Uloom al Hadith Defining basic hadith terminology

By Navaid Aziz | 2026-01-16T17:41:30.107666+00:00 | Topic: Iman

Uloom al-Hadith: Defining Basic Hadith Terminology

Uloom al-Hadith: Defining Basic Hadith Terminology

Lecture by: Navaid Aziz

Introduction

In concluding our last session with the help of Allah, we will examine the terminologies that are famous in the sciences of Hadith. You will see that much of it involves categorization. While it would be easier with a blackboard or chalkboard to explain these concepts visually, we will make the most of the time and resources available.

Methods of Transmission

Overview

Firstly, in terms of the way of transmission—how a Hadith reaches us—there are two primary ways:

  1. Mutawatir (متواتر)
  2. Ahad (آحاد)

This is similar to what we mentioned when studying the science of the Quran.

(المتواتر)

Mutawatir

Definition: A Hadith that has so many narrators at each level of the isnad (chain of narration) that it is impossible for them to have come together and conspired on a lie, introduced a mistake, or removed anything from the original text.

Levels of Isnad:

The number of narrators at each level is so great that had any of these three things (fabrication, mistake, or omission) occurred, they would have been corrected immediately.

Subcategory: Mutawatir bil-Ma'na (المتواتر (بالمعنى)

Definition: A Hadith whose meaning has become Mutawatir, even though its actual transmission chain may be

Ahad.

Example: The Hadith ("إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ - Innama al-a'malu bin-niyat - "Actions are but by intentions")

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1907

Although this Hadith's actual chain of transmission is Ahad (not reaching the level of Mutawatir in terms of multiple narrators), it has become so famous on the tongues of people that any deviation from it would be immediately noticed and corrected. This is what is meant by Mutawatir bil-ma'na or Mutawatir bil-lafz.

Ahad Narrations (الآحاد)

Definition

Ahad: Any Hadith that does not reach the level of Mutawatir.

While this is a simple definition, understanding it requires a clear grasp of what Mutawatir means.

Three Categories of Ahad

  1. Mashhoor (المشهور)
  2. Aziz (العزيز)
  3. Ghareeb (الغريب)

All three fall under the umbrella of Ahad narrations.

1. Mashhoor (المشهور)

Definition: Ahadith that have three or more narrators at each level of the chain, yet do not reach the level of Tawatur (Mutawatir).

So, if there are three or more narrators at each level and it doesn't reach the level of Mutawatir, the Hadith is known as Mashhoor.

2. Aziz (العزيز)

Definition: A Hadith that has two or more narrators at each level.

Important Principle: When you give a ruling (hukm) on a Hadith, you always look at the level that has the least number of narrators.

Example:

Even though there were three Sahaba and ten Tabi'een, if at the third level (Atba' al-Tabi'een) there are only two narrators, the Hadith is given the grading of Aziz.

Summary:

3. Ghareeb (الغريب)

Definition: A Hadith where at one point (or any point) in the chain of narration, there is only one narrator.

Example from Jami' at-Tirmidhi:

You might find a Hadith narrated by two Sahaba, then three or four of the Tabi'een narrate from them, but when it comes to the Atba' al-Tabi'een, there is only one person who narrated it from all three of the Tabi'een.

Imam at-Tirmidhi would say: "وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ" )Wahadha hadithun hasan gharib - "This is a Hasan Gharib Hadith")

Meaning that even though its narration is Hasan (good), it was only mentioned by one of the Atba' al-Tabi'een.

Types of Ahadith by Source

1. Ahadith Nabawiya (الأحاديث النبوية)

Definition: Statements directly from the Prophet ﷺ.

2. Ahadith Qudsiya (الأحاديث القدسية)

Definition: Ahadith that the Prophet ﷺ narrates on behalf of Allah.

Distinction: The difference lies in who the original speaker is:

Classification by Attribution

This categorization examines who said the original statement among three groups:

  1. The Prophet ﷺ
  2. The Sahaba (Companions)
  3. The Tabi'een (Successors)

1. Marfu' (المرفوع)

Definition: All statements that are attributed to or go back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Anything that goes back to the Prophet ﷺ is called Marfu'.

Subcategory: Marfu' Hukman (مرفوع حكماً)

Definition: A statement that takes the ruling of a Marfu' Hadith even without a direct chain to the Prophet ﷺ.

Explanation: Sometimes a Companion will speak about a matter that he could only have heard from the Prophet ﷺ.

Example:

As mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما stated that the Kursi of Allah is the place of the feet.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari (Ta'liq form - suspended narration)

This is not something Ibn Abbas could have come up with on his own. These Companions feared Allah and would not speak about Allah except with knowledge. Therefore, even though we don't have a direct chain of narration to the Prophet ﷺ we say "هَذَا مَرْفُوعٌ حُكْماً " )Hadha marfu'un hukman - "This takes the ruling of Marfu"(.

2. Mawqoof (الموقوف)

Definition: A statement that goes back to a Companion (Sahabi) but not to the Prophet ﷺ.

