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Level 1 (23)
- The Testimony of Faith
- An Introduction to Pillars of Islam and Articles of Faith (part 1 of 2)
- An Introduction to Pillars of Islam and Articles of Faith (part 2 of 2)
- Some Common Questions by Recent Converts
- Importance of Seeking Knowledge
- Paradise (part 1 of 2)
- Paradise (part 2 of 2)
- The Night Journey
- How to Pray for a Recent Convert(part 1 of 2)
- How to Pray for a Recent Convert (part 2 of 2)
- Breaking the News to Family (part 1 of 2)
- Breaking the News to family (part 2 of 2)
- Getting Adjusted To the Muslim Community
- Keeping Good Company
- Belief in Allah (part 1 of 2): The Categories of Tawheed
- Belief in Allah (part 2 of 2): Shirk, the Opposite of Tawheed
- Belief in Prophets
- Belief in Scriptures
- Belief in Angels
- Belief in the Day of Judgment
- Belief in Divine Decree (part 1 of 2)
- Belief in Divine Decree (part 2 of 2)
- Study Methodology for a New Muslim
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Level 2 (25)
- Let’s Meet Muhammad (part 1 of 2)
- Let’s Meet Muhammad (part 2 of 2)
- Preservation of the Holy Quran
- The Importance of Prayer (Salah)
- Etiquette of the Ritual Bath (Ghusl)
- Ablution (Wudoo)
- Prayer for Beginners (part 1 of 2): Beforeyou Pray
- Prayer for Beginners (part 2 of 2): A Description ofthe Prayer
- Spiritual Benefits of Prayer
- Medical Benefits of Prayer
- Manners of Relieving Oneself
- Menstruation
- Introduction to Dietary Laws in Islam
- An Introduction To Muslim Family (part 1 of 2)
- An Introduction To Muslim Family (part 2 of 2)
- Love of God and How to achieve it (part 1 of 2)
- Love of God and How to achieve it (part 2 of 2)
- An Introduction to Fasting
- How to Fast
- Eid and End of Ramadan
- Where Is Allah?
- Abraham (part 1 of 2)
- Abraham (part 2 of 2)
- Simple Explanation of Surah Al-Fatiha
- Simple Explanation of Three Short Surahs of Quran
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Level 3 (30)
- Beginners Guide to the Quran (part 1 of 3)
- Beginners Guide to the Quran (part 2of 3)
- Beginners Guide to the Quran (part 3 of 3)
- Beginners Guide to Hadith & Sunnah
- The Importance of Prayer
- Pre-requisites of Prayer
- Hygiene in Islam
- Bathing (Ghusl)
- Ablution (Wudoo)
- Performing Two Units of Prayer
- Performing Three Units of Prayer
- Performing Four Units of Prayer
- General Points About Prayer
- A Day in the life of a Muslim (part 1 of 2): From Waking uptill late Morning
- A day in the life of a Muslim (part 2 of 2): From Noon to Bed
- Fate of Non-Muslims
- Repentance (part 1 of 3): Door to Salvation
- Repentance (part 2 of 3): Conditions of Repentance
- Repentance (part 3 of 3): Prayers of Repentance
- Can We See Allah?
