---
title: "Hadith & Sunnah Glossary"
description: "Plain-language definitions of the 24 terms most often used when reading hadith and learning the science of their authentication."
last_updated: "2026-06-19"
---

# Hadith & Sunnah Glossary

> Plain-language definitions of the 24 terms most often used when reading hadith and learning the science of their authentication.

These terms appear throughout the [collections](https://randomhadith.com/pages/all-books.md) and the [What is a hadith?](https://randomhadith.com/pages/what-is-hadith.md) reference.

## Core concepts

- **Hadith** (ḥadīth) — A report of the words, actions, or tacit approvals of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Together with the Qur'an, hadith form the basis of Islamic guidance and law.
- **Sunnah** — The example and way of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) — his sayings, deeds, and approvals — as preserved through hadith.
- **Hadith Qudsi** (sacred hadith) — A narration in which the Prophet conveys a meaning revealed by Allah, expressed in the Prophet's own words. It is distinct from the Qur'an, whose exact wording is divine.
- **Athar** — A report transmitted from a Companion or Successor rather than directly from the Prophet; sometimes used as a synonym for hadith.

## Anatomy of a narration

- **Isnad** (sanad — the chain) — The chain of narrators who transmitted a hadith, each from the one before, reaching back to the Prophet. Authenticity is judged largely by scrutinising this chain.
- **Matn** (the text) — The actual content of a hadith — the saying or description of an action — examined for coherence with the Qur'an and other established reports.
- **Rawi** (narrator) — A transmitter in the chain of a hadith. The reliability, memory, and integrity of each rawi are assessed by hadith scholars.

## Authenticity gradings

- **Sahih** (authentic) — A hadith with a sound, unbroken chain of fully reliable narrators and a sound text — the highest grade of authenticity.
- **Hasan** (good) — A reliable hadith that falls slightly below the strength of sahih, typically due to a narrator of slightly lesser precision.
- **Da'if** (weak) — A hadith with a flaw in its chain or text — such as a broken link or an unreliable narrator — that lowers its reliability.
- **Mawdu'** (fabricated) — A report falsely attributed to the Prophet. Fabricated narrations are rejected and are not acted upon.

## Classification by transmission

- **Mutawatir** (mass-transmitted) — A hadith reported by so many narrators at every stage that their collusion on a falsehood is inconceivable, yielding certainty.
- **Ahad** (solitary) — A hadith transmitted through a limited number of chains, not reaching the level of mutawatir. Most hadith fall into this category.
- **Marfu'** — A narration attributed to the Prophet himself, whether the chain is connected or not.
- **Mawquf** — A narration attributed to a Companion (his statement or action), not raised to the Prophet.
- **Mursal** — A narration in which a Successor reports directly from the Prophet, omitting the Companion in the chain.

## Narrators and generations

- **Sahabah** (Companions) — Those who met the Prophet, believed in him, and died as Muslims. They are the first link after the Prophet in most chains.
- **Tabi'un** (Successors) — The generation who met the Companions but not the Prophet; the second generation of transmitters.
- **Jarh wa Ta'dil** (critique and accreditation) — The science of evaluating narrators — disparaging the unreliable (jarh) and authenticating the trustworthy (ta'dil).

## Collections and the science

- **Kutub al-Sittah** (the Six Books) — The six canonical Sunni collections: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa'i, and Sunan Ibn Majah.
- **Sahihayn** (the Two Sahihs) — Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim together — regarded as the two most authentic hadith collections.
- **Sunan** — A hadith collection organised by topics of Islamic law (fiqh), such as Sunan Abi Dawud or Sunan an-Nasa'i.
- **Musnad** — A collection arranged by the name of the Companion who narrated each hadith, such as Musnad Ahmad.
- **Ilm al-Hadith** (mustalah al-hadith) — The science of hadith — the methodology for classifying, authenticating, and interpreting narrations.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://randomhadith.com/sitemap.md) for all pages, or the machine-readable index at [https://randomhadith.com/llms.txt](https://randomhadith.com/llms.txt).