Example:

The famous Hadith where Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما added his own words:

"If you reach the day, do not expect to see the night. If you reach the night, do not expect to see the day. Take from your health for your sickness, and from your life for your death."

Reference: This addition by Ibn Umar appears in Imam an-Nawawi's 40 Hadith collection

This added statement of Ibn Umar is what you would call a Mawqoof statement—meaning it only goes back to a Sahabi and not to the Prophet ﷺ.

3. Maqtu' (المقطوع)

Definition: A statement that goes back to a Tabi'i (Successor) but not to the Prophet ﷺ.

Examples of Tabi'een:

Any statement you have from these scholars of the Tabi'een would be called Maqtu'.

Acceptance and Rejection (القبول والرد)

This is a brand new categorization concerning whether Ahadith are accepted or rejected.

Accepted Ahadith

There are two types of accepted Ahadith:

  1. Sahih (صحیح)
  2. Hasan (حسن)

Both types share five similar characteristics.

Five Characteristics of Accepted Ahadith

  1. Ittisal as-Sanad (اتصال السند)

The chain of narration must be connected all the way back to the Prophet ﷺ without any missing links.

  1. 'Adalah ar-Ruwat (عدالة الرواة)

The trustworthiness of the narrators.

  1. Ad-Dabt (الضبط)

Precision of the narrators. This is where much variation occurs—depending on the type of precision (Dabt), the Ahadith will vary in terms of authenticity.

  1. 'Adam ash-Shudhood (عدم الشذوذ)

There should be no contradiction in the Ahadith. When you compile all chains of narration together, there shouldn't be any contradictions among them.

Example of Contradiction:

PDF to HTML

5. 'Adam al-'Illah al-Qadihah (عدم العلة القادحة)

There should not be a hidden defect in the Hadith that affects its authenticity. This is a very precise science.

الحديث الصحيح) Sahih Hadith

Definition: A Hadith that has all five characteristics mentioned above, with these two additional conditions:

1. Complete and Perfect Precision (تمام الضبط): In the condition of Dabt, the narrators must have complete precision.

2. Perfect Trustworthiness (كمال العدالة): In 'Adalah, the narrators must be free from:

• Bid'ah (innovation)

• Fisq (committing open sin)

• Continuous sin

Example: All Ahadith found in Sahih al-Bukhari meet these conditions—all narrators in the chain have complete precision and perfect trustworthiness.

Rules for Narrating from People with Bid'ah

Imam al-Bukhari and other scholars established rules for when it is permissible to quote from someone who has deviated:

Two Conditions:

1. The deviation must not take the person outside the fold of Islam. Example: The early Qadariyya denied the knowledge of Allah—this would eliminate narrating from them, as it takes the same ruling as narrating from a non-believer. However, a minor form of Qadariyya that denies Allah's control over our actions (or that Allah created all our actions) does not take one outside Islam—so after stipulation one, such a person is still acceptable.

2. The Hadith should not be related to the narrator's Bid'ah. If a person with a Qadari belief narrates a Hadith about Qadar (predestination), we cannot accept it from him.

Application in Sahih al-Bukhari:

Even Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim occasionally use narrators with minor deviations in their supporting chains of evidence (not in their original chains). They follow these stipulated rules:

• The Bid'ah doesn't take them outside Islam

• The Hadith is not being used to support their Bid'ah

الحديث الحسن) Hasan Hadith

Definition: A Hadith that has the five characteristics, but with a difference in the level of Dabt (precision).

Differences from Sahih:

1. General Precision (الضبط عموماً): The narrator has some form of precision, as long as he hasn't totally forgotten everything and maintains a certain level of practice.

2. Occasional Minor Sins: The narrator still cannot commit major sins and cannot openly commit sins continuously, but when he commits the odd sin here and there that people might know about, he will still be accepted in the Hasan Hadith category.

3. Occasional Forgetfulness: Sometimes a person who tends to forget but at times remembers may be accepted in the Hasan Hadith as well.

Further Categorizations of Accepted Ahadith

Even within accepted Ahadith, there are further categorizations:

Sahih li-Dhatihi (صحيح لذاته)

Definition: Sahih in its essence—the definitions previously mentioned for Sahih Hadith.

Sahih li-Ghayrihi (صحیح لغيره)

Definition: Ahadith that in their essence are Hasan, but due to supporting evidences, they rise to the level of Sahih.

So the Hadith is originally Hasan, but when combined with supporting narrations, it becomes Sahih.

Hasan li-Dhatihi (حسن لذاته)

Definition: Hasan in its essence—the definitions previously mentioned for Hasan Hadith.

Hasan li-Ghayrihi (حسن لغیره)

Definition: Ahadith that in their essence are slightly weak, but due to supporting evidences, they reach the level of Hasan.

The weakness in this Hadith is small, and when combined with supporting narrations, it rises to the level of Hasan.

Rejected Ahadith (الأحاديث المردودة)

Note: The lecture did not have sufficient time to cover the six categorizations of rejected Ahadith. The speaker indicated this would be covered in a future lecture.

