Isa Khan’s Notes on Hadith Methodologies (Oxford College Past Paper) PDF

Manaahij ul-Muhadditheen (Methodologies of the Scholars of the Hadith) Exam Guide: Part 1: Definition of “The Methodology of the Scholars of Hadith” The Technical Definition: The approaches that were taken by the scholars in narrating, authenticating and compiling the ahaadith. We studied the third...

Manaahij ul-Muhadditheen (Methodologies of the Scholars of the Hadith) Exam Guide: Part 1: Definition of “The Methodology of the Scholars of Hadith” The Technical Definition: The approaches that were taken by the scholars in narrating, authenticating and compiling the ahaadith. We studied the third aspect which is their approaches in compiling the ahaadith: This can be further defined as a branch of knowledge dedicated to researching the approaches that were taken by the scholars while authoring books of hadith; in terms of their categorizing and arranging of the ahaadith, the conditions that they adhered to for selecting specific ahaadith, and the jurisprudential and hadith-related benefits that they attempted to express by mentioning these ahaadith. Development of the Methodologies of the Scholars of hadith: 1. The first stages were present in the time of The Prophet. 2. After his death, Sahaba continued to practice what they learned from The Prophet. 3. The Tabi’oon and the scholars after them followed the path of the Sahaba in preserving the ahaadith and narrating them with care and precision. 4. In the time of the Tabi’een, the need arose for looking into the condition of some of the narrators of hadith. - While the ahaadith were being orally transmitted, they were also being written down. The Methodology of Writing and Compiling Hadith 1. The earliest evidence of writing down the hadith are small documents that contained only the ahaadith narrated by one Sahabi. 2. Then larger books gathering many ahaadith alongside narrations from other than The Prophet emerged. (Such as ath-Thuhris book) 1. 3.Then scholars began to compile books containing many different ahaadith and separating them according to their topics. (Muwataat, Musannafaat, Jawaami’, Sunan, etc.) 3. They also compiled books arranging the ahaadith according to the Sahabi who had narrated them. (Masaaneed). 4. Then, some scholars decided to compile books of only the authentic ahaadith from The Prophet alone. (Sihaah) Advantages of the Books of Hadith that were Written during the Era of Narration 1. The books that were written in the second and third century contained most of what had been written before and also what had been transmitted orally. 2. They relied on the chains of narrations ‘asaaneed’ for their transmissions.  3. They did not contain many of the authors opinions and speech; these were mentioned briefly in the chapter headings. 4. High chains of narrations. The Importance of the “Study of the Methodology of the Scholars” and its Benefits 1. Allows us to benefit from the books of hadith. 2. Gives us an understanding of the compilation of the Sunnah, and an insight into the great effort of the scholars who were behind it. 3. Familiarizes us with the different approaches the scholars took in writing their books and the goals that they intended with their specific approaches. 4. Leads to a correct understanding of the language of the scholars and the terminologies that they used. Documentation of the Methodologies of the Scholars of Hadith Over Time 1. Their methodologies were originally known from the brief descriptions that scholars gave within their books or from what other scholars mentioned about their books in passing. 2. Then some scholars began to write more in detail about this subject in their books, and those who came after followed them. 1 3. This first book that was written specifically about the methodologies of the scholars of hadith was by Ibn Mandah (395 AH). His book was called Shuroot ul-Aimma meaning conditions of the scholars. 1. After him, other scholars also began to write about this subject. 4. Some later scholars explained the methodology of certain authors when writing their biographies. 2 5. The books written about the science of hadith contained information about the methodologies used in the ‘Saheehayn’ and other famous books.3 6. In our times, some researchers choose to study specific books and do extensive research the methodology of their authors. Types of Methodologies Held by the Scholars of Hadith 1. General Methodologies: The approaches that the scholars took which were agreed upon such as the way they transmitted the ahaadith, their approach in critiquing narrations and the general structure of their books. 2. Specific Methodologies: The approaches that some scholars took that were unique to them alone such as specific conditions that they adhered to or specific terminologies that they used when compiling their books. (Such as ‘Saalih’ according to Abu Dawood). Important Books about the Methodology of the Scholars of Hadith: There are 3 types: 1. Books which contain some details about the methodologies of the scholars along with other aspects of the sciences of hadith such as the Muqaddima (Introduction) of Imam Muslims Sahih. 2. Books written solely about this field : These are divided into 2 categories: a) Those containing the methodologies of several books such as ‘Shuroot ul-A’ima’ by Ibn Mandah (395 AH). b) Books written about the general methodologies of the Scholars of hadith. 3. Books written about the methodology of one book; they are divided into 2 categories as well: a) Books written about the general methodology of a specific book. b) Books which study one specific aspect of an author’s methodology. Unit One: al-Mualafaat al-Musnada Definition of Al-Mualafaat al-Musnada: These are books in which the authors narrate the hadith with the chains (asaaneed). (See visual of matn and isnad 5) Lesson One: Al-Muwataat These are books that contain Hadith of The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬alongside narrations of those after him, without considering the connection of the asaaneed. The Author also provides his own jurisprudential opinions. The way the hadith are arranged: According to the chapters of Fiqh. Muwatta Malik: The Author: Maalik Ibn Anas (179AH). Subject Matter: A compilation of jurisprudential hadith, from The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬or from others after him, along with the authors opinions. Conditions for the Inclusion of each Hadith: He included the most authentic ahaadith and those which were acted upon whilst leaving the strange and uncommon ahaadith. His Methodology and Arrangement of Ahaadith: 1. He arranged the hadith according to the chapters of Fiqh, starting with the ‘Book of prayer times. 