Outlines of Development of Hadith Science

www.alhassanain.
org/english
Outlines of the Development of the

Science of Hadith
Authors(s): Dr. Mustafa Awliya'i
Translator(s): Ali Quli Qara'i
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Tawhid Journal: Vol.1, N.1,2 & 3
www.alhassanain.org/english
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This work is being published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english
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Table of Contents
Part 1 ..........................................................................4
Origins of the Science of Hadith ...........................................5
Hadith Among the Shiàh: The Four-hundred Usul........................8
The Four Books .............................................................9
The Age of Exposition.................................................... 10
The Age of Great Scholars and Great Books............................. 10
The Age of Further Research ............................................. 11
Hadith Among the Ahl Al-Sunnah - The First Recorders ............... 11
Al-Sihah al-Sittah or the 'Six Authentic Texts'........................... 11
Works Based on Al-Sihah Al-Sittah ..................................... 11
Conclusion ................................................................ 12
Notes ...................................................................... 12
Part 2 ........................................................................ 14
Reasons Behind Emergence of Ìlm Dirayat al-Hadith .................. 14
Dirayat al-Hadith ......................................................... 15
Ìlm al-Rijal ............................................................... 15
Five Important Shi'ite Works ............................................. 16
Important Books Composed by Scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah ............. 16
Important Scholars of al-Rijal ............................................ 17
Notes ...................................................................... 22
Part 3 ........................................................................ 25
Disciplines of Ìlm al-Hadith ............................................. 25
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Kinds of Hadith ........................................................... 30
Notes ...................................................................... 32
Bibliography ................................................................ 34
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Part 1
The word hadith, according to the dictionary, has several meanings such
as “new,” “novel,” “recent,” “modern,” and “speech”, “report,” “account,”
and “narrative.” However, in Islamic context, the term hadith means
“Prophetic tradition” or “narrative relating deeds and utterances of the
Prophet (S).” According to some, even the account of a dream linked with
the Holy Prophet (S) is also included in the category of hadith.
In most cases, the words sunnah and hadith are used as interchangeable
synonyms by the scholars of the science of hadith. The author of the book
Talwih says: “Sunnah is a more general term than hadith, and includes
everything related to the Prophet (S) except the Qur'an: his speech - which is
hadith - and his behaviour and character1.” According to another opinion,
since the majority of Sunni Muslims believe in Qur'an's being sempiternal
(qadim), everything else except the Qur'an from the Prophet (S) came to be
called hadith, a word closely related with hadith meaning “incidental” as
opposed to “eternal2”.
Some are of the opinion that the sayings of the Sahabah (the Companions
of the Prophet) and the Tabiùn (the second generation after the Holy
Prophet (S)) can also be included under the term hadith3. On the other hand,
for the Shiàh authorities on hadith, the term can properly include only the
narratives relating the speech, biographical details and deeds of the Prophet
(S) and the Imams (A)4.
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Here, we consider it necessary first to explain certain terms related to our
discussion.
Sunnah: The term in general means “habitual practice” or “customary
procedure,” and in particular applies to the sayings and doings of the
religious leaders who are ma`sum5 (i.e. the Prophet and the Imams, who are
considered as being free of sin and error). Accordingly, the term is
employed by the side of the Book (Qur'an). Sunnah is used in a sense that is
wider than that of hadith, although in some of the Sunni texts of tradition,
such as of Ibn Maja, al-Bayhaqi and others, the term signifies hadith. The
authorities of hadith differ as to meanings covered by hadith and khabar
(report).
While some consider the terms as being synonymous, others are of the
opinion that khabar is a term which is more general than hadith. According
to them, khabar applies to every narrative regarding the Prophet (S), while
hadith is taken to mean a narration quoting the Prophet (S) himself6. Some,
as pointed out above, apply the term hadith to the sayings of the Sahabah
and Tabiùn in addition. Accordingly, every hadith is also a khabar, though
every khabar is not a hadith; though some regard the terms as being inter-
changeable synonyms7.
Riwayah: This term is synonymous with hadith. According to the author
of Majma` al-bahrayn, “Riwayah is a khabar that is traceable through a
series of narrators to a ma`sum8.”
Athar: Shaykh Baha'i in his Nihayat al-dirayah considers athar as being
identical with hadith. Others impute to it a wider meaning. Still others
confine its meaning to narrations that go back to the Sahabah9.
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Hadith-i Qudsi: Hadith-i qudsi is defined as the Divine communication

whose revelation is not the part of the Qur'anic miracle. Sayyid Sharif
Jurjani says: “ [Hadith-i qudsi] is from God, the Most Exalted, from the
point of view of meaning, and from the Prophet (S) from the viewpoint of
actual wording. It constitutes what God has communicated to the Prophet
through revelation or in dreams. The Prophet - upon whom be peace -
informed others of its meaning in his own words. Accordingly, the Qur'an is
superior to the hadith-i qudsi, because it is the actual Word of God.”
There are six points of differences between the Qur'an and the hadith-i
qudsi: Firstly, the Qur'an is a Divine miracle; this does not necessarily apply
to the hadith-i qudsi. Secondly, salat (prayer) is not valid without recitation
of parts of the Qur'an; this is not so in the case of the hadith-i qudsi. Thirdly,
one who rejects the Qur'an is regarded as a kafir (an unbeliever); this does
not hold true in the case of the hadith-i qudsi.
Fourthly, whole of the Qur'an was communicated to the Prophet (S)
through the agency of the Angel Gabriel; this does not apply to hadith-i
qudsi. Fifthly, every word of the Qur'an is the Word of God, but the
wordings of the hadith-i qudsi may be ascribed to the Prophet (S). Sixthly,
the Qur'an cannot be touched without taharah (the condition of bodily purity
as prescribed by the Shari'ah) and this condition does not apply to the
hadith-i qudsi10.
Origins of the Science of Hadith
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The Holy Prophet of Islam (S), for a period of 23 years from the
beginning of his prophetic mission to the moment of his death, was directly
involved in the process of guidance and leadership of the people. The
multifarious kinds of questions that arose for the Muslims in relation with
their needs converged upon the Holy Prophet. The Prophet responded to
their questions through explanations and discussions whose variety
increased with the progress of Islam to the extent of enveloping all aspects
of the moral, social and civic affairs of Muslims.
The new society that emerged during this period was significant and
important from every aspect. The Muslims who were the contemporaries of
the Prophet had the advantage of personal recourse to him and chance of
putting to him various questions regarding their social life. However, as
long as the Prophet lived, and the source of Divine Revelation was in the
midst of the Muslims, the great importance of recording his words was not
fully realized.
Nevertheless, soon after the Prophet's death, the Muslims realized the
imminent need of recording the hadith so as to avoid the problems that
would arise in the future generations.
Accordingly, from the time of the first caliph, the need for recording of
hadith was distinctly felt by the Muslim society. It should not remain unsaid
that Àli (A), the first Imam of the Shiàh Muslims, had with characteristic
foresight, pioneered the task of recording the Prophet's sayings during the
Prophet's lifetime itself. Word for word, he wrote down what he had heard
from the Prophet (S). The author of Ta'sis al-shiàh writes:
...Know that the Shiàh were the first to embark on collecting the records
of the acts and sayings of the Prophet (S) during the era of the caliphs. They
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followed in the footsteps of their Imam Àli, Amir al-Mu'minin (A), for, he
had recorded and categorized the hadith during the times of the Holy
Prophet. Al-Shaykh Abu al-Abbas al-Najashi, in the translation of
Muhammad Ibn Àdhafar, said: “I was with Hakam ibn Àyyinah by the
side of Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn Àli al-Baqir (A). Hakam started asking
questions with Abu Ja`far reluctantly answering them.
There was a disagreement between them about one thing. Then Abu
Ja`far said: “Son, get up and bring Àli's book.” He brought a big
voluminous book and opened it. He looked closely in it for a while until he
found the problem (which was under debate). Abu Ja`far (A) said: “This is
the handwriting of Àli and the dictation of the Messenger of Allah, upon
whom be God's peace and benedictions11.”
This tradition is in agreement with what I found in Najashi's Rijal. In
addition, two other sources confirm the contents of the abovementioned
hadith12.
Another narration that confirms the attention devoted by the Shiàh to
recording of hadith is that of an incident from the life of Fatimah al-
Zahra'(A). One day Fatimah (A) could not find a manuscript in which hadith
was recorded. She reportedly urged her housemaid to search for it, saying,
“Look for it. It is as precious to me as my sons Hasan and Husayn13.”
Among the Ahl al-Sunnah, the recording of hadith started after the Holy
Prophet's death, and that too after prolonged controversies between groups
who favoured and opposed it14. In this connection, À'ishah reports: “My
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father Abu Bakr had collected five-hundred hadith of the Messenger of
Allah and one day he burnt them all15.”
There are several narrations regarding the second caliph which indicate
that he stopped people from relating the Holy Prophet's traditions16.
The recording of hadith among the Sunnis started from the early second
century when the Umayyad caliph Ùmar ibn Àbd al-Àziz ordered their
collection and compilation17. As is widely accepted, Ibn Jurayj was the first
person to record and compile hadith among the Sunnis18.
Here it is worth mentioning that apart from the Household of the Prophet
(S), their Shiàh followers preceded the Sunnis in their effort to record the
hadith. Abu Rafi` was the first man to begin the task along with the
members of the Prophet's Household (A)19. However, there were also
several others who took up this task at the time of Abu Rafi`, or after him.
Among them were: Ùbayd Allah ibn Abi Rafi`, Àli ibn Abi Rafi`, Salman
al-Farisi, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Asbagh ibn Nubatah and others20.
The Shiàh recorders of hadith can be divided into four groups:
1. In the first group, besides Àli ibn Abi-Talib (A) and Fatimah al-Zahra'
(A), were Abu Rafi`, Salman al-Farisi, Maytham al-Tammar, Asbagh ibn
Nubatah, Mujashiì al-Kufi, Ùbayd Allah ibn Abi Rafi`, Harth ibn Àbd
Allah al-A`war al-Hamdani, Rabiàh ibn Sami`, Salim ibn Qays, Àli ibn
Abi Rafi`, Àbd Allah ibn Hurr, Muhammad ibn Qays al-Bajali, Ya`la ibn
Murrah, Jabir ibn Àbd Allah al-Ansari.
2. In the second group were Imam Àli ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Àbidin
(A), Ja`far ibn Yazid al-Ju`fi, Zayd ibn Àli, Husayn ibn Thawr, Ziyad ibn
al-Mundhir.
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3. In the third group can be said to belong Yahya ibn Qasim, Àbd al-
Mu'min, Zurarah ibn A`yun, Muhammad ibn Muslim, Bassim al-Sayrafi,
Abu Ùbaydah al-Hadhdha', Zakariyya ibn Àbd Allah, Thawrab ibn
Qamamah, Majd ibn Mughirah, Muhammad ibn Za'idah al-Khadrami,
Muàwiyah ibn Àmarah, Matlab al-Zahri, Àbd Allah ibn Maymun.
4. This group of recorders of the hadith comprised of more than four-
thousand of the people of Iraq, Hijaz, Khurasan and Sham (Syria), who
related traditions from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (A) or Imam Ja`far al-
Sadiq (A)21.
The pioneers in recording of the hadith among the Sunnis were Ibn Jurayj
in Mecca; Ibn Ishaq and Malik in Medina; Rabi` ibn Sabih, Saìd ibn Abi
Ùrubah, Hammad ibn Salamah in Basra; Sufyan ibn Thawri in Kufa; al-
Awzaì in Syria, Haytham in Wasit; Muàmmar in Yemen, Jarir ibn Àbd
al-Hamid in Rey, and Ibn Mubarak in Harran22.
However, there is a disagreement among the Sunni scholars about who
first started recording hadith. According to Ibn Hajr, Rabi` ibn Sabih (died
160/777) and Saìd ibn Abi Ùrubah (died 156/773) were pioneers in this
field; they were followed by Malik in Medina and Àbd al-Malik ibn Jurayj
in Mecca, who pursued the task of recording hadith23. But according to Haji
Khalifah, Àbd al-Malik ibn Jurayj and Malik ibn Anas were the first ones
to do so, and the first man to classify them and divide them into chapters
was Rabi` ibn Sabih24.
In any case, regardless of who it was to first record hadith among the Ahl
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al-Sunnah, whether Rabi` ibn Sabih or Malik or Saìd ibn Abi Ùrubah, all
of them belong to the second century of Hijra, and lived one hundred years
after the Shiàh had already started this work.
As we mentioned above, the Muslims recognized the need to record the
words of the Prophet (S) right after his demise; because they knew that it
was the only way to safeguard the future generations against various
problems. The realization of the significance of this work grew gradually.
After the Prophet (S) his close companions formed the primary source of
hadith. During their lifetimes, the solution of various problems that arose
could still be found and the narrations of the Sahabah served as the guiding
torch for the generation that followed them, the Tabiùn. It was during the
generation of the Tabiùn that the Sahabah were questioned about various
issues and their narrations were committed to writing.
This was the beginning of the science of hadith. Hadith served as the key
to the understanding of the Qur'an, and became an addendum to the Book
for the Muslims. However, as pointed out earlier, the Shiàh had felt this
need earlier during the lifetime of the Prophet himself.
From the time that Muslims began to realize the need for collection and
recording of ahadith, they took great pains in this regard. A man like Jabir
ibn Àbd Allah al-Ansari would cover months on camel-back to hear a
hadith25.
The number of the Companions of the Prophet from whom traditions
have been related is put somewhere near 114 in some books26. The most
important of them were: Àli ibn Abi-Talib (A), Àbd Allah ibn Masùd,
Salman al-Farisi, Ubayy ibn Kaàb, Àmmar ibn Yasir, Hudhayfah ibn al-
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Yaman, Àbd al-Rahman ibn Àwf, Anas ibn Malik, Abu Musa al-Ashàri,
À'ishah, Ùmar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Hurayrah, Àbd Allah ibn al-Àbbas,
Ùbadah ibn Samit, Jabir ibn Àbd Allah al-Ansari, Abu Saìd al-Khudri.
Among the Tabiùn, there were such as Sha`bi, Ibn Musayyab, Ibn Sirin,
and others27.
The author of Tadrib al-rawi puts the number of traditions narrated from
each of the Companions in the diminishing order as follows:
1. Abu Hurayrah: 5,374 hadith.
2. Àbd Allah ibn Ùmar: 2,630 hadith.
3. À'ishah: 2,208 hadith.
4. Àbd Allah ibn al-Àbbas: 1,660 hadith.
5. Jabir ibn Àbd Allah al-Ansari: 1,540 hadith.
6. Abu Saìd al-Khudri: 1,170 hadith28.
There is none among the rest of companions to be accredited with
narration of more than one thousand traditions. Evidently, the political
conditions prevalent during the Umayyad rule did not permit narration of
ahadith from Àli (A) and his followers. It is worth mentioning that not all
of the first narrators of hadith were equally reliable.
This issue will be discussed later in the chapter on dirayat al-hadith
(critical examination of hadith). But before we enter the discussion on
dirayat al-hadith, its origin and development, it is necessary to study the
course of development of the science of hadith among the Shiàh and the
Ahl al-Sunnah from the point of view of style of compilation of the texts
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during various periods.
Hadith Among the Shiàh: The Four-hundred Usul
As said above, the work of compilation of hadith among the Shiàh
started during the life of the Prophet (S). The texts which were compiled by
the early Shiàh scholars were called “Usul.” It should however be admitted
that these texts were not without defect from the point of view of the art of
writing and compilation; for, most of the authors of these texts were those
who had heard the ahadith from one of the Imams, in particular, from Imam
Muhammad al-Baqir and Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (A), writing them down in
notebooks.
These notebooks composed by the Shiàh scholars, containing the
traditions heard from one of the Imams, or heard from someone who had
heard the Imam, came to be called “Usul.” Out of these texts compiled from
the era of Àli (A) to the time of Imam Hasan al-Àskari, the eleventh Imam,
the popular ones were four-hundred in number by different authors. Each of
them contained a number of ahadith written without any attention being paid
to the sequence or classification according to the subject. Most of these
traditions exist in the al-Mahasin al-Barqi, al-Kafi, Man la Yahduruhu al-
faqih.
Some of them are found in Tahdhib. It appears that most of these
notebooks existed in the Shahpur Karkh Library of Baghdad and were lost
when Tughrul the Turk burnt the city on conquering it in the year 448/1056.
Others which escaped this calamity, and other disasters, were preserved
until the time of Ibn Idris and Ibn Ta'wus and were available to them. Some,
more than two-hundred of them, have survived to our own times29. These
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notebooks usually go with the prefix “kitab” and often “nawadir”. Thirteen
of them exist in the library of the Tehran University in the manuscript file
number 962. Twelve of them are “kitab” and one is “nawadir”. These are:
1. Kitab Zayd al-Zad;
2. Kitab Ghasfari;
3. Kitab ibn Hamid al-Hannat;
4. Kitab Zayd al-Nirsi;
5. Kitab Ja`far al-Hadrami;
6. Kitab Muhammad al-Hadrami;
7. Kitab Àbd al-Malik ibn Hakim;
8. Kitab Muthanna ibn Walid al-Hannat;
9. Kitab Haddad al-Sindi;
10. Kitab Husayn ibn Ùthman;
11. Kitab Kahili;
12. Kitab Salam Khurasani;
13. Nawadir Abi al-Hasan Àli ibn Asbat ibn Salim30.
The Four Books
The later Shiàh scholars of hadith compiled four great collections from
the aforementioned notebooks or Usul which became the most important
texts of hadith in the Shiàh world receiving hitherto unprecedented
popularity. These four books were the following:
1. Al-Kafi: It was compiled by Shaykh Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn
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Ya`qub al-Kulayni al-Razi (died 329/940) which contains 16,099 musnad
(documented) hadith narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt (the Household of the
Prophet)31.
2. Man la yahduruhu al-faqih: It was compiled by Shaykh Saduq Abu
Ja`far Muhammad ibn Àli ibn Babwayhi al-Qummi (died 381/991) who is
known as “Shaykh-i Ajal” or “Saduq al-Ta'ifah”. This book contains 9,044
hadith32.
3. Al-Tahdhib: It was compiled by Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn al-Hasan
al-Tusi (died 460/1068) also known as “Shaykh al-Ta'ifah” (The chief of the
sect). This book contains 13,590 hadith33.
4. Al-Istibsar: This book was also compiled by Shaykh Tusi, and
contains 5,511 hadith. The book is divided into four parts34.
It is necessary to mention here that the four hundred “Usul” were widely
quoted and narrated by the Shiàh muhaddithin (scholars of hadith) until a
comprehensive compilation called al-Mahasin was done by Shaykh Ahmad
ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Barqi, who died in the second half of the third
century of Hijra. His book contained a large number of ahadith arranged in
numerous chapters. The al-Mahasin set an example which opened a new era
in the history of the science of Shiàh hadith35; because it was after him that
others took up the task of collection, compilation and classification of
ahadith, which were until then scattered in hundreds of Usul.
This trend led to the emergence of the four authoritative compilations of
hadith during the fourth and fifth centuries. Since then, they have been
considered the greatest sources of hadith for the Shiàh and served as the
primary sources for the later day writers.
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The Age of Exposition

