THE CLASSIFICATION OF HADITH: According to the reliability and memory of
the reporters
The final verdict on a hadith, i.e. sahih (sound), hasan (good), da'if (weak) or maudu' (fabricated,
forged), depends critically on this factor.
Among the early traditionalists, mostly of the first two centuries, ahadith were classified into two
categories only: sahih and da'if; al- Tirmidhi was to be the first to distinguish hasan from da'if. This is
why traditionalists and jurists such as Ahmad, who seemed to argue on the basis of da'if ahadith
sometimes, were in fact basing their argument on the ahadith which were later to be known as hasan.65
We now examine in more detail these four important classes of ahadith.
Sahih
Al-Shafi'i states the following requirement in order for a hadith which is not mutawatir to be acceptable:
"Each reporter should be trustworthy in his religion; he should be known to be truthful in his narrating,
to understand what he narrates, to know how a different expression can alter the meaning, and report the
wording of the hadith verbatim, not only its meaning. This is because if he does not know how a
different expression can change the whole meaning, he will not know if he has changed what is lawful
into what is prohibited. Hence, if he reports the hadith according to its wording, no change of meaning
will be found at all. Moreover, he should be a good memoriser if he happens to report from his memory,
or a good preserver of his writings if he happens to report from them. He should agree with the
narrations of the huffaz (leading authorities in Hadith), if he reports something which they do also. He
should not be a mudallis, who narrates from someone he met something he did not hear, nor should he
report from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) contrary to what reliable sources
have reported from him. In addition, the one who is above him (in the isnad) should be of the same
quality, [and so on,] until the hadith goes back uninterrupted to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) or any authority below him."66
Ibn al-Salah, however, defines a sahih hadith more precisely by saying:
"A sahih hadith is the one which has a continuous isnad, made up of reporters of trustworthy memory
from similar authorities, and which is found to be free from any irregularities (i.e. in the text) or defects
(i.e. in the isnad)."
By the above definition, no room is left for any weak hadith, whether, for example, it is munqati',
mu'dal, mudtarib, maqlub, shadhdh, munkar, ma'lul, or contains a mudallis. The definition also excludes
hasan ahadith, as will be discussed under that heading.
Of all the collectors of hadith, al-Bukhari and Muslim were greatly admired because of their tireless
attempts to collect sahih ahadith only. It is generally understood that the more trustworthy and of good
memory the reporters, the more authentic the hadith. The isnad: al- Shafi'i --- Malik --- Nafi' ---
'Abdullah b. 'Umar --- The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), is called a "golden
isnad" because of its renowned reporters.67
Some traditionalists prefer Sahih al-Bukhari to Sahih Muslim because al-Bukhari always looked for those
reporters who had either accompanied or met each other, even if only once in their lifetime. On the other
hand, Muslim would accept a reporter who is simply found to be contemporary to his immediate authority in reporting.68
The following grading is given for sahih ahadith only:
1.those which are transmitted by both al- Bukhari and Muslim;
2.those which are transmitted by al-Bukhari only;
3.those which are transmitted by Muslim only;
those which are not found in the above two collections, but
4.which agree with the requirements of both al-Bukhari and Muslim;
5.which agree with the requirements of al- Bukhari only;
6.which agree with the requirements of Muslim only; and
7.those declared sahih by other traditionists.69
Hasan
Al-Tirmidhi means by hadith hasan: a hadith which is not shadhdh, nor
contains a disparaged reporter in
its isnad, and which is reported through more than one route of narration.70
Al-Khattabi (d. 388) states a very concise definition, "It is the one where its source is known and its
reporters are unambiguous."
By this he means that the reporters of the hadith should not be of a doubtful nature, such as with the
mursal or munqati' hadith, or one containing a mudallis.
Ibn al-Salah classifies hasan into two categories:
1.one with an isnad containing a reporter who is mastur ("screened", i.e. no prominent person
reported from him) but is not totally careless in his reporting, provided that a similar text is
reported through another isnad as well;
2.one with an isnad containing a reporter who is known to be truthful and reliable, but is a degree
less in his preservation/memory of hadith in comparison to the reporters of sahih ahadith.
In both categories, Ibn al-Salah requires that the hadith be free of any shudhudh (irregularities).71
Al-Dhahabi, after giving the various definitions, says, "A hasan hadith is one which excels the da'if but
nevertheless does not reach the standard of a sahih hadith."72
In the light of this definition, the
following isnads are hasan according to al-Dhahabi:
1.Bahz b. Hakam --- his father --- his grandfather;
2.'Amr b. Shu'aib --- his father --- his grandfather;
3.Muhammad b. 'Amr --- Abu Salamah --- Abu Hurairah.
Reporters such as al-Harith b. 'Abdullah, 'Asim b. Damurah, Hajjaj b. Artat, Khusaif b. 'Abd al
Rahman and Darraj Abu al-Samh attract different verdicts: some traditionists declare their ahadith hasan,others declare them da'if.73
Example of a hasan hadith
the reporters
The final verdict on a hadith, i.e. sahih (sound), hasan (good), da'if (weak) or maudu' (fabricated,
forged), depends critically on this factor.
