The Arabic word hadeeth basically means ‘an item of news, conversation, a tale, a story or a report,’ whether historical or legendary, true or false, relating to the present or the past. Its secondary meaning as an adjective is ‘new’ as opposed to qadeem, ‘old’. However, from the time of the Prophet SAW, his stories and communications dominated all other forms of communication. Consequently, the term hadeeth began to be used almost exclusively for reports that spoke of his actions and sayings.
Hadith is talk and/or work and/or the action/practice of the Last Messenger SAW and the silence of the Last Messenger SAW and practice of anything done before him is also related as hadiths.
A hadith or as plural ahadith is/are composed of two parts: the matn (text) and the isnad (chain of reporters). A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but it needs an authentic isnad with reliable reporters to be acceptable; ‘Abdullah b. al-Mubarak (d. 181 AH) is reported to have said, “The isnad is part of the religion: had it not been for the isnad, whoever wished to would have said whatever he liked.”
Hadiths of Rasulullah SAW are of three (3) types:
1. (Qawli) :- Talk of the Holy Last Messenger SAW. Hadith Qawli is that hadith that Rasulullah SAW spoke himself.
2. (Fa’ali) :- The action of Rasulullah SAW. Hadith Fa’ali is hadith that Rasulullah SAW has taught us by his actions without comment.
3. (Taqriri) :- Hadith Taqriri is hadith which comes from Rasulullah’s SAW silence regarding any action.
Hadeeth may be divided into categories according to who is speaking in the hadeeth or who it is attributed to. There are four categories: Get Examples of it
1. Hadeeth Qudsi :- This is a hadeeth transmitted to us from the Prophet SAW, in which he attributes the words to his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, and in which the narrator says: The Messenger of Allah SAW said, narrating from his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, and so on.
2. Marfoo ‘ hadeeth :- This is a hadeeth in which words, actions, approval or a description are attributed to the Prophet SAW.
3. Mawqoof hadeeth :- This is a hadeeth in which words, actions, approval or a description are attributed to the Sahaabi, i.e., it is words or actions that came from the Sahaabi, not from the Prophet SAW.
4. Maqtoo ‘ hadeeth :- This is a hadeeth in which words, actions, approval or a description are attributed to the Taabi‘i. It may also be known as “athar” (a report).
More Categories will be explained when we will start topics related Sciences of Hadith
Following literature is referred to compile summarized notes about Hadith and Sciences of Hadith:
Ilm of Hadiths
from the Muslims of the Americas Islamic Academy
An Introduction to the Science of Hadith
Suhaib Hassan, Al-Quran Society, London
[Usool Al Hadeeth] The Methodology Of Hadith Evaluation
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Rules Governing the Criticism of Hadeeth
Suhaib Hassan, Al-Quran Society, London
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