After the compilation of the four great texts of hadith, the next stage was
that of exposition. During this period, the attention of most of the scholars
was devoted to writing of commentaries and exposition of these texts. A
large number of commentaries were written on each of these texts. In spite
of the fact that most of these commentaries have, in the course of time, been
forgotten and lie buried in libraries, more than 120 of these commentaries
and exegeses have come down to our times36.
However, this phase of exposition should be regarded as a period of
langour in the history of development of the science of hadith; because,
instead of a gradual growth, it marked a stage when most of the discussions
went round and round in a definite circle without any progress or
breakthrough. This situation lasted until the time of Safavid rule. With the
formal recognition of the Shiàh faith as the state religion from the early
times of the Safavis, the study of hadith commenced growth once again.
The Age of Great Scholars and Great Books
Great scholars of hadith appeared in the Shiàh world during the period
of Safavid rule. These men restored the leading role of the Shiàh in this
field, with the result that after ages of neglect and stagnation, the study of
hadith entered its golden age. At the close of the eleventh century and the
beginning of the twelveth, for once again, the study of hadith received the
attention of great scholars.
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The most prominent among them were Muhammad ibn Murtada Mulla
Muhsin Fayd al-Kashani (died 1091/1680), Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Hurr
al-Àmili (died 1104/1692-93) and Mulla Muhammad Baqir ibn
Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi (died 1111/1699-1700). Each of them has left
behind a precious scholarly work. These works are the following:
1. Kitab al-jami` al-Wafi: It is the work of Mulla Muhsin Fayd al-
Kashani. This book comprises of the four aforementioned classical texts of
hadith. In this book, which is a very precious work from every aspect, the
repetitive ahadith have been deleted and expositions have been written on
the difficult ones37.
2. Wasa'il al-Shiàh: Its author is Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-
Hurr al-Àmili. This book, like the above one, combines the four classical
texts of hadith and draws upon other sources also.
3. Bihar al-Anwar: It is what can be called an encyclopedia of Shiàh
hadith. It is the work of Àllamah Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi and is the
greatest work of hadith compiled either among the Sunnis or the Shiàh. In
this work, in addition to the Shiàh sources, there are plenty of ahadith
drawn from the Sunni sources. In spite of the great amount of labour and
pain borne by al-Àllamah al-Majlisi, it should be admitted that the book is
an unfinished masterpiece; since, he could not succeed in eliminating many
weak traditions from his great work.
Had al-Majlisi lived for another decade, he might have been successful in
producing a true “ocean of light” full of precious pearls and corals and
mines of pure gold. The task of extracting its precious pearls and gold from
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this unfathomable ocean and clearing its treasures of their adhering mud and
fungus remains for us to accomplish.
The Age of Further Research
After the age of al-Majlisi, another age followed in which the study of
hadith made valuable progress. The scholars of this period did not abandon
the pursuits of such men as Fayd al-Kashani, al-Hurr al-Àmili, and al-
Àllamah al-Majlisi; rather they adhered to this path with greater care and
attention to the new sophisticated criteria of authorship.
Among those who have left worthy books in the field of the science of
hadith can be named Àllamah Muhammad Husayn ibn Àllamah al-Taqi,
and Muhammad Nuri al-Mazandarani al-Tabarsi, the latter of whom wrote
the Kitab mustadrak al-wasa'il wa mustanbat al-masa'il, which was finished
in 1319/1901, adding several chapters to the Kitab al-wasa'il al-shiàh. This
book is the greatest compilation of the ahadith of the Shiàh faith. Àllamah
Nuri died in the year 1320/1902 in the city of Najaf38.
In this brilliant period there lived such great men as the late Ayatullah
Haj Aqa Husayn Burujardi, whose work changed the status of several
thousand hadith. It is hoped that the Shiìte and Sunni scholars of our times,
working together, may be able to make greater achievements in this field.
Hadith Among the Ahl Al-Sunnah - The First Recorders
According to Kashf al-Zunun, when the Companions of the Prophet (S)
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began to die one after another, the need to record the hadith became evident.
It is also maintained that the first person to compose a book in Islam was
Ibn Jurayj39. The next to be compiled was the al-Muwatta' of Imam Malik
(died 179/795), and Rabi` ibn Sabih of Basra was the first man to compile a
book with different chapters.
Al-Sihah al-Sittah or the 'Six Authentic Texts'
The work of compilation of hadith continued until the time of Imam al-
Bukhari and Imam Muslim, who were followed by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Da'ud
al-Sijistani, al-Nasa'i and others40. Imam Malik, who lived in Mecca in his
al-Muwatta' compiled the ahadith with a sequence based on the principles of
jurisprudence41. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, in his Musnad classified the
ahadith in various chapters each devoted to a separate Companion of the
Prophet (S) from whom the narration was quoted42.
After them Imam al-Bukhari classified the traditions according to region:
he devoted separate sections to ahadith narrated by people of Hijaz, Iraq and
Syria. Imam Muslim deleted the repetitive ahadith and put them in various
chapters corresponding with various aspects of fiqh and other chapters
dealing with biographical details. After them, Abu Da'ud, al-Tirmidhi and
al-Nasa'i extended the scope of the work devoting greater attention to
classification of the material43.
Works Based on Al-Sihah Al-Sittah
The period of the first compilers of hadith was followed by those who
compiled their own collections from al-Sihah al-Sittah, summarizing and
rearranging the ahadith such as Àbd Allah Muhammad ibn Hamid ibn Abu
Bakr, Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Raqani and Abu Masùd Ibrahim ibn
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Muhammad al-Dimashqi who combined the books of al-Bukhari and

