Hadith and Sunnah

1. Basic Concepts of Hadith

2. Sunnah and Hadith
3. Kinds of Hadith
4. Legal Position of Sunnah
5. History of Hadith
6. Uloom ul Hadith
7. Selected Study of Hadith & Sunnah
 What is Hadith?
• Definition
• Importance
• Unique qualities
• Difference between Quran and Hadith
• Difference between history and hadith
• Hadith in early stage
• Hadith in the time of companions
 Literal meaning of ‘Hadith’

1. The word Hadith is singular and means (speech or

Talk). The plural is Ahaadith.
2. Hadith in Arabic is used as opposite to Qadeem. Qadeem means
something without a beginning which obviously is none but Allah.
The opposite of Qadeem is Hadith which means something with
beginning. In other words it means ‘Created (Makhlooq). As per this
meaning, the Qur'an is the word of Allah hence is Qadeem, whereas
Hadith means that word which is created and since Rasulullah (SAW)
himself is among Makhlooq, so his statements are called Hadith.
 Technical definition of Hadith

• The Fuqaha (Jurists) and Muhadditheen (Traditionists /

Experts in Hadith) differ in their definitions of Hadith.
• This is because the fields of both are different.
• According to the Fuqaha, the subject matter of Hadith
is to deduce the laws of Shari’ah from Hadith, and
• The subject matter of the Muhadditheen is to merely
compile the Ahadith.
 The Definition of Hadith
• Hence, according to the Fuqaha, the definition of
Hadith is:
The knowledge through which the sayings, the
actions, the confirmations and conditions of
Rasulullah [Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam] are
known.
• Conditions here refer to only voluntary conditions,
not involuntary conditions.
• The Muhadditheen do not differentiate between
voluntary conditions and involuntary conditions.
Therefore, the definition of Hadith according to the
Muhadditheen is:
The knowledge of the sayings of Rasulullah
[Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam], his actions,
conditions, acknowledgements of actions.
• A hadith (pl. ahadith) basically is composed of two parts: the 
matn (text) and the isnad (chain of reporters).
• A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but it needs an
authentic isnad with reliable reporters to be acceptable;
`Abdullah b. al-Mubarak, said,
"The isnad is part of the religion: had it not been for the isnad,
whoever wished to would have said whatever he liked.“
Components of Hadith
• Matn/Content: It is the main passage which is the actual centre of
attraction for the reader. It normally tells about the right way of actions in
different circumstances of life.
• Isnad/Sequence of Reporters: A series of correspondents through which
Hadith has spread.
• Taraf/Introductory Text: The earlier portion of main substance which acts
as a groundwork for further lesson present in the Saying. It usually acts as
a reference towards the deeds or personality of the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.
These are the necessary three constituents which need to be present in any
text for naming it as a Hadith.
Components of Hadith
 VIRTUES OF STUDYING HADITH
Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud [Radhiyallahu 'anhu] narrates that he
heard the prophet [Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam] saying:
"May Allah illuminate and freshen that person’s face
who hears (Hadith) from us and conveys it as he hears
it. There are quite a few people to whom the Hadith
has been conveyed, yet they are more retentive than
those who heard (the Hadith directly from us).”
This Hadith is a clear and explicit glad tiding from Nabi
[Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam] to those who occupy
themselves with learning and teaching Hadith.
Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn 'Amr [Radhiyallahu 'anhu]
narrates hearing Nabi [Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam] as
saying,

“Narrate from me even though it may be one

verse / statement...”

Here, Nabi [Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam] has encouraged

us to involve ourselves with learning and teaching
Hadith. Even if we have only learnt one Hadith, we
should endeavour to convey it to others.
 The Need for Hadeeth
Allah has summarized in a concise and beautiful way in the Qur’aan
the basic foundations of Islam. Without the explanation and
elucidation provided by the hadeeth, however, there is no other
way to gain understanding of the details of all such rulings. The
prophetic ahadeeth provide Muslims with the practical actions
necessary for implementing the Qur’aanic injunctions. For example,
words like salaah, zakaah, tayammum, hajj and ‘umrah each
have a literal meaning in Arabic which is somewhat different from
their meaning as used by the Shari’ah- without the hadeeth of the
Prophet (SAW), there would be no way to tell what the Shar’i
meanings of such words are.
 Hadith and Sunnah
Sunnah;
Lexically, the word Sunnah has several meanings. Sunnah may
mean a way of life, or a path or behavior that is followed whether
praiseworthy, or otherwise. Mostly, however, it refers to something
good. The Prophet said,
"Whoever starts a good Sunnah he will get the reward for it and
the reward of others who would do the same thing until the Day of
Judgment. And whoever does a bad Sunnah he will have the
punishment for doing it and the punishment of others who practice
it." [Muslim]
 Hadith & Sunnah
• According to Arabic lexicographers sunnah means: “A way, course, 
rule, mode, or manner of acting or conduct of life.”
Lanes Lexicon volume 6 pg. 1438.

• In Islamic terminology the sunnah is defined as: “what has been 
(authentically) related to us on behalf of the prophet { ‫ىاله عليه‬
‫اال‬
‫االااا‬
‫ص‬
‫االااام‬
‫}و س‬ from his sayings, actions, and silent approvals. It is the 
second source of reference in Islamic law for the Jurist.
1. The jurists use the word Sunnah in two different ways. On one
hand, like the Legal theorists, they define Sunnah as the
statements, actions, and approvals of' the Prophet.

2. And since the role of the jurists is to judge actions and indicate their
rulings as obligatory, recommended, etc., they use the term Sunnah
to indicate actions as being recommended or praise-worthy.

