Jibraeel (AS).
Example: Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) quotes Allah Ta'ala as saying
"Fasting is Mine and it is I Who gives reward for it"
Marfu
Literal meaning: Elevated.
Technical meaning: Traced directly.
A Hadith which is traced back directly to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is
called Marfu. In this type the Sanad (chain of transmission) reaches right upto
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). It has two types: viz:
I. Marfu Haqiqi
II. Marfu Hukmi
I. Marfu Haqiqi
It is that Hadith which is attributed to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in clear
terms. It is of four types viz;
a) Marfu Qawli
It is that Hadith which contains some statement of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam).
b) Marfu Feli
It is that Hadith which describes some act or deed of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) e.g., Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) performed such and such act in
such and such way.
c) Marfu Taqriri
It is that Hadith which includes some statements or acts of some of the companions of
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) which were said or done in his presence and he
did not object to them.
d) Marfu Wasfi
It is that Hadith which describes something about physical, spiritual or moral attributes or
states of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
II. Marfu Hukmi
It is that Hadith which is not attributed to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
directly but due to some other reason. For example,
* Sahaabah used to do such and such thing. It indirectly means that they were doing it
under the instructions of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
* When a Sahaabi says that they had been ordered in such and such way. This also
becomes a Murfu Hukmi Hadith.
Mauqoof
Literal meaning: Stopped.
Technical meaning: That Hadith in which chain of transmission stops at Sahaabah and
does not reach Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). It has three types viz.,
a) Mauqoof Qowli
That Hadith in which a particular statement of some Sahaabi is stated.
b) Mauqoof Feli
That Hadith in which a particular act of some Sahaabi is described.
c) Maqoof Taqriri
That Hadith in which some Taabaee said or did something in presence of a Sahaabi and
the latter did not object to that.
Maqtoo
Literal meaning: Cut.
Technical meaning: That statement or deed which is attributed to some Tabaee. In this
Hadith chain of transmission stops at two steps-down i.e., at the level of Taabaee.
Muttasil
Literal meaning: Joined.
Technical meaning: That Hadith which has got successive narrators continuously without
any gap or omission in between. Its chain or Sanad is uninterrupted from beginning to the
end. For example:
Imam Maalik (RA) says that he heard from Nafea, who heard from Ibne Umar, who in
turn heard from Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) such and such thing.
Musnad
Literal Meaning: Having been related or attributed to.
Technical Meaning: That Marfu Hadith whose Sanad or chain is Muttasil (joined) is
called Musnad Hadith.
Classification of Hadith as per type of chain of transmission
Tabaqat (generations) of narrators of Hadith as per Ibn Hajar Asqalani (RA)
Before understanding this classification of Hadith, one must understand what is meant by
Tabaqat or generations of narrators.
Tabaqat from Sahaabah
Sahaabah-al-Kiram constitute the first three generation of narrators, who directly learned
Islam from Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). This group is divided into three
groups. Viz;
i) Tabaqah Al-Kubar Sahaabah (Upper level).
ii) Tabaqah Al-Wusta Sahaabah (Medium level)
iii) Tabaqah Al-Sugra Sahaabah (Low level).
Tabaqat from Taabaeen
This constitutes the second group of generations of narrators in chain of transmission.
Those Muslims who saw/witnessed the era of Sahaabah and learned Islam from them are
called Tabaeeh.
This group has been divided into three sub-groups. viz:
i) Tabaqah al-Kubar Taabaeen like Syed Ibn-al-Musaib
ii) Tabaqah al-Wusta Taabaeen like Hasan Bisri, Muhammad bin Seereaan.
iii) Tabaqah al-Sugra like Imam Zuhri, Qatada.