Muslim.
After them, Abu al-Hasan Zarin ibn Muàwiyah combined the books of
al-Muwatta' and al-Jami` of al-Tirmidhi and the Sunan of Abu Da'ud and al-
Nasa'i and the works of Muslim and Bukhari. After him Ibn Athir combined
the six classical texts (al-sihah al-sittah) and the book of Zarin, producing a
work more organized than that of Zarin. After that al-Suyuti combined al-
sihah al-sittah and the ten masanid (plural of musnad) and called his book
Jam` al-Jawami', which however retains several weak ahadith44.
Conclusion
To sum up, it may be said that the primary purpose of the first compilers
of hadith was to record the narrations without any attention to the principles
and techniques of compilation and bookwriting. It may even be said that in
the beginning the purpose was not even that of composing a book; rather the
aim was to record and preserve the ahadith in individual notebooks.
During the second stage, though there was a conscious purpose of
composing books, the works had many defects; for the ahadith lacked order
and classification forcing the reader to go through the whole book while
searching for a certain hadith.
The third phase was that of classification of the ahadith in which every
author divided them into chapters in his own way: one would classify them
on the basis of fiqhi issues and another preferred classification according to
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the land of origin of the narrators.
During the fourth phase, the compilers deleted the repetitive ahadith
making the job of the reader a bit easier.
In the fifth phase, the experts of hadith began to examine the traditions
from various angles, such as studying them from the point of view of
various jurists and for discovery of new points - a matter which we shall
discuss in greater detail in a proper chapter. During this stage the whole
bulk of hadith came under critical study and endeavour was made to collect
them in a single work45.
Notes
1. Ìlm al-hadith, Al-Sunnah qabl al-tadwin, p. 16. See also Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh,
vol. V, p.398; Tadrib al-rawi, pp.4-5.
2. Tadrib al-rawi.
3. Ibid, p.6; see also Kashf al-zunun and Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh, vol. V, p. 398.
4. Ìlm al-hadith, p.9.
5. Nihayat al-dirayah, p.7; Al-Sunnah qabl al-tadwin, p. 16; Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh
vol. V.p. 399.
6. Tadrib al-rawi, p.6.
7. Ibid; see also Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh, vol. V, 399; see also Tadrib al-rawi, p.6.
8. Ìlm al-hadith, p. 4.
9. Nihayat ai-dirayah.
10. Dehkhudi, Loghatnameh, vol V, 398; see also The Encyclopedia of Islam, p.28.
11. Ta'sis al-Shiàh, p. 279. See also Husayn ibn Muhammad Taqi Nuri al-Tabarsi, Fasl
al-khitab, pp.5-7; 1298.
12. A`yan al-shiàh, vol. I, p.274; Da'irat al-ma'arif al-Imamiyyah, p.70; Ìlm al-hadith;
Dhahabi, Tadhkirat al-huffaz, p.10.
13. There is no doubt that the “Four-hundred Usul”, which will be mentioned later in
our discussion, were based on the traditions conveyed by the Ahl al-Bayt.
12
14. Tadrib al-rawi, p.285.

15. Dhahabi, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, p.5.
16. Ibid. p.7. See also Fajr al-Islam, p.265, Parto-e Islam, 245
17. Da'irat al-ma'arif al-Imamiyyah, p.69. Tadrib al-rawi. Kashf al-zunun, p. 637.
18. Kashf al-zunun, p.637. Ta'ssi al-shiàh, pp.278-279. Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh,
p.298. Taqrib al-tahdhib , p. 333. Wafayat al-a`yan, p.338. Fjr al-Islam, p. 265.
19. Ta'sis al-shiàh, p.280. Najashi, kitab al-Rijal, pp.23, Da'irat al maàrif al-
Imamiyyah, pp.69-70. Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh, vol.1, p.298. Al-Dhariàh, vol.1, p. 14.
20. A`yan al-shiàh, vol. I, p.274. Da'irat al-maàrif al-Imamiyyah, p.69. Ibn Sa'd,
Tabaqat, vol. IV, pp.73-74
21. Da'irat al-maàrif al-Imamiyyah, p. 70. Ta'sis al-shiàh, pp.280-287. See also Tadrib
al-rawi and Kashf al-zunun, p. 637-638.
22. Fajr al-Islam, pp.265-267. Ta'sis al-shiàh, p.278. See also Tadrib al-rawi, Kashf al-
zunun, pp.637-638.
23. Ibid, pp.266-268
24. Kashf al-zunun, p.637
25. Ilm al-hadith, p.13. Maktab-e Tashayyu', Ordibehesht 1339, pp.58-61
26. Ibid. See also Fajr al-Islam, p.265 and Parto-e Islam, p.264.
27. Tadrib al-rawi, “Introduction”, Ìlm al-hadith
28. Ibid. See also Fajr al-Islam, p.262 and Ìlm al-hadith
29. Al-Dhariàh, vol.11, pp 125-135 The Catalogue of the Library of the University of
Tehran, p.1088 See also Nihayat al dirayah p 12
30. The catalogue of the Library of University of Tehran, pp. 1089-1095 See also Al-
Dhariàh which mentions 117 Usul
31. Da'irat al-maàrif al-Imamiyyah, p. 70; Ta'sis al-shiàh, p. 288. Ìlm al-hadith
32. Ibid. See Ìlm al-hadith, p. 56.
33. Ta'sis al-shiàh, p.288. Tusi, al-Fihrist, Ìlm al-hadith, p. 57
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34. Da'irat al-maàrif al-Imamiyyah, p. 70. Ta'sis al-shiàh, p. 289; Ìlm al-hadith, p.57
35. Ìlm al-hadith, p.52. See also Da'irat al-maàrif al-Imamiyyah
36. Al-Dhariàh, vol.11, pp.17-19. See also the Catalogue of the University of Tehran
pp.82-100-154-1277. Also refer to Ta'sis al-shiàh. p.290.
37. The catalogue of the Library of the University of Tehran, p.1628
38. Ta'sis al-shiàh, p.289
39. This is a Sunni viewpoint not accepted by the Shiàh as being historically correct.
Nevertheless, Ibn Jurayj and/or Rabi` ibn Sabih are considered pioneers among the Ahl al-
Sunnah by themselves. According to the Shiàh, Abu Rafi`, after the Household of the
Prophet, was the first man to record and compile ahadith. See Ta'sis al-shiàh, p.280,
Najashi, Rijal, pp. 2-3; Da'irat al-maàrif al-Imamiyyah, pp. 69-70; Al-Dhariàh, vol. I,
p.14; Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh, vol.1. p.298.
41. Ibn Khaldun, Tariq, p.798
43. Ibn Khaldun, Tariq, p. 798
45. Ibid, p. 637-639
13
Part 2
Reasons Behind Emergence of Ìlm Dirayat al-Hadith
Unfortunately on account of various reasons, some of which we shall
mention shortly, the hadith did not remain immune from forgery and other
problems. A great number of incorrect traditions found way into collections
of prophetic sayings. The task of separating genuine traditions from
apocryphal material was as necessary as that of removing weeds from a
flower bed; as in case of weeds, their identification and removal was not an
easy task, nor could they be left to flourish untouched, threatening the
genuine material itself.
This was the reason why religious scholars, in their capacity as vigilant
gardeners of the Faith, began to look for ways of separating forged material
from genuine hadith. They needed new tools for this task, which was not an
easy one, as is evident from the fact that despite centuries of scholarly
efforts the remnants of these dangerous and destructive weeds have
continued to survive.
As to how these weeds found their way into the flower beds of prophetic
tradition, here are some of the important reasons:
1. There were some who wilfully sprinkled the seeds of such weeds, and
dedicatedly looked after their growth and survival. Amongst them were
supporters of Banu Umayyah and other opponents of Islam who dissembled
adherence to it1.
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2. Emergence of various sects in Islam led to forgeries by followers of
different sects who wished to produce documentary evidence in favour of
their own sect and to detriment of their opponents2.
3. Fabrications made by the devout about virtues of piety and abstinence
from evil, who imagined that by this means they would be better equipped
to guide others3.
4. Inclusion of Jewish myths, a process which was stimulated by the
popular sense of curiosity and the people's interest in the lives and times of
former prophets. Such imaginative accounts are replete in narrations
regarding the lives and deeds of prophets - such as the account related by al-
Tabari on the authority of Ibn Munabbih. According to this account, the
serpent, formerly, had hands and legs; but since it allowed the Devil to enter
its belly, God had made its limbs to sink into its stomach4!
5. Tribal and regional prejudices and rivalries, which incited some to
forge traditions to be produced as evidence of their superiority over others -
as is evident from traditions related to some cities.
6. Personal ambition was another stimulant which prompted some to be
included among the scholars of hadith through forgery.
7. Fabrication of hadith as a means of procurement of personal gain or of
earning goodwill of the caliph in power5.
8. Controversies and differences among jurists (fuqaha') prompted some
scholars to fabricate traditions to be invoked in support of their own legal
positions.
9. Story-tellers and reciters of fables, admittedly, were not averse to
letting their imagination wander into the domain of hadith6.
14
Due to the above-mentioned and other reasons besides, a critical

