Mustalah Hadith Made Easy (Part 1) - A Brief History

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful…

What is the most valuable thing in this world, if I may ask?

A diamond? A rare and priceless asset?

Trust. That is the answer.

And when it comes to our Deen, trust and authenticity matter more than we sometimes realise.

Think about it. Islam is the most important thing in a Muslim's life. Yet, being some 1,400 years removed from the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), we often take for granted that whatever reaches us in the name of Islam must be authentic. Almost as though everything was passed down through generations by some automatic process, with no possibility of error, alteration, or fabrication.

We assume that no one would lie about matters of religion. After all, how evil would that be?

But that is precisely the problem. Not everyone who attributes something to the Prophet (ﷺ) is truthful, and not everyone who narrates something has verified what they are passing on. Sometimes people fabricate deliberately. Sometimes they repeat what they have heard without ever checking it. And sometimes, a false narration travels so far that people begin to accept it simply because they have heard it so many times.

This has been a challenge since the earliest days of Islam, as the religion spread to new territories and the Prophet's (ﷺ) companions passed away. How could Muslims distinguish what was genuinely transmitted from what was falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?

One of the answers lies in something we often overlook when we read a hadith: the chain of narration, or Isnaad.

Abdullah bin al-Mubarak, one of the great scholars of the early generations, said:

“The Isnaad (chain of narration) is part of the Deen (religion). Were it not for the Isnaad, anyone could say whatever they wanted.”

Anyone could say whatever they wanted.

Think about what that would mean. A person could attribute words to the Prophet (ﷺ), and those words could be repeated, shared, and eventually accepted as part of the religion, unless there was a way to investigate where they came from.

The scholars understood the seriousness of this. When the turmoil (Fitnah) occurred, they began asking those who narrated hadith to name their narrators. They wanted to know who had transmitted a report, who had received it from whom, and whether those people could be trusted.

The chain was not a formality. It was a means of protecting the Deen.

And behind this chain lies an entire science: a careful study of narrators, transmissions, and the reports themselves, developed to distinguish the authentic from the weak and to identify narrations that cannot reliably be attributed to the Prophet (ﷺ).

That science is called Mustalah al-Hadith.

In this course, we will explore it from the very beginning, one step at a time.

The story in five steps

Here is the path we are about to walk, from the very beginning.

How the science of hadith terminology was written down, in five steps

What is Mustalah al-Hadith?

The knowledge of Mustalah al-Hadith is of great importance, because it distinguishes the authentic hadith from the weak, and the sound from the flawed. Simply put, it is the science that tells us which hadith are authentic and which are weak.

Its importance comes from the importance of the noble Prophetic hadith itself: the second legislative source after the Quran, the foundation of the religion and the source of the straight path. Two things rest upon this science:

The derivation of rulings from the pure Sunnah is based upon it.
Through this noble science, which is unique to Muslims, proper emulation of the Messenger (ﷺ) is achieved.

Note: This first post is the introduction. We look at how the science began and at the books that were written on it, so you will meet many names and titles. Don't try to memorise them. The timeline further down is there to hold them for you, InshaAllah, and the terms themselves will be explained one at a time from the next post.

Why this book?

We will study this science through Min Atyab al-Minah fi Ilm al-Mustalah, written by Shaykh Abdul Muhsin Al-Abbad and Shaykh Abdul Kareem al-Murad. It was chosen for two reasons:

It is not too simple, like Nukhbat al-Fikr, and not too detailed, like Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith. It is short and concise for a reader.
It is taught in institutes of knowledge in Madinah, under the guidance of the Islamic University of Madinah, and in other schools like Jamia Salafiyyah Banaras.

We will meet both of them further down.

The earlier days

Hadith were being written from the time of the Sahabah

Written manuscripts of hadith (each one is called a sahifa) were present since the time of the Sahabah. Two of them are:

As-Sahifa as-Sadiqa, by Abdullah ibn Amr al-As.
As-Sahifa as-Sahiha, by Hammam ibn Munabbah, a student of Abu Hurayrah.

Note: All the hadith in As-Sahifa as-Sahiha are present in Bukhari and Muslim, and its sanad (its chain of narrators) is very short: Hammam → Abu Hurayrah → the Prophet (ﷺ).

Try it yourself. Take a narrator out of the chain below and see what happens.

Point of benefit: Hadith were written from the times of the Sahabah. We have found only a few.

When the chain began to matter

This noble science emerged early, after the spread of narrations. Statements related to it are found among the successors (the Tabi'een) and those after them. Muhammad bin Sireen said:

“They did not used to ask about the chain of narration, but when the turmoil (fitnah) occurred, they said: ‘Name your men for us.’ Then they would look to the people of Sunnah and accept their narrations, and look to the people of innovation and reject their narrations.”

Step through it, one part at a time.

Now go back to the words of Abdullah bin al-Mubarak at the start of this post: the chain is part of the religion, and without it anyone could say whatever they wanted.

The recording of hadith preceded the systematic documentation of hadith terminology. So it is no surprise that the formal writing of hadith terminology came later than the recording of hadith itself. Perhaps the earliest scholars did not feel the need to compile this discipline separately at that time, but later generations required it, and that is how its documentation began.