2. He divided each chapter into sub-chapters known as ‘Abwaab’. 3. For the most part, he placed the ahaadith of The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬with a connected chain (Al- Marfoo’ al-Muttasil) before other ahaadith and sayings of others in each sub-chapter.6 His Methodology Related to the Science of Hadith and Fiqh: 1. Al-Imam Maalik attempted to narrate only the most authentic wordings of the ahaadith. 2. He commented on some of the ahaadith with an explanation or clarification of some rulings. 3. He ended many of the sub chapters with his own opinion about the matter.7 Narrations of al-Muwatta: There are many of them: the most famous being: the narration of Yahya ibn Yahya al-Laythi. Status of the Book: Many of the scholars considered it to be at the same level as al-Kutub al-Sitta, and some claimed that it is at the level of the Saheehayn or even above them. However, the majority of scholars said that it is lower than the Saheehayn in status. Lesson Two: Al-Musannafaat These are books which contain ahaadith of The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬along with many narrations from the Sahaba and those after them, all of which are categorized and placed in chapters according to the subject that they discuss. The way the Hadith are Arranged: They are placed under different chapters depending on their subject. (all chapters of religion are included). (See comparison between Muwataat and Mussannafaat 8). Musannaf of Abdurrazzaq: The Author: Abdurrazaq as-San’aani. The Subject Matter of the Book: Compilation of the hadith and narrations largely pertaining to jurisprudential matters. Conditions for the Inclusion of each Hadith: He did not have any conditions for authenticity but the majority of what is in his book is sound. (See conditions for authentic and hassan hadith 9 ) His Methodology and Arrangement of ahaadith: He divided his book into chapters based on jurisprudential and other topics, then placed in each chapter many ahaadith and narrations with his chains. His Method of Mentioning the Hadith: He mentioned the Jurisprudential issue, then mentions the ahaadith and narrations with their ‘asaaneed’ under it without arranging them in any order. 10 His Methodology related to Fiqh: 1. Arranging the narrations according to the chapters of Fiqh while selecting suitable and sound ahaadith for the most part. 2. Included the fatawaa of the Sahaba and those after them. The number of ahaadith: 22126 narrations (including those from The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and others) Narrators of the Book: The book spread through the narration of Ishaaq ibn Ibrahim al-Dabari (285AH). However, he had heard it from Abdirrazaq when he was still young after Abdurrazaq became weak due to age, so the scholars differed over its credibility. Its status: 1. It is one of the most important sources for the Fiqh of the salaf (early muslims). Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah: The Author: Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaibah. Subject Matter: Compilation of the ahaadith related to jurisprudence and other matters from The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and the companions and those who came after them. In this book, the majority of the ahaadith are not related to jurisprudence. Conditions for the Inclusion of each Hadith: He did not have any specific conditions for authenticity but the majority of what is in his book is sound. His Methodology and Arrangement of Ahaadith: He divided his book into chapters based on jurisprudence and other topics. However, for the most part, these chapters are not arranged in any particular order. His Methodology related to Fiqh: 1. He arranged the narrations according to the chapters of Fiqh. 2. He filled the chapters with suitable and sound ahaadith. 3. He sometimes singled out chapters to deal with contradicting opinions in a matter. 15 4. He included the Fatawaa of the Sahaba and those after them. Narrations of the Book: Baqi Ibn Makhlad narrated it from Ibn Abi Shaibah. Status: It is one of the most important sources for the Fiqh of the salaf (early Muslims). Lesson Three: Al-Masaaneed These are books that gather the ahaadith of each Sahabi in one place. Subject Matter: Singling out the ahaadith of The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬alone. (See types of ahaadith 18) The way the Contents of these Books are Organized: The author separates the ahaadith according to the Sahaba who narrated them. The names of the Sahaba are arranged in different ways: either by their tribes, their chronological entry into Islam or The Arabic letters. (See visual of masaneed 19). The Emergence of this Methodology: This method was first used at the start of the third century. Musnad Ahmad: The Author: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal (241AH). Subject Matter of his Book: Singling out the ahaadith of The Prophet )‫ (ﷺ‬alone and arranging them according to the names of the Sahaba who narrated them, regardless of their topics. The reason for the compilation: Al-Imam Ahmad wanted his book to be a reference for the people. Conditions for the Inclusion of each Hadith and their Authenticity: 1. He intended to gather the well-known ahaadith and not just the authentic. 2. He did not narrate from those who were heavily criticized. 3. He would review the book and cross out specific ahaadith, and order for them to be removed. The Difference between the Scholars over the Strength of his Conditions and the Authenticity of his ahaadith: 1. Some of the scholars claimed that Ahmad only included in his book what was worthy of being used as an evidence. 2. Others claimed that his conditions were lenient leading him to include extremely weak and even fabricated ahaadith. 3. Additionally, there were others who claimed that his conditions were sound and he did not narrate from liars but occasionally narrated the ahaadith of those who were criticized for their weak memory. Types of Hadith in Musnad Ahmad: 1. Authentic without a doubt, and many of these are found in ‘al-Kutub al-Sitta’. 