Hadith terminology


Hadith terminology is the body of terminology in Islam which specifies the acceptability of the sayings attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad 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. Formally, it has been defined by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani 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 sciences.

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 Prophet Muhammad, a companion, a successor or a latter historical figure.

Marfūʿ

said: "Marfūʿ refers to a narration attributed specifically to the Prophet . 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."

''Mawquf''

According to Ibn al-Salah, "Mawquf 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, 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.

''Mutawatir''

The first category is mutawatir 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.
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
; Mutwatir in meaning

''Ahaad''

The second category, ahaad 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. 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''.

''Gharib''

A gharib ''hadith is one conveyed by only one narrator. Al-Tirmidhi'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:
  1. Firstly, a hadith may be classified as gharib since it is narrated from one chain only. Al-Tirmidhi said an example is a tradition from Hammad ibn Salamah from Abu 'Usharai on the authority of his father who asked Muhammad whether the slaughtering of an animal is confined to the gullet and throat. Muhammad said that stabbing the thigh will also suffice.
  2. 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 from Nafi' on the authority of Ibn 'Umar who stated that Muhammad declared alms-giving at the end of Ramadan obligatory upon every Muslim, 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.
  3. 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, Ibn Hazm and othersand, reportedly, the position of Malik ibn Anasis 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''

said, "Hadith, in the view of scholars of this discipline, fall into the divisions of 'sound', 'fair', and 'weak'." 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 including sixty-five in his Introduction to the Science of Hadith 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 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 may be translated as "authentic" or "sound." Ibn Hajar defines a hadith that is as a singular narration conveyed by a trustworthy, completely competent person, either in his ability to memorize or to preserve what he wrote, with a muttaṣil ''isnād that contains neither a serious concealed flaw nor irregularity. He then defines a hadith that is ṣaḥīḥ lighairihi 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:
  1. Each narrator in the chain of narration must be trustworthy;
  2. 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;
  3. The isnād must be connected insofar as it is at least possible for each narrator in the chain to have received the hadith from a predecessor;
  4. The hadith, including its isnād, is free of ʻillah
  5. The hadith is free of irregularity, meaning that it does not contradict another hadith already established.
A number of books were authored in which the author stipulated the inclusion of ṣaḥīḥ hadith alone.
According to Sunni Islam, 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:
  1. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. Considered the most authentic book after the Quran.
  2. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Considered the next most authentic book after Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.
  3. Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Khuzaymah. Al-Suyuti 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.
  4. Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān. Al-Suyuti also concluded that Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān was more authentic than Al-Mustadrak alaa al-Ṣaḥīḥain.
  5. al-Mustadrak ʻalā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn, by Hakim al-Nishaburi.
  6. 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.