Hadith terminology ( ar, مصطلح الحديث, muṣṭalaḥu l-ḥadīth) is the body of terminology in
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
which specifies the acceptability of the sayings (''
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
'') attributed to the
Islamic prophet
Prophets in Islam ( ar, الأنبياء في الإسلام, translit=al-ʾAnbiyāʾ fī al-ʾIslām) are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God in Islam, God's message on Earth and to serve as models of ideal human behaviour. So ...
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
by other early Islamic figures of significance such as the companions and followers/ successors. Individual terms distinguish between those ''hadith'' considered rightfully attributed to their source or detail the faults of those of dubious
provenance
Provenance (from the French ''provenir'', 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody or location of a historical object. The term was originally mostly used in relation to works of art but is now used in similar senses i ...
. Formally, it has been defined by
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī or ''Ibn Ḥajar'' ( ar, ابن حجر العسقلاني, full name: ''Shihābud-Dīn Abul-Faḍl Aḥmad ibn Nūrud-Dīn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī al-Kināni'') (18 February 1372 – 2 Febru ...
as: "knowledge of the principles by which the condition of the narrator and the narrated are determined."
This page comprises the primary terminology used within
hadith studies
Hadith studies ( ar, علم الحديث ''ʻilm al-ḥadīth'' "science of hadith", also science of hadith, or science of hadith criticism or hadith criticism)
consists of several religious scholarly disciplines used by Muslim scholars in th ...
.
Classification of Hadith
Terminology pertaining to a narration's origin
Different terms are used for the origin of a narration. These terms specify whether a narration is attributed to Muhammad, a companion, a successor or a latter historical figure.
Marfūʿ
Ibn al-Salah
Abū ‘Amr ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Abd il-Raḥmān Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Kurdī al-Shahrazūrī () (c. 1181 CE/577 AH – 1245/643), commonly known as Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ, was a Kurdish Shafi'i hadith specialist and the author of the seminal ''Introdu ...
said: "''Marfūʿ'' ( ar, , ) refers to a narration attributed specifically to the Prophet
uhammad This term does not refer to other than him unless otherwise specified. The category of ''marfuʻ'' is inclusive of narrations attributed to the Prophet regardless of their being ''muttasil'', ''munqatiʻ'' or ''mursal'' among other categories."
[''Muqadimah Ibn al-Salah'', by Ibn al-Salah, along with ''Muhasin al-Istilah'' by al-Bulqini, edited by 'Aishah bint 'Abd al-Rahman, pg. 193-5, ''Dar al-Ma'arif'', Cairo.]
''Mawquf''
According to Ibn al-Salah, "''Mawquf'' ( ar, , ) refers to a narration attributed to a companion, whether a statement of that companion, an action or otherwise."
''Maqtu‘''
Ibn al-Salah defined ''maqtu‘'' (, ) as a narration attributed to a
Tabi‘i (a successor of one of Muhammad's companions), whether it is a statement of that successor, an action or otherwise. In spite of the linguistic similarity, it is distinct from ''munqatiʻ''.
Terminology relating to the number of narrators in an ''isnad''
In ''hadith'' terminology, a ''hadith'' is divided into two categories based, essentially, upon the number of narrators mentioned at each level in a particular ''isnād''. Consideration is given to the fewest narrators at any level of the chain of narration; thus if ten narrators convey a ''hadith'' from two others who have conveyed it from ten, it is considered ''
ʻaziz'', not ''
mashhur''.
[''Nuzhah al-Nathar'', by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, printed with: ''Al-Nukat Ala Nuzhah al-Nathr'', pgs. 51–70, by Ali ibn Hasan ibn Ali, ''Dar Ibn al-Jawzi'', Dammam, Saudi Arabia, sixth edition, 1422.]
''Mutawatir''
The first category is ''mutawatir'' (, ; successive) narration. A successive narration is one conveyed by narrators so numerous that it is not conceivable that they have agreed upon an untruth thus being accepted as unquestionable in its veracity. The number of narrators is unspecified in its maximum but in the minimum it is not less than 3 ( or 5 in some scholars opinions).