2. Authentic ahaadith that are additional to those in ‘al-Kutub al-Sitta’. 3. Sound ahaadith in and of themselves or with corroboration. (See visual of Hadith Hassan li thatihi and li gharihi 20). 4. Slightly weak ahaadith. 5. Extremely weak ahaadith and fabricated ones which were fabricated unintentionally. His Methodology and Arrangement of ahaadith: The book is organized according to the names of the Sahaba, but the names of the Sahaba are not ordered in a consistent manner. Number of ahaadith: 28295. Narrations of the Book: The book spread through the narration of his son, Abdullah ibn Ahmad. See example from Musnad Ahmad 21 Musnad Abi Ya’laa: The Author: Abu Ya’laa al-Musili. Subject Matter: Singling out the ahaadith of The Prophet alone and arranging them according to the names of the Sahaba who narrated them, regardless of their topics. Conditions for the Inclusion of each Hadith: Abu Ya’laa did not have any specific conditions that he adhered to. His Methodology and Arrangement of Ahaadith: 1. He arranged the ahaadith according to the Sahaba who narrated them, but he did not have consistent approach for arranging their names. 2. He arranged the ahaadith of the Sahaba with many narrations according to the names of those who narrated from them. Number of Ahaadith: 7573. Two versions have been narrated to us, the shortened version ‘Al-Musnad al-Saghir’ (the well- known version) and the extended version ‘Al-Musnad al-Kabir’ narrated by Abu Bakr ibn al- Muqri (381AH). See example from Musnad Abi Ya’laa 22 Lesson Four: Al-Jawaami’ These are books that contain ahaadith dealing with all the aspects of the religion, they are organized into chapters such as the chapters of Imaan (faith), Ahkaam (fiqh), Tafseer (quranic exegesis), Manners/Etiquettes, Seerah (life of the Prophet), Zuhd/Raqaaiq (staying away from the worldly pleasures and heart-softeners), Manaaqib (virtues), Fitan/Malaahim (trials)/Ashraat ul-Saa’a (signs of the day of judgement). The way the contents of these books are arranged: The book is organized into chapters of all aspects of the religion, so the ahaadith that share the same topics are placed in one chapter, and they are divided into more detailed sub-chapters. See comparison between Muwattaat, Musannafaat, Masaaneed, Jawaami’ 23 Al-Jami’ as-Sahih of al-Bukhari: The Author: Muhammad ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari (256AH). Subject Matter: Compilation of the authentic ahaadith of The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬related to many of the aspects of the religion. The Main Reasons for this Compilation: 1. A desire to distinguish the authentic hadith from the weak ones. 2. A suggestion from his Sheikh Ishaaq ibn Rahowya to compile the authentic ahaadith. 3. He saw a dream which inspired him to take on this task. His Conditions for Including ahaadith: 1. He only intended to include authentic ahaadith in his book. 2. He included ahaadith from all aspects of the religion. 3. His main goal was to narrate the hadith of The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬alone. 4. He included hadith which met the 5 conditions of authenticity. 5. He narrated the ahaadith with a connected chain of ‘Al-Thiqaat al-Mutqineen’ (very strong narrators in memory) who studied lengthy periods with their teachers, and he sometimes narrated the ahaadith of narrators from the level below who were lesser in these two areas. (Conditions according to Ibn Taahir 24 and Al-Haazimi 25). 6. His condition for ‘Al-Isnaad al-Mu’an’an’ was to confirm that the narrator met his sheikh even if it was just one time, and the narrator must not be a Muddallis.27 (What is isnad Mu’an’an? 26) His Methodology and Way of Arranging the Hadith: He divided his book into 97 chapters, and each chapter into sub-chapters, and he mentioned the appropriate ahaadith in each sub- chapter. His Method of Mentioning the Ahaadith in his Book: He sometimes removed parts of the ahaadith.28 His Methodology related to Fiqh: From the most apparent signs of his knowledge in Fiqh is his ‘Tarajim’ (Sub-chapter headings)33: these can be divided into two types: - Explicit sub-chapter headings: where his statements are clearly indicated by the content of the sub-chapter. - Vague sub-chapter headings: where his statements are not easily deduced from the contents of the sub-chapter. Number of Ahaadith, and their type: There are 159 ‘Mu’alaqaat’ (Ahaadith with disconnected chain from the authors end). Al-Mu’alaqaat’ (Part of the chain from the authors end is not mentioned) (See what is a Mu’alaq? 34): 1. Those which are found connected in other parts of the book. 2. Those which are only found disconnected. There are 2 types: - ‘Al-Mu’alaq bi Seeghat il-jazm’ (uses phrases of certainty like ‘Qaala / He said’): The parts of the chain which are removed are considered to be authentic. However, the part of the chain which is mentioned may or may not be authentic. - ‘Al-Mu’alaq bi Seeghat it-tamreedh’ (uses phrases of uncertainty like ‘Qeela / it was said’): the parts of the chains which are removed may or may not be authentic.35, 36 Narrations of the Book: The narration of Muhammad al-Firabri (320AH) is the most famous. Many transmitted it from him. Lesson Five: Sahih Muslim The Author: Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj An-Naysaaboori (261AH). Subject Matter: Compilation of the authentic ahaadith from The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬in most of the aspects of the religion. His conditions for Including Ahaadith: He included ahaadith with connected chains narrated by: 1. Al-Thiqat al-Mutqineen who studied lengthy periods of time with their teachers, and b) Those who were lower in level in these two areas. He sometimes included the hadiths of those who were from the third level: criticized narrators having studied lengthy periods with their teachers.37 2. His condition for al-isnad al-Mu’an’an: As long as it is confirmed that the narrator is not a ‘Mudallis’, lived at the same time as his sheikh and it was possible for them to meet, then the isnad is connected. 