Q. What are the different types of Hadiths?

How is each Hadith

classified into the different types? [10]
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 Hadith is a primary source of law and it is next to Quran in
authority.
 Even Quran lays emphasis on the obedience of the Holy
Prophet. “..Obey Allah and obey the messenger.”
 Hadith we can’t practice the Holy Quran properly. That was
why Allah saved the Ahadith as well through experts.
 They spent their lives in keeping the Hadith pure from all form
of forgery and corruption.
 In Usool-e-Hadith they categorized the Ahdith according to
their authenticity, number of narrators etc.
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 Sahih (Most authentic or genuine) is that Hadith in which five
characteristics are present:
 Its chain of narrators is continuous and unbroken. Which means that
the meeting of every narrator was historically possible with the next
narrator in the chain.
 Each and every narrator in the chain was a Muslim and known for his
truthfulness (A’dl).
 Every narrator must have very sharp and retentive memory (Dabt).
 The Hadith should be free from all types of I’lal.
 The Hadith should be free from Shudhoodh.
 All Ahadith of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim meet this criteria.
 For example: Al-Bukhari → Musaddad →Yahyaa → Shu’bah →
Qataadah → Anas → Prophet Muhammad. (pbuh) that he said:
“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he
loves for himself.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
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 Hasan (acceptable) is that Hadith in which all characteristics of
Sahih Ahadith are found but some of its narrators are less
accurate than the narrators of Sahih Hadith but still have good
memory.
 Imam Tirmidhi defined it as a Hadith which does not contain a
reporter accused of lying, it is not shadh and the Hadith has
been reported through more than one sanad.
 Both Sahih and Hasan hadith are used as a proof and are to be
acted upon.
 For example: Timidhi → Qutaiba→ Jaffar b. Suleman→Abu
Imran →Abu bakr →Abu Musa Ash’ari→Prophet
Muhammad that he said: “Paradise lies under the shadow of
swords.” (Jami’ Tirmidhi)
 In this chain only Jaffar’s memory was good but less accurate.
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 A Dai’f (weak) Hadith is one in which one or more of the
following things are found:
 There is discontinuity in the chain of narrators.
 One of the narrators has a disparaged character and does not
possess the ability of retaining the text.
 There is ambiguity in the isnad or in the matn of Hadith.
 The Hadith is shadh or mua’llal.
 The Da’if hadith is further classified into different categories
depending upon the defects in the qualification of isnad like
Mursal, Mu’allaq, Mudallas, Munqati’, and Mu’dal.
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 Mau’do (fabricated) is defined as a Hadith in which the matn is

against Quran or established norms of Prophet’s saying.
 If one or more reporters are liars then it will declared as a
Mau’do Hadith.
 It is sometimes recognized by external evidence related to a
discrepancy found in the dates or times of a particular incident.
 For example: “Seek knowledge, even if you have to go to
china.”
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 There another classification of Hadith according to the number
of narrators who narrated that Hadith.
 Mutawatir is the report of large number of narrators whose
agreement upon a lie is inconceivable.
 This condition must be met in the entire chain from the origins
of the report to the very end.
 For example the Prophet said: “Whoever will say something on
my behalf which I never said should make his destination in
Hell.” This is quoted by more than seventy Sahaba with the
same words.
 Ahaad is that Hadith in which narrators do not reach anywhere
near the number for Mutawatir.
 It has been divided into many sub-divisions like Mashhur, Aziz
and Gharib.
(b) ‘Truly, My mercy overcomes My wrath’ This is a Hadith
Qudsi. What is special about Hadiths of this kind. [4]

 When the meaning of some Hadith was revealed to the

Prophet and he put them in his own expression, that is called
Hadith e Qudsi.
 The Quran is different as in Quran words were revealed to the
Prophet and he just taught it as it was given to him.
 For example the Holy Prophet said: “Allah says: ‘Fasting is for
me and I shall compensate it.”
 Prophet always added some words to make it clear that it is
from Allah but not in the Quran.
 The Qur’an is miraculous in its wording and was revealed by
the intermediary of the Angel Gabriel. A Sacred Narration (al-
Hadith al-Qudsi), on the other hand, has neither of these
qualities
 However, other Hadith which are called Nabvi cannot be said
to be totally inspired by Allah but the Prophet never left
unguided by Allah.
 Hadith Qudsi are around 1000 in number whereas other
Hadith are much more in number.
 Hadith Qudsi mostly talk about Allah’s relation with His
servant that is why they are very popular in Sufism (Islamic
mysticism)
(b) What are the advantages of having different categories of
Hadiths? [4]

 As Hadith is a primary source of law so its protection from all

sorts of corruption was essential.
 Muhaddithun wanted to present the Sahih Ahadith separately
for the guidance of Muslims so they categorized them and
collected Sahih Ahadith.
 These Sahih collections are also helpful for law makers and
they remain safe from making a wrong decision.
 Common Muslims also remain safe from being misguided as
the experts marked the Weak and fabricated Ahadith.
 Muslims remain united if they follow only Sahih Ahadith.
Otherwise they would be divided and many sects.