The first works

Now to the books. Let's go through them in the order they came. From the first works that were written on the sciences and usool of Mustalah al-Hadith are:

Kitab al-Umm, by Imam al-Shafi'i.
Kitab ar-Risalah, by Imam al-Shafi'i.
The Muqaddimah (introduction) of Sahih Muslim.
The last part of Jami al-Tirmidhi.

At this stage, the writing on the science was scattered, in different kinds, within the books of knowledge.

Note: You will see terms like mursal, mudallas and ma'lool in the lists below. Don't worry about them. Each one gets its own lesson later, InshaAllah.

Imam al-Shafi'i and Al-Risalah

The first to author a work in this noble science was Imam al-Shafi'i (d. 204 AH), in his book Al-Risalah. Kitab ar-Risalah is the first book that was written, and it comprises the topics of usool al-hadith, usool al-fiqh and usool ash-shariah. In it he discussed:

the conditions for an authentic hadith,
the requirements for a reliable narrator,
the Mursal hadith and its conditions,
discontinuities in narration,
the compilation of the Sunnah, and the rejection of those who dismissed hadith,
the validity of singular narrations (Khabar al-Wahid) and its conditions,
narration by meaning (Riwayah bil Mana),
tadlees (concealing flaws in the chain), and those known for it,
strengthening narrations by seeking additional chains, and
the fundamentals of narration.

In simpler terms, this one book spoke about what makes a hadith authentic, what makes a narrator reliable, and how narrations are received and strengthened.

Why was Kitab ar-Risalah written? Abdurrahman Mahdi (d. 198 AH), a student of Imam Malik, Sufyan at-Thawree and Sufyan ibn Uyainah, came to Basra in Iraq, at a time when Imam al-Shafi'i was living in Baghdad. The madhab of Imam al-Shafi'i was the madhab of Ahlul Hadith (to act on a hadith), while in Iraq at that time the madhab of Ahl ul Ray (the people of opinion) was prevalent and dominant. So when Abdurrahman Mahdi went to Basra, people noticed certain strange things about him. He was acting on hadith, but this was very strange to the people living there, for example in not doing wudhu after hijamah (cupping).

So Abdurrahman Mahdi wrote a letter to Imam al-Shafi'i, requesting him to write a book on the usool of the deen, hadith, fiqh and the other sciences. Harith an-Nakkal took the letter to Imam al-Shafi'i, and Imam al-Shafi'i wrote Kitab ar-Risalah in reply.

He wrote it twice. This is why scholars list it in the index of his works as two separate books: Al-Risalah al-Qadimah (the Old Risalah) and Al-Risalah al-Jadidah (the New Risalah). The Old Risalah was based on the letter of Abdurrahman bin Mahdi. Shaykh Ahmad Shakir (the editor of the book) said in his introduction to Al-Risalah:

“As for the Al-Risalah al-Qadimah (The Old Risalah), the most plausible view in my opinion is that he wrote it […] in response to the request of Abdurrahman bin Mahdi, the great Imam and scholar of Hadith, about whom Al-Shafi'i said: ‘I do not know anyone like him in the world.’ When Al-Shafi'i returned to Egypt, he recompiled the Risalah. Whatever the case may be, the Al-Risalah al-Qadimah (The Old Risalah) has been lost, and what people have today is only the Al-Risalah al-Jadidah (The New Risalah). From our examination of Al-Shafi'i's existing books written in Egypt, it appears that he recompiled it from memory because he did not have all his books with him. It also seems to me that he rewrote the book ‘Al-Risalah’ after composing most of the books found in ‘Al-Umm.’ He dictated it to Al-Rabee al-Muradi. Al-Shafi'i did not name it ‘Al-Risalah’ himself; rather, he referred to it simply as ‘Al-Kitab’ (The Book). It appears that it was called ‘Al-Risalah’ (The Epistle) in his time because it was sent to Imam Abdurrahman bin Mahdi, may Allah have mercy on him, who said about it: ‘When I read Al-Shafi'i's Risalah, it astonished me, for I saw the words of an intelligent, eloquent, and sincere man. I frequently supplicate for him.’”

So Kitab ar-Risalah was revised again by Imam al-Shafi'i when he was in Egypt, and Ar-Rabee ibn Sulayman al-Muradi, who was present with him, narrated the book. Ismaaeel Ibn Yahyaa al-Muzanee (d. 264 AH), also known as Imam Muzni, a companion and disciple of Imam al-Shafi'i and the author of the famous book on aqeedah called Sharhus-Sunnah, revised this book 500 times. He said that each time he read it, he found new benefits in it.

Points of benefit:

Kitab al-Umm is not a hadith book. It is a fiqh book which also deals with the science of usool al-fiqh. There are some points of benefit in it regarding the sciences of hadith, which is why the book is mentioned here.
The claim that Muhammad ash-Shaybani wrote a book on the sciences (usool) of hadith before Imam al-Shafi'i is not true. The book is not present, and no book gives any reference to it.
The word Usool was used in the old days for aqeedah too. For example, Usool as-Sunnah by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

al-Humaydi (d. 219 AH)

After him, al-Humaydi, Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (d. 219 AH), the author of Al-Musnad and a teacher of al-Bukhari, wrote on this subject. al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, in Al-Kifayah, mentions through a chain that al-Humaydi had a treatise on hadith terminology.

