What Is Hadith? Understanding the Words and Teachings of the Prophet ﷺ
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📚 UNDERSTANDING ḤADĪTH
فَهْمُ الْحَدِيثِ وَعُلُومُهُ
A Simple Guide to Ḥadīth, Narrations, Collections & Authenticity
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① WHAT IS A ḤADĪTH?
مَا هُوَ الْحَدِيثُ؟
A Ḥadīth (حديث) is a narration attributed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. It may describe something he said, did, approved of, or something relating to his characteristics and description.
The plural of Ḥadīth is Aḥādīth (أحاديث).
It is important to understand that the word Ḥadīth refers to the attribution of a report to the Prophet ﷺ. The question of whether that report is genuinely authentic is a separate matter.
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② WHAT IS AN ATHAR?
مَا هُوَ الْأَثَرُ؟
A narration that is not attributed to the Prophet ﷺ is generally referred to in Ḥadīth terminology as an Athar (أثر).
The plural is Āthār (آثار).
Āthār may be found within books of Ḥadīth, although they are not automatically given the same status as Prophetic narrations.
A statement from a Companion may, in certain circumstances, be given the ruling of a Prophetic narration when it is clear that the Companion could not have obtained the information except from the Prophet ﷺ.
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③ ARE ALL AḤĀDĪTH AUTHENTIC?
هَلْ كُلُّ الْأَحَادِيثِ صَحِيحَةٌ؟
No.
A report may be called a Ḥadīth because it has been attributed to the Prophet ﷺ, but that does not by itself establish that the attribution is correct.
Hadith collections can therefore contain narrations of different levels, including authentic, acceptable, weak, and fabricated reports, depending upon the purpose and methodology of the particular collection.
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④ ARE THE AḤĀDĪTH IN ṢAḤĪḤ AL-BUKHĀRĪ AND ṢAḤĪḤ MUSLIM AUTHENTIC?
صَحِيحُ الْبُخَارِيِّ وَصَحِيحُ مُسْلِمٍ
The general scholarly position is that the Ḥadīths contained in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim are authentic.
These two collections occupy an exceptionally important position in the science of Ḥadīth and are regarded as the most authoritative Ḥadīth collections after the Qur'an.
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⑤ WHY DO SOME ḤADĪTH COLLECTIONS CONTAIN WEAK REPORTS?
لِمَاذَا تُذْكَرُ الْأَحَادِيثُ الضَّعِيفَةُ فِي بَعْضِ الْمُصَنَّفَاتِ؟
Every scholar who compiled a Ḥadīth collection had a particular purpose and methodology.
Some authors gathered narrations used as evidence in matters of jurisprudence, while others had different objectives.
Consequently, the presence of a weak narration in a collection does not necessarily mean that its author considered every narration in that collection to be authentic.
Some works even included fabricated reports specifically so that their falsehood could be identified and exposed.
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⑥ WHY SAY “COLLECTION” RATHER THAN SIMPLY “BOOK”?
الْمُصَنَّفَاتُ وَالْكُتُبُ وَالْأَبْوَابُ
The terminology used for Ḥadīth literature can sometimes be confusing.
A large work may be called a collection, while that collection itself is divided into books, and each book may contain numerous chapters.
For example:
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī → the collection
The Book of Faith → a book within the collection
A particular chapter concerning a statement of the Prophet ﷺ → a chapter within that book
This terminology makes it easier to identify precisely where a narration is located.
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⑦ HOW WERE THE AḤĀDĪTH PRESERVED AND COMPILED?
تَدْوِينُ الْحَدِيثِ
During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, memorisation played a major role in preserving and transmitting knowledge.
Although writing was also used by some Companions, relatively few people relied primarily upon written records.
As generations passed, written transmission became increasingly common. Scholars preserved narrations through both memory and written material, while carefully examining the ability and reliability of individual narrators.
During the second century after Hijrah, written compilation became increasingly widespread. During the third century, the compilation of organised Ḥadīth works became firmly established among scholars.