Tabaqat from Taba-Taabaeen
Taba-Taabeen constitute the third group. Those Muslims who saw/witnessed the era of
Taabaeen and learned Islam from them are called Taba-Tabaeeh. This group has further
been sub-divided into three sub-groups:
i) Tabaqah Kubar Taba-Taabaeen like Imam Maalik, Sufiyan Thouri.
ii) Tabaqah al-Wusta Taba-Taabaeen like Sufiyan bin Uyainiya
iii) Tabaqah al-Sugra Taba-Taabaeen like Imam Shaafaee, Abdul Razaq
Classification Based upon Number of Narrators
Mutawatir
Literal meaning: Continuous
Technical meaning: It is a Hadith that is narrated in each era, from the days of Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is upto this day by such a large number of narrators that it is
impossible to reasonably accept that all of them have colluded to tell a lie. In other words
it means that since so many people are narrating this Hadith in each generation so there is
not even least doubt about its truthfulness, so Hadith-e-Mutawatir is taken as an absolute
truth and one who rejects it is considered Kaafir. Mutawatir has following types:
i) Mutawatir Lafdhi
It is a Hadith whose words are narrated by such a large number as is required for a
Mutawatir, in a manner that all the narrators are unanimous in reporting it with the same
words without any substantial discrepancy. Example:

One who attributes a lie to me deliberately should find his abode in Hell. (Bukhari)
This Hadith has been narrated by more than seventy Sahaabah with the same wording.
ii) MManvi
It is a Mutawatir Hadith which is not reported by the narrators in the same words. The
words of the narrators are different. Sometimes even the reported events are not the same.
But all the narrators are unanimous in reporting a basic concept which is common in all
the reports . This common concept is also ranked as a Mutawatir concept. For example:
Raising of hands while making dua.
Khabre-Wahid
Literal meaning: Khabre means statement and Wahid means one .
Technical meaning: That Hadith which does not reach to the status of Mutawatir.
Classification of Khabre Wahib
It has been divided into three kinds as per number of narrators. Viz;
i) Mash-hoor
ii) Aziz
iii) Gareeb
II) Khabre Wahid has also been divided into two groups as per acceptability. Viz;
a) Maqbool : Accepted.
b) Mardood : Rejected or Dhaeef (weak) (Sometimes these two are thought to be
synonymous)].
a) Maqbool is further divided into five kinds. Viz;
i) Sahih Lizatihi
ii) Sahih Ligairihi
iii) Hasan Lizatihi
iv) Hasan Ligairihi
v) Naasikh & Mansokh
b) Mardood (Dhaeef) as per the type of discontinuity in Sanad or Chain is divided into
five types, viz;
i) Muallaq
ii) Mursal
iii) Munqata
iv) Mudallas
v) Muazzal
Also, Mardood or Dhaeef based upon the type of defect in Rawi or narration is divided
into eight parts, viz.,
i) Maudhoo
ii) Matruk
iii) Munkar
iv) Shaz
v) Muallal
vi) Mudarraj
vii) Maqloob
viii) Muztarib
Mash hoor
Literal meaning: Famous Hadith.
Technical meaning: That Hadith which is handed down by at least three or more than
three narrators and it does not reach to the status of Mutwatir. Example:

"One who finds Friday should take Ghusl (bath)"

Aziz
Literal meaning: Rare.
Technical meaning: That Hadith which is transmitted or handed down by at least two
narrators at each step in the chain of transmission. If there are two narrators only in one
step, still it is Aziz; and even if there are more narrators in other steps in Tabqaat.
Example:

"No one amongst you can be a Mumin until and unless I am dearer to him than his
father, children and everybody."
Gareeb
Literal Meaning: Stranger, alone.
Technical Meaning: That Hadith in which link of transmission is joined to another at
certain point by one transmitter only. Example:

"Indeed deeds are as per intention."

From the generation of Sahaabah only Hadhrat Umar (RA) has narrated this Hadith.
Another meaning of Gareeb: Gareeb means stranger, so if there is any difficult word in
the text (Matan) of the Hadith whose meaning is not clear, then that type of Hadith is also
called Gareeb. Example:
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:
"Offer Salaah while standing if you cannot do that, offer while sitting and if you cannot
do that offer while lying down.
In this Hadith it was not clear how to offer Salaah in lay down position. Hadhrat Ali (RA)
made its meaning clear by saying it is lateral position facing Qiblah.
Sahid Lizatihi
Literal Meaning: Sound, Faultless.