examination of hadith was necessary. As a result of the efforts made by
Muslim scholars in this regard, a new branch was created in the science of
hadith; it came to be called “dirayat al-hadith7”.
The Nihayat al-dirayah defines dirayat al-hadith in these words: “It is a
science which investigates the isnad, contents, subject and the mode of
transmission of ahadith, so that acceptable traditions can be separated from
unacceptable ones.”
Dirayat al-Hadith
The emergence of ìlm dirayat al-hadith was followed by its division into
numerous branches. Certain rules and guidelines were evolved for
distinguishing reliable from unreliable ahadith. The body of such rules came
to be called “mustalah al-hadith”, which together with ìlm al-rijal (lit.
science of men), formed the means of scrutinizing hadith material.
However, for this purpose, knowledge of other preliminaries such as
Arabic grammar and syntax, familiarity with literary style and form,
knowledge of abrogated (mansukh) and the abrogating (nasikh) verses of the
Qur'an, knowledge of the history of Islam and that of various Islamic sects
and their beliefs, and other details regarding hadith, is necessary.
Haji Khalifah, in his Kashf al-zunun defines ìlm al-dirayah in this
manner: “Ìlm dirayat al-hadith, which discusses the content and meaning of
the words of hadith on the basis of Arabic grammar and syntax, and sharì
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criteria, and examines their correspondence with the circumstances of the
Messenger of Allah (S), linguistic standards of Arabic sciences and reports
about the Messenger (S), consists of ìlm al-rijal, (the science of narrators,
their names, genealogical lineages, lifetimes, their dates of death, their
characters and circumstances of reception and transmission of hadith, as
well as its topic or subject) and aims to distinguish acceptable from
unacceptable traditions.
It entails classification of various modes of transmission, linguistic
background of narrators, their remarks and criticism about what they have
narrated, their connection with the prior source from whom they have
received, knowledge of possession of permission (ijazah)8 by a narrator, and
knowledge of various classifications of hadith, such as sahih, hasan, daìf,
etc9.”
Ìlm al-Rijal
The following verse of the Qur'an made it incumbent upon al-
muhaddithin (scholars of hadith) to make a thorough enquiry into details of
narrators of ahadith:
O believers, if an ungodly man comes to you with a report, investigate,
lest you afflict a people unwittingly and then repent of what you have done.
(49:6)
As to who were pioneers in this field, it must be admitted that the Shiàh
had taken a lead in this field. The first writer to compile a book on this
subject was Abu Muhammad Àbd Allah ibn Jibillah ibn Hayyan al-Kanani
(died 219/834)10. But according to Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti in his Kitab al-
'awa'il, the first writer on ìlm al-rijal was Shu`bah (died 260/87374)11.
15
However, it is clear that the statement of Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti does not
correspond with historical fact, for Àbd Allah ibn Jibillah died forty years
before Shu`bah.
Another important point that should be noted here is that writing of
chronicles of persons or biographical accounts was current amongst the
Shiàh from the very early days of Islam. If this is taken into account, Abu
Rafi` and his desendents took a lead before all others12.
Some books on ìlm al-rijal give biographical accounts of narrators
without giving the dates of their death, such as Ta'rikh of Ibn Jarir, Muruj
al-dhahab of al-Masùdi, aI-Kamjl fi al-ta'rikh of Ibn al-Athir. Some give
dates of death without biographical accounts. Others, being more
comprehensive, give almost all essential details, such as the works of Abu
al-Faraj Jawzi and al-Dhahabi13.
Five Important Shi'ite Works
The most important books compiled by Shiàh scholars on ìlm al-rijal
are five. They are:
1. Kitab al-rijal by Abi al-Àbbas Ahmad ibn Àli al-Najashi (died
450/1058), which later became known merely as “al-Najash”, gives
accounts of lives of narrators who have compiled books, giving little
attention to others. Though the biographical accounts are given in an
alphabetical order, the compilation is not very orderly. However, later,
through the efforts of Kazim al-Ansari (died 1006/1597-8), Mulla Ìnayat
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Allah Quhpa'i (died 1016/1607- 8) - the author of Majma` al-rijal - and
Shaykh Dawud ibn al-Hasan al-Bahrayni (died 1104/1692-3), these defects
have been removed.
2. Kitab al-fihrist, by Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Tusi, known as
“Shaykh al-Ta'ifah” (died 460/1067-8). This book gives the biographical
accounts in an alphabetical order. Moreover, several others have worked
upon it.
3. Kitab al-rijal, also by al-Tusi, in which he gives the names of the
contemporaries of every Imam (A) in the order of their succession.
4. Ma`rifat akhbar al-rijal, by Ùmar ibn Muhammad al-Kashshi.
5. Al-Duàfa' by Ibn al-Ghada'iri, Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn Àbd Allah,
a scholar of the fifth century Hijrah.
Important Books Composed by Scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah
The most important books compiled in the field of ìlm al-rijal by
scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah are four:
1. Kitab Ibn Mandah, Abu Àbd Allah Muhammad ibn Yahya (died
301/913-14).
2. Hilyat al-'awliya' by Abi Nuàym al-'Isfahani (died 430/1038-9).
3. Kitab Abi Musa, Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr al-'Isfahani (died
581/1185-6), which is a continuation of the work of Ibn Mandah.
4. Al-'Istiàb by Ibn Àbd al-Birr.
After the above four works, other writings on ìlm al-rijal by Sunni
scholars were primarily based on them. Àli ibn Muhammad ibn al-Athir al-
Jazari (died 630/1132-3) brought them together in his Usd al-ghabah. AI-
Dhahabi produced a summarized version of Usd al-ghabah in his Tajrid
16
Asma' al-Sahabah, adding some new entries. Badr al-Din Muhammad al-
Qudsi and Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Kashghari, too, produced their
own condensed versions of the Usd al-ghabah14.
A point worthy of notice here is that Shiàh scholars of ìlm al-rijal, in
the fifth and sixth centuries, named such books as were exclusively related
to Shiìte narrators of hadith as “rijal”, calling accounts of others, including
both Shiàh and Sunni narrators, as “ta'rikh”15.
Another notable point is that, in the past, there existed a mutual,
inseparable link between the three disciplines of dirayat al-hadith, ìlm rijal
al-hadith and bibliography. Works dealing with one of the topics, invariably
discussed issues connected with the other disciplines.
Important Scholars of al-Rijal
The most important authors who have compiled works on ìlm al-rijal are
following16:
1. Ùbayd Allah ibn Abi Rafi`.
2. Muhammad ibn Ishaq (died 151/768), grandson of Yasar. His work is
called Madrak al-'Istiàb.
3. Al-Tabari, Abu Ja`far (died 210/825-6). His work, too, is called
Madrak al-'Istiàb.
4. Àbd Allah ibn Jibillah ibn Hannan (died 219/834). He compiled a
book on ìlm al-rijal17.
5. Al-Yaqtini, Muhammad ibn Ìsa ibn Ùbayd ibn Yaqtin. He is an
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author of a book on ìlm al-rijal18.
6. Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Nuàym, son of Shadhan Nishaburi. He is
the author of al-Tarajim.
7. Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub (died 224/838-9). His works are al-Mashikhah19
and Ma`rifat ruwat al-akhbar20.
8. Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn Àbd al-Malik al-'Azudi. He rearranged al-
Mashikhah in an alphabetical order.
9. Al-Muharibi, Abu Àbd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan. He is the
author of a work on ìlm al-rijal.
10. Al-Jazawini, Àli ibn al-Àbbas is the author of al-Mamduhun wa al-
madhmumun.
11. Al-Hasan ibn Àli ibn Faddal al-Fatahi (died 224/838-9). He is the
author of a work on ìlm al-rijal.
12. Muhammad ibn Sa`d, al-Azhari al-Basri al-Waqidi (died 230/844-5).
His fifteen-volume Kitab al-tabaqat al-kubra has been reprinted. Al-Suyuti
(died 911/1505-6) has compiled a condensed version of it.
13. Al-Waqidi, Muhammad ibn Ùmar, teacher of Muhammad ibn Sa`d
al-Waqidi, has a work on al-rijal called Madrak al-'Istiàb.
14. Àli ibn al-Madyani (died 234/848-9). He compiled a chronicle
extending over ten volumes.
15. Àli ibn al-Hasan ibn Àli, son of Faddal al-Fatahi, compiled a work
on ìlm al-rijal.
16. Khalifah ibn al-Khayyat (died 240/854-5) is the author of Madrak al-
'Istiàb.
17. Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismaìl ibn Mughirah (died 256/870), is
an author of three books.
17
18. Muslim ibn Hajjaj (died 261/874-5). His work, too, is called al-
Tabaqat.
19. Al-Barqi, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid (died 274/887-8). He is
the author of Tabaqat al-rijal.
20. Al-Àyyashi al-Samarqandi, Muhammad ibn Masùd, is the author of
Ma`rifat al-naqilin21.
21. Al-Rawajini, Àbbad ibn Ya`qub, is the author of al-Ma`rifah fi
ma`riifat al-sahabah22.
22. Al-Narmashiri, Yahya ibn Zakariyya, is the author of Manazil al-
sahabah23.
23. Abu al-Faraj al-Qanani, son of Muhammad ibn Ya`qub, is the author
of Mu`jam rijal Abi Mufaddal24.
24. Al-Dabili, Muhammad ibn Wahban, author of Man rawa àn Amir al-
Mu'minin25.
25. Abu al-Qasim al-Balkhi, author of Ma`rifat al-naqilin and Firaq al-
Shiàh26.
26. Ahmad ibn Àbd al-Wahid, author of Fihrist al-rijal27.
27. Ibn Abi Khuthaymah, Ahmad ibn Zuhayr (died 279/892-3), author of
Madrak al-'Istiàb.
28. Al-Haqiqi, Ahmad ibn Àli (died 280/893-4), authored Ta'rikh al-
rijal28.
29. Mutayyin, Muhammad ibn Àbd Allah ibn Sulayman al-Hadrami
(died 297/909-10), authored Madarak al-'isabah.
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14).
30. Ibn Hazm al-Harawi (died 301/913-14).
31. Ibn Mandah, Abu Àbd Allah Muhammad ibn Yahya (died 301/913-
32. Hamid Naynawa'i Dihqan (died 310/922-923).

33. Al-Dulabi (died 310/922-23).
34. Àbd al-Àziz ibn Ishaq.
35. Al-Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya`qub (died 329/940-41), the author of
al-Kafi, has also compiled a work on al-rijal29.
36. Al-Jalludi (died 332/943-44).
37. Al-Masùdi, Àli ibn al-Husayn (died 333/944-45).
38. Ìsa ibn Mihran30.
39. Ibn Battah, Muhammad ibn Ja`far Mu'addab al-Qummi.
40. Muhammad ibn Àbd Allah.
41. Ibn Ùqdah al-Hamadani (died 333/944-45). He compiled
biographical accounts of 4000 figures. Reportedly, parts of his work still
exist in the royal library in Yemen31.
42. Abu Sulayman, Muhammad ibn Àbd Allah (died 338/949-50).
43. Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ashàri.
44. Sa`d ibn Àbd Allah al-Ashàri32.
45. Al-Tabarani (died 340/951-52).
46. Ibn Walid al-Qummi (died 343/95455)33
47. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Àmmar al-Kufi (died 346/957-58).
48. Àli ibn Muhammad ibn Zubayr al-Qurashi (died 348/959-60).
49. Ibn Sakan, Saìd ibn Ùthman (died 353/963).
50. Ibn Habban (died 354/965).
18
51. Qadi al-Jaàbi, Muhammad ibn Ùmar (died 355/965-66).

52. Al-Kashshi, Abu Àmr, Muhammad ibn Ùmar ibn Àbd al-Àziz,
authored Ma`rifat al-naqilin, which al-Shaykh al-Tusi (died 460/1067-68)
condensed under the title al-Rijal.
53. Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Dawud al-Qummi (died 368/978-79).
54. Abu Ghalib al-Zurari, Ahmad ibn Ahmad (died 368/978-79).
55. Al-Shaykh al-Saduq (died 381/991-92), compiled al-Masabih34. and
al-Tabaqat of Ibn Sa`d.
56. Ibn Shahin (died 385/995).
57. Ibn al-Nadim, Muhammad ibn Ishaq (died 390/1000), compiled Kitab
al-fihrist.
58. Ibn Hashir, Ibn Àbdun (died 423/1023).
59. Abu Nuàym al-'Isfahani (died 430/1038-39).
60. Muhammad ibn Abi Qurrah, teacher of al-Najashi, (died 450/1058),
compiled Mu`jam rijal Abi Mufaddal35.
61. Abu al-Àbbas, al-Sirafi Ahmad, teacher of al-Najashi, authored al-
Masabih36.
62. Ibn al-Ghada'iri, Ahmad ibn al-Husayn, compiled al-Rijal al-duàfa'.
63. Abu Ya`la al-Khalili (died 442/1054-55).
64. Al-Najashi, Abu al-Àbbas Ahmad ibn Àli (died 450/1058), the
author of Ma`rifat al-rijal.
65. Al-Tusi, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (died 460/1067-68).
66. Al-Kitani (died 466/1073-74).
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67. Àbd ibn Jarud.
68. Al-Àqili.
69. Ibn Abi Hatim.
70. Al-'Azraq.
71. Ibn Àbd al-Birr (died 463/1070-71).
72. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Ahmad ibn Àli (died 463/1070-71).
73. Ibn Fathun, Abu Bakr.
74. Shihab al-Din, Ahmad ibn Yusuf.
75. Al-'Akfani, Hibat Allah ibn Ahmad (died 466/1073-74).
76. Al-Samàni, Àbd al-Karim (died 562/1166-67).
77. Abu Musa, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (died 581/1185-86).
78. Muntajab al-Din, Àli ibn Ùbayd Allah Babawayh (died after
585/1189). He wrote Kitab al-fihrist, and a history of the Shiàh scholars.
Al-Majlisi included it at the end of vol. XXV of his Bihar al-anwar.
79. Ibn Shahr Ashub, Muhammad ibn Àli (died 588/1192). He made
additions at the end of al-Tusi's Fihrist.
80. Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi, Àbd al-Rahman ibn Àli (died 597/1200-
1)
81. Al-Muqaddasi, Àli ibn Mufaddal (died 611/1214-15).
82. Ibn Bitriq, Yahya ibn al-Hasan (died 600/1203-4). He wrote Kitab
rijal al-Shiàh37.
83. Ibn al-Athir, Àli ibn Muhammad al-Jazari (died 630/1232-33) wrote
Usd al-ghabah.
84. Ibn Abi Tayy, Yahya ibn Hamid al-Halabi (died 630/1232-33), wrote
al-'Istiàb.
19
85. Quraysh ibn al-Sabi' (died 664/1265-66) summarized al-'Istiàb and