A ''hadith'' is said to be ''mutawatir'' if it was reported by a significant, though unspecified, number of narrators at each level in the chain of narration, thus reaching the succeeding generation through multiple chains of narration leading back to its source. This provides confirmation that the ''hadith'' is authentically attributed to its source at a level above reasonable doubt. This is due to its being beyond historical possibility that narrators could have conspired to forge a narration. In contrast, an ''ahaad hadith'' is a narration the chain of which has not reached a number sufficient to qualify as ''mutawatir''.
Types of ''mutawatir''
''Hadiths'' can be ''mutawatir'' in both actual text and meaning:
; ''Mutawatir'' in wording (Mutawatir al-Lafzi)
: 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.
: For example: "
uhammad said:Whoever intentionally attributes a lie against me, should prepare his seat in the Fire." This is a ''mutawatir hadith'' in its wordings because it has a minimum of seventy-four narrators. In other words, seventy-four companions of Muhammad have reported this ''hadith'' at different occasions, all with the same words. The number of those who received this ''hadith'' from the Companions is many times greater, because each of the seventy four Companions has conveyed it to a number of his students. Thus the total number of narrators of this ''hadith'' has been increasing in each successive generation and has never been less than seventy-four. All these narrators who now are hundreds in number, report it in the same words without even a minor change. This ''hadith'' is therefore mutawatir in its wording, because it cannot be imagined reasonably that such a large number of people have colluded to coin a fallacious sentence in order to attribute it to Muhammad.
; ''Mutwatir'' in meaning (Mutawatir al-Ma'Nawi)
: A ''hadith'' which is not reported by
multiple narrators using 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 reports. This common concept is also ranked as a ''mutawatir'' concept.
: For example: It is reported by such a large number of narrators that Muhammad enjoined Muslims to perform two ''
ra'kat'' in
Fajr, four ra'kat in
Dhuhr
The Zuhr prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلظُّهْر ', "noon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Zuhr prayer is technically the fourth prayer of the day.Asr
The Asr prayer ( ar, صلاة العصر ', "afternoon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Asr prayer is technically the fifth prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it is ...
and
Esha Esha is a feminine given name, popular in the Hindu religion, alternate spelling of Isha. Esha/ Isha means desire or pleasure and is one of the names of Hindu goddess Parvati/ Durga.
Esha is a feminine given name, popular in the Muslim religion, w ...
and three ra'kat in the Maghrib prayer, yet the narrations of all the reporters who reported the number of ra'kat are not in the same words. Their words are different and even the events reported by them are different. But the common feature of all the reports is the same: the exact number of ra'kat. The ''hadith'' is thus said to be ''mutawatir'' in meaning.
''Ahaad''
The second category, ''ahaad'' (, ; singular) narration, refers to any ''hadith'' not classified as ''mutawatir''. Linguistically, ''hadith ahad'' refers to a ''hadith'' narrated by only one narrator. In ''hadith'' terminology, it refers to a ''hadith'' not fulfilling all of the conditions necessary to be deemed ''mutawatir''.
''Hadith ahad'' consists of three sub-classifications also relating to the number of narrators in the chain or chains of narration:
''Mashhur''
The first category is ''mashhur'' (, ; famous). This refers to ''hadith'' conveyed by three or more narrators but not considered ''mutawatir''.
''ʻAziz''
An ''ʻaziz'' (, ) ''hadith'' is any ''hadith'' conveyed by two narrators at every point in its ''isnād'' (chain of narrators).
''Gharib''
A ''gharib'' (, ) ''hadith'' is one conveyed by only one narrator.
Al-Tirmidhi
Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā as-Sulamī aḍ-Ḍarīr al-Būghī at-Tirmidhī ( ar, أبو عيسى محمد بن عيسى السلمي الضرير البوغي الترمذي; fa, , ''Termezī''; 824 – 9 October 892 CE / 209 - 2 ...
's understanding of a ''gharib hadith'', concurs to a certain extent with that of the other traditionists. According to him a ''hadith'' may be classified as ''gharib'' for one of the following three reasons:
# Firstly, a ''hadith'' may be classified as ''gharib'' since it is narrated from one chain only. Al-Tirmidhi mentions as an example a tradition from
Hammad ibn Salamah
Abu Salma Hammad ibn Salamah ibn Dinar al-Basri ( ar, حماد بن سلمة بن دينار البصري; died 167 AH/783 CE), the son of Salamah ibn Dinar, was a prominent narrator of hadith and one of the earliest grammarians of the Arabic lan ...
from Abu 'Usharai on the authority of his father who enquired from the Prophet whether the slaughtering of an animal is confined to the gullet and throat. The Prophet replied that stabbing the thigh will also suffice.