Collections were arranged in different ways. Some were organised according to the Companions who narrated the reports, while others followed subjects and chapters similar to the arrangement used in books of jurisprudence.
Over time, certain collections became especially well known for their breadth, organisation, and scholarly value.
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⑧ WHY CAN THE SAME ḤADĪTH HAVE DIFFERENT NUMBERS?
تَرْقِيمُ الْأَحَادِيثِ
One important point for students of Ḥadīth is that Ḥadīth numbering can differ between editions.
Different Arabic editions and English translations may use different numbering systems.
Therefore, when searching for a particular narration, it is helpful to mention:
The name of the collection + the Ḥadīth number + the edition or numbering system, when available.
This prevents confusion when two books give different numbers for what appears to be the same narration.
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⑨ WHICH EDITIONS ARE COMMONLY USED FOR REFERENCE?
نُسَخُ كُتُبِ الْحَدِيثِ
The source material identifies the following editions and numbering systems:
Collection Arabic Reference English Numbering
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī Sultāniyyah print; numbering of Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī Dār us-Salām, Riyadh
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim al-ʿĀmirah print; numbering of Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī Dār us-Salām, Riyadh
Sunan Abū Dāwūd Dār ar-Rayyān; numbering of Muḥammad Muḥyī ad-Dīn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd Dār us-Salām, Riyadh
Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī Muʾassasah ar-Risālah; numbering of ʿIzzah ʿUbayd ad-Dabbās Dār us-Salām, Riyadh
Sunan an-Nasāʾī ʿAwwāmah print; numbering of Muḥammad Atallah al-Fūjiyānī Dār us-Salām, Riyadh
Sunan Ibn Mājah Muʾassasah ar-Risālah; numbering of Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī Dār us-Salām, Riyadh
Edition details and numbering systems may change over time.
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⑩ WHAT ARE THE KUTUB AS-SITTAH?
مَا هِيَ الْكُتُبُ السِّتَّةُ؟
The expression Kutub as-Sittah (الكتب الستة) means “The Six Books.”
These six collections became especially prominent because of their importance to scholars and students of Islam.
❶ ṢAḤĪḤ AL-BUKHĀRĪ
صَحِيحُ الْبُخَارِيِّ
Compiled by Imām Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī رحمه الله (d. 256 AH).
It is regarded as one of the most authoritative Ḥadīth collections, and its author was renowned for the remarkable way in which he connected narrations to carefully chosen chapter headings.
❷ ṢAḤĪḤ MUSLIM
صَحِيحُ مُسْلِمٍ
Compiled by Imām Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj an-Naysābūrī رحمه الله (d. 261 AH).
It is renowned for its careful arrangement of narrations, particularly the gathering of reports concerning similar subjects together.
❸ SUNAN ABŪ DĀWŪD
سُنَنُ أَبِي دَاوُدَ
Compiled by Imām Abū Dāwūd Sulaymān ibn al-Ashʿath as-Sijistānī رحمه الله (d. 275 AH).
The collection is especially known for its importance in matters of fiqh and jurisprudence.
❹ JĀMIʿ AT-TIRMIDHĪ
جَامِعُ التِّرْمِذِيِّ
Compiled by Imām Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā at-Tirmidhī رحمه الله (d. 279 AH).
The work is particularly valuable because the author frequently comments upon the narrations, their grading, jurisprudential opinions, and related benefits.
It is commonly called Sunan at-Tirmidhī, although the title Jāmiʿ reflects the wider range of subjects contained within the work.
❺ SUNAN AN-NASĀʾĪ
سُنَنُ النَّسَائِيِّ
Compiled by Imām Aḥmad ibn Shuʿayb an-Nasāʾī رحمه الله (d. 303 AH).
The source explains that the work known today as Sunan an-Nasāʾī was the smaller collection derived from a larger work, as-Sunan al-Kubrā.
❻ SUNAN IBN MĀJAH
سُنَنُ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ
Compiled by Imām Muḥammad ibn Yazīd Ibn Mājah رحمه الله (d. 273 AH).