- Preservation of Sunnah (part 1 of 4)
- Preservation of Sunnah (part 2 of 4)
- Preservation of Sunnah (part 3 of 4)
- Preservation of Sunnah (part 4 of 4)
- Eating – The Islamic Way (part 1 of 2)
- Eating – The Islamic Way (part 2 of 2)
- Simple Explanation of Quran’s Greatest Verse: Aaya tul-Kursi
- Wiping Over Socks, Making Up Prayers, and Prayer of a Traveler
- Omens
- Charms and Amulets
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Level 4 (30)
- Adhan (part 1 of 2): The Call to Prayer
- Adhan (part 2 of 2): The Call to Prayer
- Shirk & its Types (part 1 of 3)
- Shirk & its Types (part 2 of 3)
- Shirk & its Types (part 3 of 3)
- Recommended Acts of Ritual Bath (Ghusl)
- Reflections on Surah al-Fatiha (part 1 of 3)
- Reflections on Surah al-Fatiha (part 2 of 3)
- Reflections on Surah al-Fatiha (part 3 of 3)
- Dry Ablution (Tayammum)
- Introduction to Sects (part 1 of 2)
- Introduction to Sects (part 2 of 2)
- Protection from Evil (part 1 of 2)
- Protection from Evil (part 2 of 2)
- Perfecting Our Character
- Introduction to the Purification of the Soul (part 1 of 2)
- Introduction to the Purification of the Soul (part 2 of 2)
- The Islamic Dress Code (part 1 of 3)
- The Islamic Dress Code (part 2 of 3): Awrah & Mahrams
- The Islamic Dress Code (part 3 of 3): Prayer & Wisdom
- Satan: Humankind’s Worst Enemy (part 1 of 2)
- Satan: Humankind’s Worst Enemy (part 2 of 2)
- Supplication (part 1 of 2)
- Supplication (part 2 of 2)
- The Mercy of Allah (part 1 of 2)
- The Mercy of Allah (part 2 of 2)
- Role Models in Islam (part 1 of 2): TheFirst Generation of Muslims
- Role Models in Islam (part 2 of 2)
- Trials and Tribulations after Conversion (part 1 of 2): Allah’smercy is embedded in the difficulties of life
- Trials and Tribulations after Conversion (part 2 of 2)
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Level 5 (29)
- Manners of Attending a Mosque (part 1 of 2)
- Manners of Attending a Mosque (part 2 of 2)
- Good Habits for New Muslims to Develop
- Glimpses from the Life of Prophet Noah
- Friday Prayer (part 1 of 2)
- Friday Prayer (part 2 of 2)
- Glimpses from the Life of Prophet Ibrahim
- Marriage Advice (part 1 of 2)
- Marriage Advice (part 2 of 2): Practical Steps
- Rights & Responsibilities of Husbands & Wives
- The Nuts & Bolts of an Islamic Marriage
- Glimpses from the Life of Prophet Lot
- How to Deal with Sadness and Worry (part 1 of 2): Patience, Gratitude and Trust
- How to Deal with Sadness and Worry (part 2 of 2): Establish a relationship with Allah
- Glimpses from the Life of Prophet Yusuf
- Istikharah Prayer
- Glimpses from the Life of Prophet Ayub
- Easy Guide to Zakah (part 1 of 2)
- Easy Guide to Zakah (part 2 of 2)
- Glimpses from the Life of Prophet Musa
- Should I Change My Name?
- Glimpses from the Life of Prophet Isa
- Dealing with Doubts
- A Brief Biography of Prophet Muhammad (part1 of 2): The Meccan Period
- A Brief Biography of Prophet Muhammad (part 2 of 2): TheMadinan Period
- Drugs, Alcohol, & Gambling (part 1 of 2)
- Drugs, Alcohol, & Gambling (part 2 of 2)
- World of Jinn (part 1 of 2)
- World of Jinn (part 2 of 2)
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Level 6 (27)
- Voluntary Prayers
- Treatment of Animals
- Lying, Backbiting and Slander (part 1 of 2)
- Lying, Backbiting and Slander (part 2 of 2)
- Increasing Faith (part 1 of 2): Why faith is not always at asteady level
- Increasing Faith (part 2 of 2): Increase your faith (Imaan)and earn rewards
- Voluntary Fasts
- Signs of the Day of Judgment (part 1 of 2): The Minor Signs
- Signs of the Day of Judgment (part 2 of 2): The Major Signs
- Adultery, Fornication, & Pornography (part 1 of 2)
- Adultery, Fornication, & Pornography (part 2 of 2)
- Islamic Guidelines for Gender Interactions(part 1 of 2)
- Islamic Guidelines for Gender Interactions (part 2 of 2)
- Introduction to Shariah (part 1 of 2)
- Introduction to Shariah (part 2 of 2)
- Acts that Correspond to Human Nature (Sunan ul-Fitrah)
- Eid ul-Adha from A to Z (part 1 of 3)
- Eid ul-Adha from A to Z (part 2 of 3)
- Eid ul-Adha from A to Z (part 3 of 3)
- Innovation in Islam (part 1 of 2): Two Types of Bidah
- Innovation in Islam (part 2 of 2): Is this a bidah?
- Ramadan: The Last Ten Nights
- Umrah (part 1 of 2)
- Umrah (part 2 of 2)
- Concept of Sins in Islam (part 1 of 3)
- Concept of Sins in Islam (part 2 of 3)
- Concept of Sins in Islam (part 3 of 3)
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Level 7 (30)
- Parenting in Islam (part 1 of 2)
- Parenting in Islam (part 2 of 2)
- Major Sins in Islam (part 1 of 2): What is aMajor Sin?