Technical Meaning: That Hadith which is transmitted by successive narrators upto the
end without any missing link between them in the chain of transmission. In this all the
narrators are highly pious, authentic and reliable and there is no weakness in this Hadith
either as regards to chain of transmission or as regards to the text (Matan) of the Hadith.
Example:
"Bukhari has narrated that Abdullah bin Yousuf said that he heard Malik who quoted
from Muhammad bin Jubair bin Matam, who quoted his father as saying that he heard
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) reciting Surah 'Tur" in Magrib Salaah".
This Hadith is Sahih as its Sanad is Muttasil (joined), all of its narrators are authentic and
it is also free from all other defects.
Sahih Ligairihi
Literal meaning: SahihSound, LigairihiDue to others.
Technical meaning: It is a Hasan Lizatihi Hadith, which gets strengthened and becomes
Sahih Hadith because of the support from other narrations. Since this Hadith in itself was
Hasan and got elevated to the status of Sahih due to support from other hadith, it is called
Sahihi-Ligairihi.
Status: Like Sahih it is also Hujjat in Shari'ah and is dependable to be acted upon.
Conditions for being Sahih
1. Continuity of chain or Sanad: Every transmitter should be joined to the next successive
transmitter directly without any missing link between them throughout the whole chain of
transmission. in other words it should be Marfu Mutasil, what is also called Musnad.
2. Piousness and Taqwa of transmitters: Every transmitter (Raawy) should be extremely
pious, mature with sound mind and an honoured person.
3. Memory power or written documentation: Every narrator should have extraordinary
memory power so that it can be assumed that whichever Hadith he has learned , he
remembers it well or he should have got properly written Hadith from reliable sources.
4. Lack of opposition to know authorities of Hadith: No Raawy or transmitter should
have opposed any known authority of Hadith or a Muhaddith superior to him.
5. Lack of reasons which could raise any doubt: Raawy should not have any such
apparent or hidden ailment which can tell upon his health.
Well known compilations of Ahaadith-e-Sahihah are as under:
i) Mota Imam Maalik.
ii) Sahih Bukhari.
iii) Sahih Muslim.
The best book of hadith
The whole Muslim Ummah is in agreement that the best book on earth after Qur'an
Shareef is Sahih Bukhari. After Sahih Bukhari, it is Sahih Muslim.
The total number of Ahaadith in Sahih Bukhari is 7397. These include repeated Ahaadith
as well. If repetitions are deleted, then total number of non repeated Ahaadith remains
2602.
The total number of Ahaadith in Sahih Muslim is 7151 and the number of repeated
Ahaadith is 4000.
It is well accepted fact that Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain all Sahih Ahaadith
but it does not mean that any Hadith which is not included in these two books is not
Sahih. Imam Bukhari says that he selected Sahih Bukhari out of one Lakh Sahih Ahaadith
which he knew and left more Sahih Hadith than he included in his book, fearing that the
book would become too lengthy.
Similarly Imam Muslim says that it is not like this that he has mentioned every Sahih
Hadith in his book, but he included those Ahaadith only which were considered sound as
per the agreement of Muhadditheen.
Muttafaq Alaihi or Agreed Upon Hadith
A Hadith which is found both in Sahih Bukhari as well as in Sahih Muslim is called
Muttafaq Alaihi or Agreed Upon Hadith.
Sihah Sittah (The best six books of Sahih Hadith)
1. Sahih Bukhari.
2. Sahih Muslim.
3. Sunan Abu Dawood.
4. Sunan Nasai.
5. Sunan Tirmidhi.
6. Sunan Ibn Majah.
Some people consider Mota Imam Maalik instead of Ibn Majah.
Categorisation of Hadith books by Shah Wali Ullah Muhaddith Delhvi (RA) as per the
status and strength of Hadith
First degree group:
1. Sahih Bukhari,
2. Sahih Muslim.
3. Mota Imam Maalik.
Second degree group:
1. Abu Dawood.
2. Nasai.
3. Tirmidhi.
Third degree group:
1. Musnaf Ibne Abi Shaiba.
2. Musnad Abu Ya'la.
3. Baihaqi.
4. Tahawi. etc.
Grades of Sahih Hadith
Grade 1: That Hadith which is present both in Bukhari and Muslim.