3. However, the definition of Sunnah, according to the scholars of

Hadeeth, is inclusive of everything related to the person and life of
the Prophet. They defined the Sunnah as "Anything narrated from
or about the Prophet either before or after he became a prophet, of
his statements, actions, confirmations, biography, and his physical
character and attributes."
 Sunnah & Hadith
1. Sunnah and Hadith are synonyms
2. Sunnah usually used for the Deeds of Prophet pbuh whereas the
Hadith is used for the statements of Prophet pbuh.
3. Sunnah is the Words, Actions or Approvals of Holy Prophet PBUH
While the Hadith is the Narration of that words, actions or
Confirmations.
4. The Sunnah was not a Verbal reporting but it was a living Practice.
5. The Sources of Shariah according to Scholars are Kitab o Sunnah, Not
the Kitab o Hadith.
6. The Source of Sunnah is the literature of Hadith.
 The Divisions of the Hadith / Sunnah

T h e S u n n a h R e la t e d T h e S u n n a h R e la t e d T h e S u n n a h R e la t e d
t o t h e s a y in g s t o t h e a c tio n s t o t h e s ile n t a p p r o v a ls

“I saw
the Prophet.”

“I heard the Prophet.”

“We used to do.”
“The Prophet Said.”
 The Narrators‫ي‬
‫راو‬
The Ravi / narrators of Hadeeth are the most
honorable and respectable Muslims, as they are
keepers and preservers of Sunnah. They are
shinning stars of Islam.
 Categorization of Hadith
The taxonomy of the Prophetic (PBUH) axioms has been very
carefully devised according to different sets of classifications along
with their further kinds. Following are the five basic arrangements
of Ahadiths on the basis of particular grounds:
1. According to reference to a particular Authority
2. According to the links of Isnad
3. According to a number of reporters
4. According to nature of Matn and Isnad
5. According to Authenticity of Correspondents
Now let us briefly discuss these classes of Hadith one by one:
 According to Reference to a Particular Authority

• According to careful research, Hadith is divided into four

additional kinds under this category:
• Qudsi: meaning “Divine”. It is a Heavenly text which was
directly sent upon the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Who passed it on
to His followers Himself.
Marfu` - "elevated":
A narration from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), e.g.
a reporter (whether a Companion, Successor or other) says, "The Messenger of
Allah said ..."
For example, the very first hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari is as follows: Al-Bukhari ===
Al-Humaidi `Abdullah b. al-Zubair === Sufyan === Yahya b. Sa`id al-Ansari ===
Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Taymi === 'Alqamah b. Waqqas al-Laithi, who said: I
heard `Umar b. al-Khattab saying, while on the pulpit, "I heard Allah's Messenger
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying: The reward of deeds depends on
the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has
intended; so whoever emigrated for wordly benefits or for a woman to marry, his
emigration was for what he migrated."
Mauquf - "stopped":
A narration from a Companion only, i.e. his own statement; e.g. al-
Bukhari reports in his Sahih, in Kitab al-Fara'id (Book of the Laws of
Inheritance), that Abu Bakr, Ibn `Abbas and Ibn al-Zubair said, "The
grandfather is (treated like) a father.
It should be noted that certain expressions used by a Companion generally
render a hadith to be considered as being effectively Marfu` although it
is Mauquf on the face of it, e.g. the following: "We were commanded to ..."
• "We were forbidden from ..."
• "We used to do ..."
• "We used to say/do ... while the Messenger of Allah was amongst us."
• "We did not use to mind such-and-such..."
• "It used to be said ..."
• "It is from the Sunnah to ..."
• "It was revealed in the following circumstances: ...", speaking about a verse
of the Qur'an.
• Maqtu` - "severed":
A narration from a Successor, e.g. Imam Muslim reports in the
Introduction to his Sahih that Ibn Sirin (d. 110) said, "This knowledge
(i.e. Hadith) is the Religion, so be careful from whom you take your
religion.“
• The authenticity of each of the above types of hadith depends
on other factors such as the reliability of its reporters, the nature
of the linkage amongst them, etc.
• However, the above classification is extremely useful, since
through it the sayings of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) can be distinguished at once from those of
Companions or Successors; this is especially helpful in debate
about matters of Fiqh.
 According to Authenticity of Correspondents
• It has the following three categories:
• Sahih: meaning “Sound”. A hadith reported by a trustworthy reporter known
for his truthfulness, knowledge, correct way of narrations etc.
• Hasan: meaning “Good”. The one whose any narrator don’t have strong
memory.
• Da`if: meaning “Weak”. A hadith ranking under that of Hasan because of failing
to address the Isnad properly.
• Maudu`: meaning “Fabricated”. Hadith having wording opposite to the
confirmed Prophetic (PBUH) traditions.
• In short, Hadith is an integral part of Islamic teachings through which Muslims
all over the world get insight about many aspects of life. Therefore, one must
know about its different kinds so as to become able to distinguish the authentic
ones from the rest which have weak links in its key constituents.
  According to number of reporters
• Mutawatir: meaning “Consecutive”. Hadith being reported such a
large number of rightful peoples that it is agreed upon as authentic.
• Ahad: meaning “Isolated”. The one which has been narrated by a
countable number of people.
• It has been further categorized into three sub-types:
Mash’hur: meaning “Famous”. Hadith which is related by more
than two individuals.
Aziz: meaning “Rare yet Strong”. The one having only two
reporters in its Isnad.
Gharib: meaning “Strange”. Saying of Holy Prophet (PBUH) with
only one narrator in its Isnad.
 According to nature of Matn and Isnad
• It is split into two major kinds:
• Munkar: meaning “Denounced”. A Hadith belonging to a weak
reporter.
• Mudraj: meaning “Interpolated”. The one having some adding
up of words to the authentic Hadith by its narrator.
Some major books on Hadith

Sahi al Sahih al
Bukhari Muslim

Jam’e al Sunan
Tirmizi Abu Daud

Sunnan Sunan ibn

Nasai Maja
 Legal Status of Sunnah
Sunnah Part of Revelation
‫سولأَته ْأَوأَل ْتأَأَولمواْ ْأَعمنته ْأَوأأَمنتتمم ْتسمعون‬ ‫ط‬ ‫ط‬
‫أَيِاَ ْأأَييِأَهاَ ْاْ لذيِأَن ْآأَمتنواْ ْأأَطيِتعواْ ْاْل لأَه ْأَوأَر ت‬

“O ye who believe! obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him 
speak).”
Surah Al-Anfaal Verse20.