Imam Muslim (d. 261 AH)

Following these two great scholars, Imam Muslim bin al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi (d. 261 AH) included a valuable introduction in his Al-Jami (that is, Sahih Muslim), discussing key issues in hadith terminology. In it he:

classified reports,
categorised narrators based on memorisation and precision,
addressed munkar (rejected) hadith, singular narrations, and the ruling on weak and unreliable narrations,
emphasised narrating only from trustworthy sources and avoiding liars,
warned against fabricating hadith, providing evidence for this, and
discussed the necessity of chains of narration and the obligation to critique weak narrators.

In simpler terms, Imam Muslim used the introduction of his Sahih to explain how reports are sorted, how narrators are judged, and why the chain of narration matters.

His book Al-Tamyeez also touches on hadith terminology, because of his reputation for simplifying complex concepts.

Point of benefit: The Muqaddimah of Sahih Muslim has a lot of benefits on Mustalah al-Hadith, ilm ur-rijal and the classification of narrators. It was narrated by Imam Muslim's student, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Sufyan, and Imam Muslim wrote it addressing him. Read more here.

Imam Abu Dawood (d. 275 AH)

Next, Imam Abu Dawood al-Sijistani (d. 275 AH) discussed some terminological issues in his Risalah ila Ahl Makkah, the Risalah to the People of Mecca, describing his Sunan. He addressed the mursal hadith and its ruling, the number of Sunnah narrations, the validity of ghareeb (rare) hadith, shadh (irregular) narrations, authentic hadith, interrupted (munqati) and mudallas narrations with examples, the wording of hearing (samaa), and ma'lool hadith (hadith with hidden defects). His discussion of these types is concise.

Imam al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH)

Following them, Imam Muhammad bin Isa bin Sawrah al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH), a student of Imam al-Bukhari, authored the valuable Al-Ilal as-Sagheer, which he placed at the end of his Al-Jami al-Kabeer (Jami al-Tirmidhi, or Sunan al-Tirmidhi). In it he discussed important terminological matters:

the types of transmission (tahammul), covering ijazah (permission to narrate) extensively,
narration by wording versus meaning,
ziyadah al-thiqah,
the permissibility of critiquing narrators, arguing that it is necessary in order to distinguish the acceptable from the rejected hadith,
the classification of narrators based on precision,
the hasan (good) and ghareeb hadith, and
the ma'lool and mursal narrations, with the reasons for their rejection.

In simpler terms, al-Tirmidhi wrote down how hadith is received and passed on, and why narrators may be critiqued.

His Al-Jami al-Kabeer also contains many key terminological discussions, and he has another published book called Al-Ilal al-Kabeer.

Point of benefit: Imam al-Tirmidhi is well known in the field of finding hidden defects in a hadith (ilal). Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali wrote an explanation of Al-Ilal as-Sagheer titled Sharh Ilal at-Tirmidhi, which is a very beneficial book on this topic.

al-Hafiz Ibn Hibban (d. 354 AH)

After them, al-Hafiz Muhammad bin Hibban al-Busti (d. 354 AH) addressed hadith terminology in several works.

In the introduction to Al-Thiqaat he listed the narrators whose reports are acceptable and outlined their conditions, stating: “Anyone mentioned in this book, if free from the five traits I mentioned, is reliable, and their narration may be used as evidence.”
In Al-Majrooheen he listed twenty types of narrator criticism in the introduction.
His greatest work, Al-Saheeh ala al-Taqaseem wa al-Anwa, includes key terminological discussions in its valuable introduction. He summarised his conditions for authenticity, defended his methodology, and classified reports based on their chains. He also discussed differences in elevation (raf) and stopping (waqf), connected (mawsool) and mursal narrations, ziyadah al-thiqaat in chains and texts, narrations by innovators and the rulings on narrating from them, mukhtaliteen (those who mix up narrations), mudallis narrators, and the integrity of the Sahabah.

In simpler terms, Ibn Hibban wrote down which narrators he accepted and why, how narrators can be criticised, and what makes a report authentic by his conditions.

The later days

By the fourth century after the Hijrah, the sciences and arts had matured and the terminology had settled. After this, books were written exclusively on the science and terminology of hadith. From them are:

Al-Muhaddith al-Fasil bayn al-Rawi wa al-Waiee, by Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Abdurrahman bin Khallad al-Ramahurmuzi (d. 360 AH).
Marifat Ulum al-Hadith, by Abu Abdullah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi (d. 405 AH). He could not complete the book.
Al-Mustakhraj ala Kitab al-Hakim, by Abu Nuaym Ahmad bin Abdullah al-Asbahani (d. 430 AH). It completed the book above.
Al-Irshad fi Marifat Ulama al-Hadith, by Abu Yala al-Khalili (d. 446 AH).
Al-Kifayah fee Ilm al-Riwayah, by Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Ali al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463 AH).
Al-Jami li-Adab al-Shaykh wa al-Sami, by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi.
A book on high and low chains (al-uluww wa al-nuzool), by Muhammad bin Tahir al-Maqdisi (d. 507 AH).
Al-Ilma fi Dhabt ar-Riwayah wa Taqyeed as-Sama, by Qadi Iyad (d. 544 AH).
Ma La Yasa al-Muhaddith Jahluh, by Abu Hafs Umar al-Mayyanji (d. 581 AH).
Marifat Anwa Uloom al-Hadith (also called Uloom al-Hadith), famously called Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah, by Abu Amr Uthman Ibn al-Salah (d. 643 AH).
Nukhbat al-Fikar fee Mustalah Ahl al-Athar, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH).
Mandhumah al-Bayquniyyah, by Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Fatooh al-Bayqooni ad-Dimashqi.
Tadreeb al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqreeb al-Nawawi, by Jalaluddin as-Suyuti.
Tawdhih al-Afkar, sharh Tanqih al-Anzar, by Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Amir as-San'ani (d. 1182 AH).
Qawaid at-Tahdith, by Jamaluddin al-Qasimi.
Tawjih an-Nazar, by al-Jaza'iri.