al-Tabaqat of Ibn Sa`d.
86. Àbd al-Azim ibn Àbd al-Qawi al-Mundhiri (died 656/1285).
87. Ibn Tawus, Ahmad ibn Musa ibn Ja`far al-Hilli (died 673/1274-75)
wrote Hall al-'ishkal in the year A.H. 644, and brought together in it all
biographical accounts of the five major works on ìlm al-rijal: al-Kashshi,
al-Najashi, al-Tusi's Rijal and Fihrist, and Ibn al-Ghada'iri's al-Duàfa'38.
88. Izz al-Din, Ahmad ibn Muhammad (died 656/1258).
89. Al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli, Ja`far ibn al-Hasan (died 676/1277-78),
condensed al-Tusi's Fihrist.
90. Ibn Tawus, Àbd al-Karim ibn Ahmad ibn Musa ibn Ja`far (died
693/1293-4).
91. Ibn Dawud, al-Hasan ibn Àli ibn Dawud (born 647/1249-50).
92. Al-Àllamah al-Hilli, al-Hasam ibn Yusuf (died 726/1325-26) wrote
Khulasat al-'aqwat, Idah al-'Ishtibah and Kashf al-'ishtibah.
93. Al-Birzali, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad al-Dimashqi (died 738/1337-
38).
94. Al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din, Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad
ibn Ùthman (died 748/1347-48) summarized Usd al-ghabah.
95. Ahmad ibn Aybak al-Dimyati.
96. Ibn Rafi`, Taqi al-Din, made additions at the end of al-Birzali's work.
97. Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (died 774/1372-73) wrote several works on
ìlm al-rijal.
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98. Ibn Muàyyah al-Dibaji, Muhammad ibn al-Qasim ibn al-Husayn ibn
al-Qasim al-Hilli (died 776/1374-75).
99. Ibn al-Mulaqqin, Ùmar (died 804/1401-2) wrote Tabaqat al-
muhaddithin.
100. Zayn al-Din al-Ìraqi, Àbd al-Rahim (died 806/1403-4) made
additions at the end of Ibn Aybak al-Dimyati's work.
101. Baha' al-Din, Àli Nili al-Hilli ibn Àbd al-Karim (died 841/1437-
38), wrote Kitab al-rijal.
102. Ibn Hajar al-Àsqalani, Ahmad ibn À1i (died 852/1448) wrote
Kitab al-'Isabah.
103. Al-Suyuti, Jalal al-Din (died 911/1505-6) summarized al-'Isabah
calling it Àyn al-isabah.
104. Al-Hasan ibn Zayn al-Din al-Shahid al-Thani (martyred 1011/1602-
3) is the author of al-Maàlim, Tahrir Tawusi, Tartib mashikhat man la
yahduruh al-faqih.
105. Mulla Mustafa, translated the al-'Istiàb upto the letter “ha”' by the
orders of the Ùthmani king, Sultan Ahmad.
106. Tash Kubra-Zadeh, Kamal al-Din Muhammad (died 962/1554-55)
continued the unfinished work of Mulla Mustafa to the letter “ra”.
107. Yusuf ibn Muhammad al-Husayni al-Àmili (died 982/1574-75)
compiled Jami` al-'aqwal and edited the Rijal of al-Kashshi.
108. Àbd al-Latif ibn Àli ibn Shaykh Ahmad al-Àmili, pupil of the
author of al-Maàlim, (died 1011/1602-3) and Shaykh al-Baha'i (died
1031/1621-22) compiled a fihrist of narrators of the four hooks: Al-Kafi,
Man la yahduruh al-faqih, al-Tahdhib and al-'Istibsar.
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109. Mulla Ìnayat Allah Quhpa'i, Àli ibn Sharaf al-Din, (died 1016/
1607-8), also like Ibn Tawus compiled a collection of the books of al-
Kashshi, al-Najashi, Ibn al-Ghada'iri, al-Rijal and al-Fihrist, putting the
biographical accounts in an alphabetical order. His work is called Majma`
al-rijal.
110. Qadi Nur Allah al-Shushtari (martyred 1019/1610-11) wrote Majalis
al-mu'minin.
111. Mulla Àbd Allah al-Shushtari (died 1021/1612) extracted the al-
Duàfa' of Ibn al-Ghada'iri, which had been included in Hall al-'ishkal of Ibn
Tawus.
112. Mulla Àbd al-Nabi al-Jaza'iri, ibn Sa`d (died 1021/1612) wrote
Hawi al-'aqwal.
113. Mirza Muhammad al-'Astarabadi (died 1021/1612) wrote three
books, of which the most important is Manhaj al-maqal.
114. Khudawardi, 'Afshar (died 1021/1612).
115. Mirza Fayd Allah Tafrishi (died 1025/1616).
116. Mir Mustafa Tafrishi (died 1031/1621-22).
117. Nizam al-Din al-Qurashi (died 1031/1621-22).
118. Shaykh Muhammad al-Najafi (died 1085/1674-75).
119. Qutb al-Din al-'Ashkawari (died 1040/1630-31).
120. Mir Damad, Muhammad Baqir ibn Muhammad al-'Astarabadi al-
Husayni al-'Isfahani (died 1040/1630-31).
121. Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi al-Awwal, ibn Maqsud Àli (died
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1070/1659-60) wrote Mashikhat kitab man la yahduruh al-faqih.
122. Al-Turayhi (died 1085/1674-75).
123. Muhammad Amin al-Kazimi (died 1085/1674-75).
124. Aqa Radi al-Qazwini (died 1096/1684-85).
125. Kamal al-Din al-Husayni, Shaykh Hasan ibn Àli al-Àmili.
126. Shaykh Hurr al-Àmili, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (died 1104/1692-
93) wrote Àmal al-'amal and Tadhkirat al-ùlama' al-muta'akhkhirin.
127. Mulla Faraj Allah al-Huwayzi.
128. Mulla Haydar Àli al-Qummi.
129. Muhaddith al-Tawbali (died 1107/1695-96).
130. Muhammad Salih Khatunabadi al-'Isfahani (died 1116/1704-5), was
the nephew of al-Majlisi II.
131. Sayyid Àli Khan Madani (died 1120/1708-9).
132. Mulla Àbd Allah Afandi (died 1131/1718 19).
133. Mulla Muhammad al-Ardabili (died 1111/1699-1700).
134. Shaykh Sulayman al-Makhuri (died 1121/1709-10).
135. Mulla Muhammad Ja`far al-Khurasani (born 1080/1669-70).
136. Aqa Husayn al-Khwansari (died 1128/1715-16).
137. Àli ibn Àbd Allah al-Bahrayni (died 1127/1714-15).
138. Mirza Muhammad al-Akhbari (died 1132/1719-20).
139. Àbd Allah al-Samahiji (died 1135/1722-23).
140. Shaykh Yasin al-Bahrayni (died 1145/1732 33).
141. Mir Muhammad Ibrahim, son of Mir Ma`sum al-Qazwini, (died
1145/1732-33).
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142. Radi al-Din, ibn Sayyid Muhammad al-Àmili al-Musawi, (died

