The Qur'an, which was revealed directly to the Prophet (pbhu) in the first place, is the cornerstone of Islamic law. The Qur'an was written down while the Prophet (pbhu) was alive and then collected into one book by his companions after his passing.
The second important basis of Islamic law is the Sunnah, which consists of the words and deeds of the messenger (pbhu). The interpretation, supplemental law, and demonstration of the Qur'an are contained in this indirect revelation to the messenger (pbhu).1 Hadith is the term used by the Muhaditheen to refer to the documentation of all of the Prophet Muhammad's (pbhu) sayings, deeds, attitudes, and behaviour.
Hadith transcription (Tad win Al-Hadith)
The process of gathering and documenting the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions is known as the Writing Down of the Hadith (Tad win Al-Hadith). While this process started during the Prophet's lifetime, it wasn't until the 8th century CE and the 2nd century AH that scholars started to put together thorough hadith collections.
Scholars initially hesitated to record the hadith for a variety of reasons. One reason was that scholars were worried that recording the hadith might cause confusion or conflict with the Quran, which they believed to be the fundamental source of Islamic doctrine. The hadith were passed down verbally, and academics worried that putting them down might introduce flaws or omissions because they were oral traditions.
One of the companions was given the task by the Prophet (pbhu) to write down his warnings. The Saheefatul Sadiqah, written by Abdullah Ibn Amr ibn As with the Prophet's (pbuh) permission, is the first recorded hadith. It contains the Prophet's (pbuh) sayings and deeds. The major objective at this point was to record Ahaadeeth, without having a predilection for any particular forms.
Hadith narration and authentication
After the death of the Messenger (pbhu), there was a huge need for his (pbhu) teachings to address a variety of issues. The widespread hadith narrations started during this time.
The process of authenticating hadith narrations started under Abu Bakr As-Siddiqi, who only accepted ahadeeth from trustworthy sources. This was sufficient since the companions were reliable, truthful, and cautious about attributing the Prophet to falsehoods (pbhu).
At first, Umar ibn Al-Khattab considered compiling hadith. After doing Akhtar and giving the proposal some thought, he decided against it out of concern that people could equate such a collection with the Qur'an. He also upheld Abu Bakr's custom of never accepting ahadith without witnesses; in fact, those who were unable to present witnesses for their narrations risked punishment!
The sahifas compilation (first century after hijra)
After Islam had been introduced to the Middle East, India, and North Africa, the fabrication of hadeeth to support customs first appeared in the first century of the Hijrah. The compilation of hadith was ordered by the Caliph, 'Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz (reign 99–101 A.H.), after careful consideration and consultation with the academics.2
The goal of this collection project was to save the Prophet's ( ) Sunnah from oblivion. So the academics started writing volumes on the biographies of different narrators, which could be used to confirm their veracity and uncover forgers.
Ibn Shihab az-Zuhree was a well-known academic of the period.3 He became the first hadeeth compiler to record the narrators' biographies with special attention to their character and honesty. The systematic collection of hadeeths began during this time.
There are a few books that contain compilations of sahifas (sheets) from the first century after the Hijra, including:
- Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya (is a collection of supplications and whispered prayers (munajat) attributed to Ali ibn al-Husayn, the great-grandson of Muhammad and the fourth Shia Imam, also known by the honorific titles al-Sajjad
- Sahifa hammam ibn munnabih (. 'The Sahifa hammam ibn munnabih, is a hadith collection compiled by the Islamic scholar Hammam ibn Munabbih. It is sometimes quoted as one of the earliest surviving works of its kind
The Musannaf collection (second century after Hijra)
A collection of hadith compiled in the second century after the Hijra is known as the Musannaf compilation. Imam Malik ibn Anas, a prominent hadith and legal scholar from Medina, wrote it (711–795 CE).
One of the earliest and most significant compilations of hadith is the Musannaf compilation. It has about 10,000 hadith that are categorized by subject. The Musannaf is renowned for its rigorous authenticity criteria and thorough treatment of Islamic law.
The two Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim), the four Sunans (Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sunan Ibn Majah, and Sunan Ibn Tirmidhi), and the Muwatta' of Imam Malik are the six canonical Sunni hadith collections
There are some famous Musannaf name:
- Musannaf Abdur-Razzaq ( Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq) is an early hadith collection compiled by the eighth-century Yemeni scholar Abd al-Razzaq as a collection of the musannaf genre, it contains over 18,000 traditions arranged in topical order.
- Musannaf ibn shaiba (It is one of the largest compilations of Hadiths, including more than thirty-seven thousand (37,000)
- Musannaf ibn jurayj (Ibn Jurayj's collection of traditions, reportedly titled Kitab al-Sunan, is credited with pioneering the standard structure of fiqh works and beginning the musannaf genre.
Musnad compilation (second -fourth century after hijra)
The Musnad stage, or third developmental stage, was so named. Ahadith were gathered based on the companion to whom they might be traced in this method. Near the conclusion of the second century following the Hijrah, the Musnad period began. From the older collections, the hadith scholars endeavoured to extract authentic hadith.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855 CE), a renowned hadith and legal scholar from Baghdad, put together the Musnad compilation. One of the most trustworthy sources of hadith is thought to be the Musnad compilation, which Imam Ahmad compiled. Imam Ahmad was renowned for his careful approach to hadith criticism.
Over 1,500 of the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) companions contributed to the more than 40,000 hadiths in the Musnad compilation. According to the companion who shared them, the hadith are listed in alphabetical order.
Hadiths were divided into three categories: Saheeh (sound), Hassan (good), and da'eef (weak). The reliable and excellent ahadith were acknowledged and used as a basis for law. Weak ahadeeth that did not contain fabrication or lying flaws were recognized as well, but they were not used as a basis for legal rulings.
Throughout the third and fourth centuries, hadiths continued to be compiled in this format, and a large number of ahadeeth experts created numerous volumes of hadith literature. Al-Musnad of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad of Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi, and Al-Musnad of Abu Bakr al-Humaydi of Makkah are a few of the well-known Musnad collections. A few prominent Musnad compilations were categorized as Jami's by some hadith experts, which means "one that gathers together" or "comprehensive" in Arabic.
The six hadith collections considered by Muhaddithin (scholars of hadith) to be the Sihah Sittah (the six most reliable) are:
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Sahih Muslim
- Sunan Abu Dawud
- Jami' at-Tirmidhi
- Sunan an-Nasa'i
- Sunan Ibn Majah
The works of Imams al Bukhari and Muslims, often known as the "reliable two" or "al Saheehayn," are among these and are regarded as the most reliable by hadeeth scholars.
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Key References:
- Doi, R.I (1975) Introduction to Hadith, Lagos, Islamic Publications Bureau, 1 - 33.
- Mustafa Al-‘Azami, Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, p26.
- Taqi Usmani, The Authority of the Sunnah, Idaratul Quran, p84 Ali, Muhammad. Introduction to The Study of Hadith. Lahore: Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at-I-Islam - Lahore, Pakistan