What is a hadith?
A hadith is a record of the words, actions, and tacit approvals of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — the lived example, or Sunnah, that Muslims look to alongside the Qur'an.
A window onto the Prophet's life ﷺ
Where the Qur'an is the literal word of God, the hadith preserve how the Prophet ﷺ understood and embodied it — how he prayed, traded, treated his neighbours, and counselled his companions. Alongside the Qur'an, they form the two primary sources of Islamic guidance and law (Sharia).
A single narration can illuminate a verse, settle a question of practice, or simply soften the heart — offering moral and ethical teachings on honesty, kindness, patience, and humility.
Every hadith has two parts
Isnad — the chain
The unbroken list of narrators who transmitted the report, each from the one before, reaching back to the Prophet ﷺ. The science of hadith rests on scrutinising this chain for the reliability, memory, and integrity of every narrator.
Matn — the text
The actual content of the narration — the saying or description of an action. Scholars examine it for coherence with the Qur'an and other established reports before accepting it.
How hadiths are graded
Through the science of Ilm al-Hadith, scholars assign each report a grade reflecting the reliability of its chain and text.
Sahih
Authentic — a sound, unbroken chain of fully reliable narrators.
Hasan
Good — reliable, though slightly below the strength of Sahih.
Da'if
Weak — a flaw in the chain or text lowers its reliability.
Mawdu'
Fabricated — falsely attributed and rejected by scholars.
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God”
The hadith give the Sunnah its detail and texture — explaining the Qur'an, demonstrating worship, and preserving a model of character for every generation to follow.
Common questions
Clear answers about the meaning, types, compilers, and role of hadith in Islam.