CLASSIFICATION OF HADEETH

The scholars of hadeeth have dealt with each hadeeth as an

independent case, subjecting both its isnaad and its matn to close
scrutiny according to the fundamental principles of this science.

Each Hadith consists of two parts: the tradition itself, or matn (for
instance, the words of the Prophet) and the isnad (chain of
authorities). The isnad indicates the human transmitters through
which the tradition was relayed. This is the chain of narrators
through which the Hadith has spread. Matn is the main text of the
Hadith, or the actual speech of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

For example, one Hadith reads:

Aboo Kurayb informed us from ‘Abdah ibn Sulaymaan who

informed them from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr from Aboo Salamah
from Aboo Hurayrah who quoted Allaah’s Messenger (r) as saying:
“Were it not that I would place a great burden on my nation, I
would have ordered them to use the miswak at the time of every
salaah.”

Collections of six scholars, arranged by matn, came to be

recognized as canonical in Sunni Islam:

– Al-Bukhari (d. 870 CE)

– Muslim Ibn Al-Hajjaj (d. 875)

– Abu Da’ud (d. 888)

– Al-Tirmidhi (d. 892)

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– Ibn Maja (d. 886)

– Al-Nasa’i (d. 915)

Of these six books, the Sahih (Sound Collection) of al-Bukhari and

the Sahih of Muslim are the best known and most quoted. These
two are known as the “two Sahih,” and “enjoy a prestige that
virtually eclipses the other four.”

Hadeeths are classified based on the below 5 criteria:

1. Ittisaal as-Sanad (Continuity of the chain of transmitters)

The chain of narrators or transmitters, who are relating the Matn

(text), has to be unbroken for the hadeeth to be considered. That
is none of the transmitters must be missing from the chain and
each narrator, Raawee, has to have met the transmitter directly
preceding him as well as the one directly following him. Each
Raawee has to be a known individual, otherwise he is classified as
majhool (unknown) and the sanad is classified as broken.

2. Adaalah (integrity)

The integrity of the narrators is the second key condition for a

hadeeth to be considered valid. By integrity we mean that the
narrator was a practicing Muslim and was not known to
have done any of the major (forbidden things) if he was a
known liar he is classified as kaththaab and the hadeeth that he
has transmitted is classified as da‘eef. These are the conditions
verified through the references of the biographical science of
hadeeth known as Kutub ar-Rijaal.

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3. Dabt (accuracy)

The accuracy of the text is determined by two factors either of

which is sufficient by itself.

(a) Dabt as-Sadr (Soundness of memory) Each narrator must be

known for his ability to memorize and repeat with a high degree
of accuracy. If a narrator had a tendency to repeat hadeeth in a
number of different ways such a hadeeth is classified as Mudtarib
(confused) and any other hadeeth that he narrates will be
classified as Da‘eef. When the narrator’s level of accuracy is
mediocre but the other conditions for authenticity are fulfilled, the
hadeeth is classified as hasan.

(b) Dabt al-Kitaabah (Written accuracy) Each narrator who does

not fulfill precondition “a”, must be known for recording his
hadeeth in books accurately and his narrations only be from his
books, these two preconditions (a,b) are also verified by Kutub ar-
Rijaal (books on Biographies of narrators).

4. Ghayr Shaathth (conformity)

It is critical that the hadeeth conform to similar hadeeths

narrated on the same topic whose chains are stronger. If
the text of a hadeeth contradicts that of another well-known text
whose chain of narration is stronger, or it is in conflict with a
group of other narrators of a similar status, it is classified as
shaathth (errant), which is one of the categories of hadeeth
da‘eef.

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5. Laa ‘Illah (absence of hidden defect)

The hidden defect is one that causes the hadeeth to appear to be

sound and only become evident after deep investigation. For a
hadeeth to be considered sound (saheeh) it has to be free of
hidden defects. For example, if it is said that al-Hasan al-Basree
(d. 110AH) did not meet ‘Alee (d. 40AH), although there is a slight
possibility that he may have seen him during his childhood in
Madeenah. Such information is very important as it disproves the
many Sufi traditions in which they claim that al Hasan heard from
‘Alee.

Hadeeths are broadly classified into four types based on

above factors:

 Saheeh
 Hasan
 Daief
 maudoo

HADEETH SAHEEH

A hadeeth must meet the five criteria in order to be accepted

according to Islamic law as a source of legal ordinance.

