Hadith criticism

Hadith criticism is the scholarly evaluation of reports attributed to Muhammad and other early Islamic authorities, including their transmitters, chains of transmission, and textual content.

Isnad: An isnad is the chain of named transmitters through whom a hadith report is said to have passed. Critics examine each link in this chain to assess whether transmission was possible and reliable.
Hadith: A hadith is a report about Muhammad’s words, actions, approvals, or characteristics, transmitted through a chain of narrators. Hadith criticism takes these transmitted reports as its subject.
Muhammad ibn Sirin: Muhammad ibn Sirin was an early Muslim scholar associated with Basra and the transmission of hadith. A statement attributed to him links scrutiny of transmitters to the period of political turmoil.
Sunni hadith studies: Sunni hadith studies comprise methods and scholarship developed within Sunni Muslim traditions to transmit, classify, and interpret hadith. Many familiar classifications and critical manuals developed within this scholarly tradition.
Matn: A matn is the wording or substantive content of a hadith report. Textual criticism considers a report’s wording alongside its chain of transmission.
Hadith transmission: Hadith transmission is the conveyance of reports through oral or written channels across generations. The history of conveyance determines which chains and transmission claims critics can assess.
Shu'bah ibn al-Hajjaj: Shu'bah ibn al-Hajjaj was an eighth-century hadith scholar known for close scrutiny of transmitters. His critical practice helped establish rigorous evaluation of narrators.
Shia hadith studies: Shia hadith studies comprise methods and scholarship developed within Shia Muslim traditions to transmit, classify, and interpret reports. Shia critics assess reports through distinct transmitter networks and authority frameworks.
Ilm al-rijal: Ilm al-rijal is the study of the biographies and reliability of hadith transmitters. Biographical evidence helps critics judge the people named in an isnad.
Sahih: Sahih is a hadith classification indicating that a report meets specified standards of soundness. Criticism establishes whether a report qualifies for this classification.

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