The books from number 10 onward are the ones we meet in the sections below. Let's take the first nine one at a time.

al-Ramahurmuzi (d. 360 AH)

Qadi al-Hasan bin Abdurrahman al-Ramahurmuzi authored his beneficial and brilliant book Al-Muhaddith al-Fasil bayn al-Rawi wa al-Waiee. He singled out the science of mustalah for authorship, in a rudimentary state. This book is not exclusively dedicated to compiling all the types of hadith sciences, nor was that its purpose. It is a work focused on the Sunan of riwayah, scholarly pursuit, writing methodologies and their etiquettes.

In its early chapters it discusses introductory matters related to hadith terminology.
It then outlines the qualities of a hadith student and some of their necessary conditions.
It examines high and low chains of transmission (aalee and naazil isnaads) and the relevance of travel in seeking hadith.
It elaborates on those who combined narration with deep understanding, and discusses in detail the methods of receiving hadith (tahammul) and the phrases of transmission.
It also addresses linguistic errors (al-lahn) in narration, narrating by meaning (al-riwayah bi al-mana), comparative criticism, memorisation and review (al-mudhakarah), scholarly competition, and other related subjects.

In simpler terms, this book is less about the types of hadith and more about how hadith is taught, written down and carried from teacher to student.

He relied heavily on narrated reports from early scholars with full chains of transmission, and earned high praise from leading hadith authorities for this book. Imam al-Dhahabi said about it: “The author of Al-Muhaddith al-Fasil bayn al-Rawi wa al-Waiee, and what an excellent book it is! It is said that Al-Silafi (a renowned hadith scholar) would hardly ever part with his copy, meaning during a portion of his life.”

al-Hakim (d. 405 AH) and Abu Nuaym (d. 430 AH)

Then came Abu Abdillah Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, who authored Marifat Ulum al-Hadith. His work is far more valuable and refined than that of al-Ramahurmuzi, as it encompasses most branches of the hadith sciences, systematically categorising and detailing its various types. Some scholars even consider it the pioneering work in hadith terminology. But he did not refine it, and it did not cover everything.

Following him, the Hafiz Abu Nuaym Ahmad bin Abdullah al-Asbahani expanded upon al-Hakim's work and critiqued some of its points in a book he titled Al-Mustakhraj ala Kitab al-Hakim. However, as Ibn Hajar noted, he did not fully perfect it, leaving room for further refinement by later scholars.

Abu Yala al-Khalili (d. 446 AH)

After him came the Hafiz Abu Yala al-Khalili, who authored Al-Irshad fi Marifat Ulama al-Hadith. In its introduction he discussed some of the intricacies of hadith terminology, covering:

the authentic hadith (al-hadith as-sahih),
explanations regarding hidden defects (al-illah),
oddity in narrations (ash-shudhudh),
unique narrations (al-afrad),
rejected narrations (al-munkar),
higher and lower chains (al-uluww wa an-nuzool),
the tiers of the hadith masters (tabaqat al-huffaz),
the leading authorities in this field,
the critics of narrations (nuqqad al-athar), and
the jurists among the Companions and their successors, and other related subjects.

In simpler terms, the introduction of his book is a small tour of the terms of the field and of the people who shaped it.

al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463 AH)

Then came al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Ali), who authored two significant works:

Al-Kifayah fee Ilm al-Riwayah, a foundational book on the principles of hadith transmission.
Al-Jami li-Adab al-Shaykh wa al-Sami, a work on proper conduct in hadith learning and teaching.

al-Khatib al-Baghdadi played a major role in hadith terminology, composing independent works on most branches of the hadith sciences. In the words of al-Hafiz Abu Bakr ibn Nuqtah, everyone who came after al-Khatib became dependent on his books. Fair-minded scholars agree that all later researchers relied on his writings, which makes him an indispensable reference in the field.

al-Maqdisi, Qadi Iyad and al-Mayyanji

Following him, al-Hafiz Abu al-Fadl Muhammad bin Tahir al-Maqdisi (d. 507 AH) wrote a book on higher and lower chains of narration (al-uluww wa an-nuzool). Later, Qadi Iyad (d. 544 AH) composed Al-Ilma fi Dhabt ar-Riwayah wa Taqyeed as-Sama, and Abu Hafs al-Mayyanji (d. 581 AH) wrote a concise treatise titled Ma La Yasa al-Muhaddith Jahluh.

These were the foundational works that addressed the science of Mustalah al-Hadith, and they remained the primary references until the arrival of Ibn al-Salah.