Ruling regarding the saheeh hadeeth:

It is obligatory to act upon it according to the consensus of the

scholars of hadeeth and fiqh. It is proof in the shareeah and it is
not permissible for anyone to leave off acting upon it.

Grades of Saheeh

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The hadeeth saheeh may be further subdivided into

Saheeh li Thaatih:

Hadeeths fulfilling the five conditions completely were also

referred to as Saheeh li Thaatih. That is, it is saheeh by itself,
without any external considerations.

Saheeh li Ghayrih:

The Saheeh li Ghayrih is a hadeeth hasan that has been elevated

to the status of saheeh due to supporting narrations.

With regard to the hadeeth saheeh, it cannot be said that they are
all found in the books of al-Bukhaare and Muslim because these
scholars themselves confirmed that they did not gather all of the
hadeeth saheeh.

Al-Bukhaaree stated: “I only wrote in my book, al-Jaami‘, what

was authentic and I omitted some authentic narrations to avoid it
becoming too long.”

Imaam Muslim also said: “I did not include in this book every
hadeeth I found to be saheeh. I only put in it what the scholars
agreed upon.”

In fact the majority of authentic hadeeths are found outside of

these two compilations.

The hadeeths may be graded according to criteria used by

Imaams al Bukhaaree and Muslim which were considered to be of
the highest standard.

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1. Authentic hadeeths recorded by both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
Such narrations are often referred to by scholars as muttaqun
‘alayh (agreed upon). 2. Authentic hadeeths recorded by only al-
Bukhaaree.

3. Authentic hadeeths recorded by only Muslim.

4. Authentic hadeeths according to the criteria of al-Bukhaaree

and Muslim recorded by others.

5. Authentic hadeeths according to the criteria of al-Bukhaaree

alone recorded by others.

6. Authentic hadeeths according to the criteria of Muslim alone

recorded by others.

7. Authentic hadeeths not according to the criteria of either al-

Bukhaaree or Muslim. For example authenticated by albani,
ashshuyuti etc.

Scholars of hadith have identified some narrations in Sahih al-

Bukhari that they consider weak due to specific issues in the
chains of transmission or the content of the hadith. However,
these cases are very rare and are a matter of scholarly debate.

Key Points to Consider:

1. Imam al-Bukhari's Methodology: Imam al-Bukhari applied very

stringent criteria for accepting hadith into his collection. He is
known for ensuring the reliability and precision of narrators and
their connections in the chain of transmission.

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2. Scholarly Consensus:

The majority of scholars regard Sahih al-Bukhari as the most

authentic collection of hadith after the Quran, along with Sahih
Muslim.

However, no human work is considered completely free from

errors. Some scholars have critiqued individual narrations within
Sahih al-Bukhari.

3. Examples of Criticized Hadith:

Some narrations in Sahih al-Bukhari have been critiqued for issues

such as:

Incomplete chains (mu'allaq): Narrations where Imam al-Bukhari

intentionally omits part of the chain. These are not always weak,
as Bukhari sometimes brings them as supporting evidence.

Disputed narrators: A small number of narrators in Sahih al-

Bukhari have been critiqued by some scholars for weak memory
or other deficiencies.

4. Scholarly Critique:

Notable scholars such as al-Daraqutni and others have critiqued

certain narrations in Sahih al-Bukhari. However, their critiques are
often met with responses defending the reliability of the hadith in
question.

Conclusion:

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While Sahih al-Bukhari is held in the highest regard, it is important
to understand that scholarly critique of certain narrations does
not undermine the overall reliability and authenticity of the
collection. Any claim about a weak hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari
should be carefully examined with scholarly analysis and context.

Several later scholars, including Imam Al-Albani, Imam As-

Suyuti, and others, contributed significantly to the
authentication and analysis of hadith. Here’s an overview
of some of the key scholars who worked on authenticating
hadith after the classical period:

1. Imam Jalaluddin As-Suyuti (d. 1505 CE)

Major Contributions:

Jami' al-Saghir: A collection of hadith where he categorized

narrations by their authenticity.

Al-Durr al-Manthur: A commentary on the Qur'an that includes

authenticated hadith.

Methodology: As-Suyuti reviewed earlier works and

summarized the opinions of previous scholars, often
declaring the authenticity of hadith based on the
consensus of earlier authorities.

