The Ahadith

Hadith refers to the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and the science of Hadith deals with how these sayings were preserved, verified, and compiled.

Meaning and Compilation Periods

• The literal meaning of the word 'Hadith' is 'the sayings of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).'
• Hadith compilation is divided into three periods.
• The first period of compilation ended in 110 A.H.
• The second period spanned 111 to 170 A.H.
• The third period, covering the second and third centuries after Hijrah, spanned 171 to 220 A.H.
• The compilation work of Hadith overall continued up to the year 450 A.H.
• The Umayyad Caliph who ordered the compilation of Ahadith was Umar Bin Abdul Aziz.

Classification of Hadith

• A Hadith whose chain of narrators (Ravis) is continuous from beginning to end is called Hadis-e-Musalsal.
• A Hadith with the greatest number of narrators (Ravis) is called Hadis-e-Mutwater.
• A Hadith whose narrators (Ravis) reach directly to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) is called Hadis-e-Marfoo.
• A Hadith judged to be in accordance with the Holy Quran and reason is called Hadis-e-Sahih.

Key Places and Figures in Compilation

• Imam Zohri collected Hadith for the first time in Basra.
• Imam Malik Ibne Anas formed a society called 'Ahle Hadith' for the collection of Ahadith.
• The book 'Isma-ur-Rijal' is related to the names of the transmitters (narrators) of Ahadis.

The Seha Sittah (Six Authentic Books)

• The total number of books in the Seha-e-Sittah is six.
• Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal compiled a book of Ahadith called the Musnad, which contains a total of 40,000 Ahadis.
• Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) quoted a total of 5,374 Ahadis.
• Sahifah Sidaqah, a famous early collection of Ahadith, was compiled by Hazrat Abdullah Bin Umar (RA).
• Imam Abu Hanifah compiled a book called Kitab-ul-Asaar.

Imam Bukhari and Sahih Bukhari

• The original name of Imam Bukhari was Abu Abdullah Muhammad Bin Ismail.
• Sahi Bukhari contains a total of 7,397 Ahadis, selected by Imam Bukhari out of an original collection of six lakh (600,000) Ahadis.
• Imam Bukhari was born in 809 A.D. and died in 869 A.D.

Imam Muslim and Other Compilers

• Imam Muslim was born in 817 A.D. and died in 872 A.D.
• Sahih Muslim, compiled by Imam Muslim Bin Hajjaj, contains 12,000 Ahadis.
• Imam Abdur Rehman Ahmad Bin Sahib Nisei flourished during 837 to 915 A.D.
• Imam Abdullah, who compiled the famous book of Ahadith titled 'Sunnah Abi Majah,' was born in 837 A.D. and died in 891 A.D.
• The Muslim scholar who compiled the renowned book of Hadith called 'Sunnan Nisei' was Imam Abdur Rehman Ahmad.

Special Terminology

• A Hadith categorized as 'Muttafiq Alaih' is one that was quoted by both Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim in their respective collections.