08-31-2008, 11:30 AM
Book title
An Introduction to the Sciences of Hadith
Shaykh Suhayb Hasan
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/sunnah/0008.htm
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A hadith is 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.
As there are many reporters involved in each isnad,the situation demanded strict discipline in the acceptance of ahadith; the rules regulating this discipline are known as Mustalah al-Hadith (the Classification of Hadith).
There are a number of classes of hadith in accordance with their status.
According to the reference to a particular authority:
marfu(elevated), mauquf (stopped) and maqtu (severed).
According to the links in the isnad:
musnad(supported), muttasil (continuous), munqati(broken), mu'allaq (hanging),mu'dal (perplexing) and mursal (hurried).
According to the number of reporters involved in each stage of the isnad:
mutawatir(consecutive) and ahad (isolated),
the latter being divided into gharib (scarce, strange),aziz (rare, strong), and mashhur (famous).
According to the manner in which the hadith has been reported:
mudallas(concealed) and musalsal(uniformly-linked).
According to the nature of the matn and isnad:
munkar (denounced)and mudraj (interpolated).
According to a hidden defect found in the isnad or text of a hadith:
maqlub (overturned) and mudtarib (shaky).
According to the reliability and memory of the reporters:
sahih (sound), hasan (good),da'if (weak) and maudu' (fabricated, forged)
Rijal al-Hadith
Mustalah al-Hadith is strongly associated with Rijal al-Hadith (the study of the reporters of hadith).in descending
order of authentication the reporters are classified to:
Imam (leader), Hafiz (preserver).
Reliable, trustworthy.
Makes mistakes.
Weak.
Abandoned (by the traditionists).
Liar, used to fabricate ahadith.