There is an interesting point pertaining to this verse. Allaah says, “And turn not away from him.” Although the verse began by
saying, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” It ends by saying, “And turn not away from him.” Think hard and see if you can
understand why.

The Qur’aan on the Role of the Prophet.
 Legal Status of Prophet PBUH

ْ ‫سوتل ْفأَتختذوته ْأَوأَماَ ْأَنأَهاَتكمم ْأَعمنته ْأَفاَمنتأَتهواْ ْأَواْتلقتواْ ْاْل لأَه ْإطلن ْاْل لأَه‬
‫أَوأَماَ ْآأَتاَتكتم ْاْللر ت‬
‫شطديِتد ْاْملطعأَقاَطب‬ َ‫ أ‬.
“So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny
yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear
Allah; for Allah is strict in Punishment.”
Surah Al-Hashr Verse 7.
 1. Expounder of the Qur’aan.
‫أَوأأَمنأَزملأَناَ ْإطلأَميِأَك ْاْل ذ مكأَر ْطلتتأَبذيِنأَ ْطلللناَ ط‬.
‫س ْأَماَ ْتنذزأَل ْإطلأَميِطهمم ْأَولأَأَع لتهمم ْأَيِتأَفأَلكتروأَن‬

“We have sent down unto thee the Remembrance;

so you can explain clearly to men what is sent for
them, and that they may give thought.”

Surah Al-Nahl Verse 44.

 2. Legislator.
‫ل‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ه‬
‫ل‬ ‫جي‬ ‫لن‬
‫و ل ل ل‬ ‫وا‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ة‬ ‫را‬
‫لو‬ ‫و‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ال‬ ‫في‬ ‫ل‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬
‫و ل‬ ‫ه‬ ‫د‬ ‫عن‬
‫ل‬ ‫با‬
‫ب‬ ‫تو‬
‫ه‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ك‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬‫و‬ ‫ن‬‫دو‬
‫و ل ه ه و‬ ‫ج‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ذي‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ي الل م ت‬
‫ي‬ ‫م‬ ‫سو و‬
‫ل الن تب ل ت‬ ‫ن التر ه‬
‫ن ي وت تب لهعو و‬
‫ذي و‬‫ال ت ل‬
‫م‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ح‬ ‫ي‬ ‫و‬ ‫ت‬ ‫با‬ ‫ي‬‫ط‬ ‫ط‬ ‫ال‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬
‫ل‬ ‫ح‬
‫ر‬ ‫ي‬ ‫و‬
‫ك‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ك‬ ‫من‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ع‬‫ك‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬
‫م‬ ‫ها‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ي‬ ‫و‬ ‫ف‬ ‫رو‬ ‫ع‬ ‫م‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬ ‫با‬ ‫هم‬ ‫م‬ ‫ر‬ ‫م‬ ‫يأ ل‬
‫ك م ك ر م‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ر ك‬ ‫م م‬ ‫ر م‬ ‫م‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ر ك ك ك‬ ‫ر ك ل م‬ ‫ك م م‬
‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ي‬‫ك‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ك‬
‫كا‬ ‫تي‬ ‫ط‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ك‬
‫ل‬ ‫ك‬
‫ل‬ ‫ل‬
‫غ‬ ‫ك‬ ‫والل‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ص‬ ‫إ‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ي‬ ‫و‬ ‫ئث‬
‫ك‬ ‫با‬ ‫خ‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ك‬
‫ل ر ل‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ل‬ ‫م‬ ‫ل‬
‫ر ك‬ ‫ل‬ ‫م‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ك‬ ‫م‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ك‬ ‫م‬ ‫عل ر‬
‫ل‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ ك‬-
“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find
written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them
what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the
good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden
and the shackles which were upon them. Surah Aaraf Verse 157.
 3. As a Model

‫سأَنةة ْطلأَممن ْأَكاَأَن ْأَيِمرتجو ْاْل لأَه ْأَواْملأَيِموأَم ْاْملطخأَر ْأَوأَذأَكأَر ْاْل لأَه ْأَكطثيِ راْر‬ ‫ط‬
‫سوطل ْاْل له ْأت م‬
َ‫سأَوةة ْأَح أ‬
‫ط‬
‫لأَقأَمد ْأَكاَأَن ْلأَتكمم ْفيِ ْأَر ت‬

“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful

pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah
and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of
Allah.”
Surah Al-Ahzaab Verse 21.
 4. Total Obedience to the Prophet

ْ َ‫شأَجأَر ْأَبميِأَنتهمم ْثتلم ْأَل ْأَيِطجتدواْ ْطفيِ ْأأَمنفتطسطهمم ْأَحأَررجاَ ْطملما‬

َ‫فأَأَل ْأَوأَرذبأَك ْأَل ْتيِمؤطمتنوأَن ْأَحلتىَّ ْتيِأَحذكتموأَك ْطفيِأَماَ ْ أ‬
َ‫سطليِرما‬
‫م‬ ‫ت‬
َ‫أ‬ ْ ْ‫ا‬
‫و‬ ‫م‬ ‫ذ‬
‫سل ت‬َ‫ضميِأَت ْأَوتيِ أ‬
َ‫قأَ أ‬.

