Hadith I – Structure, Types, Forms & Authenticity of Hadiths SS1 Islamic Studies Lesson Note

Hadith is a very important source of Islamic knowledge after the Holy Quran. Hadith refers to the sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They were carefully collected, checked, and written down by his companions and later scholars. This lesson will explain what hadith looks like, how scholars check if a hadith is real, and how hadith relates to another important concept called Sunnah.

1. Form of Hadith

Basic Structure of Hadith

Every hadith has two main parts:

1. Sanad (also called Isnad): The chain of narrators who passed down the hadith
2. Matn: The actual text or content of the hadith

Example of a Complete Hadith:

“Abdullah ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Islam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the zakat (charity), making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.'”

In this example:

• Sanad: “Abdullah ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said…”
• Matn: “Islam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the zakat (charity), making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.”

Types of Hadith Based on Form

1. Hadith Qawli (Verbal Hadith)

• These are the direct sayings and statements of Prophet Muhammad
• Example: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Actions are judged by intentions.'”

2. Hadith Fi’li (Action Hadith)

• These describe the actions and practices of the Prophet
• Example: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to raise his hands at the beginning of prayer.”

3. Hadith Taqriri (Approval Hadith)

• These record things the Prophet saw others do and approved by his silence or positive reaction
• Example: “Someone ate lizard in front of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and he did not forbid it, though he himself did not eat it.”

4. Hadith Wasfi (Descriptive Hadith)

• These describe the physical appearance or character of the Prophet
• Example: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) was of medium height, with broad shoulders and thick beard.”

5. Hadith Hammi (Intention Hadith)

• These describe what the Prophet intended to do but did not actually do
• Example: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) intended to delay the night prayer but saw that it would be difficult for his companions.”

Forms of Narration

1. Direct Narration

• The narrator personally heard from the Prophet
• Example: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say…”

2. Indirect Narration

• The narrator heard from someone else who heard from the Prophet
• Example: “Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah said…”

3. Interrupted Narration

• There is a gap in the chain of narrators
• Example: “It was reported that the Prophet said…” (without naming all narrators)

2. Criteria for Authenticity of Hadith

Muslim scholars developed strict rules to check if a hadith is authentic (sahih). These rules help separate true hadith from fake ones.

Five Main Criteria for Authenticity

1. Continuous Chain (Ittisal al-Sanad)

• Every person in the chain must have directly heard from the person before them
• There cannot be any missing people in the chain
• The chain must go all the way back to the Prophet without gaps

2. Narrator Integrity (Adalah)

• Every narrator must be known to be:
  1. A practicing Muslim
  2. Honest and truthful
  3. Not known to lie or commit major sins
  4. An adult of sound mind
• Scholars investigated the character of each narrator carefully

3. Narrator Accuracy (Dabt)

• Every narrator must have a good memory
• They must remember the hadith correctly without changing words
• They must understand what they are narrating
• Their narration must match with others who narrated the same hadith

4. Freedom from Irregularity (Salama min al-Shudhudh)

• The hadith must not contradict other more reliable hadith
• If a narrator’s report differs from what more reliable narrators report, it may be rejected
• Example: If one person reports something different from what five more reliable people report, the one different report might be considered irregular

5. Freedom from Hidden Defects (Salama min al-Illah)

• The hadith must not have any hidden problems that experts can detect
• Examples of hidden defects:
  1. A narrator claims to have heard from someone they never met
  2. Mixing up similar-sounding names
  3. Confusing the order of events

Classification of Hadith Based on Authenticity

1. Sahih (Authentic)

• Meets all five criteria perfectly
• The highest level of reliability
• Example collections: Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

2. Hasan (Good)

• Meets all criteria but with slightly less narrator accuracy
• Still considered reliable and used as evidence
• Example collection: Sunan al-Tirmidhi

3. Da’if (Weak)

• Fails to meet one or more criteria
• Not used for establishing Islamic laws
• May sometimes be used for encouraging good deeds

4. Mawdu (Fabricated)

• Completely made up and falsely attributed to the Prophet
• Rejected completely
• Scholars wrote books specifically to identify fabricated hadith

Methods Used to Verify Hadith

1. Narrator Criticism (Jarh wa Ta’dil)

• Scholars wrote biographies of thousands of narrators
• They recorded details about each narrator’s character, memory, and reliability
• These books help determine if narrators are trustworthy

2. Cross-Checking (Muqarana)

• Comparing different versions of the same hadith
• Looking for agreements and contradictions
• Multiple similar reports strengthen a hadith

3. Historical Verification

• Checking if the content matches known historical facts
• Confirming that narrators could have met each other (dates/locations)
• Verifying that events mentioned were possible

3. Difference Between Hadith and Sunnah

Though often used interchangeably, Hadith and Sunnah have different meanings:

Definition of Hadith

• Hadith: The sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet that were narrated and recorded
• Hadith is the record or report about what the Prophet said or did
• Hadith is in written or spoken form
• Example: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.'”

Definition of Sunnah

• Sunnah: The way or path of the Prophet; his practices and traditions
• Sunnah is the actual practice or method that the Prophet taught
• Sunnah is a way of doing things
• Example: The way the Prophet performed prayer is his Sunnah

Key Differences

1. Form vs. Practice

• Hadith is the textual report or narration
• Sunnah is the actual practice or established way

2. Source vs. Content

• Hadith is the source from which we learn about the Sunnah
• Sunnah is the content or teaching that is preserved in Hadith

3. Scope

• Hadith includes everything reported about the Prophet (sayings, actions, descriptions)
• Sunnah specifically refers to the established practices and methods of the Prophet

4. Purpose

• Hadith serves as a record and proof
• Sunnah serves as a model to follow

5. Historical Development

• Hadith was formally collected and written down after the Prophet’s time
• Sunnah was practiced and passed down continuously since the Prophet’s time

4. Relationship Between Hadith and Sunnah

Hadith and Sunnah are closely connected and work together as sources of Islamic guidance.

Hadith as a Record of Sunnah

• Hadith serves as the main way we know about the Sunnah
• Without Hadith, much of the Sunnah would be lost
• Hadith preserves the Sunnah for future generations

Sunnah as the Purpose of Hadith

• The main reason for collecting Hadith was to preserve the Sunnah
• Muslims study Hadith to learn how to follow the Sunnah
• Understanding Hadith helps Muslims practice the Sunnah correctly

Complementary Relationship

• Hadith and Sunnah complete each other
• Hadith provides the information, Sunnah provides the practical application
• Both are needed to fully understand and practice Islam

Example of the Relationship

• Hadith: “Aisha reported that the Prophet used to start his ablution by washing his hands three times.”
• Sunnah: The actual practice of starting ablution by washing hands three times

Both Are Second to the Quran

• Both Hadith and Sunnah come after the Quran in authority
• If there seems to be a contradiction with the Quran, scholars re-examine the Hadith or its interpretation
• The Quran commands Muslims to follow the Prophet’s example (Sunnah)

Preserving Islam Through Both

• Hadith and Sunnah together help preserve the complete teaching of Islam
• The Quran gives general principles, while Hadith and Sunnah provide details
• Example: The Quran commands prayer, but Hadith and Sunnah show how to pray

Conclusion

Understanding Hadith and Sunnah is essential for any Muslim. Hadith, with its careful structure and authentication criteria, ensures that we have accurate records of the Prophet’s teachings. The distinction between Hadith (the record) and Sunnah (the practice) helps us understand how to apply these teachings in our lives. Together, Hadith and Sunnah form a comprehensive guide that complements the Quran and helps Muslims follow the example of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in all aspects of life.