Points of benefit:

Imam Bukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah and an-Nasai are from Persian origin. Many of the authors mentioned above are from Persian origin too.
Hilyatul Awliya wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya (The Beauty of the Righteous and the Ranks of the Elite), by Abu Nuaym al-Asbahani, is a famous book.
Four famous huffaz (hadith masters) lived during the same time, in the West and in the East. West: Ibn Hazm and Ibn Abd al-Barr. East: al-Khatib al-Baghdadi and al-Bayhaqi.
al-Bayhaqi has a famous book on usool al-hadith and fiqh combined, called Al-Madkhal ila Ilm al-Sunan.
Whoever came after al-Khatib al-Baghdadi took benefit from his book Al-Kifayah. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani says that al-Khatib al-Baghdadi wrote a book in every science and branch of hadith.

Ibn al-Salah, the turning point

Al-Hafiz Taqi al-Din Abu Amr Uthman bin al-Salah al-Shahrazuri (born 577 AH, d. 643 AH) was a scholar residing in Damascus. When he was appointed to teach hadith at Al-Madrasah al-Ashrafiyyah, known as Dar al-Hadith, he compiled what had been scattered across the works of his predecessors, and enriched it with essential insights, in his invaluable book Marifat Anwa Uloom al-Hadith, famously called Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah. He referred to all the works of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi and of the other scholars before him. He refined its subjects and dictated it little by little, gathering the scattered aims of al-Khatib's works and adding to them the best benefits from other books.

This book became one of the finest and most esteemed works in hadith terminology, and it marked a turning point in the field. It served as a central reference around which later works revolved, and became the core source for subsequent expansions. Later scholars had little to do beyond rearranging its contents, simplifying it through abridgments or versification, or clarifying some of its objectives. Allah blessed Ibn al-Salah's book with widespread acceptance, making it the primary textbook for anyone seeking to enter this discipline. It became the key to unlocking its complex meanings, and the explanatory guide to its condensed principles.

Some scholars abridged it, like al-Nawawi in his Irshad and al-Bulqini in his Mahasin. Some versified it, like al-Iraqi in his Alfiyyah. Some supplemented it, and some objected to it.

Simply put, Ibn al-Salah's book became the book that everyone after him wrote around.

So there is a whole family of books around it: abridgments, commentaries and critical notes, and poetic versifications.

The kinds of books written around Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah

The full list is below. Tap a tab to choose a text, and a coloured chip to see only one kind of book.

Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah

Later scholars had little to do beyond rearranging its contents, simplifying it through abridgments or versification, or clarifying some of its objectives.

Abridgments

Irshad Tullab al-Haqaaiq ila Marifat Sunan Khayr al-Khalaiq by al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH). The first abridgment of Ibn al-Salah’s Muqaddimah (printed).
Al-Taqreeb wa al-Tayseer li-Marifat Sunan al-Basheer al-Nadheer by al-Nawawi. Later explained by al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH) in Tadreeb al-Rawi.
Al-Iqtirah fee Funoon al-Istilah by Ibn Daqeeq al-Eed (d. 702 AH). A concise yet rich work on hadith terminology (printed).
Al-Manhal al-Rawi fee Uloom al-Hadith al-Nabawi by Badr al-Deen bin Jamaah (d. 733 AH). Printed.
Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith by Ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH)
Al-Muqni fee Uloom al-Hadith by Siraj al-Deen bin al-Mulaqqin (d. 804 AH). Printed.
Mahasin al-Istilah wa Tadmin Kitab Ibn al-Salah by al-Bulqini (d. 805 AH). Added five new categories to Ibn al-Salah’s original seventy: Companions narrating from each other, Successors narrating from each other, narrators sharing common traits (jurisprudence, region and so on), the causes behind certain hadith (asbab al-wurud), and the historical context of hadith texts.

Critical notes

Al-Nukat ala Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah by al-Zarkashi (d. 794 AH). A critical analysis (printed).
Al-Taqyeed wa al-Eedah li-ma Ubhima wa Ughliqa min Kitab Ibn al-Salah by al-Iraqi (d. 806 AH). Clarifies ambiguous points and corrects misconceptions about Ibn al-Salah’s work (printed).
An-Nukat ala Ibn al-Salah by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH). A detailed critique covering both Ibn al-Salah and al-Iraqi’s notes, marked with (ص) for Ibn al-Salah and (ع) for al-Iraqi. It is now published with takhreej by Shaykh Rabi.

Poems

Al-Tabsirah wa al-Tadhkirah by al-Iraqi. A 1000-line poem. He also wrote its commentary.
Fath al-Mugheeth by al-Sakhawi (d. 902 AH). A comprehensive hadith manual explaining and expanding on the poem.
Nazm al-Durar fee Ilm al-Athar by al-Suyuti. With his own incomplete commentary, Al-Bahr al-Ladhi Zakhar (printed).
Manhaj Dhawi al-Nazar by al-Tarmasi (d. 1329 AH)

Commentaries

A modern explanation by Ahmad Shakir (d. 1377 AH). The Brief History lists the modern explanations after the poems.
A modern explanation by Muhammad Abdul Hameed. Printed.
A modern explanation by Muhammad bin Adam al-Ethiopee. 2 volumes, printed. There are others too.

Nukhbat al-Fikar by Ibn Hajar

A concise treatise by Ibn Hajar, with his own commentary Nuzhat al-Nazar. Scholars turned to it for its conciseness, organisation and accuracy, and it became a focus of study.