It contains authentic narrations not found in some of the other major collections, while also containing a larger number of weak narrations than the other five collections.
📌 A HISTORICAL NOTE
مُلَاحَظَةٌ تَارِيخِيَّةٌ
Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ of Imām Mālik رحمه الله was one of the earliest and most famous collections of Ḥadīth.
The source explains that it was initially considered in discussions concerning the sixth major collection. Later, Sunan Ibn Mājah became established as the sixth of the commonly recognised Kutub as-Sittah.
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⑪ WHAT IS THE ISNĀD?
مَا هُوَ الْإِسْنَادُ؟
A Ḥadīth can broadly be understood through two components:
الإِسْنَادُ — al-Isnād: the chain of transmission
الْمَتْنُ — al-Matn: the actual wording or content of the narration
The Isnād consists of the individuals through whom the report was transmitted.
Scholars carefully studied:
• The narrators
• Their reliability
• Their precision and memory
• How they transmitted the narration
• Whether they actually met and heard from one another
• Other chains transmitting the same or similar report
• Possible errors or inconsistencies
This detailed examination became a major science within the study of Ḥadīth.
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⑫ WHAT ARE THE GRADES OF ḤADĪTH?
دَرَجَاتُ صِحَّةِ الْحَدِيثِ
Not every narration stands at the same level.
Scholars use specific terms to describe the strength or weakness of a narration.
⭐ مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ
Muttafaqun ʿAlayh — “Agreed Upon”
A narration recorded by both Imām al-Bukhārī and Imām Muslim.
⭐ صَحِيحٌ
Ṣaḥīḥ — Authentic
A narration meeting the recognised conditions of authenticity, including a connected chain, reliable narrators, strong precision, and freedom from recognised defects.
⭐ حَسَنٌ
Ḥasan — Fair/Good
A narration that fulfils the requirements of acceptability, although the precision of one or more narrators is below the highest level required for a narration to be classified Ṣaḥīḥ.
⭐ ضَعِيفٌ
Ḍaʿīf — Weak
A narration that does not fulfil one or more of the conditions required for authenticity.
⭐ ضَعِيفٌ جِدًّا
Ḍaʿīf Jiddan — Very Weak
A narration suffering from a serious weakness in its chain or transmission.
⭐ مَوْضُوعٌ
Mawḍūʿ — Fabricated
A narration falsely attributed to the Prophet ﷺ, including reports involving a narrator known to have fabricated statements about him ﷺ.
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⑬ WHAT DOES “PARTIALLY ACCEPTABLE” MEAN?
الْحَدِيثُ الْمَقْبُولُ جُزْئِيًّا
Sometimes scholars may explain that most of a narration is acceptable while a particular portion requires qualification.
For example, a word, sentence, or section may come through a weaker transmission, while the remainder is supported by stronger narrations.
Therefore, the wording of a grading should be read carefully rather than assuming that every part of a narration necessarily carries exactly the same status.
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⑭ WHAT IS A SHAADH ḤADĪTH?
الْحَدِيثُ الشَّاذُّ
Shādh (شاذّ) refers to a narration that may appear to fulfil the conditions of authenticity, but conflicts with a narration transmitted by narrators who are stronger or more numerous.
The issue is therefore not necessarily that the narrator is unreliable. Rather, the particular transmission conflicts with stronger evidence.
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⑮ WHAT IS A MUNKAR ḤADĪTH?
الْحَدِيثُ الْمُنْكَرُ
Munkar (منكر) refers to a narration involving weakness in its transmission while also conflicting with reports transmitted by more reliable narrators.
The distinction from Shādh lies in the nature of the narrator and where the weakness or error is attributed.
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⑯ WHAT IS A MUDRAJ ḤADĪTH?
الْحَدِيثُ الْمُدْرَجُ
Mudraj (مدرج) describes a situation where words belonging to someone other than the Prophet ﷺ become mistakenly incorporated into a narration.