“But no, by thy Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until
they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and
find in their souls no resistance against thy decisions, but
accept them with the fullest conviction.”
Surah Nisaa Verse 65.
Words of Holy Prophet are Divine
Order
  It is obvious that the orders of Rasulullah [Sallallahu
'alayhi wa sallam] are by Divine Order. Allah Ta’ala
says,
Translation: ‘And he (Rasulullah [Sallallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam] does not speak from desires. It is not but
revelation sent to him.’
Hadith is the Order of the God
 Translation: “And we did not make the Qiblah upon
which you were (Bayt al- Maqdis) but so that we may
distinguish who follows the Rasul from he who turn on
his heels.” In the above verse, a reference of the
previous order to face Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) is
given. The express order is no where in the Qur'an. It is
thus clear, that there are orders given to Rasulullah
[Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam] which are not recorded in
the Qur'an. It is therefore incorrect to state that we only
follow the Qur'an and not the Ahaadith.
Universality of Prophethood
 a) The Ahaadith were not only for the Sahaba
[Radhiyallahu 'anhum]. These are for everyone. Rasulullah
[SAW] was sent to all of mankind as Allah Ta’ala says:
 Translation: “We have not sent you except as a mercy for
the entire mankind.”
 b) Allah took the responsibility of preserving the Qur'an.
The Ahaadith are the explanation of the Qur'an, hence,
Allah has also taken the responsibility of preserving the
Ahaadith.
 COMPILATION OF AHAADITH
There were different methods used to preserve the
Ahaadith of Rasulullah [Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam]:
a) Memory,
b) Practice,
c) Writing
d) Discussion
 Memory
Almighty Allah bestowed the Arabs with remarkable memories.
For example:
Ja’far Ibn Amr R.A states that once he and Ubaydullah Ibn Adiy
Ibn al-Khiyaar [RA] decided to visit Wahshiy [RA]. Ubaydullah
[RA] asked Wahshiy[RA] if he recognized him.
He said, ‘No’. However, he recalled that once many years ago,
Adiy Ibn al-Khiyaar had a child. He was told to take the child to
the foster mother. The child was completely covered except the
feet. Wahshiy [RA] said, “Your feet resemble those feet”.
Wahshiy [RA] saw those feet many years before and that too
when Ubaydullah was born. Wahshiy [RA] was able to recognise
those feet many years later. One should bear in mind that feet
generally change in form and shape as they grow.
 Memory Power of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA)
• Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) is well known as a great narrator of Hadith.
Once Marwan, the Caliph from Banu Ummayah wanted to the memory
power of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA). He called him one day and started
asking him Hadith. Marwan had already told Abu-al-Za’za to sit behind a
curtain and write all the Ahaadith which Abu Hurairah (RA) would
narrate. It is said that he wrote about four hundred Ahaadith. After a
year Marwan again called Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) asked him to
narrate the same Ahaadith which he had narrated the previous year. He
again made Abu al Za’za to sit behind the curtain for the same purpose
as before. Abu al Za’za says that Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated the same
Ahaadith and there was not a difference of even a single word from
what he had narrated the previous year. (Imam Bukhari in Kitab al-Kuni)
 The Pre-Cautions of the Companions
• " One who attributes a lie towards me deliberately, should
find his abode in Hell." (Bukhari)
• Hadhrat Abu Bakr (RA) was also amongst those who
liked not to narrate the Hadith. When he became Caliph,
he was over-busy in solving various problems faced by
the Ummah, but in spite of that he thought he should write
down the Ahaadith he had heard from Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) as he was the closest
associate of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). So
he also wrote around five hundred Ahaadith.
Imam Zehbi has quoted Hadhrat Aayesha (RA) as saying
"My father (Abu Bakr) collected (wrote down) around five
hundred Ahaadith of Rasulullah (SAW). One night Abu Bakr (RA)
was seen turning his sides frequently in his bed. I asked him its
reason in the morning, he told me to get all those Ahaadith which
he had written, then he asked for fire and burnt that document. I
asked him as to why did he do that? He replied, I feared that if I
die and this document covering Ahaadith which I have got from
others after trusting them, it is possible that what they said would
not be like that what I have quoted."
• From this you can very well understand as to how much
cautious Abu Bakr (RA) was in this regard.
 Burning of Saheefah Siddiqui
There are great lessons to be derived from the act of Abu Bakr Sidiq (RA)
First thing which is evident from this act of Abu Bakr (RA) is the extreme caution and fear
shown by him in narrating Hadith.
To understand the second lesson, more deep thinking is needed. Rasulullah (SAW) during
his lifetime made it sure that there should be no intermixing of Qur’an and Hadith and that
Qur’an should get its own place and Hadith its own place. For this purpose he once forbade
Sahaabah-al-Kiram from writing anything what he utters except Qur’an so as to maintain the
distinction of Qur’an. This factor was also there in the mind of Abu Bakr (RA) when he
ordered burning of the document covering Ahaadith which he had collected.
Secondly Rasulullah (SAW) wanted to keep some liberty for the Ummah by keeping various
options open and not making Hadith so rigid. Had Rasulullah (SAW) decided to ask the
Sahaabah to write the Hadith in same way as Qur’an, then that would have left no choice or
options for the Ummah. We see that Ummah can choose various versions of Hadith, of
course, very much within the permissible limits of Shari’ah. You can understand authenticity
of the document of Ahaadith which would have been compiled by Hadhrat Abu Bakr (RA),
again it would not have left any option for the Ummah. There are so many other benefits
• Hadhrat Umar (RA) replied:

“I had no intention to question your integrity, but I do not

like that Hadith of Rasulullah (SAW) should become
common (without proper scrutiny)”
• The role of Hadhrat Uthman (RA) in compiling Qur’an is
well known but in narrating Hadith he was also extremely
cautious. He says:
“It is not that I remember less number of Hadith than others
that stops me from narrating what Rasulullah (SAW) said,
but it is due to the fact that I have heard from Rasulullah
(SAW) that one who attributes that thing to me which I have
not said, should consider his abode in Hell.” (Musnad
Ahmad)
 Imam Maalik’s (RA) way of Narrating Hadith

Whenever any person wanted to ask Imam Maalik (RA)

something about Islam, Imam Maalik used to tell his
servant to enquire of the visitor about what he wants to ask.
If the visitor wanted to ask some Mas'ala, then Imam would
reply him immediately, and if that person wanted to listen
Hadith, then Imam Maalik (RA) made him to wait till he put
on new costly gown, sit on a dais and then narrate Hadith
with full honours, saying that—“Hadith is a Royal
statement and its etiquettes should also be Royal”.
 Practice
One of the most efficient ways of preserving knowledge is by
practicing upon it. Almighty Allah and His Messenger (SAW)
emphasized the importance of practicing on knowledge. Thus,
practicing on the Ahaadith of Rasulullah [SAW] became an
effective method of preserving the Ahaadith of Rasulullah
[SAW].