Grade 2: Which is present in Bukhari only.
Grade 3: Which is present in Muslim only.
Grade 4: Which fulfils the criteria of Bukhari and Muslim.
Grade 5: Which fulfills the criteria of Imam Bukhari.
Grade 6: Which fulfills the criteria of Imam Muslim.
Grade 7:That Hadith which is labelled Sahih by other Muhaditheen.
A clarification about work Sahih Hadith
When we talk about the grades of Sahih Hadith and weak Hadith, this difference is all
because of chain of transmission and the condition of narrators. As regards to the text
(Matan) of the Hadith, nobody can say that this Hadith is more Sahih than the other.
Other authentic books of Sahih Hadith
1. Sahih Ibne Khuzaimah.
2. Sahih Ibne Haban.
3. Mustadrak Hakim.
4. Mota Imam Malik.
5. Sunan Arba (Abu Dawood, Nasai, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah.
6. Dar-Qutni.
7. Sunan Baiqhi.
8. Musnad Imam Ahmad.
9. Musnad Imam Shafi.
10. Musnad Imam Abu Hanifah.
11. Sahih Abi Awanah.
12. Sahih Ibne Sakan.
Hasan Lizatihi
Literal Meaning: HasanNice, good, Lizatih means 'in itself '
Technical Meaning: A Hadith which is like Sahih Hadith in all respects except that some
of its narrators are found to have little defective memory. It is next to Sahih Hadith in
Status. Example:
Qutaiba narrates on the authority of Jafar bin Suleman Az-Zabal, he on the authority of
Abi Bakar bin Abi Musa his father Al-Asha'ri who says that he heard Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) saying:
"Jannat is under the shadow of swords".
In this Hadith all narrators are excellent except Jafar bin Suleman Az-Zabal who is
thought to have defective memory, so this Hadith slipped down to the status of Hasan,
otherwise it would have been rated as Sahih.
Famous compilations of Hasan Ahaadith
1. Jamia Tirmidhi.
2. Sunan Abu Dawood
3. Sunan Dare-Qutni.
Hasan Ligairihi
That Dhaeef Hadith which when transmitted through many channels elevates to the status
of Hasan and then becomes Maqbool (acceptable).
Status: Next to Sahih, and is dependable to be acted upon. It is also Hujjat in Shari'ah like
Sahih.
Imam Tirmidhi in his book Jamia Tirmidhi labels a Hadith as Sahih, Hasan or Dhaeef
after quoting them.
Naasikh & Mansookh
We have seen that Mutwatir Hadith provides information of Yaqeeni (sure) grade and
compels man to believe and accept it without any hesitation.
Rest of the Ahaadith come under the title "Khabr-e-Wahid". In Khabr-e-Wahid we have
seen two groups viz, Maqbool (acceptable) and Mardood (rejected). Amongst these two
groups Maqbool group is taken as argument or Hujjat in Shari'ah and is to be acted upon,
but sometimes a problem arises when there are two Ahaadith which are apparently
contradictory to each other in text, even when both are Sahih or Hasan. This problem can
only be solved by knowing about Naasikh (abrogating Hadith) and Mansokh (abrogated
Hadith). This is another important but difficult science about the knowledge of Hadith
and is not a job of everyone. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal says: "We were not able to
comprehend Naasikh and Masnsokh Hadith until we sat in the company of Imam Shafaee
(i.e., he made us understand this)".
In case of these Ahaadith which differ from one another, a few situations are possible viz;
1. It is possible to have such interpretation of these Hadith so that both can be acted upon
and there is no need to leave any Hadith out of them.
2. It is possible that two Hadiths are having such contradictory texts such that it is not
possible to combine them and one can act upon only one of them. In such situations one
has to know about Naasikh and Mansokh.
Naasikh and Mansookh
That Hadith which abrogates any early Hadith is called Naasikh Hadith and the Hadith
which has been abrogated is called Mansookh. One has to act upon Naasikh and not on
Mansookh, after he learns which one is Naasikh and which one is Mansokh.