3. He did not have the same conditions for the Introduction of his Sahih. His Methodology and Way of Arranging the Hadith: He organized the ahaadith into chapters and sub-chapters. He arranged the hadiths within the chapters and placed the more authentic narrations before the lesser authentic. However, he did not title his sub-chapters. His Methodology related to the Science of Hadith: 1. He distinguished between (‫ ( َحدَّثَنَا‬and (‫(أ َ ْخبَ َرنا‬.38 2. He took great care in narrating the most accurate wordings in situations where the narrators differed.41 Types of Ahaadith: He divided the hadith of The Prophet into 3 categories: 1. The ahaadith of ‘Al-Huffaath al-Mutqineen’; he included their ahaadith. 2. The Ahaadith of those who are not described as ‘Al-Huffaath al-Mutqineen’ but are known as ‘Saduqoon’: He includes their ahaadith after the ahaadith of the first category. 3. The ahaadith of those who were accused of fabrication, the majority of their narrations are extremely weak: He did not include their ahaadith. Narrations of the Book: The most well-known is the narration of Abu Ishaaq Ibrahim al-Faqih: there are some parts that he did not hear but received them by way of Ijaazah and Wijaadah. Many transmitted it from him, and it is relied upon today. (See different ways to receive a hadith 43 ). Lesson Six: As-Sihaah These are books that are limited to compiling only the authentic ahaadith from The Prophet. How the contents are arranged: The ahaadith are organized into chapters and sub-chapters depending on their topics. The first to use this methodology: Al-Bukhari then Muslim. Sahih Ibn Khuzayma: The Author: Muhammad ibn Ishaaq ibn Khuzayma. Methodology and Way of Arranging Ahaadith: Organized the book into chapters and sub-chapters and placed ahaadith with their asaaneed. in each sub-chapter. His Method of Mentioning Ahaadith: In general, he placed the isnad before the matn. However, he sometimes placed the matn before to indicate weakness of the hadith or it did not fulfill his conditions.44 His Methodology related to the Science of Hadith: He was precise when dealing with asaaneed and would not authenticate a hadith if he had any doubts about it. He also rejected the narrations of the ‘Mudallis’ if he did ‘an’ana from a sheikh it was not possible for him to hear from.49 Special Matters related to Fiqh and his Close Attention to the Mutoon: 1. He titled his sub-chapters with titles that show his strength in Fiqh and his opinions.54 2. He clarified apparent contradictions and misunderstandings stemming from the ahadeeth.57 3. He mentioned the ‘mathaahib fiqhiya’ and statements of the scholars, discussed the differences and mentioned the strongest opinions. 58 Number of Ahaadeeth: Only a quarter of the entire book has been discovered. Its Status: 1. It comes after the Saheehayn. 2. The book contains hadith which are sahih, hassan and da’if, however the Da’if are very few. Sahih Ibn Hibbaan: The author: Abu Haatim Muhammad ibn Hibbaan al-Busti. His conditions for the Inclusion of Ahaadith: He intended to include only authentic ahaadith, he clarified that he did not use any narration as evidence except if the narrators met 5 conditions: 1. 1.‘Al-’Adaala’ in their religion, 2. ‘As-Siqd’ in hadith, 3. ’Al-’Aql’ (basic knowledge) of their narrations, 4. Understanding the meanings of their narrations, 5. They are not considered to be Mudaliseen. (See unknown narrators and Ibn Hibbaans approach towards them 59). Arrangement of Ahaadith: 1. Organized his book in a novel way, he divided into 5 sections: Al-Awaamir, An-Nawaahi, Al-Akhbaar, Al-Mubaahaat, Af’aal un-Nabi). 2. Then he divided these sections into sub-sections. His method of mentioning Ahaadeeth: 1. He mentioned the sub-section. Then he mentioned the Masaail under it, then he mentioned the most authentic ahaadith related to that masala, and for the most part, he only mentioned one hadith for a masala. 2. He mentions the complete mutoon. His Methodology Related to Fiqh and the Mutoon: The main objective of Ibn Hibbaan in his book was to extract rulings from the ahaadith. Status: 1. It comes after The Saheehayn and Sahih Ibn Khuzayma, as Ibn Hibbaan has been described as being lenient in authentication. In general however, his ahaadith are strong enough to use as evidence because they are either Sahih or Hassan, as long as there is not discovered to be a hidden error. Al-Muntaqaa by Ibn al-Jarood: The Author: Ibn al-Jarood an-Naisaburi. Subject Matter: Jurisprudential ahaadith from The Prophet. His conditions for including ahaadith: He attempted to include only the sahih and hassan ahaadith. His Methodology and Arrangement of Ahaadith: He organized the ahaadith according to the chapters of fiqh. Status: Its ahaadith are very strong in general. Lesson Seven: As-Sunan These are books which gather jurisprudential ahaadith from The Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, arranged according to the chapters of Fiqh. How the Ahaadith are organized: The ahaadith are arranged according to the chapters of Fiqh, beginning with Kitab ut-Tahara, then Salah, then the other ‘Ibaadaat, then Mu’aamalaat, followed by other topics of jurisprudence. These chapters are divided further into smaller more detailed sub-chapters. Sometimes, chapters that are not related to jurisprudence may be included. Sunan Abi Dawood: The Author: Abu Dawood as-Sijistaani (275AH). Name of the Book: As-Sunan. Subject Matter and Reason for Compilation: He intended to compile a comprehensive book of jurisprudential ahaadith, which was easy to study and memorize. His Conditions for Including Ahaadith: 1. He included the most authentic ahaadith that he came across. 2. He stipulated that the ahaadith in a chapter must have connected asaaneed, if there were none, he included those which were disconnected. 3. He used weak hadith as evidence if he did not find any other for an issue. 4. He did not include ahaadith from the ‘Matrookeen’ who the scholars agreed upon rejecting their narrations. 5. He included the narration of a hadith that may have some weakness if it was ‘Aali (less people in the chain) and left off the Naazil even if it was more authentic. His Methodology and Organization of Ahaadith: He organized his book according to the chapters of fiqh and divided each chapter into detailed sub-chapters where he placed the ahaadith. His Method of Mentioning Ahaadith: 1. He included in each sub-chapter the most authentic narrations that he knew, and followed these with weaker ahaadith as ‘Mutaba’aat and Shawaahid’. 