Practice.
 Hz. Abdullah ibn Umar [r.a]
 Writing
Earliest collections
 The final sermon.
 The rules of governance.
 Letters of the Prophet Muhammad SAWS
 Books and booklets of hadith
 Sahifa Amr ibn Hazm [dictated by the prophet].
 Sahifa Ali [r.a]
 Sahifa Sadiqa.
4. Disccussion
Major transmitters of Hadith
 hz. Abu Huraira. [r.a]
 hz. Abdullah ibn Umar [r.a].
 hz. Anas ibn Malik.
 hz. Aysha [r.a].
 Abdullah ibn Abbas [r.a].
Compilation of Ahadith

 in the fi rst century.

 in the second century.
Muwatt a imam malik
 in the third century.
 Sihah sitt a.
 2 Century
nd

• "Umar bin Abdul Aziz wrote to Abu Bakr bin Hazam that;
He should keep an eye on the Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and write
them

because I fear fading away of knowledge (of hadith) and death of Ulema

You should not accept any narration except that of Rasulullah (SAW)

You spread knowledge and don't sit until all those know who do not know. Knowledge does not
get wasted until it is kept hidden." (Sahih Bukhari)
 Compilation stages
• 1st stage of Hadith book compilation in 2nd century Ibn Hazam
and Shahab Zuhri
• 2nd stage of Hadith book compilation
Imam Malik Imam Auzai etc
• 3rd stage of Hadith book compilation in 3rd century in Masaneed
forms
• 4th stage of Hadith book compilation by 6 great imams of
Hadith Knowledge
 Difference in history and Hadith compilation
• Histories of other nations are written by one or few
historians at a particular point of time, but here in case of
Hadith, there are thousands of devoted, extremely pious
people who dedicated their lives for meticulous recording
of every event of that period revolving around Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and then passed that on to
the next generation with absolute pristine purity by the
method which is unparalleled in history.
 Sciences of Hadith
• The different branches of knowledge which have been
introduced by the scholars of science of hadith has no parallel
in the art of Historical Criticism throughout the world history.
• It’s not possible for us to herein present even a brief
introduction of these different branches & the valuable works
produced in this respect.
Sciences of Hadith
 For ex.
The decision of a Narration being Sahih or Hasan is basically depend
upon four conditions
1. Scrutiny of its Narrators
2. Scrutiny of the constancy of the chain of the narrators.
3. Comparison of its Chain and Text with other available ways of
narration in the same matter.
4. Examination of the Chain and Text of Hadith in the light of other
material available on the subject & to ensure that there is no
defect in the chain or in text.
 Scrutiny of its Narrators
• This scrutiny carried out on two scores;
1. Examination of Integrity and Honesty of a Narrator
2. Examination of His Memory Power.
 The standards of Scholars
• Ali b Madini
• Wakea b Jarrah
• Imam Abu Dawood
• Zaid b Abi Unaisa
 2. Constancy of the Chain of the Narrators
• Even if all the narrators of a chain found to be reliable, it’s not
enough to hold that the tradition is authentic. It must be
proved that the chain is unbroken & no narrator has been
missed at any stage.
• To ensure the constancy of the chain, it’s necessary to know
about each narrator, whether it is possible for him historically
to meet the person from whom he claims to hear that
tradition.
• They often try to fix the time span for the Narrators e.g.
Abtdullah ibn Lahi’ah (a well known Egyptian scholar) used to
narrate from his written book. At a particular time, his house
was burnt by fire. So, some scholars decided that his narrations
before the incident are reliable but those narrated after it not
worthy of trust. So, his early pupils like Abdullah b wahb
acceptable and other not.
 3. Comparison with other Narrations
• If it is found that the majority of the reliable reporters narrate
the Hadith in a particular way, but one of them reports it in a
version substantially differ from that of the others, his report is
called to be a ‫ااااااذ‬
‫( ش‬rare) Version.
 4. General Analysis of the Tradition
• In this scrutiny the tradition is analyzed in the light of other
revealed material available on the subject. The tradition is
examined from different angles: whether the reported saying or
event is at all possible; whether the reported event conforms to
all the established historical events; whether it’s text can be
held as truly attributed to the holy prophet (SAW); Whether the
chain of narrators is genuine etc.
(If a doubt appear to the scholar about authenticity, he points out
it as illah (defect) & this not held as Sahih)
 Rijal al-Hadith (The Study Of The Reporters Of Hadith)
• Mustalah al-Hadith is strongly associated with Rijal al-Hadith (the
study of the reporters of hadith). In scrutinising the reporters of
a hadith, authenticating or disparaging remarks made by
recognised experts, from amongst the Successors and those after
them, were found to be of great help. Examples of such remarks, in
descending order of authentication, are:
• "Imam (leader), Hafiz (preserver)."
• "Reliable, trustworthy."
• "Makes mistakes."
• "Weak."
• "Abandoned (by the traditionists)."
• Reporters who have been unanimously described by statements such as
the first two may contribute to a Sahih ("sound", see later) isnad. An
isnad containing a reporter who is described by the last two statements
is likely to be Da`if jiddan (very weak) or Maudu` (fabricated). Reporters
who are the subject of statements such as the middle two above will
cause the isnad to be Da`if (weak), although several of them relating the
same hadith independently will often increase the rank of the hadith to
the level of Hasan (good). If the remarks about a particular reporter
conflict, a careful verdict has to be arrived at after in-depth analysis of
e.g., the reason given for any disparagement, the weight of each type of
criticism, the relative strictness or leniency of each critic, etc.
• The earliest remarks cited in the books of Rijal go back to a host of
Successors, followed by those after them until the period of the six
canonical traditionists, a period covering the first three centuries of
Islam.
The Classification Of Hadith: According To The Links In The isnad