# Secondly, a tradition can be classified as ''gharib'' due to an addition in the text, though it will be considered a sound tradition, if that addition is reported by a reliable reporter. The example cited by al-Tirmidhi is a tradition narrated through the chain of
Malik
Malik, Mallik, Melik, Malka, Malek, Maleek, Malick, Mallick, or Melekh ( phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤊; ar, ملك; he, מֶלֶךְ) is the Semitic term translating to "king", recorded in East Semitic and Arabic, and as mlk in Northwest Semitic duri ...
(died 179
AH) from Nafi' (died 117 AH) on the authority of Ibn 'Umar (died 73 AH) who stated that the Prophet declared alms-giving at the end of
Ramadan
, type = islam
, longtype = Religious
, image = Ramadan montage.jpg
, caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
obligatory upon every
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, male or female, whether a free person or slave from the Muslims. However, this tradition has also been narrated by Ayyub Sakhtiyani and
'Ubaid Allah ibn 'Umar, without the addition "from the Muslims", hence the above-mentioned example due to the addition of "from the Muslims" in the text is classified as ''gharib''.
# Thirdly, a tradition may be declared ''gharib'' since it is narrated through various chains of transmitters but having within one of its chains an addition in the ''isnād''.
Impact on Islamic law
There are differing views as to the level of knowledge achieved by each of the two primary categories ''mutawatir'' and ''ahaad''. One view, expressed by
Ibn Hajar and others, is that a ''hadith mutawatir'' achieves certain knowledge, while ''ahad hadith'', unless otherwise corroborated, yields speculative knowledge upon which action is not mandated.
A second view, held by
Dawud al-Zahiri
Dāwūd bin ʿAlī bin Khalaf al-Ẓāhirī ( ar, داود بن علي بن خلف الظاهري) (c. 815–883/4 CE, 199-269/270 AH) was a Persian Muslim scholar, jurist, and theologian during the Islamic Golden Age, specialized in the stud ...
,
Ibn Hazm
Abū Muḥammad ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd ibn Ḥazm ( ar, أبو محمد علي بن احمد بن سعيد بن حزم; also sometimes known as al-Andalusī aẓ-Ẓāhirī; 7 November 994 – 15 August 1064Ibn Hazm. ' (Preface). Tr ...
and othersand, reportedly, the position of
Malik ibn Anas
Malik ibn Anas ( ar, مَالِك بن أَنَس, 711–795 CE / 93–179 AH), whose full name is Mālik bin Anas bin Mālik bin Abī ʿĀmir bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith bin Ghaymān bin Khuthayn bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith al-Aṣbaḥī ...
is that ''hadith ahad'' achieves certain knowledge as well. According to Ibn Hazm, narration conveyed by a single, upright narrator conveying from another of a similar description until reaching the Prophet mandates both knowledge and action."
Terminology relating to the authenticity of a ''hadith''
Ibn al-Salah
Abū ‘Amr ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Abd il-Raḥmān Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Kurdī al-Shahrazūrī () (c. 1181 CE/577 AH – 1245/643), commonly known as Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ, was a Kurdish Shafi'i hadith specialist and the author of the seminal ''Introdu ...
said,
"''Hadith'', in the view of scholars of this discipline, fall into the divisions of 'sound' (''ṣaḥīḥ''), 'fair' (''ḥasan''), and 'weak' (''ḍaʻīf'')." While these divisions are further broken down into sub-categories each with their own terminology, the final outcome is essentially to determine whether a particular ''hadith'' is ''ṣaḥīḥ'' or ''ḍaʻīf''.
The individual terms are numerous, with
Ibn al-Salah
Abū ‘Amr ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Abd il-Raḥmān Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Kurdī al-Shahrazūrī () (c. 1181 CE/577 AH – 1245/643), commonly known as Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ, was a Kurdish Shafi'i hadith specialist and the author of the seminal ''Introdu ...
including sixty-five in his ''
Introduction to the Science of Hadith
''(Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ's) Introduction to the Science of Hadith'' ( ar-at, مقدمة ابن الصلاح في علوم الحديث, Muqaddimah ibn al-Ṣalāḥ fī ‘Ulūm al-Ḥadīth) is a 13th-century book written by `Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ` ...
