A hadith reports a saying, an action or an approval of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Not all hadith carry equal weight: hadith scholars (muhaddithun) classify them by degree of reliability, from most to least sound. The Sahih hadith ("authentic") holds the highest rank.
Degrees of hadith reliability
The science of hadith ('ulum al-hadith) distinguishes several categories: Sahih (authentic), Hasan (good, slightly less rigorous but acceptable), Da'if (weak, whose attribution to the Prophet ﷺ is uncertain) and Mawdu' (fabricated, to be rejected). This classification results from meticulous scholarly work, carried out over centuries, to distinguish what faithfully traces back to the Prophet ﷺ from what may have been distorted or invented.
The criteria for a Sahih hadith
For a hadith to be classified Sahih, its chain of transmission (isnad) and its content (matn) must meet several conditions:
- Continuous chain — each narrator must have authentically received the hadith from the one before, without a break, back to the Prophet ﷺ.
- Trustworthy narrators — each one must be recognized for moral integrity.
- Reliable memory — each narrator must be recognized for precise memorization.
- No irregularity — the hadith must not contradict a more reliable version of the same report.
- No hidden defect — no subtle flaw uncovered by scholars' thorough examination.
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
The two collections most rigorously verified against these criteria are Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, compiled in the 9th century after considerable work of collection and verification, each covering tens of thousands of hadith examined. After the Quran, they are considered the most reliable sources of the prophetic tradition.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a Sahih and a Da'if hadith?
The degree of certainty about the reliability of its chain of transmission and its narrators — a Sahih meets every condition of rigor, a Da'if has a weakness in at least one of them.
Who decides that a hadith is authentic?
Scholars specialized in the science of hadith ('ulum al-hadith), through methodical examination of the chain of transmission and the content, work carried out over centuries.
What are the most reliable hadith collections?
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are considered the two most rigorously verified collections.
Can authentic hadith be read offline?
Yes, like all of Islamobile's content: available offline right after installation.