• Musnad
• Al-Hakim defines a Musnad ("supported") hadith as follows: "A hadith
which a traditionist reports from his shaikh from whom he is known to
have heard (ahadith) at a time of life suitable for learning, and similarly in
turn for each shaikh, until the isnad reaches a well- known Companion,
who in turn reports from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace)."
• By this definition, an ordinary Muttasil hadith (i.e. one with an
uninterrupted isnad) is excluded if it goes back only to a Companion or
Successor, as is a Marfu` hadith which has an interrupted isnad.
• Al-Hakim gives the following example of a Musnad hadith: We reported from Abu `Amr `Uthman b.
Ahmad al-Sammak al-Baghdadi === Al-Hasan b. Mukarram === `Uthman b. `Amr === Yunus --- al-
Zuhri --- `Abdullah b. Ka`b b. Malik --- his father, who asked Ibn Abi Hadrad for payment of a debt
he owed to him, in the mosque. During the ensuing argument, their voices were raised until heard
by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who eventually lifted the
curtain of his apartment and said, "O Ka`b! Write off a part of your debt" - he meant remission of
half of it. So he agreed, and the man paid him.
• He then remarks,
• "Now, my hearing from Ibn al-Simak is well- known, as is his from Ibn Mukarram; al- Hasan's link
with `Uthman b. `Amr and the latter's with Yunus b. Zaid are known as well; Yunus is always
remembered with al-Zuhri, and the latter with the sons of Ka`b b. Malik, whose link to their father
and his companionship of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) are well-
established."
• The term Musnad is also applied to those collections of ahadith which give the ahadith of each
Companion separately. Among the early compilers of such a Musnad were Yahya b. `Abd al-Hamid
al-Himmani (d. 228) at Kufah and Musaddad b. Musarhad (d. 228) at Basrah. The largest existing
collection of ahadith of Companions arranged in this manner is that of Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal (d.
241), which contains around thirty thousand ahadith. Another larger work is attributed to the
• Mursal, Munqati`, Mu`dal, & Mu`allaq
• If the link between the Successor and the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) is missing, the hadith is Mursal ("hurried"),
e.g. when a Successor says, "The Prophet said ...".
• However, if a link anywhere before the Successor (i.e. closer to the
traditionist recording the hadith) is missing, the hadith
is Munqati` ("broken"). This applies even if there is an apparent link,
e.g., an isnad seems to be Muttasil ("continuous") but one of the
reporters is known to have never heard ahadith from his immediate
authority, even though he may be his contemporary. The
term Munqati` is also applied by some scholars to a narration such as
where a reporter says, "a man narrated to me ...", without naming
this authority.
• If the number of consecutive missing reporters in the isnad exceeds one, the isnad
is Mu`dal ("perplexing"). If the reporter omits the whole isnad and quotes the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, directly (i.e., the link is missing at the
beginning, unlike the case with a Mursal isnad), the hadith is called Mu`allaq ("hanging")
- sometimes it is known as balaghah ("to reach"); for example, Imam Malik sometimes
says in Al-Muwata', "It reached me that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) said ..."
• Example of a Munqati` hadith
• Al-Hakim reported from Muhammad b. Mus`ab === al-Auza'i --- Shaddad Abu 'Ammar ---
Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith, who said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) and said, "I have seen in a vision last night as if a part of your
body was cut out and placed in my lap." He said, "You have seen something good. Allah
Willing, Fatimah will give birth to a lad who will be in your lap." After that, Fatimah gave
birth to al-Husain, who used to be in my lap, in accordance with the statement of the
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). One day, I came to the
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and placed al-Husain in
his lap. I noticed that both his eyes were shedding tears. He said, "Jibril came to me and
• Al-Hakim said, "This is a Sahih hadith according to the conditions of the Two Shaykhs
(i.e. al-Bukhari & Muslim), but they did not collect it." Al-Dhahabi says, "No,
the hadith is Munqati` and Da`if, because Shaddad never met Umm al-Fadl and
Muhammad b. Mus`ab is weak."
• Example of a Mu`dal hadith
• Ibn Abi Hatim === Ja`far b. Ahmad b. al-Hakam al-Qurashi in the year 254 ===
Sulaiman b. Mansur b. 'Ammar === `Ali b. `Asim --- Sa`id --- Qatadah --- Ubayy b.
Ka`b, who reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) said, "After Adam had tasted from the tree, he ran away, but the tree caught
his hair. It was proclaimed: O Adam! Are you running away from Me? He said: No, but
I feel ashamed before You. He said: O Adam! Go away from My neighbourhood, for
By My Honour, no-one who disobeys Me can live here near Me; even if I were to
create people like you numbering enough to fill the earth and they were to disobey
Me, I would make them live in a home of sinners."
• Ibn Kathir remarks, "This is a Gharib hadith. There is inqita', in fact i'dal, between
• Authenticity of the Mursal hadith
• There has been a great deal of discussion amongst the scholars
regarding the authenticity of the Mursal hadith (pl. Marasil), since it
is quite probable that a Successor might have omitted two names,
those of an elder Successor and a Companion, rather than just one
name, that of a Companion.
• If the Successor is known to have omitted the name of a Companion
only, then the hadith is held to be authentic, for a Successor can only
report from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
through a Companion; the omission of the name of the Companion
does not affect the authenticity of the isnad since all Companions are
held to be trustworthy and reliable, by both Qur'anic injunctions and
sayings of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
• However, opinions vary in the case where the Successor might have
omitted the names of two authorities (since not all the Successors
were reliable in matters of Hadith). For example, two widely-differing
positions on this issue are:
• the Marasil of elder Successors such as Sa`id b. al-Musayyab (d. 94)
and `Ata' b. Abi Rabah (d. 114) are acceptable because all
their Marasil, after investigation, are found to come through the
Companions only. However, the Marasil of younger Successors are
only acceptable if the names of their immediate authorities are known
through other sources; if not, they are rejected outright.
• the Marasil of Successors and those who report from them are
acceptable without any investigation at all. This opinion is supported
by the Kufi school of traditionists, but is severely attacked by the
majority.
 According To The Number Of Reporters Involved In Each Stage Of The isnad