1168/1754-55), in a work called 'Ithaf dkawi al-'albab, has arranged the
entries according to surnames ending with the letter “ya”, and modelling it
on Ibn al-Athir's work and al-Lubab of al-Suyuti.
143. Muhammad ibn Àli al-Biladi (died 1186/1772-73).
144. Shaykh Yusuf (1186/1772-73) has compiled Lu'lu'at al-bahrayn.
145. Sayyid Husayn al-Qazwini (died 1208/1793-94).
146. Àbd al-Nabi ibn Muhammad (died 1191/1777).
147. Sayyid Mahdi Bahr al-ùlum al-Burujerdi al-Najafi (died
1212/1797-98).
148. Abu Àli, Muhammad ibn Ismaìl (died 1215/1800-1).
149. Sayyid Ahmad al-Kazimi.
150. Dawud ibn al-Hasan al-Jaza'iri, worked on Ikhtiyar al-rijal of al-
Kashshi, and al-Rijal of al-Najashi.
151. Muhammad Tahir ibn Muhammad Talib al-Husayni al-'Ardabili.
152. Shaykh Yahya, who was a mufti of Bahrayn.
153. Mulla Darwish Àli al-Ha'iri.
154. Sayyid Muhsin al-'A`raji al-Kazimayni (died 1227/1812).
155. Sayyid Àbd Allah Shubbar ibn Muhammad Rida (died 1242/1826-
27).
156. Muhammad Àli ibn al-Qasim Al Shakur al-Ha'iri (died 1245/1829-
30).
157. Sayyid Muhammad Baqir, Hujjat al-Islam Shafti (died 1260/1844).
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158. Shaykh Àbd al-Nabi al-Kazimi (died 1256/1840).
159. Mulla Àli Kani al-Tehrani (died 1306/1888-89).
160. Shaykh Murtada al-'Ansari (died 1281/1864-65).
161. Ibrahim ibn Husayn ibn Àli.
162. Haji Nuri, Husayn ibn Muhammad Taqi.
163. Muhammad Taha Najaf (died 1323/1905), son of Mahdi, son of
Muhammad Rida al-Tabrizi al-Najafi, compiled Itqan al-maqal. In this
book, he divided narrators of hadith into three categories: truthful, righteous
and weak.
164. Al-Mamaqani, Shaykh Àbd Allah ibn Shaykh Hasan (died
1350/1931-32).
165. Sayyid Muhsin al-Àmili (died 1370/1950-51) wrote 'A`yan al-
Shiàh, of which thirty-four volumes have been printed in Syria.
166. Aqa Buzurg, Muhammad Muhsin al-Tehrani, wrote al-Dhariàh 'ila
tasanif al-shiàh, in which he devoted each volume to figures of every
century starting from the fourth century Hijrah. He also compiled a work on
history of ìlm al-rijal with the title Musaffa al-maqal. In this book he has
given biographical accounts of six-hundred narrators.
Notes
1. See Muhaqqiq's introduction to al-Suyuti's Tadrib al-rawi; al-Madinah 1379/1959.
One instance of this case is the “hadith” which was forged regarding the following verse of
the Holy Qur'an on the orders of Muàwiyah:
And among men is he who sells himself in exchange for God's good pleasure....(2:207)
Through this forgery, an attempt was made to relate this verse to Ibn Muljam, the
assassin of Imam Àli (A); whereas, in reality, this verse is related to Àli (A) himself, who
exposed himself to the danger of death by lying in the Prophet's (S) bed on the night of his
22
hijrah to al-Madinah. See also Kazim Mudir Shanehchi, ÌIm al-hadith, p. 66; Mashhad
University 1964-65
2. See Muhaqqiq's introduction to al-Suyuti's Tadrib al rawi al Madinah 1379/1959. See
also Ahmad Amin Fajral Islam, p. 255; Egypt 1347/1928
Ahmad ibn Nasr says: “The Prophet in reply [to a question that he had put] said, 'Hold
on to al-Shafiì for he is from me and God is with him and his followers.”' See Kazim
Mudir Shanehchi ÌIm al hadith, p. 69, Mashhad University 1964-65
3. The Encyclopedia of Islam, pp. 24, 25. Ahmad Amin, Fajr al Islam, p.256; Egypt
1347/1928. See also Parto e Islam vol I p. 258. An instance of this is the case of Abi Ìsmah
Nuh ibn Abi Maryam whose practice was to forge a tradition in relation to every surah of
the Qur'an. Once when asked about the source of his narrations, he said, “Since people
started turning towards the fiqh of Abi Hanifah and the chronicles of Muhammad ibn Ishaq
they have been neglecting to memorize the Qur'an by heart. I have fabricated these
traditions only for the sake of God's good pleasure.” See Parto e Islam p. 258 and Fajral
Islam p. 256
4. Partoe Islam, vol.11, pp. 356, 385
5. An instance of this is the case of Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim, who once on visiting the
Abbasid caliph al-Mansur saw him playing with pigeons. On the spur of the moment, he
fabricated a “hadith” for the caliph's good pleasure: The Prophet said, “No racing is better
than that of hoofs and feathers.” See Fajr al-'Islam, p. 255, and Partoe Islam, vol. I, p.258.
Abu Hurayrah once fabricated a “hadith” about onions of Akka (seaport in Palestine).
Asked by Mu'awiyah as to where the Prophet said such a thing, he answered, “there where
he said, 'Mu'awiyah is the maternal uncle of the faithful (khal al-mu'minin)'.”
6. Kazim Mudir Shanehchi, Ìlm al-hadith, pp.74,75, Mashhad University, 1344 A.H.
According to Ibn al-Jawzi, once Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Maìn were in the
mosque of al-Rasifah (in Baghdad) for prayers. In the meanwhile, a storyteller gathered
around himself some people and began to recite a tradition, citing as his sources Ahmad ibn
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Hanbal and Yahya ibn Maìn, that the Prophet said, “whoever says, 'La ilaha illa Allah',
God will reward him with a bird whose beak is of gold and feathers of coral.” Then he
proceeded to describe the bird and the reward of the recipient in such a detail as can not be
contained even in twenty pages. On hearing him, Yahya and ibn Hanbal looked at each
other while the “muhaddith” started collecting tips from the people. Yahya approached the
man and asked him as to who had told him this tradition. “Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya
ibn Maìn,” was his reply. “I am Yahya and this is Ahmad ibn Hanbal”, said Yahya
pointing to Ibn Hanbal, “we ourselve have never heard of such a tradition.” The storyteller
replied, 'I had heard that Yahya ibn Maìn is an idiot I didn't believe it. You talk as if you
two are the only Yahya and Ibn Hanbal in the whole world! I have written traditions from
seventeen Yahya ibn Maìns and Ahmad ibn Hanbal's.” Then he promptly slipped out of
the mosque. See Hafiz Nishaburi Hakim Abu Àbd Allah Muhammad ibn Abd Allah,
Ma`rifat ulum al hadith, p. 289; Egypt 1937
7. Shaykh al-Bahi'i, Nihayat al-dirayah p. 7; Ìmad al Islam Press, 1324. See also al-
Suyuti's Tadrib al-rawi, pp. 4, 5; al Madinah 1379/1959
8. During the earliest times the traditions were transmitted orally by teachers to students
of hadith. One who had leant traditions in this way under the direction of a teacher could, in
his turn, again communicate them to others. Ijazah (lit. permit) was the term for a teacher's
sanction granted to those considered reliable by him for further transmission of traditions to
others
9. Haji Khalifah, Mustafa ibn Àbd Allah, Kashf al-zunun àn asami al-kutub wa al-
funun, pp.635-636; 1360/1941
10. Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr, Ta'sis al-Shiàh, p.233; see also al-Najashi's Ma`rifat ahwal
al-rijal, p.340; Bombay 1317
11. Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr, Ta'sis al-Shiàh
12. Al-Najashi, Ma`rifat ahwal al-rijal. See Shaykh Aqa Buzurg al-Tehrani, Muhammad
Muhsin, al-Dhariàh ila tasanif al-Shiàh, vol. III, p. 224. See also Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr,
Ta'sis al-Shiàh, p.232
13. Haji Khalifah, Kashf al-zunun àn asami al-kutub wa al-funun, p.834, 1360
14. See the Catalogue of the Library of University of Tehran, p.503
15. Shaykh Aqa Buzurg al-Tehrani, al-Dhariàh ila tasanif al-Shiàh, vol.111, p. 224
23
16. The names in this list are of those who have worked on history or ìlm al-rijal,
regardless of whether they were merely chroniclers or those whose work was aimed at
distinguishing reliable from unreliable narrators. The names in the list have been taken
from the Catalogue of the Library of University of Tehran
17. Al-Najashi, Ma`rifat ahwal al-rijal, p.235; Bombay 1317
18. Ibid
19. Al-Tusi, Kitab al-fihrist, p.47; Najaf 1359/1937
20. Tawdih al-maqal, p.65
21. Al-Najashi, Ma`rifat ahwal al-rijal, 248; Bombay 1317
22. AI-Tusi, Kitab al-fihrist, p.119; Najaf 1359/1937
23. Al-Najashi, Ma`rifat ahwal al-rijal, p.309; Bombay 1317
24. Ibid., p.283
25. Ibid., p. 282
26. Ibid., p.302
27. Tawdih al-maqal, p.65
28. Al-Najashi, Ma`rifat ahwal al-rijal, p.59
29. Ibid., p.267
30. Al-Tusi, Kitab al-fihrist, p.116
31. Ibid., p. 28; al-Najashi, Ma`rifat ahwal al-rijal, pp.68, 69; See also the Catalogue of
the Library of Tehran University
32. Al-Tusi, Kitab al-fihrist, 75; al-Najashi, Ma'rifat ahwal al-rijal, p. 126
33. Al-Najashi, Ma'rifat ahwal al-rijal, p.23
34. Ibid., pp. 276, 278
35. Ibid., p.283
36. Ibid., p.63; al-Tusi, Kitab al-fihrist, p.37
37. Shaykh Aqa Buzurg al-Tehrani, al-Dhariàh ila tasanif al-Shiàh, vol.111, p. 222
38. Ibid., vol. VII, p.64
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24
Part 3
Disciplines of Ìlm al-Hadith
At the time of its emergence, there was a difference of opinion among
men of eminence among Muslims about the very necessity of hadith. The
first two caliphs, for example, exhibited a complete lack of interest in it1.
Nevertheless, after the death of the Prophet (S), its importance was
gradually realized. This realization grew with time, to the extent that it
became necessary for religious scholars to consider hadith as the second
authoritative source after the Qur'an for solution of their canonical
problems. The importance of hadith grew steadily with time, until it took the
shape of a vast science with numerous disciplines.
Al-Suyuti, in introduction to his Tadrib al-rawi, writes that at the
beginning of the second century of Hijrah, the sciences related to hadith
consisted of three disciplines: ìlm tadwin al-hadith, ìlm al-hadith, and ìlm
usul al-hadith. However, during the third century, according to Ibn al-
Mulaqqin, the science of hadith came to consist of more than two hundred
disciplines.
Abu Hatam, according to a more simple classification, has mentioned the
existence of fifty separate disciplines. Ibn Hajar describes the various
disciplines more simply in this fashion: ìlm usul al-hadith, ùlum al-hadith,
ìlm mustalah al-hadith, and ìlm dirayat al-hadith (which also includes ìlm
al-rijal)2.
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Ahmad Amin, in his Fajr al-Islam, says: “The study of hadith was
followed by the birth of various disciplines, such as chronicles of history,
wars, and merits of peoples and persons. This was followed by writing of
biographies, such as the work of Ibn Hisham. According to Ibn Jarir, Ibn
Ishaq and al-Baladhuri, their style and method was that of hadith narration.
The anecdotes of the lives and times of former prophets, together with
the hadith and the anecdotes mentioned in the Qur'an, helped to expand the
literature dealing with the former prophets. The interest in hadith stimulated
the study of Greek, Indian and Persian philosophy and ethics. Ìlm al-hadith
stimulated popular interest in all sciences, and itself became a religious and
canonical source, and, above all, the source of civil and penal codes. All
this, avoiding further elaboration, bears testimony to the role played by ìlm
al-hadith in expansion of the sciences3.”
According to al-Suyuti, al-Hazimi considered ìlm al-hadith to consist of
more than a hundred disciplines; Ibn Salah has mentioned 65 of these
various disciplines4. Ibn Khaldun, in his work on history, mentions the
following branches of ìlm al-hadith: the study of the nasikh and mansukh
verses of the Qur'an, ìlm al-rijal, ìlm istilahat al-hadith, study of the text of
hadith and its peculiarities, study of the qualifications necessary for a
narrator to transmit hadith, knowledge of veracity of transmitters, and ìlm
fiqh al-hadith5.
However, Hakim Abi Àbd Allah Muhammad ibn Àbd Allah Hafiz al-
Nishaburi, in his book Ma`rifat ùlum al-hadith, mentions fifty-two
disciplines in the science of hadith. In view of its importance, we mention
them here:
25
1. Recognition of al-hadith al-àli: On page 5 of his book, he says that

recognition of the hadith àli al-'asnad (a tradition all of whose narrators are
known and veracious) is a part of ìlm al-hadith. He mentions further that
besides the condition that the chain of transmitters of a hadith àli should be
as short as possible, the transmitters must, in addition, be all veracious.
2. Recognition of al-hadith al-nazil: On page 7, he says that identification
of al-hadith al-nazil is also a branch of Ìlm al-hadith. Some have defined al-
hadith al-nazil as the opposite of al-hadith a/-'ali, but this definition is
insufficient. In fact, there are various degrees of the al-hadith al-nazil
recognizable only for the experts. In this category are included the ahadith
which require more than the ordinary amount of learning and scholarship.
3. Study of the veracity of narrators: On page 14, he includes this also as
part of Ìlm al-hadith. Biographical details, level of knowledge and degree
of carefulness of a narrator are issues related to this subject.
4. Knowledge of masanid of hadith: On page 17, he says that knowledge
of the masanid (first narrator in the chain of transmission) of a hadith is an
important subject. There is a disagreement among leading Islamic jurists
about the validity of ahadith which are not musnadah. Al-hadith al-musnad
is one which has reached us from one of the well-known Companions of the
Messenger of God (S).
5. Study of al-riwayat al-mawqufah: On page 19, he discusses the study
of al-riwayat al-mawqufah. Al-riwayat al-mawqufah is one whose primary
source is one of the Companions of the Prophet (S).
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6. Study of those ahadith whose first narrator is not mentioned. Al-
Nishaburi discusses this topic on page 21.
7. Study of the Companions (al-Sahabah): This study involves the history
of Companions, whether they belonged to the Ansar (the Helpers) or to the
Muhajirun (the Emigrants), and their station and degree of nearness to the
Prophet (S).
8. Study of al-hadith al-mursal: Discussing this topic on page 25, he
includes it among the most difficult in Ìlm al-hadith, and says that none
except the most learned can handle this subject. Al-hadith al-mursal is a
tradition narrated by someone belonging to the next generation (the Tabi'un)
after the Prophet.
9. Study of al-hadith al-munqati': On page 27, he states that al-hadith al-
munqati' is different from al-mursal, although like al-mursal it is one
narrated by one of the Tabi'un. There are three kinds of al-hadith al-
munqati'.
10. Study of transmitters of al-hadith al-musalsal: On page 29, he states
that there are eight types of this kind of hadith.
11. Study of al-hadith al-mu'an'an: On page 34 of his work, al-Nishaburi
includes the study of non- counterfeit ahadith mu'an'anah (lit. transmitted)
as part of Ìlm al-hadith.
12. Study of al-hadith al-mu'dal: On page 36, he quotes the definition
given by Àli ibn Àbd Allah al-Madini, the great scholar of hadith, and his
predecessors of al-hadith al-mu'dal as a tradition whose two or more links of
transmitters are missing.
26
13. Study of the al-hadith al-mudarraj: On page 39, he defines al-hadith