- Major Sins in Islam (part 2 of 2): Major Sins and How toRepent from Them
- The Pilgrimage (Hajj) (part 1 of 3)
- The Pilgrimage (Hajj) (part 2 of 3)
- The Pilgrimage (Hajj) (part 3 of 3)
- The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr (part 1 of 2)
- The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr (part 2 of 2)
- The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Umar ibn Al-Khattab (part 1 of 2)
- The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Umar ibn Al-Khattab (part 2 of 2)
- The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Uthman ibn Affan (Part 1 of 2)
- The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Uthman ibn Affan (part 2 of 2)
- The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Ali ibn AbiTalib (part 1 of 2)
- The Rightly Guided Caliphs: Ali ibn Abi Talib (part 2 of 2)
- Events on the Day of Judgment (part 1 of 3): The Day Begins
- Events on the Day of Judgment (part 2 of 3):Before the Judgment
- Events on the Day of Judgment (part 3 of 3): Judgment Begins
- Interest in Islam (part 1 of 2)
- Interest in Islam (part 2 of 2)
- An Explanation of Surah Al-Asr
- The Questioning in the Grave (part 1 of 2): Death is not theEnd
- The Questioning in the Grave (part 2 of 2): Your Place untilthe Day of Judgment
- The Fruits of Taqwa (part 1 of 2)
- The Fruits of Taqwa (part 2 of 2)
- An Explanation of Surah Al-Ikhlas
- The Rights of Neighbours in Islam (part 1 of 2): The KindTreatment of Neighbours
- The Rights of Neighbours in Islam (part 2 of 2): Neighbours -Good and Bad
- Those Shaded when there is no Shade (part 1 of 2): Allah’sMercy made Manifest
- Those Shaded when there is no Shade (part 2 of 2): Strivingto be Shaded
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Level 8 (29)
- Sincerity in Worship: What is Ikhlas? (part 1 of 2)
- Sincerity in Worship: Ikhlas vs. Riyaa(part 2 of 2)
- Lawful Earning
- The Companions of Prophet Muhammad: Salman Al-Farsi
- The Companions of Prophet Muhammad: Bilal ibn Rabah
- The Companions of Prophet Muhammad: Ammar ibn Yassir
- The Companions of Prophet Muhammad: Zayd ibn Thabit
- The Companions of Prophet Muhammad: Abu Hurayrah
- Islamic Terms (part 1 of 2)
- Islamic Terms (part 2 of 2)
- Khushoo in Prayer
- Inviting Non-Muslims to the Right Path (part 1 of 3): Deliverthe Message in the Best Way Possible
- Inviting Non-Muslims to the Right Path (part 2 of 3): Tawheed First
- Inviting Non-Muslims to the Right Path (part 3 of 3): Inviting Family, Friends and Colleagues
- Trust & Reliance in Allah
- Who Is a Good Friend? (part 1 of 2)
- Who Is a Good Friend? (Part 2 of 2)
- Pride and Arrogance
- The Mothers of the Believers (part 1 of 2): Who are theMothers of the Believers?
- The Mothers of the Believers (part 2 of 2): Altruism & Alliances
- Getting Involved in the Muslim Community
- Ummah: The Muslim Nation
- Simplified Rules of Islamic Divorce (part 1 of 2)
- Simplified Rules of Islamic Divorce (part 2 of 2)
- The Role of a Muslim Scholar (part 1 of 2)
- The Role of a Muslim Scholar (part 2 of 2)
- The Benefits of Being a Muslim
- Sacred Cities; Mecca, Medina, & Jerusalem (part 1 of 2)
- Sacred Cities; Mecca, Medina, & Jerusalem (part 2 of 2)
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Level 9 (30)
- Prayers – Advanced (part 1 of 2)
- Prayers - Advanced (part 2 of 2)
- The Purpose of Life
- Why & How to Learn the Quran (part 1 of 2)
- Why & How to Learn the Quran (part 2 of 2)
- Miracles of the Prophets
- Meat of the People of the Book (part 1 of 2)
- Meat of the People of the Book (part 2 of 2)
- Dhikr (Remembering Allah): Meaning & Blessings (part1 of 2)
- Dhikr (Remembering Allah): Meaning & Blessings (part 2 of2)
- Intercession on Judgment Day (part 1 of 2)
- Intercession on Judgment Day (part 2 of 2)
- Virtues of the Quran (part 1 of 2)
- Virtues of the Quran (part 2 of 2)
- Good Morals (part 1 of 2)
- Good Morals (part 2 of 2)
- The Islamic Golden Age (part 1 of 2)
- The Islamic Golden Age (part 2 of 2)
- Social Media in Islam
- Leisure, Fun and Entertainment
- Astrology and Fortune-telling
- Miracles of Prophet Muhammad (part 1 of 2)
- Miracles of Prophet Muhammad (part 2 of 2)
- Bad Morals to Stay Away From (part 1 of 2)
- Bad Morals to Stay Away From (part 2 of 2)
- The Spiritual Benefits of Fasting and Charity
- Dream Interpretation
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Meccan Period (part 1 of 3)
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Meccan Period (part 2of 3)
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Meccan Period (part3 of 3)
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Level 10 (26)
- What is Jihad?