'' and then commenting: "This is the end of them, but not the end of what is possible, as this is subject to further particularization to an innumerable extent." Al-Bulqini commented on this by saying, "We have added five more categories, making it seventy." Ibn al-Mulaqqin counted the various types as being "more than eighty" and
al-Suyuti
Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti ( ar, جلال الدين السيوطي, Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī) ( 1445–1505 CE),; (Brill 2nd) or Al-Suyuti, was an Arab Egyptian polymath, Islamic scholar, historian, Sufi, and jurist. From a family of Persian or ...
included ninety-three in ''Tadrib al-Rawi''. Muḥammad al-Ḥāzimī acknowledged the numerous terms, reaching almost 100 by his own count, saying: "Be aware that the science of ''hadith'' consists of numerous types reaching almost a hundred. Each type is an independent discipline in and of itself and were a student to devote his life to them he would not reach their end."
''Ṣaḥīḥ''
''Sahih'' ( ar, , ) may be translated as "
authentic
Authenticity or authentic may refer to:
* Authentication, the act of confirming the truth of an attribute
Arts and entertainment
* Authenticity in art, ways in which a work of art or an artistic performance may be considered authentic
Music
* A ...
" or "sound."
Ibn Hajar defines a ''hadith'' that is ' ("''ṣaḥīḥ'' in and of itself") as a singular narration (''ahaad''; see
below
Below may refer to:
*Earth
*Ground (disambiguation)
*Soil
*Floor
*Bottom (disambiguation)
Bottom may refer to:
Anatomy and sex
* Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or ...
) conveyed by a trustworthy, completely competent person, either in his ability to memorize or to preserve what he wrote, with a ''
muttaṣil'' ("connected") ''
isnād'' ("chain of narration") that contains neither a serious concealed flaw (''ʻillah,'' Arabic:علة) nor irregularity (''shādhdh''). He then defines a ''hadith'' that is ''ṣaḥīḥ lighairihi'' ("''ṣaḥīḥ'' due to external factors") as a ''hadith'' "with something, such as numerous chains of narration, strengthening it."
Ibn Hajar's definitions indicate that there are five conditions to be met for a particular ''hadith'' to be considered ''ṣaḥīḥ'':
# Each narrator in the
chain of narration must be trustworthy;
# Each narrator must be reliable in his ability to ''preserve'' that narration, be it in his ability to memorize to the extent that he can recall it as he heard it, or, that he has written it as he heard it and has preserved that written document unchanged;
# The ''isnād'' must be connected (''muttasil'') insofar as it is at least possible for each narrator in the chain to have received the ''hadith'' from a predecessor;
# The ''hadith'', including its ''isnād'', is free of ''ʻillah'' (hidden detrimental flaw or flaws, e.g. the establishment that two narrators, although contemporaries, could not have shared the ''hadith'', thereby breaking the ''isnād''.)
# The ''hadith'' is free of irregularity, meaning that it does not contradict another ''hadith'' already established (accepted).
A number of books were authored in which the author stipulated the inclusion of ''ṣaḥīḥ hadith'' alone.
According to
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...
, which reflects the beliefs followed by 80–90% of adherents of Islam worldwide,
this was only achieved by the first two books in the following list:
# ''
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī''. Considered the most authentic book after the Quran.
# ''
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim''. Considered the next most authentic book after Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.
# ''
Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Khuzaymah''.
Al-Suyuti
Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti ( ar, جلال الدين السيوطي, Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī) ( 1445–1505 CE),; (Brill 2nd) or Al-Suyuti, was an Arab Egyptian polymath, Islamic scholar, historian, Sufi, and jurist. From a family of Persian or ...
was of the opinion that ''Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah'' was at a higher level of authenticity than ''Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān''.
[''Tadrib al-Rawi'', vol. 1, pg. 148, ''Dar al-'Asimah'', Riyadh, first edition, 2003.]
# ''
Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān''. Al-Suyuti also concluded that ''Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān'' was more authentic than ''Al-Mustadrak alaa al-Ṣaḥīḥain''.