Commentaries

Nuzhat al-Nazar fee Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikar by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani. The explanation of Nukhbat al-Fikr written by Ibn Hajar himself.
An explanation of Nukhbat al-Fikr by Ibn Hajar’s son
Annotations on the explanation of Nukhbat al-Fikr by Zain al-Din Qasim bin Qutlubugha al-Hanafi (d. 879 AH). A student of the author.
Mustalahat Ahl al-Athar by Mulla Ali al-Qari (d. 1014 AH)
Al-Yawaqit wa al-Durar by Muhammad Abdul-Raouf al-Munawi al-Haddadi (d. 1031 AH)
Im’an al-Nazar fi Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikr by Muhammad Akram bin Abdul-Rahman al-Sindhi
Bahjat al-Nazar by Abu al-Hasan al-Sindi (d. 1138 AH)

On Nuzhat al-Nazar

Hashiyah ala Nuzhat al-Nazar by Kamal al-Din Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Abi Sharif al-Shafii (d. 906 AH)
Sharh Nuzhat al-Nazar by Wajih al-Din al-Alawi (al-Ghujrati) (d. 978 AH)
Qada al-Watr fi Nuzhat al-Nazar by Ibrahim al-Laqani (d. 1040 AH)
Al-Nukat ala Nuzhat al-Nazar fi Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikr by Ali Hasan bin Abdul Hameed al-Halabi. With comments from Shaykh al-Albani.

Poems

Uyun al-Maani, nazm of Nukhbat al-Fikr by Ahmad bin Sadaqa al-Sirfi al-Shafii al-Asqalani (d. 905 AH)
Nazm Nukhbat al-Fikr by Muhammad al-Shumni. His son Taqi al-Din Ahmad bin Muhammad al-Shumni explained it in Al-Ali al-Rutba fi Sharh Nazm al-Nukhba.
Nazm Nukhbat al-Fikr by Shihab al-Din Ahmad bin Muhammad al-Tufi (d. 883 AH). Nukhbat al-Fikr was converted into a poem for easy memorisation.
Aqd al-Durar fi Nazm Nukhbat al-Fikr by Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Arabi ibn Yusuf al-Fasi (d. 1052 AH)
Isbal al-Matar ala Qasab al-Sukkar by Muhammad bin Ismail al-Amir al-Sanani al-Yamani (d. 1182 AH). And so on.

Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith by Ibn Kathir

Not part of the book we are studying, but very famous.

Commentaries

Al-Baith al-Hathith by Ahmad Shakir. The famous commentary. It is also published with beneficial footnotes from Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani. A copy exists with the notes of Shaykh al-Albani and Ali al-Halabi in it.
Al-Sayr al-Hatheeth Sharh Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith by Muqbil bin Hadee al-Wadiee
Fath al-Mugheeth fee Taleeq ala Kitab Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith by Amr Abdul Munim Saleem
Al-Sayeeul-Hatheeth ila Sharh Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith by Abdul Azeez bin Sagheer
Sharh Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith by Ibrahim al-Lahm
Al-Ghayth al-Mugheeth Sharh Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith by Mustafa bin Ismail al-Sulaymani

Mandhumah al-Bayquniyyah

A short didactic poem of only 34 verses by Umar bin Muhammad al-Bayquni (d. 1080 AH). Despite its brevity, it is one of the most famous and beneficial abridgments in hadith terminology.

Commentaries

Al-Arjuun fi Sharh al-Bayqoon by Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (d. 1307 AH). He wrote books in all fields of Islam. Shaykh Uzair Shams says he was an ummah in his own because of his works.

Interactive — The books that grew around the books

Points of benefit:

Imam al-Nawawi (the author of the Forty Hadith) wrote two books on Uloom al-Hadith: Irshad Tullab al-Haqaaiq and Al-Taqreeb.
Ibn Kathir's Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith is one notable mention that is not present in the book we are studying, but it is very famous.
Al-Iraqi's Alfiyyah (Al-Tabsirah wa al-Tadhkirah) is a poem of 1000 lines on Ibn al-Salah's Muqaddimah, for easy memorisation. Al-Sakhawi, a student of Ibn Hajar, explained it in Fath al-Mugheeth. Al-Bulqini, a teacher of Ibn Hajar, wrote Mahasin al-Istilah, a concise form of Ibn al-Salah's book.
Ibn Hajar's An-Nukat ala Ibn al-Salah is now published with takhreej by Shaykh Rabi.
Ahmad Shakir's explanation of Ibn Kathir's book is Al-Baith al-Hathith. A copy of it exists with the notes of Shaykh al-Albani and Ali al-Halabi in it. Shaykh Muqbil also wrote an explanation of it, called Al-Sayr al-Hathith.

Nukhbat al-Fikar, and the short texts

Among the comprehensive abridgments in this field is a concise treatise by the Imam, the Hafiz, Abu al-Fadl Ahmad bin Ali bin Hajar al-Asqalani al-Misri (d. 852 AH), titled Nukhbat al-Fikar fee Mustalah Ahl al-Athar. He then authored a commentary on it, titled Nuzhat al-Nazar fee Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikar. Scholars turned their attention to it, relying on it for its conciseness, organisation and accuracy. Nukhbat al-Fikr and its explanation became the focus of study and consideration among hadith scholars, resulting in numerous commentaries, abridgments, annotations and poetic renderings. One of those explanations of Nukhbat al-Fikr was written by Ibn Hajar's own son.