al-mudarraj as a tradition in which the narrator has included his own words
or that of a Companion or someone else in the text of hadith.
14. Study of al-Tabiùn (persons belonging to the next generation after
the Prophet (S) and his Companions): On page 41, including the study of
lives of the Tabi'un in Ìlm al-hadith, he remarks that this in itself involves
several separate disciplines.
15. Study of the Atba' al-Tabi'in (persons belonging to the second
generation after the Prophet): On page 46, this is also said to be included in
Ìlm al-hadith.
16. Study of al-akabir 'an al-asaghir: On page 48, he includes the study of
al-akabir 'an al-asaghir (lit. 'the greater from the lesser ones', said of
traditions related by someone senior in age or knowledge from one junior to
him in one of these aspects, or by a prolific narrator from one less prolific in
narration of hadith) in Ìlm al-hadith.
17. Study of the descendents of the Companions: On page 49, he states
that anyone who lacks knowledge on this subject is bound to make errors in
regard to many traditions.
18. Ìlm jarh wa ta'dil (lit. challenging the validity, and settlement, or
amendment): On page 82, he states that this involves two distinct
disciplines.
19. Study of al-sahih and al-saqim (said of hadith): On page 58, he states
that this study is different from Ìlm jarh wa ta'dil mentioned before.
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20. Ìlm fiqh al-hadith.
21. Study of the nasikh and mansukh in hadith.
22. Study of uncommon words in the text of hadith: On page 88, he states
that this study began after the period of the Atba' al-Tabi'in. Among those
who pursued it were Malik, al-Thawri, Shu'bah, and others who came after
them. The first to compile a work on the uncommon aspects of hadith (Ìlm
ghara'ib al-hadith) was Nadr ibn Shumayl.
23. Study of the al-hadith al-mashhur (lit. famous): On page 92, he points
out the distinction between al-hadith al-sahih (veracious hadith) and al-
hadith al-mashhur.
24. Study of the al-hadith al-gharib (uncommon): He states on page 94
that it is related to the study mentioned above (no.22); for there are various
aspects of uncommonness.
25. Study of al-hadith al-mufrad (al-khabar al-wahid): He states on page
96 that this study involves three kinds of hadith: firstly, those narrated by
one from al-Madinah, Makkah or Kufah; secondly, those narrated by one of
the Imams; thirdly, those narrated by someone besides the above two.
26. Study of apocryphal narrators: Study of those narrators who do not
make a distinction between the narrated text and their own words.
27. Study of deficiencies found in hadith: On page 112, he states that this
study is distinct from Ìlm jarh wa ta'dil and the study of al-saqim and al-
sahih.
28. Study of al-hadith al-shadh (lit. rare): On page 119, he states that it is
a tradition narrated from only one veracious narrator.
27
29. Study of prophetic traditions which conflict with others, and which
are relied upon by founders of one of the fiqh schools.
30. Recognition of traditions which are not contradicted by any other.
31. Study of the various schools of the muhaddithun.
32. Study of the process of memorization of hadith (Ìlm mudhakarat al-
hadith).
33. Study and recognition of additional words in hadith.
34. Study of al-tashif (slip of pen, misspelling, misplacement of
diacritical marks etc.) in manuscripts.
35. Study of such errors by the muhaddithun in manuscripts of their
ahadith.
36. Study of the lives of brothers and sisters of the Sahabah, the Tabi'un,
and their descendents up to the present times.
37. Study of the lives of the Sahabah, the Tabi'un, and Tabi' al-Tabi'in
from whom not more than one narrator has transmitted.
38. Study of the tribes of narrators, including the Sahabah, the Tabi'un,
and Tabi' al-Tabi'in up to the present.
39. Study of genealogies of the muhaddithun, from al-Sahabah up to the
present. On page 168, he says that study of genealogies has been
recommended by the Prophet (S). On page 169, he quotes this tradition on
the authority of Abu Hurayrah:
Know your genealogies, so as to fulfil your duties to your kin6.
41. Study of the names of the muhaddithun: On page 177, he says, “Abu
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Àbd Allah Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari has met the complete needs
of this study by his book.”
42. Study of surnames (kuna pl. of kunyah) of the Sahabah, the Tabi'un,
and their descendents up to the present. On page 83, he says that the
scholars of hadith have compiled many works on this subject.
43. Knowledge of the homelands and regions of hadith narrators.
44. Study of the mawali7 among the narrators of hadith from among the
Sahabah, the Tabi'un and their descendents.
45. Study of the lives, dates of death and birth of the muhaddithun.
46. Study of the titles of the muhaddithun.
47. Study of contiguous narrators. On page 215, he says that this study is
different from that of al-akabir 'an al-asaghir; rather it relates to narrators
who relate from those contiguous to them.
48. Study of similarities between the tribes of narrators, their homelands,
names, nicknames, and accomplishments. In this regard he mentions five
secondary disciplines, such as the study of tribes, the study of their
homelands, etc.
49. Study of the battles of the Holy Prophet (S) and his epistles written to
kings and others.
50. Study of the well-known pioneers of hadith collection from among
the Sahabah, the Tabi'un and their descendents.
51. Study of the mode of classification of hadith into various chapters by
the muhaddithun.
28
52. Study of a group of narrators from the Tabi'un and their descendents,
regarding whose reliability in case of al-hadith al-sahih the evidence is
inconclusive.
53. Study of those who received an ijazah from a scholar for transmitting
ahadith8.
In addition to the above, there are other disciplines linked with the study
of Arabic morphology, syntax, and philology, as mentioned by al-Suyuti in
his al-'Itqan9. In this regard, it may be mentioned that Ibn al-Nadim in his
Kitab al-Fihrist, quoting Muhammad ibn Ishaq and other scholars, says that
Abu al-'Aswad al-Du'ali, the first Arab grammarian, acquired it from Àli
ibn Abi Talib (A)10.
Following this, he quotes a statement from Abu Nasr that Àbd al-
Rahman ibn Hurmuz is the foundation layer of Arabic studies and that Abu
Saìd al-Sirafi had confirmed this. Furthermore, Ibn al-Nadim explaining the
origin of the name 'nahw' for Arabic syntax says that Abu al-'Aswad had
asked for Àli's (A) permission to formulate rules of Arabic grammar similar
(nahw) to what Àli (A) had done in his discourses.
Those who had learnt Arabic grammar from Abu al-'Aswad al-Du'ali,
according to Ibn al-Nadim, are: Yahya ibn Ya'mur, 'Anbasah ibn Ma'dan
and Maymun ibn Aqran11.
Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr, in his Ta'sis al-Shiàh, writing about the origins of
Ìlm dirayat al-hadith, says that the first to compile a work on this subject
was Abu Àbd Allah Hakim al-Nishaburi, a Shi'ite (d. 405/1014-15), and
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Ibn Salah, who came after him, was his follower. However, al-Suyuti, in his
Kitab al-wasa'il fi awa'il, states that Ibn Salah, Abu 'Amr Ùthman ibn Àbd
al-Rahman (d. 643/1051-52), a Shafi'i from Damascus, was the first to work
on ìlm dirayat a-hadith12. Evidently, al-Suyuti has shown complete
indifference to the work of Abu Àbd Allah Hakim al-Nishaburi, who lived
about two hundred years before Ibn Salah.
In Ta'sis al-Shiàh, it is stated that the first to compile a book on the study
of Islamic sects was al-Hasan ibn Musa al-Nawbakhti, a prominent scholar
of the third century, who lived before Abu Mansur Àbd al-Qadir ibn Zahir
al-Baghdadi (d. 429/1037-38), Abu Bakr al-Baqillani (d. 403/1012-13), Ibn
Hazm (d. 456/1062-63), and al-Shahristani (d. 548/1153-54)13. The author
of al-Adab al-Farisi not only confirms this, he also explicitly states that al-
Hasan ibn Musa al-Nawbakhti was a Shi'ite:
Several men of the house of Nawbakht excelled in the Islamic sciences
and became (great) scholars of the Imamiyyah Shi'ite sect and forerunners
of its mutakallimin. To them goes the great credit of providing support for
this sect on the basis of its kalam. Among them was Abu Muhammad al-
Hasan ibn Musa al-Nawbakhti (d. 300 or 301 A.H.), the author of the book
Firaq al-Shiàh and al-'Ara' wa al-diyanat; also he was the first to write a
book on the subject of al-milal wa al-nihal (study of nations and sects)14:
The author of Tadrib al-rawi writing about the origins of ìlm 'istilahat al-
hadith, says that the first to compile a work on this subject was Qadi Abu
Muhammad al-Ramhurmuzi, the author of Kitab muhaddith al-fadil,
followed by Hakim Abu Àbd Allah al-Nishaburi, Abu Nu'aym al-'Isfahani,
and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi15.
29
In regard to the history of the military campaigns (al-maghazi) of the

Prophet (S), which is a part of ìlm al-rijal, the author of Ta'sis al-Shiàh
says that the first to write on this subject was Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-
Matlabi. Elsewhere, he quotes a statement from Khulasat al-'aqwal relating
to Ùbayd Allah ibn Abi Rafi', who was 'Ali's scribe, as being the first to
write on the Prophet's battles16. This is also confirmed by al-Najashi in his
al-Rijal17. Al-Suyuti, however, in his Kitab al-wasa'il fi al-awa'il considers
'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr (d. 94/712-13) as being the pioneer in writing on al-
maghazi.
With regard to historiography, according to Kash al-zunun, the first to
write on this subject was Muhammad ibn Ishaq (d. 151/768) the forerunner
among the writers of al-maghazi.
According to al-Suyuti, the first to compile a musnad was Sulayman ibn
Dawud Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi18. As to ìlm dirayat al-hadith, the first to
write on this subject was Sayyid Jamal al-Din Ahmad ibn Musa ibn Tawus
Abu al-Fada'il (d. 673/1274-75), the teacher of Àllamah ibn Mutahhar al-
Hilli. He formulated new Shi'ite terms in hadith (such as al-sahih, al-hasan,
al-muwaththaq, and al-da'if)19.
Kinds of Hadith
In general, there are three basic kinds of hadith from the viewpoint of the
Ahl al-Sunnah (al-Sahih, al-hasan, and al-da'if), and four basic kinds from
the viewpoint of the Shiàh (al-sahih, al-hasan, al-muwaththaq, and al-da'if).
Confidential
These are further classified both by the Shiàh and the Ahl al-Sunnah.
Following are some of these general classifications:
1. Al-sahih: It is a hadith free of any kind of fault related by several
continuous chains of veracious transmitters with more than one first
recorder (ruwat 'adilun, dabitun ghayr shawadhdh)20.
2. Al-hasan: It is a hadith which is well-known, and with reputable
source (makhraj) and transmitters (ruwat)21. It has been defined in these
words in al-Jurjani's al-Ta'rifat:
Al-hasan is a hadith whose transmitters are reputed for their veracity and
trustworthiness; however, it does not reach the station of al-hadith al-
sahih22.
3. Al-da'if: It is a hadith which does not have the qualities of either al-
sahih or al-hasan23.
4. Al-musnad: It is a hadith whose chain of transmission goes right up to
the Holy Prophet (S).
5. Al-muttasil (mawsul): It is a hadith whose all links in transmission are
mentioned by the later transmitters.
6. Al-marfu': It is a hadith which reaches one of the Ma'sumun,
regardless of continuity in the chain of transmitters.
7. Al-mawquf: It is a hadith which reaches the Sahabah, regardless of
continuity in the chain of transmission.
8. Al-maqtu': It is a hadith narrated from one of the Tabi'un.
9. al-munqati': It is a hadith narrated from one of the Tabi'un.
10. Al-mursal: It is a hadith narrated by one of the prominent Tabi'un
saying 'The Prophet of God said....' so on and so forth. There are many of
this kind of narrations.
30
11. Al-mu'dal: It is a hadith whose two or more links in the chain of