# ''
al-Mustadrak ʻalā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn'', by
Hakim al-Nishaburi
Abu Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah al-Hakim al-Nishapuri ( fa, أبو عبدالله محمد بن عبدالله الحاكم النيسابوري; 933 - 1014 CE), also known as ''Ibn al-Bayyiʿ'', was a Persian Sunni scholar and the leadin ...
.
# ''Al-Āhādith al-Jiyād al-Mukhtārah min mā laysa fī Ṣaḥīḥain'' by
Ḍiyāʼ al-Dīn al-Maqdisī, authenticity considered.
Different branches of Islam refer to different collections of hadiths or give preference to different ones.
''Ḥasan''
''Ḥasan'' ( meaning "good") is used to describe ''hadith'' whose authenticity is not as well-established as that of ''ṣaḥīḥ hadith'', but sufficient for use as supporting evidence.
Ibn Hajar defines a ''hadith'' that is ''ḥasan lithatihi''"''ḥasan'' in and of itself"with the same definition a ''ṣaḥīḥ hadith'' except that the competence of one of its narrators is less than complete; while a ''hadith'' that is ''ḥasan ligharihi'' ("ḥasan due to external factors") is determined to be ''ḥasan'' due to corroborating factors such as numerous chains of narration. He states that it is then comparable to a ''ṣaḥīḥ hadith'' in its religious authority. A ''ḥasan hadith'' may rise to the level of being ''ṣaḥīḥ'' if it is supported by numerous ''isnād'' (chains of narration); in this case that ''hadith'' would be ''ḥasan lithatihi'' ("''ḥasan'' in and of itself") but, once coupled with other supporting chains, becomes ''ṣaḥīḥ ligharihi'' ("''ṣaḥīḥ'' due to external factors").
Related terms
''Musnad''
The early scholar of ''hadith'',
Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Hakim, defines a ''musnad'' (, ; supported) ''hadith'' as:
=''Musnad'' format of ''hadith'' collection
=
A ''musnad hadith'' should not be confused with the type of ''hadith'' collection similarly termed ''musannaf'', which is arranged according to the name of the companion narrating each ''hadith''. For example, a ''musnad'' might begin by listing a number of the ''hadith'', complete with their respective ''sanads'', of
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr Abdallah ibn Uthman Abi Quhafa (; – 23 August 634) was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as the first caliph of Islam. He is known with the honor ...
, and then listing a number of ''hadith'' from
Umar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...
, and then
Uthman ibn Affan
Uthman ibn Affan ( ar, عثمان بن عفان, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān; – 17 June 656), also spelled by Colloquial Arabic, Turkish and Persian rendering Osman, was a second cousin, son-in-law and notable companion of the Islamic proph ...
and so on. Individual compilers of this type of collection may vary in their method of arranging those Companions whose ''hadith'' they were collecting. An example of this type of book is the
''Musnad of Ahmad''.
''Muttaṣil''
''Muttasil'' (, ) refers to a
continuous
Continuity or continuous may refer to:
Mathematics
* Continuity (mathematics), the opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include
** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics
** Continuous ...
chain of narration in which each narrator has heard that narration from his teacher.
''Ḍaʻīf''
''Da‘if'' (, ) is the categorization of a ''hadith'' as "weak". Ibn Hajar described the cause of a ''hadith'' being classified as weak as "either due to discontinuity in the chain of narrators or due to some
criticism of a narrator."
[''Nuzhah al-Nuthr'', published with ''Al-Nukat'', pg. 108, ''Dar ibn al-Jawzi'', al-Damam, 6th edition.] This discontinuity refers to the omission of a narrator occurring at different positions within the ''isnād'' and is referred to using specific terminology accordingly as discussed below.
Categories of discontinuity
= ''Muʻallaq''
=
Discontinuity in the beginning of the ''isnād'', from the end of the collector of that ''hadith'', is referred to as ''muʻallaq'' ( meaning "suspended"). ''Muʻallaq'' refers to the omission of one or more narrators. It also refers to the omission of the entire ''isnād'', for example, (an author) saying only: "The Prophet said..." In addition, this includes the omission of the ''isnād'' except for the companion, or the companion and successor together.