Two more short texts are worth knowing:

Mandhumah al-Bayquniyyah, authored by Umar bin Muhammad al-Bayquni (d. 1080 AH). It is a short didactic poem of only 34 verses. Despite its brevity, it is one of the most famous and beneficial abridgments in hadith terminology. Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (d. 1307 AH) wrote a sharh on it called Al-Arjuun fi Sharh al-Bayqoon.
Qawaid al-Tahdith, by Muhammad Jamal al-Deen al-Qasimi (d. 1332 AH). It is a well-researched and highly beneficial work on hadith principles.

Point of benefit: Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan wrote books in all fields of Islam. Shaykh Uzair Shams says he was an ummah in his own because of his works.

The whole story, played back

That was a lot of names. Here are the main works on one time axis, each dot wearing the colour of its period. Press Play to watch the story unfold one work at a time, use Back and Next to step through it yourself, or drag the slider. Tap a dot to jump to it, and tap a coloured chip to look at one period only.

As-Sahifa as-Sadiqa Abdullah ibn Amr al-As · Time of the Sahabah · Since the Sahabah
Written manuscripts of hadith were present since the time of the Sahabah. This is one of them.
As-Sahifa as-Sahiha Hammam ibn Munabbah · Student of Abu Hurayrah · Since the Sahabah
Every hadith in it is present in Bukhari and Muslim, and its sanad is very short: Hammam, Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (ﷺ).
Al-Risalah Imam al-Shafi’i · d. 204 AH · The first works
The first to author a work in this science. He wrote it twice: the Old Risalah, which is lost, and the New Risalah, which is what we have today. His Kitab al-Umm is a fiqh book that also deals with usul al-fiqh, with some benefits on the hadith sciences.
A treatise on hadith terminology al-Humaydi, Abdullah bin al-Zubayr · d. 219 AH · The first works
Author of Al-Musnad and teacher of al-Bukhari. al-Khatib al-Baghdadi mentions, in Al-Kifayah, that he had such a treatise.
The introduction to his Sahih Imam Muslim · d. 261 AH · The first works
He classified reports, categorised narrators by memorisation and precision, and stressed narrating only from trustworthy sources. His Al-Tamyeez also touches on the subject.
Risalah ila Ahl Makkah Imam Abu Dawood · d. 275 AH · The first works
A risalah to the people of Mecca describing his Sunan. It covers mursal, ghareeb, shadh, munqati and mudallas narrations, and ma’lool hadith, concisely.
Al-Ilal as-Sagheer Imam al-Tirmidhi · d. 279 AH · The first works
A student of al-Bukhari. He placed it at the end of his Jami. It covers the types of transmission, ijazah, ziyadah al-thiqah and the permissibility of critiquing narrators. His Al-Ilal al-Kabeer is also published.
Al-Thiqaat, Al-Majrooheen and his Sahih Ibn Hibban al-Busti · d. 354 AH · The first works
In Al-Thiqaat he outlined the conditions for a reliable narrator. In Al-Majrooheen he listed twenty types of narrator criticism. The introduction to his Sahih summarises his conditions for authenticity.
Al-Muhaddith al-Fasil bayn al-Rawi wa al-Waiee Qadi al-Ramahurmuzi · d. 360 AH · The later days
It is not a book on every type of hadith science. It covers the etiquettes of narration, the qualities of a hadith student, high and low chains, and travel. al-Dhahabi said: “what an excellent book it is!”
Marifat Ulum al-Hadith al-Hakim al-Naysaburi · d. 405 AH · The later days
It encompasses most branches of the hadith sciences, with their types. Some scholars even consider it the pioneering work. He could not complete it.
Al-Mustakhraj ala Kitab al-Hakim Abu Nuaym al-Asbahani · d. 430 AH · The later days
He completed al-Hakim’s book and critiqued some of its points. As Ibn Hajar noted, he did not fully perfect it.
Al-Irshad fi Marifat Ulama al-Hadith Abu Yala al-Khalili · d. 446 AH · The later days
Its introduction covers the authentic hadith, hidden defects, oddity, unique and rejected narrations, high and low chains, and the tiers of the huffaz.
Al-Kifayah fee Ilm al-Riwayah, and Al-Jami li-Adab al-Shaykh wa al-Sami al-Khatib al-Baghdadi · d. 463 AH · The later days
Al-Kifayah is a foundational book on the principles of hadith transmission. Ibn Hajar says he wrote a book in every branch of the science. Whoever came after him took benefit from Al-Kifayah.
A book on high and low chains al-Hafiz Muhammad bin Tahir al-Maqdisi · d. 507 AH · The later days
On al-uluww wa al-nuzool.
Al-Ilma fi Dhabt ar-Riwayah wa Taqyeed as-Sama Qadi Iyad · d. 544 AH · The later days
Composed by Qadi Iyad.
Ma La Yasa al-Muhaddith Jahluh Abu Hafs al-Mayyanji · d. 581 AH · The later days
A concise treatise.
Marifat Anwa Ulum al-Hadith, known as Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah Ibn al-Salah · d. 643 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
A scholar of Damascus. When he was appointed to teach hadith at Al-Madrasah al-Ashrafiyyah, he compiled what had been scattered across the works before him. It marked a turning point in the field.
Irshad Tullab al-Haqaaiq, and Al-Taqreeb wa al-Tayseer Imam al-Nawawi · d. 676 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
Two books on the hadith sciences. Irshad is the first abridgment of Ibn al-Salah (printed). Al-Suyuti later explained Al-Taqreeb in Tadreeb al-Rawi.
Ikhtisar Uloom al-Hadith Ibn Kathir · d. 774 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
Very famous. Ahmad Shakir wrote its famous commentary, Al-Baith al-Hathith.
Mahasin al-Istilah wa Tadmin Kitab Ibn al-Salah al-Bulqini · d. 805 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
A teacher of Ibn Hajar. He added five new categories to Ibn al-Salah’s original seventy.
Al-Tabsirah wa al-Tadhkirah, and Al-Taqyeed wa al-Eedah al-Iraqi · d. 806 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
The first is a 1000-line poem on Ibn al-Salah, for easy memorisation. The second clarifies the ambiguous points of Ibn al-Salah’s book.
Nukhbat al-Fikar, and its commentary Nuzhat al-Nazar Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani · d. 852 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
A concise treatise, followed by his own commentary on it. Scholars relied on it for its conciseness, organisation and accuracy.
Fath al-Mugheeth al-Sakhawi · d. 902 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
A student of Ibn Hajar. A comprehensive hadith manual, explaining and expanding on al-Iraqi’s poem.
Tadreeb al-Rawi, and Nazm al-Durar fee Ilm al-Athar al-Suyuti · d. 911 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
Tadreeb al-Rawi explains al-Nawawi’s Al-Taqreeb. Nazm al-Durar is a poem, with his own incomplete commentary Al-Bahr al-Ladhi Zakhar (printed).
Mandhumah al-Bayquniyyah Umar bin Muhammad al-Bayquni · d. 1080 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
A short didactic poem of only 34 verses. Despite its brevity, it is one of the most famous and beneficial abridgments in hadith terminology.
Tawdhih al-Afkar, sharh Tanqih al-Anzar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Amir as-San’ani · d. 1182 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
From the notes’ list of books on the science. He also versified Nukhbat al-Fikr, in Isbal al-Matar ala Qasab al-Sukkar.
Qawaid al-Tahdith Muhammad Jamal al-Deen al-Qasimi · d. 1332 AH · Ibn al-Salah and after
A well-researched and highly beneficial work on hadith principles.

