Introduction to Ḥadīth

Definition of ḥadīth

The definition preferred by the fuqahāʾ is that a ḥadīth is whatever is attributed to the Prophet ﷺ, whether a saying, an action, or a tacit approval. The muḥaddithīn extend this to include the condition (aḥwāl) of the Prophet ﷺ, his physical description, his date of birth, and the like. The fuqahāʾ generally do not engage with that aspect unless they are working out an abrogation (nāsikh versus mansūkh).

Tacit approval is what a Companion did or said in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ where he did not forbid it: he remained silent, and his silence stood as approval.

The difference between ḥadīth qudsī and the Qurʾān

Etymology and usage

Ḥadīth literally means that which is said. The following words are often used interchangeably: Ḥadīth, athar, riwāyah, khabr, sunnah.

Subject matter

The Prophet ﷺ is the broad subject matter.¹

Aim and outcome

According to ʿAllāmah Kirmānī, the aim is to attain success in both this world and the Hereafter.

Virtue of ḥadīth

The status of ḥadīth

In terms of ranking, first comes the Qurʾān and then the ḥadīth.

Classification

ʿIlm al-ḥadīth falls into two disciplines:

1. ʿIlm riwāyat al-ḥadīth: the transmission of the actions, statements, and condition of the Prophet ﷺ, both through hearing and through written preservation.
2. ʿIlm dirāyat al-ḥadīth: the study of the sanad, the types of riwāyah, the ḥukm of a riwāyah, the quality of the narrators, the narration itself, and its meaning.

ʿIlm dirāyat al-ḥadīth further splits into:

1. ʿIlm uṣūl al-ḥadīth: principally concerned with the sanad and its reliability, and also with the matn.
2. ʿIlm fiqh al-ḥadīth: concerned with the meaning of the ḥadīth and its application.

Footnotes

1. See the discussion by al-Suyūṭī in Tadrīb al-Rāwī. ↩