Among the early traditionalists, mostly of the first two centuries, ahadith were classified into two
categories only: sahih and da'if; al- Tirmidhi was to be the first to distinguish hasan from da'if. This is
why traditionalists and jurists such as Ahmad, who seemed to argue on the basis of da'if ahadith
sometimes, were in fact basing their argument on the ahadith which were later to be known as hasan.65
We now examine in more detail these four important classes of ahadith.
Sahih
Al-Shafi'i states the following requirement in order for a hadith which is not mutawatir to be acceptable:
"Each reporter should be trustworthy in his religion; he should be known to be truthful in his narrating,
to understand what he narrates, to know how a different expression can alter the meaning, and report the
wording of the hadith verbatim, not only its meaning. This is because if he does not know how a
different expression can change the whole meaning, he will not know if he has changed what is lawful
into what is prohibited. Hence, if he reports the hadith according to its wording, no change of meaning
will be found at all. Moreover, he should be a good memoriser if he happens to report from his memory,
or a good preserver of his writings if he happens to report from them. He should agree with the
narrations of the huffaz (leading authorities in Hadith), if he reports something which they do also. He
should not be a mudallis, who narrates from someone he met something he did not hear, nor should he
report from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) contrary to what reliable sources
have reported from him. In addition, the one who is above him (in the isnad) should be of the same
quality, [and so on,] until the hadith goes back uninterrupted to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) or any authority below him."66
Ibn al-Salah, however, defines a sahih hadith more precisely by saying:
"A sahih hadith is the one which has a continuous isnad, made up of reporters of trustworthy memory
from similar authorities, and which is found to be free from any irregularities (i.e. in the text) or defects
(i.e. in the isnad)."
By the above definition, no room is left for any weak hadith, whether, for example, it is munqati',
mu'dal, mudtarib, maqlub, shadhdh, munkar, ma'lul, or contains a mudallis. The definition also excludes
hasan ahadith, as will be discussed under that heading.
Of all the collectors of hadith, al-Bukhari and Muslim were greatly admired because of their tireless
attempts to collect sahih ahadith only. It is generally understood that the more trustworthy and of good
memory the reporters, the more authentic the hadith. The isnad: al- Shafi'i --- Malik --- Nafi' ---
'Abdullah b. 'Umar --- The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), is called a "golden
isnad" because of its renowned reporters.67
Some traditionalists prefer Sahih al-Bukhari to Sahih Muslim because al-Bukhari always looked for those
reporters who had either accompanied or met each other, even if only once in their lifetime. On the other
hand, Muslim would accept a reporter who is simply found to be contemporary to his immediate authority in reporting.68
The following grading is given for sahih ahadith only:
1.those which are transmitted by both al- Bukhari and Muslim;
2.those which are transmitted by al-Bukhari only;
3.those which are transmitted by Muslim only;
those which are not found in the above two collections, but
4.which agree with the requirements of both al-Bukhari and Muslim;
5.which agree with the requirements of al- Bukhari only;
6.which agree with the requirements of Muslim only; and
7.those declared sahih by other traditionists.69
Hasan
Al-Tirmidhi means by hadith hasan: a hadith which is not shadhdh, nor
contains a disparaged reporter in
its isnad, and which is reported through more than one route of narration.70
Al-Khattabi (d. 388) states a very concise definition, "It is the one where its source is known and its
reporters are unambiguous."
By this he means that the reporters of the hadith should not be of a doubtful nature, such as with the
mursal or munqati' hadith, or one containing a mudallis.
Ibn al-Salah classifies hasan into two categories:
1.one with an isnad containing a reporter who is mastur ("screened", i.e. no prominent person
reported from him) but is not totally careless in his reporting, provided that a similar text is
reported through another isnad as well;
2.one with an isnad containing a reporter who is known to be truthful and reliable, but is a degree
less in his preservation/memory of hadith in comparison to the reporters of sahih ahadith.
In both categories, Ibn al-Salah requires that the hadith be free of any shudhudh (irregularities).71
Al-Dhahabi, after giving the various definitions, says, "A hasan hadith is one which excels the da'if but
nevertheless does not reach the standard of a sahih hadith."72
In the light of this definition, the
following isnads are hasan according to al-Dhahabi:
1.Bahz b. Hakam --- his father --- his grandfather;
2.'Amr b. Shu'aib --- his father --- his grandfather;
3.Muhammad b. 'Amr --- Abu Salamah --- Abu Hurairah.
Reporters such as al-Harith b. 'Abdullah, 'Asim b. Damurah, Hajjaj b. Artat, Khusaif b. 'Abd al
Rahman and Darraj Abu al-Samh attract different verdicts: some traditionists declare their ahadith hasan,others declare them da'if.73
Example of a hasan hadith
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