Questions and Answers Session

Question 1: Hadith on the Quran and Sunnah

Question: Someone opposed the idea that the Sunnah is to be taken alongside the Quran, claiming a Hadith in Musnad Ahmad is not Sahih. What is the authenticity of the Hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said: "I have left amongst you two things—if you stick to them, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah"?

Answer: This Hadith is authentic. It is mentioned in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad with an authentic chain of narration.

Reference: Musnad Ahmad (authentic chain)

Question 2: Authenticity of All Ahadith in Sahih al-Bukhari

Question: Can we take all the Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari as Sahih, from A to Z?

Answer: This is a very important and somewhat advanced topic that beginner students of knowledge should not delve into prematurely.

The Ahadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are of various forms:

1. Connected Narrations (المتصل)

These are Ahadith that have a direct chain of narration to the Prophet ﷺ.

Imam al-Bukhari's Statement:

Imam al-Bukhari said that he presented these Ahadith to:

• Ishaq ibn Rahawayh

• Ahmad ibn Hanbal

• Yahya ibn Ma'in

• Ali ibn al-Madini

Through all these Ahadith, they only had issues with four of them. He then proved to them why these four Ahadith are correct and authentic.

Conclusion: In terms of the Ahadith which have a connected chain of narration through Bukhari all the way to the Prophet ﷺ, we accept them with our eyes closed.

2. Mu'allaqat (المعلقات)

Definition: Statements of the Prophet ﷺ, Companions, or Tabi'een where Imam al-Bukhari does not mention any chain of narration. He suddenly says: "The Prophet ﷺ says..." or "Az-Zuhri says..." or "Ibn Abbas says..."

Status: These are actually a form of weak narration and must be investigated.

Important Distinction:

• When we refer to "Sahih al-Bukhari," we are referring to all those Ahadith which are Muttasil (connected).

• When we refer to the "Jami' of al-Bukhari," we refer to everything mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari.

Example of a Weak Mu'allaq:

In the chapter on the beginning of revelation (Badr al-Wahi), Imam az-Zuhri's statement is mentioned—that the Prophet ﷺ became so scared and overwhelmed with the revelation that he thought about suicide.

Imam al-Bukhari mentions this as a statement of Imam az-Zuhri without any supporting chain of narration.

Thus, it is considered weak.

Solution: Taghliq at-Ta'liq (تغليق التعليق)

The scholars of Islam were aware that people would attack this aspect of Bukhari's book. Therefore, Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani compiled a book called "Taghliq at-Ta'liq" (Closing of the Ta'liq), meaning the Mu'allaq Ahadith.

For every Hadith and statement that comes in the Mu'allaq form, Ibn Hajar provided its chain of narration. Even among those, very few are weak.

Conclusion:

So, looking at the book of Imam al-Bukhari is not just a simple yes or no answer. The connected narrations are all Sahih, while the Mu'allaqat require individual investigation.

Question 3: Sunan Abu Dawud vs. Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

Question: You mentioned that Abu Dawud's book is the third most authentic book out of the six books. But isn't Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah more Sahih in the third category?

Answer: When we mentioned Abu Dawud's book being the third most authentic, it was in terms of the six famous books:

1. Sahih al-Bukhari

2. Sahih Muslim

3. Sunan Abu Dawud

4. Sunan at-Tirmidhi

5. Sunan an-Nasa'i

6. Sunan Ibn Majah

Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah is indeed a book of Hadith, but generally, it is only referred to by students of knowledge and scholars. The average person would not have heard of it. That's why we didn't include it in the ranking.

Regarding Authenticity:

In terms of authenticity between Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah and Sunan Abu Dawud—Allahu 'alam (Allah knows best).

Important Principle:

Keep in mind that just because something is called "Sahih" doesn't necessarily mean it is entirely Sahih. Sometimes, individuals may try their best to compile a book of only Sahih narrations, but due to lack of knowledge in the sciences of Hadith, they may include a Hadith that is fabricated or weak. People can make mistakes.

So, Allahu 'alam which is more authentic between the Sunan of Abu Dawud and Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah. But when the statement was made that it was the third most authentic book, it was specifically out of the six famous collections.

Closing

The speaker thanked all the brothers and sisters who attended and participated over the past two days.

Closing Du'a:

"I ask Allah that the knowledge we have shared with you today and in the previous days, that Allah benefits us with it, and through it, we benefit others as well. May it increase our Iman, our Taqwa, and our Yaqeen in the

Deen of Allah and in Allah Himself."

Closing Dhikr:

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ

Subhanakallahumma wa bihamdik, ashhadu an la ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk

(Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You.)

Summary of Key Terminologies

Methods of Transmission

Types by Source

Classification by Attribution

Acceptance and Rejection

Five Characteristics of Accepted Ahadith:

  1. Connected chain (اتصال السند)
  2. Trustworthiness (عدالة الرواة)
  3. Precision (الضبط)
  4. No contradiction (عدم الشذوذ)
  5. No hidden defects (عدم العلة القادحة)

Levels of Acceptance:

End of Document

Lecture transcribed and formatted for educational purposes