=''Mursal''
=
''Mursal'' ( meaning "sent or transmitted"): if the narrator between the
Successor
Successor may refer to:
* An entity that comes after another (see Succession (disambiguation))
Film and TV
* ''The Successor'' (film), a 1996 film including Laura Girling
* ''The Successor'' (TV program), a 2007 Israeli television program Mus ...
and Muhammad is omitted from a given ''isnād'', the ''hadith'' is ''mursal'', e.g., when a Successor says, "The Prophet said ..."
Since Ahlus-Sunnah (Sunnis) believe in the
uprightness of all ''Sahaba'', they do not view it as a necessary problem if a
Successor
Successor may refer to:
* An entity that comes after another (see Succession (disambiguation))
Film and TV
* ''The Successor'' (film), a 1996 film including Laura Girling
* ''The Successor'' (TV program), a 2007 Israeli television program Mus ...
does not mention what ''
Sahaba
The Companions of the Prophet ( ar, اَلصَّحَابَةُ; ''aṣ-ṣaḥāba'' meaning "the companions", from the verb meaning "accompany", "keep company with", "associate with") were the disciples and followers of Muhammad who saw or m ...
'' he received the ''hadith'' from. This means that if a ''hadith'' has an acceptable chain all the way to a Successor, and the successor attributes it to an unspecified
companion, the ''isnād'' is considered acceptable. There are, however, different views in some cases: If the Successor is a young one and it is probable that he omitted an elder Successor who in turn reported from a companion. The opinion held by
Imam Malik
Malik ibn Anas ( ar, مَالِك بن أَنَس, 711–795 CE / 93–179 AH), whose full name is Mālik bin Anas bin Mālik bin Abī ʿĀmir bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith bin Ghaymān bin Khuthayn bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith al-Aṣbaḥī ...
and all
Maliki
The ( ar, مَالِكِي) school is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas in the 8th century. The Maliki school of jurisprudence relies on the Quran and hadiths as primary ...
jurists is that the ''mursal'' of a trustworthy person is valid, just like a ''musnad hadith''. This view has been developed to such an extreme that to some of them, the mursal is even better than the musnad, based on the following reasoning: "The one who reports a musnad ''hadith'' leaves you with the names of the reporters for further investigation and scrutiny, whereas the one who narrates by way of ''irsal'' (the absence of the link between the successor and the Prophet), being a knowledgeable and trustworthy person himself, has already done so and found the ''hadith'' to be sound. In fact, he saves you from further research."
Others reject the ''mursal'' of a younger Successor.
= ''Muʻḍal''
=
''Mu‘dal'' (, ; problematic) describes the omission of two or more consecutive narrators from the ''isnād''.
= ''Munqaṭiʻ''
=
A ''hadith'' described as ''munqaṭiʻ'' (; disconnected) is one in which the chain of people reporting the ''hadith'' (the ''isnād'') is disconnected at any point.
The ''isnād'' of a ''hadith'' that appears to be ''
muttaṣil'' but one of the reporters is known to have never heard ''hadith'' from his immediate authority, even though they lived at the same time, is ''munqaṭiʻ''. It is also applied when someone says "A man told me...".
Other types of weakness
=''Munkar''
=
''Munkar'' ( denounced) – According to
Ibn Hajar, if a narration which goes against another authentic ''hadith'' is reported by a weak narrator, it is known as ''munkar''. Traditionists as late as Ahmad used to simply label any ''hadith'' of a weak reporter as ''munkar''.
= ''Shādh''
=
''Shādh'' (; anomalous) — According to
al-Shafi'i
Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Idrīs al-Shāfiʿī ( ar, أَبُو عَبْدِ ٱللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ ٱلشَّافِعِيُّ, 767–19 January 820 CE) was an Arab Muslim theologian, writer, and schola ...
, a ''shādhdh hadith'' is one which is reported by a trustworthy person who contradicts the narration of a person more reliable than he is. It does not include a ''hadith'' which is unique in its ''matn'' and is not narrated by someone else.
= ''Muḍṭarib''
=
''Mudtarib'' (, ; shaky) – According to
Ibn Kathir
Abū al-Fiḍā’ ‘Imād ad-Dīn Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Umar ibn Kathīr al-Qurashī al-Damishqī (Arabic: إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير القرشي الدمشقي أبو الفداء عماد; – 1373), known as Ibn Kathīr (, was ...