• Mutawatir & Ahad
• Depending on the number of the reporters of the hadith in each stage of the isnad, i.e. in each
generation of reporters, it can be classified into the general categories of Mutawatir ("consecutive")
or Ahad("single") hadith. A Mutawatir hadith is one which is reported by such a large number of
people that they cannot be expected to agree upon a lie, all of them together.
• Al-Ghazali (d. 505) stipulates that a Mutawatir narration be known by the sizeable number of its
reporters equally in the beginning, in the middle and at the end. He is correct in this stipulation
because some narrations or ideas, although known as Mutawatir among some people, whether
Muslims or non-Muslims, originally have no tawatur. There is no precise definition for a "large
number of reporters"; although the numbers four, five, seven, ten, twelve, forty and seventy, among
others, have all been variously suggested as a minimum, the exact number is irrelevant (some
reporters, e.g. Imams of Hadith, carry more weight anyway than others who are their
contemporaries): the important condition is that the possibility of coincidence or "organised
falsehood" be obviously negligible.
• Examples of Mutawatir practices are the five daily prayers, fasting, zakat,
the Hajj and recitation of the Qur'an. Among the
verbal Mutawatir ahadith, the following has been reported by at least
sixty-two Companions from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace), and has been widely-known amongst the Muslims throughout
the ages: "Whoever invents a lie and attributes it to me intentionally, let
him prepare his seat in the Fire."
• Ahadith related to the description of the Haud Kauthar (the Basin of
Abundant Goodness) in the Hereafter, raising the hands at certain
postures during prayer, rubbing wet hands on the leather socks during
ablution, revelation of the Qur'an in seven modes, and the prohibition of
every intoxicant are further examples of verbal Mutawatir ahadith.
• A hadith ahad or khabar wahid is one which is narrated by people whose
number does not reach that of the Mutawatir case. Ahad is further
• Gharib, `Aziz & Mash'hur
• A hadith is termed Gharib ("scarce, strange") when only a single reporter is found
relating it at some stage of the isnad. For example, the saying of the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace),
• "Travel is a piece of punishment" is Gharib; the isnad of this hadith contains only
one reporter in each stage: Malik --- Yahya b. Abi Salih --- Abu Hurairah --- the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). With regard to its isnad,
this hadith is Sahih, although most Gharib ahadith are weak; Ahmad b. Hanbal
said, "Do not write these Gharib ahadith because they are unacceptable, and most
of them are weak."
• A type of hadith similar to Gharib is fard ("solitary"); it is known in three ways:
• similar to Gharib, i.e., a single person is found reporting it from a well-known
Imam;
• the people of one locality only are known to narrate the hadith;
• narrators from one locality report the hadith from narrators of another locality,
• If at any stage in the isnad, only two reporters are found to narrate the hadith, it is termed `Aziz ("rare,
strong"). For example, Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) said, "None of you (truly) believes until I become more beloved to him than his father, his son,
and all the people."
• Two reporters, Qatadah and `Abdul `Aziz b. Shu'aib, report this hadith from Anas, and two more
reporters narrate from each of them: Shu'bah and Sa`id report from Qatada, and Isma`il b. Ulayyah
and `Abd al-Warith from `Abd al-`Aziz; then a group of people report from each of them.
• A hadith which is reported by more than two reporters is known as Mash'hur ("famous"). According to
some scholars, every narrative which comes to be known widely, whether or not it has an authentic
origin, is called Mash'hur. A Mash'hur hadith might be reported by only one or two reporters in the
beginnning but become widely-known later, unlike Gharib or `Aziz, which are reported by one or two
reporters in the beginning and continue to have the same number even in the times of the Successors
and those after them. For example, if only one or two reporters are found narrating hadith from a
reliable authority in hadith such as al-Zuhri and Qatadah, the hadith will remain either Gharib or `Aziz.
On the other hand, if a group of people narrate from them, it will be known as Mash'hur.
• According to al-'Ala'i (Abu Sa`id Khalil Salah al-Din, d. 761), a hadith may be known
as `Aziz and Mash'hur at the same time. By this he means a hadith which is left with only two reporters
in its isnad at any stage while it enjoys a host of reporters in other stages, such as the saying of the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), "We are the last but (will be) the foremost on the
Day of Resurrection." This hadith is `Aziz in its first stage, as it is reported by Hudhaifah b. al-Yaman and
• 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
• 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.
• The following grading is given for Sahih ahadith only:
• 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:
• political differences;
• factions based on issues of creed;
• fabrications by zanadiqah (enemies-within spreading heretical beliefs);
• fabrications by story-tellers;
• fabrications by ignorant ascetics;
• prejudice in favour of town, race or a particular imam;
• inventions for personal motives;
• proverbs turned into ahadith.
• Similar to the last category above is the case of Isra'iliyat ("Israelite traditions"), narrations
from the Jews and the Christians which were wrongly attributed to the Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace).
• The great scholars and legislators of the ummah dedicated their entire
lives to acquiring the knowledge of hadeeth. They used to travel
thousands of miles just to learn one hadeeth. Nothing would deter or
hinder them from their search for hadeeth they would even narrate
hadeeth from their own students. These scholars memorized and
compiled books of hadeeth and established an entire science around
hadeeth and the biography of narrators (‘ilm-ur-rijaal: “the study of
men”). In order to fully understand the greatness of their achievement
and its value for Islam, one only has to consider what would be the state
of the ummah if such narrations had not been collected and preserved-
what a great foundation of the deen would have been missing.
• “He it is Who has sent among the unlettered nations a prophet from among
themselves, who recites His signs to them and purifies them, and teaches them the
Book and Wisdom, even though they were, before that, in manifest Error. And also to
others after them who have not yet joined them…” (Surah Jumu’ah, Ayah 2)
From this verse it is clear that the Prophet ( ) was sent not only to teach the
Qur’aan to the Sahaabah ( ) but also for those Muslims who would come after
them. Thus, it cannot be argued except that just as the Prophet ( ) was a
guidance and example for the Sahaabah, so he is for all the Muslims up till the Last
Day. If this were not the case, then there is no other way that prophecy of the verse
above would be fulfilled.
Just think for yourself, that if one only tried to follow the Qur’aan, then how would
one determine that the word salaah refers to that procedure that is familiar to all
Muslims from the time the adhaan is given until the imaam says the salaam. Similarly,
words like Hajj, Zakaat are only mentioned briefly in the Qur’aan to establish their
performance. How else, other than the hadeeth, can one determine the detailed rulings,
procedures and etiquettes of these and all other actions in the life of a Muslim?
The complete understanding of the rulings of Qur’aan is only gained through the
guidance of the Prophet ( ).
Science of Hadith
Introduction
Introduction