Interactive — The story of the science on one time axis

Check what you have learned

Eight questions, taken only from what you just read. Every answer comes with the line that explains it.

Whose collection is As-Sahifa as-Sadiqa? (Hammam ibn Munabbah / Abdullah ibn Amr al-As / Abu Hurayrah)
Answer
Abdullah ibn Amr al-As. As-Sahifa as-Sadiqa is by Abdullah ibn Amr al-As. As-Sahifa as-Sahiha is by Hammam ibn Munabbah, a student of Abu Hurayrah.
Every hadith in As-Sahifa as-Sahiha is found in... (Bukhari and Muslim / Sunan Abu Dawood / Jami al-Tirmidhi)
Answer
Bukhari and Muslim. And its sanad is very short: Hammam, Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (ﷺ).
What did Abdullah bin al-Mubarak say the chain (isnad) is? (A matter of style / Part of the religion / Needed only for the Sahabah)
Answer
Part of the religion. “The chain of narration is part of the religion. Were it not for the chain, anyone could say whatever they wanted.”
Which book is a fiqh book that also deals with usul al-fiqh, yet has some benefits on the hadith sciences? (Kitab al-Umm / Al-Kifayah / Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah)
Answer
Kitab al-Umm. Kitab al-Umm, by Imam al-Shafi’i. Kitab ar-Risalah is the first book written on these topics.
What happened to the Old Risalah? (It is read today beside the New Risalah / It has been lost / It was renamed Kitab al-Umm)
Answer
It has been lost. The Old Risalah has been lost. What people have today is only the New Risalah.
Who compiled what was scattered across earlier works, marking a turning point in the field? (al-Khatib al-Baghdadi / Ibn al-Salah / al-Hakim)
Answer
Ibn al-Salah. Ibn al-Salah, in Marifat Anwa Ulum al-Hadith, known as Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah.
How many verses does Al-Bayquniyyah have? (34 / 100 / 1000)
Answer
34. Only 34. The 1000-line poem is al-Iraqi’s, on Ibn al-Salah.
Which of these huffaz lived in the East? (Ibn Hazm / Ibn Abd al-Barr / al-Khatib al-Baghdadi)
Answer
al-Khatib al-Baghdadi. West: Ibn Hazm and Ibn Abd al-Barr. East: al-Khatib al-Baghdadi and al-Bayhaqi.

Interactive — Check what you have learned

Conclusion

We looked at where the science of Mustalah al-Hadith came from: the sahifas written from the time of the Sahabah, the moment the chain began to matter, the first works of al-Shafi'i, Imam Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban, the books written exclusively on the science, and the turning point of Ibn al-Salah and the books that grew around him.

Simply put, the science was written down late, but the care for the chain began early.

InshaAllah, in the next post we begin on the science itself, with the definitions and the first terms.