, if reporters disagree about a particular shaikh, or about some other points in the ''isnād'' or the ''matn'', in such a way that none of the opinions can be preferred over the others, and thus there is irreconcilable uncertainty, such a ''hadith'' is called ''muḍṭarib''.
An example is the following ''hadith'' attributed to
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr Abdallah ibn Uthman Abi Quhafa (; – 23 August 634) was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as the first caliph of Islam. He is known with the honor ...
:
"O Messenger of Allah! I see you getting older?" He (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, "What made me old are Surah Hud
Hud or HUD may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman
* ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film
* ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadian e-sports television program
Places
* Hud, Fa ...
and its sister surahs."
The ''hadith'' scholar Al-Daraqutni commented: "This is an example of a ''muḍṭarib hadith''. It is reported through Abu Ishaq, but as many as ten different opinions are held regarding this ''isnād''. Some report it as ''mursal'', others as ''muttasil''; some take it as a narration of Abu Bakr, others as one of Sa'd or ʻA'ishah. Since all these reports are comparable in weight, it is difficult to prefer one above another. Hence, the ''hadith'' is termed as ''muḍṭarib''."
= ''Mawḍūʻ''
=
A ''hadith'' that is ''mawḍūʻ'' () is one determined to be fabricated and cannot be attributed to its origin.
Al-Dhahabi
Shams ad-Dīn adh-Dhahabī (), also known as Shams ad-Dīn Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Qāymāẓ ibn ʿAbdillāh at-Turkumānī al-Fāriqī ad-Dimashqī (5 October 1274 – 3 February 1348) was an Islamic historia ...
defines ''mawḍūʻ'' as a ''hadith'' of which the text contradicts established norms of the Prophet's sayings or of which the reporters include a liar.
Recognizing fabricated ''hadith''
# Some of these ''hadith'' were known to be spurious by the confession of their inventors. For example, Muhammad ibn Sa`id al-Maslub used to say, "It is not wrong to fabricate an ''isnād'' for a sound statement." Another notorious inventor, ʻAbd al-Karim Abu 'l-Auja, who was killed and crucified by Muhammad ibn Sulaiman ibn ʻAli, governor of
Basra
Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
, admitted that he had fabricated four thousand ''hadith'' declaring lawful the prohibited and vice versa.
# ''Mawḍūʻ'' narrations are also recognised by external evidence related to a discrepancy found in the dates or times of a particular incident. For example, when the second caliph,
Umar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...
ibn al-Khattab decided to expel the
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
from
Khaybar
KhaybarOther standardized Arabic transliterations: / . Anglicized pronunciation: , . ( ar, خَيْبَر, ) is an oasis situated some north of the city of Medina in the Medina Province of Saudi Arabia. Prior to the rise of Islam in the 7t ...
, some Jewish dignitaries brought a document to Umar attempting to prove that the Prophet had intended that they stay there by exempting them from the
jizya
Jizya ( ar, جِزْيَة / ) is a per capita yearly taxation historically levied in the form of financial charge on dhimmis, that is, permanent Kafir, non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Sharia, Islamic law. The jizya tax has been unde ...
(tax on non-Muslims under the rule of Muslims); the document carried the witness of two companions,
Sa'd ibn Mua'dh
Saʿd ibn Muʿādh ( ar, سعد ابن معاذ) () was the chief of the Aws tribe in Medina and one of the prominent companions of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him). He died shortly after the Battle of the Trench.
Family
Sa'd w ...
and
Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan
Mu'awiya I ( ar, معاوية بن أبي سفيان, Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān; –April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the deat ...
. Umar rejected the document outright, knowing that it was fabricated because the conquest of
Khaybar
KhaybarOther standardized Arabic transliterations: / . Anglicized pronunciation: , . ( ar, خَيْبَر, ) is an oasis situated some north of the city of Medina in the Medina Province of Saudi Arabia. Prior to the rise of Islam in the 7t ...
took place in 6 AH, whereas
Sa'd ibn Mua'dh
Saʿd ibn Muʿādh ( ar, سعد ابن معاذ) () was the chief of the Aws tribe in Medina and one of the prominent companions of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him). He died shortly after the Battle of the Trench.
Family
Sa'd w ...
died in 5 AH just after the
Battle of the Trench
The Battle of the Trench ( ar, غزوة الخندق, Ghazwat al-Khandaq), also known as the Battle of Khandaq ( ar, معركة الخندق, Ma’rakah al-Khandaq) and the Battle of the Confederates ( ar, غزوة الاحزاب, Ghazwat al- ...