2. For the most part, he did not include more than one or two ahaadith in a sub-chapter, and he did not repeat ahaadith unless it contained additions. His Methodology Pertaining to Fiqh and Mutoon 1. He sometimes mentioned the opinions of the Fuqahaa for issues.78 2. He clarified the ahaadith which were abrogated.79 The Types of Hadith in Abi Dawood and their Authenticity 83: 1. Authentic ahaadith which are agreed upon (As-Sahih li Thaatihi). 2. Authentic hadith which are lower in level (As-Sahih li Ghayrihi). 3. Sound ahaadith which are lower in level than the Sahih (Al-Hassan li Thaatihi). 4. Slightly weak ahaadith. 5. Extremely weak ahaadith. Possible Reasons why Abu Dawood included Weak Ahaadith: 1. He did not restrict himself to including authentic ahaadith only. 2. He followed in the footsteps of the Fuqahaa who mention the evidences of the opposing party even though they do not use them. He mentioned if these evidences were weak. The Ahaadith which Abu Dawood did not comment on: He stated that whatever he did not comment on, it is ‘Saalih (Good)’. The scholars differed over what in intended by ‘Salih’: 1. Some said it is good enough to be used as evidence. 2. Some said it was good enough use as evidence or to corroborate other narrations. (See corroboration of ahaadith 84, 85). 3. Others said it can be different types: The ahaadith which are in the saheehayn or authentic. Those which are Hassan li Thaatihi or Hassan li Ghayrihi. Those which are slightly weak. Those which are extremely weak, and he did not comment on them due to the clarity of their weakness, or due to negligence from him. It should be noted that his comment on a hadith might be present in some manuscripts or narrations and missing in others. Number of Ahaadith: 4800. Some Narrations of the Book: 4. Narration of al-Lului: He is the last to narrate the Sunan from Abu Dawood, and his narration is the most authentic and is relied upon, especially in eastern Muslim lands. 5. Narration of ibn Daasa: It is one of the most famous narrations especially in the western Muslim lands and it is similar to Al-Lului and it has additional ahaadith however they were removed by Abu Dawood towards the end of his life. (See some points from “The letter of Abi Dawood to the people of Makkah” 82). Lesson Eight: Jaami’ ut-Tirmidhi The Author: Abu ‘Isa Muhamad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi (279AH). Name of the Book: It has been given various names: 1. (Al-Jaami’) or (Jaami’ ut-Tirmidhi): That is the most well-known name and it matches the contents of the book. 2. Sunan at-Tirmidhi. This is not an accurate name because the book contains more than the jurisprudential ahaadith. Subject Matter: He intended it to be a book combining Hadith and its sciences, Fiqh and the criticism and appraisal of narrators. 1. So he gathered the ahaadith of jurisprudence as well as others. 2. He mentioned the opinions of the Fuqahaa from the Sahaba and those after them related to the issues spoken about in those ahaadith. 3. He also graded the ahaadith and clarified any errors that may have occurred within them. His Conditions in his Jaami’: 1- Conditions for including ahaadith: He stated that his intention was to gather the ahaadith the Fuqahaa use as evidences, so he did not make it a condition upon himself to include only authentic or sound ahaadith. However, when he included weak ahaadith, he clarified its weakness. 2- His conditions for the narrators: He included the ahaadith of ‘Ath-Thiqa ad-Dhaabit’ (the strongest narrators in memory), those who occasionally erred, and those who consistently erred. As for those whose mistakes were more than their correct narrations, he rarely included their ahaadith and clarified when he did. His Methodology and Way of Arranging Hadith: 1- He organized the ahaadith into chapters and sub-chapters in most aspects of the religion such as ‘chapters of Tahaara’. 2- He divided the chapters into more detailed sub-chapters according to the rulings that were found in the ahaadith, and many times, the title of the sub-chapter is the same as the wording of the hadith. His Method of Mentioning the Ahaadith: 1- He created a sub-chapter for each fiqh issue, then mentioned ahaadith and their asaaneed within the sub-chapter. 2- He either: a. Combined the asaaneed, 86 b. or used (‫ )ﺡ‬to switch between them. 86 c. or he mentioned each isnad with its matn,87  d. or he mentioned the isnad and matn of the hadith followed by the other asaaneed referring to the afore mentioned matn,88 e. or he simply mentioned a part of the asaaneed since it was well-known.89 His Methodology Related to the Science of Hadith: He clarified the most authentic hadith in each chapter.96 His Methodology Related to Fiqh and the Mutoon: He mentioned the rulings that could be taken from the ahaadith and whether they were acted upon or not. He also mentioned the differences of opinions regarding these rulings from among the Sahaba and those after them, and mentioned the strongest opinions according to him.98,99 The Types of Ahaadith and their Authenticity in Jaami’ at-Tirmidhi: 1. Those which are authentic without a doubt; the ones present in al-Bukhari and Muslim. 2. Those which fulfill the conditions of Abu Dawood and an-Nasaai. 3. Ahaadith which he included to show that they are not authentic and clarified their weakness. 4. Ahaadith which he included because some scholars acted upon them, these can be either authentic, sounds or weak and in general he mentioned their level of authenticity. Narrations of Jaami’ at-Tirmidhi: Narration of Abu al-Abbaas al-Mahboobi (346AH),his narration is the most well-known. Manuscripts of Al-Jaami’ at-Tirmidhi: There are several differences between the manuscripts; such as: 1- In the rulings of at-Tirmidhi on some ahaadith. 2- Some manuscripts have additional ahaadith not mentioned in the others. 3- Differences in the presence of certain chapters names or differences in the names themselves. Lesson Nine: Sunan an-Nasaai The Author: Ahmad an-Nasaai (303AH). Name of the Book: 1. ‘Al-Mujtabaa’. This is the more correct name. 2. ‘As-Sunan as-Sughraa’. 3. ‘Al-Mujtanaa’. 4. “As-Sahih’. The Scholars differed: Is the book compiled by an-Nasaai or by his student ibn us-Sunni?: The correct opinion is that was compiled by an-Nasaai because: 1. There are some manuscripts which indicate that it was compiled by an-Nasaai and ibn us- Sunni was simply narrating the book from him. 2. There are other narrators of the book other than Ibn us-Sunni. Subject Matter: Compilation of the jurisprudential ahaadith of The Prophet. Reason for the Compilation: He first compiled ‘As-Sunan al-Kubraa’ then condensed into ‘Al- Mujtaba’. His Conditions for including Ahaadith: 1. He did not include ahaadith of those who the scholars had agreed upon leaving their narrations. 