Mustallah

Diagram 1. Mutawaatir hadith.

Highest Level of Authenticity

This condition has

to be a large
One Condition
number of
narrators reporting
the same hadith in
every stage of the
chain. MUTAWAATIR

Lafthi MaNawi
(Verbally) (Meaning)
Mutawaatir The highest level of authenticity is a mutawaatir hadith. The condition of a
mutawaatir hadith is distinguished by the large number of narrators reporting the same
hadith in ever stage of the chain. Some scholars differ in the number of people required for
a hadith to be mutawaatir. If this number is less than what the scholars require then the
hadith is taken out of this group of Mutawaatar Hadith and placed down to a lower level
which is Ahad hadith.

Mutawaatir Lafth (verbally) Is the Sahabi saw or heard the Prophet (SAW), say a hadith or
do something, then more than 7, or 10 or even 30 sahabi would convey the same hadith,
and so on and so on.

Mutawaatir Ma Nawi (meaning) The Prophet (SAW) did the same thing or said the same
thing at different times or places. eg; Prophet (SAW) lifted his hands up for duaa, he did
this several times in different places around different people.

Example of a mutawaatir chian of hadith:

Yehya ---- Ibrahim ---- Alqama ---- Umar ---- Habib Allah Mouhammad(SAW) HADITH

300 50 70 30
as you can see the number of narrators in the above chain is high in all stages.

Mustallah

Diagram 2. Ahad Hadith.

AHAD Ahad - Singular. In this
Singular situation this means one
person could have
conveyed the hadith.
Every hadith must be
examined by these
conditions to determine NOTE: A Sahih Hadith
Five Conditions
which level it will be must meet all five
placed in. conditions.

Comprises of three levels

 Sahih Hasan Daif

Ahad hadith is narrated by a number of narrators less then the number required for
mutawaatir this could be as little as one person narrating a hadith in a chain. Ahad hadith
are categorized in three groups Sahih, Hasan, Daif.

There are five conditions that distinguishes between the three levels of Ahad hadith

These five conditions are as follows:-

1. Ittasal al sanad a contiguous chain of narration

2. Adalah uprightness
3. Dabt correctness in transmission
4. Free from Shuthuz free from any irregularity
5. Free from Illah Qadeha free from an inherent piercing fault/defect

When the hadith meets any of the criteria of the 5 conditions then the hadith is placed in its
group. Of Sahih Hasan Daif.

NOTE: A Sahih Hadith requires all conditions.

NOTE: A Sahih Hadith could also be a Mutawaatir hadith as long it has the right number of
narrators required.

Mustallah

Diagram 3. General Classification of Hadith

General Classification of Hadith

Every Hadith has to pass
through these five
conditions, and be
thoroughly examined Five Conditons
before determining
which level it will be
placed in.

Three levels
 A Ahad Sahih
Hadith can be a Sahih Hasan Daif
Mutawaatir hadith

Once A hadith
Ahad has passed the
These hadith do
not need to pass Conditions it is
through the five placed in its
MUTAWAATIR correct level.
conditions, because
of the large
number of people
reporting the same
hadith.
Lafth MaNawi
(Verbally) (meaning)

Mustallah

Diagram 4. Classification According to Numbers

Large Number,
Scholars differ to
the number of Ahad
MUTAWAATIR
narrators. This
could range from
as little as 10 to
300.
1 Gharib
Lafth MaNawi
2 Aziz
3 Mash-hor
Ahad Gharib
Linguistically this means Strange.
Mustallah this means One person, narrator.

With a Gharib hadith this will have one narrator at one point in the chain.

Examples of a Gharib hadith:-

Khalad ----- Abdul Wahad ----- Ayman ----- Jabir ---- Prophet (SAW) -- HADITH
45 1 30 20

Yehya --- Ibrahim --- Alqama --- Umar --- Prophet (SAW) -- HADITH
20 10 1 1