2. Sheikh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albani (d. 1999 CE)

Major Contributions:

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Authenticated and classified hadith from various collections, such
as Sunan Abu Dawood, Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa'i, and
Sunan Ibn Majah.

His works include Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Sahihah (Series of

Authentic Hadith) and Silsilat al-Ahadith ad-Da'ifah (Series of
Weak Hadith)

Methodology: Al-Albani used a rigorous process,

examining the chains of narrators (isnad) and the text
(matn) to classify hadith as sahih (authentic), hasan
(good), or da'if (weak).

3. Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 1449 CE)

Major Contributions:

Fath al-Bari: A comprehensive commentary on Sahih Bukhari that

includes detailed discussions of the authenticity of narrations.

Tahdhib al-Tahdhib: A biographical dictionary of hadith narrators.

Methodology: Ibn Hajar focused on evaluating the

reliability of narrators and cross-referencing hadith with
other sources.

4. Imam Al-Dhahabi (d. 1348 CE)

Major Contributions:

Siyar A'lam al-Nubala: A biographical work evaluating narrators'

trustworthiness.

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Talkhis al-Mustadrak: A critique of Al-Hakim’s Al-Mustadrak on
Bukhari and Muslim.

Methodology: Al-Dhahabi verified hadith using the isnad

system and critiqued narrators based on their reliability.

5. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 1328 CE)

Major Contributions:

While not a compiler of hadith collections, Ibn Taymiyyah

analyzed and authenticated narrations in his theological and legal
works.

Methodology: He emphasized the context and consistency

of hadith with Qur'anic teachings.

6. Sheikh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut (d. 2016 CE)

Major Contributions:

A modern scholar who authenticated and critically edited classical

hadith texts, including Musnad Ahmad and other major works.

Methodology: Used traditional methods of analyzing isnad

while applying modern academic tools.

7. Imam Al-Mizzi (d. 1342 CE)

Major Contributions:

Tahdhib al-Kamal: A detailed biographical dictionary of narrators

used to evaluate their reliability.

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Methodology: Focused on narrators’ credibility and their
role in authenticating chains.

HADEETH HASAN

Linguistically the term hasan means “beautiful; fair; good.”

However, according to the science of hadeeth evaluation, it refers
to a hadeeth that is graded between saheeh and da‘eef
(inauthentic). Ibn Hajar, gave the most accurate definition of the
hadeeth hasan as one transmitted by upstanding narrators in a
continuous chain of narration, free from any hidden defects or
conflict with superior texts. Except that it contains a narrator
or narrators whose accuracy is inferior.

In other words, a hadeeth is considered hasan if it fulfills

all the requirements of Sihhah except Dabt (accuracy). If
the memory of a narrator was only considered fair
(sadooq), that is, he was known to make a few mistakes.
The hadeeth is lowered from the level of saheeh to the
level of hasan.

The following is an example of a hadeeth hasan from the Sunan of

Imaam at Tirmithee:

Qutaybah informed us from Ja‘far ibn Sulaymaan ad-Duba‘ee

informed us from Aboo ‘Imraan al-Jawnee from Abee Bakr ibn
Abee Moosaa al-Ash‘aree who said: I heard my father saying when

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we faced the enemy: The Prophet (r) said: “Indeed paradise is
under the shade of the swords.” …

Aboo ‘Eesaa said: This is a hadeeth hasan ghareeb. This

hadeeth is rated hasan because Ja‘far ibn Sulaymaan was
graded sadooq (less accurate but upright) while the other
narrators were all graded thiqah (reliable).

However, due the existence of 3 narrations of this text in Saheeh

al Bukhaaree and 2 narrations in Saheeh Muslim it is reclassified
as Saheeh li Ghayrih. The following hadeeth is one of the
corroborating narrations in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree: ‘Abdullaah ibn
Muhammad informed us that Mu‘aawiyah ibn ‘Amr informed them
from Aboo Is’haaq from Moosaa ibn ‘Uqbah from Saalim ibn an-
Nadr, the freed slave and scribe of ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaydillaah, who
said that ‘Abdullaah ibn Abee Awfaa wrote to him saying that the
Messenger of Allaah (r) said: “Know that Paradise is under the
shade of the swords.”

