Hadith
The Sunnah of the Messenger (ﷺ) - the second source of the religion
Hadith comprises the sayings, actions and tacit approvals of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Qur’an is explained and applied through the Sunnah. A hadith’s grade is determined by examining its chain of transmission and the reliability of its narrators.
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا
Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
I have left among you two things; you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them - the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
Insights and practical principles
Chain and text
Every report has two aspects - the chain of narrators and the text itself. Both are examined.
Grades of hadith
Sahih, hasan, da‘if and mawdu‘ - classified by reliability. Knowing the grade matters when acting on or citing a report.
Primary collections
Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa’i and Sunan Ibn Majah.
Do not spread unverified reports
Attributing a report to the Messenger (ﷺ) without verifying its source and grade is a serious matter.
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