2. He included ahaadith from the narrators who studied with their shuyookh for a lengthy period however they were not free from criticism. For corroboration, he includes the ahaadith of weak and unknown narrators. 3. He had a specific methodology for critiquing narrators, and even left off the ahaadith of some narrators that he had a slight feeling in his heart about them, even if their narrations had ‘ulu (high chains). His Methodology and Way of Arranging of Ahaadith: He organized the ahaadith according to the chapters of and sub-chapters of Fiqh and considered the relevance between topics when arranging the sub-chapters. His Methodology of Mentioning Ahaadith: He described the subject in the title of the sub-chapter, then he mentions the relevant ahaadith under it with their chains to The Prophet. His Methodology Related to the Science of Hadith: 1. He gave his rulings on the authenticity of the ahaadith and explained the errors in them.100 2. He pointed out the differences between the narrators and used many important principles to determine the correct wordings.101, 102, 103 His Methodology Related to Fiqh and Mutoon: 1. He gave some sub-chapters titles which indicated his opinion in the matter. a. Example: )‫ار ِل ْل ُمتَبَايِعَي ِْن قَ ْب َل ا ْفتِ َراقِ ِه َما بِأ َ ْبدَانِ ِه َم‬ ِ َ‫وب ْال ِخي‬ ُ ‫ )باب ُو ُج‬Chapter about the right to nullify a transaction before separating) 2. He extracted rulings from the ahaadith. (Very rarely) 3. He mentioned authentic ahaadith in one chapter which contained apparent contractions to show the permissibility of acting upon all of them.107 The Types of Ahaadith and their Authenticity in Sunan an-Nasaai: 1. Sahih, similar to the level of the ahaadith in the Saheehayn. 2. Sahih, fulfilling the conditions of the authors of the Sunan. 3. Ahaadith he included to show their weakness, and sometimes he pointed out the errors in them. (sometimes he narrated weak hadith as supporting evidences or if there were no authentic hadith in the chapter). Narrations: The narration of Ibn us-Sunni (364AH). This is the only one to reach us. Lesson Ten: Sunan Ibn Majah The Author: Ibn Majah al-Qajweeni (273AH). Subject Matter: He intended for his book to be a compilation of the jurisprudential ahaadith, however he mentioned a few chapters in other areas. His book also contains many ahaadith that are additional to the ‘5 books’. His Conditions for Including Ahaadith: 1- Ahaadith: He did not limit himself to only the Sahih or Hassan ahadith, his book contains slightly weak, extremely weak and even fabricated ahaadith because his goal was to gather the jurisprudential ahaadith regardless of the authenticity. 2- Narrators: He included ahaadith from the strong narrators who studied with their shuyookh for long periods of time. He also included ahaadith from those who spent long period with their shuyookh but were criticized. Furthermore, he included the ahaadith of those who were unknown as well as those who were known to be rejected. His Methodology and Way of Arranging Ahaadith: He arranged the ahaadith according to the chapters/Sub-chapters of Fiqh, and he organized the ahaadith in the sub-chapters according to their authenticity. His Methodology in Mentioning the Ahaadith: He described the topic in his sub-chapter heading, and then mentioned the relevant ahaadith under it with their asaaneed. His Methodology Related to Fiqh and Mutoon: 1. He gave sub-chapters detailed and clear titles.113 2. He commented on the ahaadith; explaining rulings, clarifying strange words and mentioning benefits.114 The Types of Ahaadith in Sunan Ibn Majah and their Authenticity: 1. The status of his book falls below the rest of ‘Al-Kutub as-Sitta’ due to the many weak and occasional fabricated ahaadith which are present. He also did not point out the weak ahaadith as frequently as the other authors. 2. Sunan Ibn Majah contains 1213 ahaadith which are not present in the other ‘Al-Kutub as- Sitta’, half of these are authentic and the other half are weak, or even fabricated. Narrations of Sunan Ibn Majah: Many narrated the book from Ibn Majah. However, the narration of Abu al-Hassan al-Qattaan al- Qazweeni is the most famous and the only to reach us. Part 2: Lessen Eleven: Al-Mualafaat ‘alaa al-Abwaab al-Khaassa These are books that contain only the Ahaadith related to one or a few topics. Reason behind the authoring of these books: The rising need to clarify the sunnah pertaining to specifics topic, such as the need to clarify the sunnah in topics of ‘Aqeedah when the people began to deviate. Az-Zuhd by Waki’: The Author: Waki’ ibn al-Jarraah. Topic of his book: Ahaadith about asceticism, and heart-softeners, staying away from haram, mannerisms, and maintaining family ties. His methodology and organization of Ahaadith: 1. He divided the book into chapters. 2. He mentions in each chapter: Ahaadith Marfoo’a or Mawqoofa or Israeeliyaat. Status: Contains many chapters and Ahaadith related to purification of the self. (See example of Az-Zuhd 115, 116). Kitab ut-Tawheed by Ibn Khuzayma: The author: Ibn Khuzayma an-Naysaboori. Topic of the book: Names and attributes of Allah, and other topics as well. Reason for writing the book: He was afraid that some students of knowledge would fall into misguidance. His conditions: Sound Ahaadith from trustworthy narrators back to the Prophet Peace and Blessings be Upon him. His Methodology and Organization of Hadith: 1. He divided his book into many chapters and sub-chapters. 2. Begins chapters with an Ayaat many times, then he mentions the Ahaadith. 117, 118 3. If he has any doubt in a hadith, he mentions it. 119, 120 4. In the chapters, he either mentions the opinion of the righteous predecessors or refutes the incorrect opinions or clarifies unclear issues. Kitab ut-Tawheed is a separate book and is not a chapter from his ‘Sahih’. (See example). Al-Adab ul-Mufrad by al-Imam al-Bukhari: Author: Muhammad Ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari (256AH). Topic: Ahaadith related to righteousness and Islamic Mannerisms. Conditions for the Ahaadith: He did not have the same conditions as his Sahih, so his book contains the Sahih, Hassan and some Da’eef (however he tried to include those which had connected Asaaneed, and if they were disconnected, he followed it with a connected chain). His Methodology and organization of Ahaadith: 1. Divided his book into chapters. 