transmission are missing.
12. Al-mudallas (lit. forged): It is of two kinds: firstly, in text (matn); and
secondly, in the chain of transmission (sanad).
13. Al-shadhdh: It is a tradition narrated by a veracious (thiqah) narrator
that contradicts other traditions narrated by others.
14. Al-gharib: It is of three kinds: gharib al-'alfaz (with uncommon
words), gharib al-matn (uncommon in content), and gharib al-sanad
(uncommon with respect to the chain of transmission).
a. Gharib al-'alfaz is a tradition containing problematic words.
b. Gharib al-matn is a tradition narrated by a single narrator belonging to
the earliest narrators.
c. Gharib al-sanad is a tradition whose content is otherwise well-known.
16. Al-mu'an'an: It is a tradition in which all the links in the chain of
transmission are connected by the preposition 'an.
17. Al-mu'allaq: It is a tradition in which the names of one or more
transmitters are missing at the beginning end of the chain of transmitters.
18. Al-mufrad or al-wahid: It is a tradition narrated by only one narrator,
or by narrators belonging to only one location.
19. Al-mudarraj: It is a tradition whose narrator includes his own words
or that of another narrator in the text of the hadith.
20. Al-mashhur: It is a tradition which is well-known amongst the
muhaddithun.
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21. Al-musahhaf: It is a tradition whose text or name of transmitter
(sanad) has been partially altered on account of resemblance with another
similar text or name of transmitter.
22. Al-'ali: It is a hadith with a short chain of transmission.
23. Al-nazil: It is one opposite in character to the 'ali.
24. Al-musalsal: It is a hadith all of whose narrators in the chain of
transmission up to the Ma'sum fulfil the conditions of trustworthiness at the
time of narration from the viewpoint of sound character and speech.
25. Al-ma'ruf: It is a hadith whose meaning is well-known among
narrators.
26. Al-munkar: It is the opposite of al-ma'ruf.
27. Al-mazid: It is a hadith which either in text or sanad has something
additional in comparison with a similar hadith.
28. Al-nasikh: Some ahadith, like the Qur'an, abrogate other ahadith. Al-
nasikh is a prophetic hadith which abrogates a former hukm of the Shari'ah.
29. Al-mansukh: is a hadith whose hukm is abrogated by al-nasikh.
30. Al-maqbul: It is a tradition which is accepted and practised by the
Islamic 'ulama'.
31. Al-mushkil: It is a tradition containing difficult or problematic words
or meanings.
32. Al-mushtarak: It is a tradition the name of one whose transmitters
resembles that of a veracious and a non-veracious narrator. Study of such
traditions calls for the study of Ìlm al-rijal.
31
33. Al-mu'talif: It is a hadith in whose chain of transmission the name of

a person mentioned therein can be read variously, though it is written
identically in all those cases.
34. al-mukhtalif: It is a hadith in whose chain of transmission the name
of a person mentioned therein can be read variously, though it is written
identically in all those cases.
35. Al-matruh: It is a tradition which contradicts definite evidence (dalil
qat'i) and is also unamenable to explanation (ta'wil).
36. Al-matruk: It is a tradition in whose chain of transmission someone
known to be a liar is mentioned.
37. Al-mu'awwal: It is a tradition which contradicts what is apparently
true from the viewpoint of reason (aql), the Qur'an, and the Sunnah (naql).
38. Al-mubin: It is a tradition whose words in the text are used in their
literal meaning.
39. Al-mujmal: It is the opposite of al-mubin.
40. Al-mu'allal: It is a tradition which gives the reason for a certain
command (hukm) of the Shari'ah.
41. Al-mudtarib: It is a tradition that has been variously narrated either
from the viewpoint of text or chain of transmission.
42. Al-muhmal: It is a tradition all of whose transmitters are not
mentioned in books on Ìlm al-rijal.
43. Al-majhul: It is a tradition in which in spite of a continuous chain of
transmission the sectarian affiliations of its transmitters are not known.
Confidential
44. Al-mawdu': It is a tradition forged by its narrator.
45. Al-maqlub: It is a well-known tradition containing something
counterfeit invented with the benign purpose of spiritual encouragement.
46. Al-hadith al-ma'thur: It is a tradition narrated by later generations
from their ancestors.
48. Al-hadith al-qudsi: It consists of Divine Word, whose revelation
unlike that of the Qur'an is not aimed as a miracle. (This kind of tradition
has been discussed before).
50. Al-'aziz: It is one of the thirteen kinds of al-hadith al-sahih and al-
hadith al-hasan.
51. Hadith za'id al-thiqah: It is another one of the various kinds of al-
hadith al-hasan and al-hadith al-sahih24.
52. Al-muwaththaq: It is a hadith whose transmitters are reliable,
although some of them may not have been Shi'ite.
53. Al-mutawatir: It is a tradition which has been transmitted from
several narrators, so that it is impossible that it should have been forged.
There are two kinds of this hadith: mutawatir in meaning, and mutawatir in
words. However, if recurrence (tawatur) is in words, there may be chances
of forgery.
Concluded; wal-hamdulillah.
Notes
1. Ahmad Amin, Fajral 'Islam, p 250
2. Al-Suyuti, Tadrib al rawi, “Introduction”.
3. Ahmad Amin, Fajr al-Islam p 268
4. Al-Suyuti, Tadrib al rawi, pp. 3, 14
32
5. Ibn Khaldun, al-'Ibar, pp. 796-797

6. This tradition is considered dubitable by the Shiàh
7. Mawali (sing. mawla), or clients, is a term that was used to indicate inferior social
standing. The term was originally used for freed slaves by Arab Muslims and after Muslim
conquests it was extended to a variety of non Arab peoples (Tr).
8. The description of the fifty two disciplines of ulum al-hadith mentioned here is a
brief adoption from Ma'rifat 'ulum al-hadith by Hafiz al Nishaburi, Hakim Abu Àbd Allah
Muhammad ibn Abd Allah
9. Al-Suyuti, al-'Itqan p. 5
10. Ibn al-Nadim, Kitab al-fihrist pp. 59-62
11. Ibid., p.62
12. Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr, Ta'sis al-Shiàh, p.294
13. Ibid., p.234
14. Muhammad Muhammadi, al-'Adab al-farisi, pp.115,116; Lebanon
15. Al-Suyuti, Tadrib al-rawi', p.13
16. Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr, Ta'sis al-Shiàh, pp.232, 233
17. Al-Najashi, Ma'rifat ahwal al-rijal, pp.3-6
18. Al-Suyuti, Tadrib al-rawi, p.102
19. Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr, Ta'sis al-Shiàh, p.295
20. Al-Suyuti, Tadrib al-rawi, p.22. See also Dehkhoda, Loghatnameh, vol. (ha'), p.399
22. Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh, vol (ha') p.399
24. About the classification of hadith see Al-Suyuti, Tadrib al-rawi, pp.21 ff.; Hafiz al-
Nishaburi, Kitab Ma'rifat 'ulum al-hadith, pp. 108-123; see also The Encyclopedia of Islam,
pp.23-28, Dehkhuda, Loghatnameh, vol. (ha') pp. 395-399; al-Shaykh al-Baha'i, Nihayat al-
dirayah, pp.4 ff.
Confidential
33
Bibliography
1- Àbd al-Aziz, Da'irat al-Ma'arif al-'Imamiyyah.
2- Aqa Buzurg, al-Shaykh Muhammad Muhsin al-Tehrani, al-Dhariàh
ila tasanif al-Shiàh.
3- Ahmad Amin, Fajr al-'Islam, Egypt 1347 A.R.
4- Amin, Sayyid Muhsin, A'yan al-Shiàh, 3rd ed.
5- Al-Baha'i, al-Shaykh, Nihayat al-dirayah, 'Imad al-'Islam Press 1324.
6- Dehkhudi, Loghatnameh, vol. (ha').
7- Al-Dhahabi. Shams al-Din Abu Àbd Allah, Tadhkirat al-huffaz,
India, 2nd ed.
8- Hajji Khalifah, Mustafa ibn Abd Allah, Kashf al-zunun 'an asami al-
kutub wa al-funun, 1360/1940.
9- Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Taqrib al-tahdhib.
10- Ibn Khaldun, Àbd al-Rahman, al-'Ibar, Beirut 1956.
11- Ibn Khallikan, Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Wafayat al-A'yan.
12- Ibn al-Nadim, Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Kitab al-fihrist, Egypt 1348
A.H.; Persian trans. Rida Tajaddud, Iran 1343.
13- Ibn Sa'd, Muhammad, Kitab al-Tabaqat al-kubra.
14- Al-Khatib, Muhammad 'Ajjaj, al-Sunnah qabl al-tadwin, Cairo
1383/1963.
15- Al-Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya`qub, al-Kafi, 1311 A.H.
16- Al-Khalili, 'Abbas, Parto-e Islam (translation of Fajr al-'Islam and
Confidential
Duha al-'Islam).
17- Al-Muhammadi, Muhammad, al- Adab al-farisi, Beirut.
18- Al-Najashi, Ahmad ibn 'Ali, Ma'rifat ahwal al-rijal, Bombay 1317.
19- Al-Nishaburi, Hakim Abu Àbd Allah Muhammad ibn Àbd Allah,
Ma'rifat 'ulum al-hadith, Cairo, 1937.
20- Al-Saduq, al-Shaykh Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn Àli ibn Bibawayh
al-Qummi, Man la yahduruh al-faqih, 1324.
21- Al.Sadr, Sayyid Hasan, Ta'sis al-Shiàh.
22- Shanehchi, Kazim Mudir, Ìlm al-hadith, Masnhad University 1344.
23- Al-Suyuti, Jalal al-Din, al-'Itqan fi 'ulum al- Qur'an, Egypt.
24- - Tadrib al-rawi, 1st ed., al-Madinah 1379/1959.
25- Al-Tusi, Shaykh Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, al-Tahdhib.
26- - Al-'Istibsar, Najaf 1376 AH.
27- - Kitab al-fihrist, Najaf 1359/1937.
28- Maktab-e Tashayyu', 1339.
29- The Catalogue of the Tehran University Library.
30- The Encyclopedia of Islam (English).
34
Confidential
35

Outlines of Development of Hadith Science

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Outlines of the Development of the

Authors(s): Dr. Mustafa Awliya'i

Translator(s): Ali Quli Qara'i

Hadith-i Qudsi: Hadith-i qudsi is defined as the Divine communication

The Age of Exposition

Muhammad al-Dimashqi who combined the books of al-Bukhari and

14. Tadrib al-rawi, p.285.

Due to the above-mentioned and other reasons besides, a critical

32. Hamid Naynawa'i Dihqan (died 310/922-923).

51. Qadi al-Ja`abi, Muhammad ibn `Umar (died 355/965-66).

85. Quraysh ibn al-Sabi' (died 664/1265-66) summarized al-'Isti`ab and

142. Radi al-Din, ibn Sayyid Muhammad al-`Amili al-Musawi, (died

1. Recognition of al-hadith al-`ali: On page 5 of his book, he says that

13. Study of the al-hadith al-mudarraj: On page 39, he defines al-hadith

In regard to the history of the military campaigns (al-maghazi) of the

11. Al-mu'dal: It is a hadith whose two or more links in the chain of

33. Al-mu'talif: It is a hadith in whose chain of transmission the name of

5. Ibn Khaldun, al-'Ibar, pp. 796-797

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