If Naasikh and Mansookh is not known
In this situation, it will be seen that out of these differing Ahaadith which one is
preferable (Raajeh). To label one preferable (Raajeh) is again not an easy job and
everybody cannot do it, only a great scholar of Hadith who has extraordinary hold on all
different sciences of Hadith can accomplish this job. This is the reason that you will see
that common people get confused after seeing two different Hadiths about the same thing
and those who rely on just common translations of Hadith start fighting with others and
draw erroneous conclusions. These people least understand that it is not proper to draw
some conclusion after just reading translation of few Hadith only. As already stated that
in drawing conclusions as to which Hadith is to be acted upon and which Hadith is
preferable and which is abrogated, one needs tremendous all round knowledge of all
aspects of Hadith.
Hadhrat Ali (RA) and importance of Naasikh and Mansookh
Once a man came to Masjid-e-Nabwi and started delivering lessons on Qur'an. Hadhrat
Ali (RA) called him and asked him if he knew Naasikh and Mansokh, that person replied
in negative, Hadhrat Ali (RA) asked him to get out of the Masjid-e-Nabwi. It means that
Hadhrat Ali (RA) was of the opinion that one who did not know Naasikh and Mansokh
has no business to teach the Qur'an. Similarly in Ilm-e-Hadith, the knowledge of Naasikh
and Mansokh is of great significance.
Causes of referability (Tarjeeh) of a Hadith
A) As per Matan:
1. If one Hadith forbids a thing and other shows permissibility, the former will be Rajeh
or preferable i.e., Hurmat is preferable over Ibahat.
2. If one Hadith contains a statement of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and
other mentions any deed, then former is preferable over the later i.e. Qowly Hadith is
preferable to Feli.
3. Technical meaning as per Shari'ah is preferable over literal meaning.
4. Strong argument is preferable over weaker argument.
5. Rasulullah's (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) interpretation is preferred over anybody
else's interpretation.
6. That commandment where cause is also given is preferable over that commandment
where cause is not given.
B) As per Sanad:
1. Strong Sanad is preferable over weak Sanad.
2. That Sanad which has less number of narrators is preferable over that which has more
number of narrators.
3. The narrator who is excellent in Fiqh is preferred over the others.
4. If a Hadith is transmitted through many channels, that makes it preferable.
5. That Sanad which is agreed upon is preferred over the Sanad which is disputed.
Mardood Hadith
Kinds of Mardood Hadith
Mursal
Literal Meaning: Left out, forwarded.
Technical Meaning: It is that Hadith which a Taaba'ee quotes directly from Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) without mentioning the name of Sahaabi. For example:

"Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said so and so."

Status: This type of Hadith is usually considered Mardood (rejected) or Dha'eef (weak) as
the state of left out narrator is not known who can be a non-Sahaabi as well. But some
scholars like, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Maalik, Imam Ahmed and Imam Shafaee, say that
Mursal Hadith can be depended upon and should be considered if the Taaba'ee is
authentic and realiable.
Muallaq
Literal meaning: Suspended.
Techinical meaning: It is that Hadith in which one or more than one narrators are
unknown at the beginning of the chain or Sanad. This quality is also called Ta'leeq. In this
type only the name of Sahaabi or that of Sahaabi and Taabaee may be mentioned and rest
all are missing. Bukhari and Muslim also quote such types of Ahaadith.
Status: For making a Hadith acceptable the continuity of chain is essential, since here the
chain is not continuous, so such Hadith is Mardood or rejected.
Muallaq also becomes acceptable or Maqbool if there are other evidences in support of it.
Muallaq Ahaadith of Bukhari and Muslim are considered Maqbool.
So, Muallaq can be both acceptable as well as rejected.
Munqata
Literal meaning: Broken or cut off.
Technical meaning: That Hadith in which one or more narrators are unknown at different
places of the chain but not first and last.
Status: It is considered Dhaeef or Mardood.
Muazzal
Literal meaning: Difficult, problematic.