- Prophet Adam: Beginning of Humankind (part 1 of 2)
- Prophet Adam: Beginning of Humankind (part 2 of 2)
- An Explanation of Surah Az-Zalzalah
- Morals of Prophet Muhammad (part 1 of 2)
- Morals of Prophet Muhammad (part 2 of 2)
- Preserving the Environment
- Crime and Punishment in Islam (part 1 of 2)
- Crime and Punishment in Islam (part 2 of 2)
- Prostration of Forgetfulness
- Introduction to Hadith Terminology
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Madinan Period (part1 of 3)
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Madinan Period (part2 of 3)
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Madinan Period (part 3 of 3)
- Story of Creation (part 1 of 2)
- Story of Creation (part 2 of 2)
- Funeral Rites (part 1 of 2)
- Funeral Rites (part 2 of 2)
- Islamic Wills and Inheritance (part 1 of 2)
- Islamic Wills and Inheritance (part 2 of 2)
- Prophetic Narrations: Sincerity
- Understanding Media Stereotyping
- Health and Fitness (part 1 of 2)
- Health and Fitness (part 2 of 2)
- Intimate Issues
- Islam Began as Something Strange
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Introduction to Hadith Terminology
Description: A short introduction to the most common words and terms related to ahadith that you will come across in your reading about Islam.
By Aisha Stacey (© 2014 NewMuslims.com)
Published on 05 Sep 2016 - Last modified on 05 Sep 2016
Printed: 245 - Emailed: 0 - Viewed: 21,571 (daily average: 7)
Objectives
·To understand some common terms related to ahadith used in Islamic literature.
·To appreciate that the classification of ahadith is a meticulous effort and involves academic discipline.
Arabic Terms
·Daeef – weak.
·Hadith - (plural – ahadith) is a piece of information or a story. In Islam it is a narrative record of the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad and his companions.
·Hasan – good.
·Isnad – chain of transmitters of any given hadith.
·Matn – the text of a hadith.
·Mawdu – fabricated or forged.
·Sahabah - the plural form of “Sahabi,” which translates to Companions. A sahabi, as the word is commonly used today, is someone who saw Prophet Muhammad, believed in him and died as a Muslim
·Saheeh – sound, without defect.
·Sunnah - The word Sunnah has several meanings depending on the area of study however the meaning is generally accepted to be, whatever was reported that the Prophet said, did, or approved.
Introduction
Muslims believe that the second primary source of Islam is the Sunnah
of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him. The Sunnah
is considered to be a revelation and it is contained within the large body of
literature known as ahadith. The Quran and the Sunnah
cannot be understood correctly without recourse to each other because the Sunnah
is the practical example of how Prophet Muhammad implemented the Quran,
in his character and in his day to day life.
This brief lesson aims to give a brief introduction to hadith
terminology in order that you are not confused by language and terms and feel
as if you are reading beyond your depth of understanding. It is neither a
course nor an introduction to a course; however, it will introduce terms that
you may wish to delve into more deeply.
What makes a saying or story a hadith?
When Prophet Muhammad was alive, the people used to go directly to him if there was an issue regarding the practicalities of Islam. After his death, the sahabah clarified any problems or resolved disputes. However, as the time went on, it became important to know how the sayings and traditions related to Islam came about. This necessitated knowing who said what and where the saying originated or, the chain of narration. Thus we find that a hadith is composed of two parts; the matn (text) and the isnad (chain of transmitters or narrators or reporters). A text may seem to be logical or reasonable but without a chain of narrators, it is not a hadith.