2. He sometimes mentioned the authenticity of the Hadith. 122 (See Thulaathiyaat of al-Bukhari 123) Ad-Du’aa by at-Tabaraani: Author: Sulaiman ibn Ahmad at-Tabaraani. Topic: Ad’iya (invocations) of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. Reason for writing the book: He saw that people were adhering to duas that were not from the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬nor from the Sahaba or Tabi’een. Conditions for the Ahaadith: He wanted to include Ad’iya that have Asaaneed back to the Prophet or the early generations, not any Du’aa that was being spread. His Methodology and organization of Ahaadith: 1. He divided the book into chapters, and his chapters mention the state of a person and what they should say in that state. 124,125 2. He tried to mention everything related to the chapter, regardless of the authenticity. At-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb by al-Munthiri: Author: ‘Abd ul-’Adheem ibn ‘Abd il-Qawi Al-Munthiri. Topic: Ahaadith of motivation and deterrence. His Methodology and Organization of Ahaadith: 1. Organized according to chapters and sub-chapters starting the chapters with motivation and ending with deterrence. 2. Included all the Ahaadith of at-Tarheeb and at-Targheeb in the six books and ‘At- Targheeb and at-Tarheeb’ by Abi al-Qassim al-Ashabaani.  3. He mentions the hadith, then references who narrated it from the famous compilers of hadith. His Methodology related to the science of hadith: 1. He divided the Ahaadith into two categories: a) Those beginning with (‘an / ‫ )عن‬if the isnad is authentic or acceptable or even weak with clarification. 126 b) Those beginning with (Ruwiya / ‫ي‬ َ ‫)ر ِو‬ ُ if the isnad is extremely weak. 2. He mentions the authenticity of the hadith. 3. He points out the lenience of some of the scholars in their rulings on some Ahaadith. 127 4. He wrote a specific chapter at the end of his book about narrators who were differed upon, he organized them according to the letters, and he briefly mentioned their conditions. Lesson Twelve: Ghareeb ul-Hadith These are books that contain the strange and unfamiliar words found in hadith and explain their meanings. Ghareeb ul-Hadith by Abi ‘Ubaid al-Qaasim ibn Salaam (224AH): Author: Abu ‘Ubaid al-Qaasim ibn Salaam. Subject Matter: Explanation of unfamiliar words present in the Ahaadith. His Methodology and Way of Mentioning Ahaadith: 1. Organised according to Masaaneed. (from the Sahaba onwards) 2. He follows each hadith with an explanation using the Quran, the Sunnah, as well as the speech of the Arabs and scholars as evidence. 3. He also sometimes discussed grammatical, linguistic, jurisprudential or creedal matters. Status: 1. It is one of the oldest books written in this subject. 2. Contains clear explanations of the Ghareeb, along with other benefits. (See Example of Ghareeb ul-Hadith by Abi ‘Ubaid 128) Ghareeb ul-Hadith by Ibn Qutayba: The Author: Ibn Qutayba ad-Dinawari. Subject Matter: Explanations of unfamiliar words from the Sunnah and Aathaar. Reason for the book: Completion of Ghareeb ul-Hadith by Abi ‘Ubaid. His Methodology and Way of Arranging Ahaadith:  1. He organized his book according to Masaaneed. (But began with explaining words used in fiqh). Then hadith of the Prophet, then Sahaba according to their names, then those after. 2. He mentions the Matn, then the isnad, then he explains the Ghareeb, using evidence from the Quran, other Ahaadith and the speech of the Arabs. 3. He did not repeat what Abu ‘Ubaid had mentioned. (See Example of Ghareeb ul-Hadith by Ibn Qutayba 129) Ghareeb ul-Hadith by al-Khattabi: Author: Hamd ibn Muhammad al-Khattabi. Subject Matter: Explanation of the unfamiliar words from the Sunnah and Aathaar. Reason for the book: Explanation of the Ghareeb that were not present in the two previous books of Abi ‘Ubaid and Ibn Qutayba. Methodology and Organization: 1. Organized his book according to Masaaneed, beginning with the Ghareeb from the Ahaadith Marfoo’a, then Mawqoofa, then Maqtoo’a. The Ahaadith Marfoo’a are arranged ramdonly but the Ahaadith Mawqoofa are arranged by masaaneed. 2. He mentions the Matn, then the isnad, then explains the Ghareeb. 3. He did not repeat what the previous books contained. (See Example of Ghareeb ul-Hadith by al-Khattaabi 130) An-Nihaya fi Ghareeb il-Hadith by Ibn il-Atheer: Author: Al-Mubarak ibn Muhammad al-Jazari known as Ibn al-Atheer. Subject Matter: Explanation of the unfamiliar words from the Sunnah and Aathaar. Reason for the book: He wanted to write a simplified book about Ghareeb ul-Hadith. Methodology and Organization: 1. He relied on two books: Al-Ghareebayn by Abi ‘Ubaid al-Harawi (401AH) and Al- Majmoo’ ul-Mugheeth by Abi Musa al-Madani (581AH). He combined between them and included additions, and indicated which book the Ahaadith were from by using )‫(هـ‬ for al-Harawi and )‫ (س‬for Abu Musa. 2. He arranged the Ghareeb according to the Arabic letters, considering the three-letter root of the word. 3. Under the three-letter root, he mentions the Ghareeb with the Ahaadith and clarifies the meanings. (See Example of An-Nihaya 131, 132) Lesson Thirteen: Al-Mustadrakaat: These are books which are include Ahaadith that the authors believe meet the conditions of the Saheehayn or one of them but was not included, they also include some Ahaadith which they consider authentic but do not meet the conditions of the Saheehayn. Organization of Ahaadith: According to the chapters of the religion (most times). First to compile these Ahaadith: Ad-Daaraqutni (385AH) in his book “al-Ilzaamaat”. Al-Mustadrak ‘ala as-Saheehayn by al-Haakim: Author: Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah an-Naysaboori known as al-Haakim. Subject Matter: Narrating the authentic Ahaadith that meet the conditions of the Saheehayn but they did not include. He also includes Ahaadith he believes are authentic that don’t meet their conditions. Reason for this compilation: 1. It was requested from him to gather the Ahaadith that are narrated by those who al- Bukhari and Muslim would accept from. 2. Defense of the sunnah and refutation of those who claimed there were very few authentic Ahaadith. His conditions for Including Ahaadith: He wanted to include Hadith that the Shaykhayn (Al- Bukhari and Muslim) would use as evidence. (See example of hadith upon conditions of the Shaykhayn 133 or one of them 134) His Methodology of Arranging the Ahaadith: Chapters and sub-chapters. Authenticity of the Ahaadith: Sahih, Hassan and Da’eef and also some Mawdoo’. (See authenticity of the ahaadith according to ath-Thahabi 135). It contains many Ahaadith (9029) some of which are not found elsewhere. Criticism of the book: 1. His lenience in ruling that Ahaadith met the conditions of the Saheehayn and authentication in general.136 2. His mistaken claims that some Ahaadith were not in the Saheehayn. 