, and
Mu'awiyah
Mu'awiya I ( ar, معاوية بن أبي سفيان, Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān; –April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the deat ...
embraced
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
in 8 AH, after the conquest of
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
.
Collections
A number of ''hadith'' specialists have collected fabricated ''hadith'' separately in order to distinguish them from other ''hadith''.
Examples include:
* ''
Al-Maudu`at'' by
Abul-Faraj Ibn Al-Jawzi
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAlī b. Muḥammad Abu 'l-Faras̲h̲ b. al-Jawzī, often referred to as Ibn al-Jawzī (Arabic: ابن الجوزي, ''Ibn al-Jawzī''; ca. 1116 – 16 June 1201) for short, or reverentially as ''Imam Ibn al-Jawzī'' by ...
.
* ''Kitab al-Abatil'' by al-Jauraqany.
* ''Al-La'ali al- Masnu'ah fi 'l-Ahadith al-Mawduʻah'' by
al-Suyuti
Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti ( ar, جلال الدين السيوطي, Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī) ( 1445–1505 CE),; (Brill 2nd) or Al-Suyuti, was an Arab Egyptian polymath, Islamic scholar, historian, Sufi, and jurist. From a family of Persian or ...
.
* ''Al-Mawduʻat'' by
Ali al-Qari
Nur ad-Din Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Hirawi al-Qari ( ar, نور الدين أبو الحسن علي بن سلطان محمد الهروي القاري; d. 1605/1606), known as Mulla Ali al-Qari () was an Islamic scholar.
He was b ...
.
* ''Al-Fawaid al-Majmu'ah fi al-Ahaadeeth al-Mawdu'ah'' by
Muhammad ash-Shawkani
Muḥammad al-Shawkānī (1759–1834) was a prominent Yemeni Sunni Islamic scholar, jurist, theologian and reformer. Shawkani was one of the most influential proponents of Athari theology and is revered as one of their canonical scholars by Sala ...
.
Sunni ''hadith'' terminology literature
As in any Islamic discipline, there is a rich history of literature describing the principles and fine points of ''hadith'' studies. Ibn Hajar provides a summation of this development with the following:
See also
*
Biographical evaluation
Biographical evaluation ( ar, عِلْمُ الرِّجال, ʿilm al-rijāl; literally meaning'' 'Knowledge of Men' , ''but more commonly understood as the ''Science of Narrators)'' refers to a discipline of Islamic religious studies within ha ...
*
Criticism of Hadith
*
Hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
*
List of hadith authors and commentators
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Oral Torah
According to Rabbinic Judaism, the Oral Torah or Oral Law ( he, , Tōrā šebbəʿal-pe}) are those purported laws, statutes, and legal interpretations that were not recorded in the Five Books of Moses, the Written Torah ( he, , Tōrā šebbīḵ ...
*
Prophetic biography
Al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya (), commonly shortened to Sīrah and translated as prophetic biography, are the traditional Muslim biographies of Muhammad from which, in addition to the Quran and Hadiths, most historical information about his life and the ...
References
Further reading
*
''An Introduction to the Science of Hadith'', by Ibn al-Salah, translated by Dr. Eerik Dickinson;
* ''Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature'', by
Muhammad Mustafa Al-A'zami
Muhammad Mustafa Al-A'zami (1930 – 20 December 2017) was an Indian-born Saudi Arabian contemporary hadith scholar best known for his critical investigation of the theories of fellow Islamic scholars Ignác Goldziher, David Margoliouth, and J ...
;
The Canonization of Al-Bukhari and Muslim: The Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon by Jonathan Brown,
BRILL
Brill may refer to:
Places
* Brielle (sometimes "Den Briel"), a town in the western Netherlands
* Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village in England
* Brill, Cornwall, a small village to the west of Constantine, Cornwall, UK
* Brill, Wisconsin, an un ...
, 2007
{{Sunni hadith literature , collapsed
Terminology
Terminology is a group of specialized words and respective meanings in a particular field, and also the study of such terms and their use; the latter meaning is also known as terminology science. A ''term'' is a word, compound word, or multi-wor ...
Arabic words and phrases
fr:Hadithologie