• Muslims are agreed that the sunnah of the Prophet

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the second of the
two revealed fundamental sources of Islam.
• During the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) and after his death , his companions used to
refer to him directly, when quoting his sayings.
Introduction

• The next generation to Tabi’een (successors) used to

follow their steps and quote the Prophet (peace be upon
him ) directly, while others would still mention the link. (
he is usually a Sahabi or senior Tabi’ee)
• After the fitnah (civil war) happened , some sects
appeared within the Muslim nation.
Introduction

• Various groups supported their views by fabricating

some ahadeeth.
• The need for verification of each Hadith arose.
• Imam Malik (d.179) said : “ The first one to utilize the
Isnad/sanad was Ibn Shihab Alzuhri (d.124)
Introduction

• A hadith is composed of two parts: the

matn (text) and the isnad / sanad ( chain of
reporters)
• A text may seem to be logical and
reasonable but needs an authentic isnad
with reliable reporters to be acceptable.
Introduction

• Imam Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak

(d.181).H said: “The isnad is part of the
religion, had it not been for the isnad,
whoever wished to, would have said what
ever he likes.”
Introduction

• Ibn Sireen (d.110) said:” They would not

ask about the isnad, but when the fitnah
happened they said: Name to us your men.
So the narrations of Ahla-alsunnah would
be accepted, while those of Ahl-albida’h
would not be accepted.”
A brief history
of Mustalah al-
Hadith
A brief history of Mustalah al-Hadith

• As time passed, more reporters were involved in each

isnad / sanad.

• The situation demanded strict discipline in the

acceptance of Ahadith.

• The set of rules governing this area of knowledge is

called “Mustalah al-Hadith.”
A brief history of Mustalah al-Hadith

• Among the early writing about these rules,

the work of Al-Imam Ashafie (d.204) in his
book called Al-Risalah, Imam Muslim
(d.261) in his introduction to his sahih and
the notes found in Jami Atthirmithi (d.279)
A brief history of Mustalah al-
Hadith
• Then came Ibn salaah (d.643) with his
famous work ‫ث‬
” ‫“ع لوم ااالحدي‬
“ the science of Hadith” commonly known
as Muqadimah Ibn al-salah, it contained
series of lessons taught by Ibn Alsalah in
Al-Ashrafiyah School in Damascus.
‫]‪The obedience of Rasulullah [s.a.w‬‬
‫‪ ‬عوعما ا عاذرعسلذنعاَ لمذن لريسذولل لالل لييعطاَعع ل لبذذلن ا ل لل ‪Al-Nisa 4:64‬‬
‫‪ ‬عالن اذعيبيدوا ا ل عل عوات ليقذويه عوعالطذييعذولن ‪Nuh 71:2‬‬
‫‪ ‬ل ا عيي يعھاَ ا ل للذيعن لاعمني ذ اوا عالطذييعوا ا ل عل عوعريسذو ع لل عوعل تععول لذوا ععذنيه عوعانذ ذيت ت عذسعميعذوعن ‪Al-anfal 8:20‬‬
‫‪‬قيذل عالطذييعوا ا ل عل عوعالطذييعوا اللريسذوعل َ فعلاَذن تععول لذوا فعلاَن لعماَ ععلعذيله عماَ ي لحعل عوععلعذي ي ذك لماَ ي لحلذ ذيت عولاذن تيلطذييعذويه‬
‫ذعتعتيدذوا عوعماَ عععل اللريسذولل لالل الذعبلليغ الذيملب ذ يي ‪al-noor 24:54‬‬
‫‪‬عمذن ي يلطع ل اللريسذوعل فععقذد عاعطاَعع ا ل عل َ ‪al-Nisa 4:80‬‬
• During the lifetime of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) and after his death, his Companions (Sahabah) used to
refer to him directly, when quoting his sayings. The Successors
(Tabi`un) followed suit; some of them used to quote the Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) through the Companions
while others would omit the intermediate authority - such a hadith
was later known as Mursal. It was found that the missing link
between the Successor and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) might be one person, i.e. a Companion, or two
people, the extra person being an older Successor who heard
the hadith from the Companion. This is an example of how the need
for the verification of each isnad arose; Imam Malik (d. 179) said,
"The first one to utilise the isnad was Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri" (d. 124).
• The other more important reason was the deliberate
fabrication of ahadith by various sects which appeared
amongst the Muslims, in order to support their views (see
later, under discussion of Maudu`ahadith). Ibn Sirin (d. 110), a
Successor, said, "They would not ask about the isnad. But when
the fitnah (trouble, turmoil, esp. civil war) happened, they said:
Name to us your men. So the narrations of the Ahl al-
Sunnah (Adherents to the Sunnah) would be accepted, while
those of the Ahl al-Bid`ah (Adherents to Innovation) would not
be accepted.
• One of the earliest writings to attempt to cover Mustalah comprehensively, using standard
(i.e. generally-accepted) terminology, was the work by al-Ramahurmuzi (d. 360). The next
major contribution was Ma'rifah `Ulum al-Hadith by al-Hakim (d. 405), which covered fifty
classifications of Hadith, but still left some points untouched; Abu Nu'aim al-Isbahani (d. 430)
completed some of the missing parts to this work. After that came Al-Kifayah fi `Ilm al-
Riwayah of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463) and another work on the manner of teaching and
studying Hadith; later scholars were considered to be greatly indebted to al-Khatib's work.
• After further contributions by Qadi 'Iyad al-Yahsubi (d. 544) and Abu Hafs al-Mayanji (d. 580)
among others, came the work which, although modest in size, was so comprehensive in its
excellent treatment of the subject that it came to be the standard reference for thousands of
scholars and students of Hadith to come, over many centuries until the present day: `Ulum
al- Hadith of Abu `Amr `Uthman Ibn al-Salah (d. 643), commonly known as Muqaddimah Ibn
al-Salah, compiled while he taught in the Dar al-Hadith of several cities in Syria.