3. Some scholars have defended al-Haakim by saying that he intended to review his book but passed away before being able to do so. Al-Ahaadith ul-Mukhtara by Diya ud-Deen al-Maqdisi: Subject Matter: Authentic Ahaadith related to the rulings of the Shari’ah that are not in the Saheehayn. Conditions for Including Ahaadith: He stipulated that he would only include Ahaadith acceptable as evidence in Fiqh that were not present in the Saheehayn. However, he sometimes included some Mu’alaqaat from Sahih al-Bukhari. In general, his book meets his conditions. Methodology and Organization of Ahaadith: According to the Masaaneed of the Sahaba, alphabetical order. His Methodology of Mentioning Ahaadith: 1. He mentions the hadith with its isnad back to the author who narrated it, then from them to the Prophet. 2. He references who narrated it from the authors of the books of hadith. (See example from al-Ahaadith ul-Mukhtara 137). His Methodology Related to the Science of Hadith: 1. He clarifies the hidden mistakes relying on Al-Imam ad-Daaraqutnis book ‘al-’Ilal’.138 2. He mentions the locations where he heard his sheikh narrating the Ahaadith. Status: 1. It is one of the most comprehensive books containing other authentic Ahaadith not in the Saheehayn. 2. The scholars preferred it over Mustadrak ul-Haakim. Lesson Fourteen: Other Types of Books Containing the Asaaneed Al-Ma’aajim: There are two types: 1. Ma’aajim ush-Shuyookh: The author mentions the names of his Shuyookh arranged according to the Arabic letters, then mentions their Ahaadith under their names. a. Such as Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat and Al-Mu’jam as-Sagheer both by at-Tabaraani (360AH). 2. Ma’aajim us-Sahaba: The Author mentions the names of the Sahaba arranged according to the Arabic letters, then mentions their Ahaadith under their names. a. Such as al-Mu’jam ul-Kabeer by At-Tabaraani (360AH). Al-Mu’jam ul-Kabeer by At-Tabaraani: Author: Sulaiman ibn Ayyub at-Tabaraani. Subject Matter: Ahaadith of the Prophet and Sahaba, narrations of Seerah as well as statements of the Tabi’een about the Sahaba. Reason for this Compilation: He wanted to gather the names of the Sahaba and a short biography of each along with their narrations. His Conditions for Including Ahaadith and their Authenticity: 1. He included the Sahaba whose companionship was known, whether they had narrated hadith or not. 2. He mentioned the Ahaadith narrated by the Sahaba he included, regardless of authenticity. His Methodology and Organization of Ahaadith: He arranged the names of the Sahaba according to the Arabic letters but began with then ten promised Jannah. How he mentioned the Hadith of each Sahabi: 1. He began with a short biography with their name, description, virtues and death. Then he mentioned their Ahaadith. He divided the Sahaba into four categories. a) Those who narrated many Ahaadith, he arranges their hadiths according to the names of those who narrated from them. (See Sahaba who narrated the most ahaadith 141). b) Those who narrated a few Ahaadith: He mentions all of their Ahaadith. c) Those who did not narrate from the Prophet, but they are mentioned in narrations to be from among the Sahaba: He mentions them and obtains their names and stories from the books of Seerah. d) Those who did not narrate nor were they mentioned in narrations to be companions: He mentions their names only. 2. If there are related Ahaadith narrated by one Sahabi, he gathers them together under a sub-chapter. If another Sahabi narrates a hadith related to the same topic, he may include their Ahaadith in the same place. Number of Ahaadith: 22017, part of the book remains lost. Status: 1. Large number of additional Ahaadith to the six books. 2. Reference for the names of the Sahaba and their biographies and a source for their statements about Tafseer and other subjects. (See example from al-Mu’jam ul-Kabeer 142, 143). Al-Mu’jam al Awsat by At-Tabaraani: Subject Matter: Singular Ahaadith narrated by his Shuyookh with clarification of which wording was not corroborated or contradicted other narrations. Reason for Compilation: He wanted to present the Ahaadith which were not corroborated. His Conditions for Including Ahaadith and their Authenticity: 1. He gathered the Ahaadith which were only narrated by each sheikh. 2. His book contains Ahaadith which are Sahih, Hasan, Da’eef and Mawdoo’. 3. His Methodology and Organization of Ahaadith: He organized his Shuyookh according to the Arabic letters considering only the first letter. His Methodology of Mentioning Ahaadith: He mentioned the Ahaadith Ghareeba For each sheikh without having a specific number he limited himself to. His Methodology Related to the Science of Hadith: 1. He pointed out where the narrators are not corroborated in the Asaaneed and Mutoon. 2. He pointed out who narrates a hadith with a connected chain contradicting the other narrators. 3. He sometimes weakened hadith because it contradicts the well-known narration. Status: 1. Includes many Ghareeb Ahaadith which may not be present in other books. 2. The authors ruling on Ahaadith and clarification of which parts of the Ahaadith the narrators were not corroborated on. (See example from al-Mu’jam ul-Awsat144). Al-Mustakhrajaat: These are books in which the authors narrate the Ahaadith of another book with their own Asaaneed without going through the author of the book. Organization of Ahaadith: Arranged in the same way as the original book. For example: Mustakhrajat upon the Sahih are also arranged according to the chapters of the religion. Well-known Mustakhrajaat: 1. As-Saheehayn: a. Abi ‘Abdillah Muhammad ibn al-Akhram (344AH). 2. Sahih ul-Bukhari: a. Mustakhraj al-Isma’ili (371AH). b. Abu Nu’aym al-Asbahaani (430AH).