A narrator may hear the Prophet's ﷺ words followed by a comment from a teacher or another person and, through confusion, transmit the additional words as though they were part of the Prophetic narration.
This type of insertion may occur within the chain or the text of a Ḥadīth.
The original narration itself may be authentic or weak; the term Mudraj concerns the mistaken insertion.
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⑰ “ITS CHAIN IS AUTHENTIC”
إِسْنَادُهُ صَحِيحٌ
When a scholar says:
إِسْنَادُهُ صَحِيحٌ
“Its chain is authentic.”
This specifically describes the Isnād.
It does not necessarily mean that every aspect of the narration has been given the exact same grading. The scholar may have found the chain apparently sound while another consideration prevents assigning the entire Ḥadīth the same classification.
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⑱ “ITS CHAIN IS ḤASAN”
إِسْنَادُهُ حَسَنٌ
When a scholar says:
إِسْنَادُهُ حَسَنٌ
“Its chain is Ḥasan.”
The chain has been judged to have the level of Ḥasan rather than the higher level of Ṣaḥīḥ.
Again, this statement is specifically about the chain being discussed.
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⑲ “ITS CHAIN IS WEAK”
إِسْنَادُهُ ضَعِيفٌ
When a scholar says:
إِسْنَادُهُ ضَعِيفٌ
“Its chain is weak.”
This means that the particular chain being examined contains a weakness.
However, the same meaning may sometimes be transmitted through another chain that is stronger or acceptable.
Therefore, scholars examine all available routes of transmission before reaching a final judgement.
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⑳ WHAT IS A SAYING OF A COMPANION?
قَوْلُ الصَّحَابِيِّ
A report may be authentically established as the statement of a Companion, without being authentic as a statement of the Prophet ﷺ.
Such a report is therefore not described as an authentic Prophetic Ḥadīth merely because it is authentically transmitted from a Companion.
The distinction between Prophetic narration and Companion statement is important when studying Islamic sources.
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㉑ WHAT IS A SAYING OF A TĀBIʿĪ?
قَوْلُ التَّابِعِيِّ
A report may also be authentically transmitted from a person belonging to the generation after the Companions, known as a Tābiʿī (تابعي).
Such a statement is not a Prophetic Ḥadīth simply because it appears in a Ḥadīth collection.
It is identified according to who actually said it.
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📖 WHY LEARN THE TERMINOLOGY OF ḤADĪTH?
لِمَاذَا نَتَعَلَّمُ مُصْطَلَحَ الْحَدِيثِ؟
Understanding these terms helps a student of knowledge avoid a common mistake:
Finding a narration in a Ḥadīth book does not, by itself, tell us its level of authenticity.
The science of Ḥadīth developed detailed methods for examining chains, narrators, wording, corroborating reports, contradictions, and hidden defects.
Learning even the basic terminology allows us to approach the Sunnah with greater care, respect, and understanding.
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🌙 A FINAL REMINDER
تَذْكِرَةٌ خِتَامِيَّةٌ
The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is a tremendous treasure of guidance.
But because words are attributed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we should be careful about what we quote, share, and attribute to him ﷺ.
Before forwarding a narration, take a moment to check:
📌 Where is it recorded?
📌 What is its grading?
📌 Who narrated it?
📌 Is the wording correctly transmitted?
📌 Has it been attributed correctly to the Prophet ﷺ?
A little care in verifying a narration can prevent a great deal of confusion.
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✦ AHMADTRINI ✦
أَحْمَدْتْرِينِي
PASS ON THE KHAYR • انْشُرِ الْخَيْرَ
If you found this beneficial, share it with others. Perhaps someone will learn something beneficial through it, act upon it, and pass that benefit on to someone else.
صَدَقَةٌ جَارِيَةٌ • SADAQAH JĀRIYAH
May Allah accept every sincere effort to spread beneficial knowledge and make it a means of ongoing reward.
الدَّالُّ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ كَفَاعِلِهِ
“The one who guides to good is like the one who does it.”
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