HadithLiteratur

HadithLiteratur, in the sense of the broader field of hadith literature, refers to the written and transmitted collection of hadith—reports describing the sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad. It is a major source of Islamic law, theology, and ethics alongside the Qur’an, and it comprises works from the early centuries of Islam to modern times. The literature is organized around chains of transmission (isnad) and the text of the report (matn).

Key features include methods for assessing authenticity, such as evaluating the reliability of narrators, the continuity of the chain, and textual consistency. Hadith are classified as sahih (sound), hasan (good), da'if (weak), or maudu' (fabricated). The terms mutawatir (widely transmitted) and ahad (single-link) describe levels of coverage. Scholars scrutinize isnad and matn to separate accepted reports from contested ones.

Among Sunni hadith literature, the six major canonical collections—Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawood, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa'i, and Sunan Ibn Majah—plus the Muwatta of Malik, form core sources. The Musnad form, as in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s collection, emphasizes individual narrators. In Shia Islam, key works include al-Kafi, Man la yahduruhu al-Faqih, Tahdhib al-Akhbar, and Istibsar.

Historically, hadith literature developed from oral tradition in the 2nd/3rd centuries AH and matured as scholars systematized isnad-criticism and matn analysis. It profoundly influenced fiqh (jurisprudence) and creed. In modern times, it remains central to Muslim scholarship, with critical studies, cross-cultural editions, and digital databases making collections accessible worldwide.