Classification of Hadith
The vast amount of ahadith that exist today began when the sahabah and those who came after them began to memorise, write down, and pass on the statements of Prophet Muhammad and descriptions of his actions. As many outstanding individuals began to collect hundreds of thousands of narrations, it became necessary to find a way to distinguish those reports that were true from those that were false. The methodology that evolved became the science of hadith. It sorts genuine sayings from those that are not and classifying them into certain categories.
Hadith classification is a meticulous science and involves strict adherence to the guidelines built up over several centuries. There are many ways to classify ahadith and before you read a hadith it has gone through several methods of classification, including but not limited to, defects found in the matn or isnad, how many reporters are there in the isnad, or the manner in which the matn is reported. However, the most well-known and most visible way is to classify ahadith according to the reliability and memory of the reporters. With this method, the ahadith are classified as follows. Each hadith is said to be saheeh (sound), hasan (good), daeef (weak) or mawdu (fabricated or forged).
Saheeh
These is the most authentic and reliable class of ahadith. According to hadith scholar Ibn As-Salah (1181 -1245 CE), a saheeh hadith is one that has a continuous isnad, made up of reporters with trustworthy memory and is found to be free from any irregularities in either the matn or the isnad.
Across the centuries many people collected ahadith and compiled them into reference books. The most famous of such collectors are Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim. These are names that you will often see after a hadith has been quoted or in the footnotes. These men are not narrators; rather they are those who spent years compiling and classifying ahadith with strict methods and conditions/requirements. They are known to have included only saheeh ahadith in their bodies of literature.
The following grading levels are for saheeh ahadith only.
1.those which are recorded by both Al-Bukhari and Muslim;
2.those which are recorded by Al-Bukhari only;
3.those which are recorded 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 saheeh in other accepted collections.
Hasan
The term hasan means good, and Ibn As-Salah describes a hasan hadith as one that is a degree less than a saheeh hadith. It is free from irregularities in both the matn and the isnad but one or more of the reporters may have a less reliable memory, or the hadith falls short of the strict rules of saheeh classification.
Both saheeh and hasan ahadith can be used to support or make a point of law. Several ahadith considered to be daeef can raise each other to the degree of hasan if the weakness in the reporters is considered to be mild. However, if the weakness is severe, the hadith will remain daeef.
Daeef
A hadith that fails to reach the status of hasan is known as daeef. Usually, the weakness is a broken isnad or that one or more of the reporters have a character defect. He or she may be known to tell lies, make excessive mistakes, oppose the narrations of a more reliable source, be involved in innovation, or have some other ambiguity of character.
Mawdu
A mawdu hadith is one that is either fabricated or forged. The matn of a mawdu hadith usually goes against established norms or contains some error or discrepancy in the dates or times of a particular incident. There are however many reasons why ahadith were fabricated and these include, political animosity, fabrication by storytellers, proverbs turned into ahadith, personal prejudices and deliberate misleading propaganda.
Previous Lesson: Prostration of Forgetfulness
Next Lesson: Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Madinan Period (part1 of 3)
- What is Jihad?
- Prophet Adam: Beginning of Humankind (part 1 of 2)
- Prophet Adam: Beginning of Humankind (part 2 of 2)
- An Explanation of Surah Az-Zalzalah
- Morals of Prophet Muhammad (part 1 of 2)
- Morals of Prophet Muhammad (part 2 of 2)
- Preserving the Environment
- Crime and Punishment in Islam (part 1 of 2)
- Crime and Punishment in Islam (part 2 of 2)
- Prostration of Forgetfulness
- Introduction to Hadith Terminology
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Madinan Period (part1 of 3)
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Madinan Period (part2 of 3)
- Detailed Biography of Prophet Muhammad - Madinan Period (part 3 of 3)
- Story of Creation (part 1 of 2)
- Story of Creation (part 2 of 2)
- Funeral Rites (part 1 of 2)
- Funeral Rites (part 2 of 2)
- Islamic Wills and Inheritance (part 1 of 2)
- Islamic Wills and Inheritance (part 2 of 2)
- Prophetic Narrations: Sincerity
- Understanding Media Stereotyping
- Health and Fitness (part 1 of 2)
- Health and Fitness (part 2 of 2)
- Intimate Issues
- Islam Began as Something Strange
Introduction to Hadith Terminology
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