Grades

The classification of Hasan (Good) Hadith is the second-highest

grade in the classification of Hadith after Saheeh (Authentic).
Hasan Hadith is authentic, but not as rigorously verified as
Saheeh Hadith. Hasan Hadith is further divided into
subcategories:

1. Hasan li-Dhateehi

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  Hasan li-Dhateehi refers to Hadith that is generally reliable
on its own without needing corroboration from other Hadith.

 These Hadith have a good chain of narration, but some of

the narrators may be less reliable than those in Saheeh
Hadith.

2. Hasan li-Ghayrihi

 Hasan li-Ghayrihi refers to a Hadith that is strengthened by

supporting evidence from other authentic or good Hadith.

 This type of Hasan Hadith is generally acceptable due to the

backing of other authentic reports.

Hasan Hadith is widely used in Islamic jurisprudence and

teachings, but with a level of caution compared to Saheeh Hadith.

Imaam al-Baghawee in his work, Masaabeeh as-Sunnah, classified

hadeeths found in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim as
saheeh, while those found in the Sunan he classified as hasan.
However, the scholars of hadeeth rejected his classification
because the hadeeths found in the Sunan are a mixture of saheeh
(authentic), hasan (sound), da‘eef (weak), and mawdoo‘
(fabricated).

There are no texts in which hasan hadeeths have been specifically

compiled. However, hadeeths of that grade can be found in all of
the Sunans.

Hadeeth Hasan li Ghayrih

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If one or more of the narrators belonged to a lower grade, that is,
its weakness is due to poor memory of a narrator or narrators and
not due to indecent behaviour or lies, and there are other
hadeeths supporting it in form or sense, it would be reclassified as
hasan li ghayrih.

Consequently, if all of the narrators were highly reliable (thiqah)

and one, anywhere in the chain was classified as a liar
(kaththaab), the hadeeth would be classified as fabricated, even if
proved authentic by other isnaads.

Ruling on the Hadeeth Hasan

The hadeeth hasan is valid for establishing Islamic rulings that

should not be rejected unless abrogated or superseded by a
hadeeth saheeh. In this respect, it is no different from a hadeeth
saheeh. The both represent valid instructions authentically
transmitted from the Messenger of Allaah (r) who must be obeyed
when he instructs and whose recommendations are better taken
when he advises.

HADEETH DA‘EEF

Linguistically, da‘eef means “weak”, while technically it refers to a

narration below the standard of hasan.

This is a hadeeth in which any one or more of the five conditions

of Sihhah have not been met.

Grades of Da‘eef

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The weakness of a hadeeth will vary according to the severity of
the weakness due to breaks in the chain or defects in the
narrators.

Ruling on Da‘eef Narrations

Scholars differed regarding the use of hadeeth da‘eef. The

majority permitted its application for meritorious deeds not
pertaining to theology or legal rulings (halaal and haraam)
according to three conditions specified by Ibn Hajar.

1. The hadeeth must not be excessively weak, containing liars or

fabricators.

2. It must be acknowledged as reliable evidence.

3. One does not suppose that by its application its strength is

established. That is by implementing the hadith its strength will
rise to hasan hadeeth.

Sufyaan ath-Thawree, ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Mahdee and Ahmad

ibn Hambal used weak narrations. In fact Imaam Ahmad preferred
to use weak narrations to Qiyaas.

Causes of Rejection:

The factors which cause a hadeeth to be rejected fall under two

main headings: 1. A break in the chain of narration

2. A defect in the narrator himself.

DEFECTS IN THE NARRATOR

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Defects in the transmitter are a result of 10 factors, five of which
are connected to ‘Adaalah (trust worthiness) and five to Dabt
(accuracy).

A. The factors related to ‘Adaalah are if a narrator is: 1. A liar; 2.

Accused of lying; 3. Immoral; 4. An innovator in religious
principles and 5. Obscure.

B. The factors related to Dabt are if a narrator is: 1. Excessive in

his errors; 2. Weak of memory; 3. Negligent; 4. Known for a lot of
misinterpretations and 5. Known to contradict reliable reporters.

MAWDOO‘ (FABRICATED)

If the defect in the narrator is that he is known to lie on the

Prophet (r), his

hadeeths are classified as Mawdoo‘. Technically, a mawdoo‘

narration is not a

hadeeth at all, but a lie attributed to The Prophet (r).

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