Technical meaning: That Hadith in which two or more than two narrators are missing
successively in the Sanad.
Status: It is considered Dhaeef and of lower grade than Mursal and Munqata.
Mudallas
Literal Meaning: Deceptive, where a defect is concealed.
Technical Meaning: It is that Hadith in which an attempt is made to conceal the defects of
the Sanad or chain of transmission.
Maudhu
Literal Meaning: Forged Hadith.
Technical Meaning: It is that Hadith which a liar fabricates and then attributes it to
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
Status: This is the worst type of weak Hadith. Some scholars do not include it even in
weak Hadith if one knows that it is a Maudhu Hadith.
Types of Maudhu Hadith
i) A liar fabricates some statement of his own and then attributes it to Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
ii) Statements of earlier scholars or pious people are taken and then fabricated chain of
transmission from Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is attached to it.
iii) Chain of Sahih Hadith is attached to a weak Hadith.
Munkar
Literal Meaning: Disapproved.
Technical Meaning: Munkar Hadith is that Hadith wherein a weak narrator of Hadith
opposes one who is quite authentic and reliable than him.
Shaz
Literal Meaning: Isolated.
Technical Meaning: Shaz Hadith is that Hadith wherein a comparatively less authentic
narrator of Hadith opposes a more authentic narrator. This opposition may be either in
Sanad (chain of transmission) or in Matan (text).
Status: This Hadith is rejected and not accepted.
Difference between Shaz and Munkar
The narrator of Shaz is authentic who narrates against a more authentic narrator whereas
the narrator of Munkar is weak or less authentic.
Matruk
Literal meaning: Abandoned.
Technical meaning: That Hadith in which there is such a narrator who has been blamed
for lying or falsehood in matters other than narrating Hadith.
Status: Such a Hadith is considered rejected.
Muallal
Literal meaning: having some cause (of defect).
Technical meaning: That Hadith which apparently is faultless but has some hidden defect
which only scholars of Hadith can know.
Mudharraj
Literal meaning: Included.
Technical meaning: That Hadith in which something more than the text or chain of
Hadith has been included. Example:
Sahaabi narrates a Hadith and then adds some of his own words to explain it, such
A
Hadith is called Mudarraj.
Status: This type of inclusion of some explanatory words is permissible only for
Sahaabah and no one else.
Maqloob
Literal Meaning: Turned.
Technical meaning: That Hadith in which the order of the wording of the Hadith has been
altered.
Status: If it is done to change the meaning of the Hadith, then it is considered Maudhu
(fabricated) Hadith and if it is done just for examination purposes, then it is permissible.
Muztarib
Literal meaning: Perplexed like oceanic waves.
Technical meaning: That Hadith which is narrated through different channels of varying
grades.
Status: Mardood or Dhaeef
Dhaeef
Literal Meaning: Weak.
Technical Meaning: That Hadith which does not fulfill the criteria of Hasan. In this
Hadith there is some defect either in the chain of transmission or in proper understanding
of the transmitter, or its contents are not in perfect agreement with Islamic beliefs and
practices.
It must be in mind that while quoting Dhaeef Hadith one must not say, "Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said "but one must take precautions and may say that it is
quoted from him etc".
Status: Whether to act upon Dhaeef Hadith or not, it is controversial. There is usually
consensus that Dhaeef Hadith cannot be used in Masail but can be used in Fadhail,
Mustahab or Makrooh only when it fulfills three preconditions.
1. Its defect (of being Dhaaef) is not of extreme grade.
2. The Hadith comes under some well known principle of Shari'ah.
3. Acting upon it should not be thought obligatory.
As per Hanafi school of thought, Dhaeef Hadith is preferred over Qiyas (analogical
deduction).
As already stated that if Dhaeef Hadith gets support from other sources, then it gets
elevated to the status of Hasan Ligairihi.
When to quote Dhaeef Hadith
It is permissible to quote Dha'eef Hadith if:
1. It is not related to Islamic beliefs.
2. It is not related to Halal and Haram.
3. It is related to things like motivation or admonition.(Targeeb or Tarheeb)