A brief read in the classification of Ahadith. (Click to read in detail)
1. According to the reference to a particular authority, four types of hadîth can be identified.
Qudsi - Divine; a revelation from Allah(SWT); relayed with the words of the Prophet(P).
Marfûc - elevated; a narration from the Prophet(P), e.g., I heard the Prophet(P) saying …
Mauqûf- stopped: a narration from a companion only, e.g., we were commanded to …
Maqtûc - severed: a narration from a successor.
2. According to the links of isnâd - interrupted or uninterrupted
Six categories can be identified.
Musnad - supported: a hadîth which is reported by a traditionalist, based on what he learned from his teacher at a time of life suitable for learning; similarly - in turn - for each teacher until the isnâd reaches a well known companion, who in turn, reports from the Prophet(P).
Muttasil - continuous: a hadîth with an uninterrupted isnâd which goes back only to a companion or successor.
Mursal - hurried: if the link between the successor and the Prophet(P) is missing, e.g., when a successor says “The Prophet said…”.
Munqatic - broken: is a hadîth whose link anywhere before the successor (i.e., closer to the traditionalist recording the hadîth) is missing.
Mucadal - perplexing: is a hadîth whose reporter omits two or more consecutive reporters in the isnâd.
Mucallaq - hanging: is a hadîth whose reporter omits the whole isnâd and quotes the Prophet(P) directly (i.e., the link is missing at the beginning).
3. According to the number of reporters involved in each stage of isnâd, five categories of hadîth can be identified:
Mutawâtir - Consecutive: is a hadîth which is reported by such a large number of people that they cannot be expected to agree upon a lie, all of them together.
Âhâd - isolated: is a hadîth which is narrated by people whose number does not reach that of the mutawâtir.
(Ahad has 3 sub categories)
**4. According to the nature of the text and isnâd **
Munkar - denounced: is a hadîth which is reported by a weak narrator, and whose narration goes against another authentic hadîth.
Mudraj - interpolated: an addition by a reporter to the text of the hadîth being narrated.
5. According to the reliability and memory of the reporters
This provides the final verdict on a hadîth - four categories can be identified:
Sahih - sound. Imâm al-Shaficî states the following requiremetts for a hadîth, which is not Mutawâtir, to be acceptable “each reporter should be trustworthy in his religion; he should be known to be truthtul in his narrating, to understand what he narrates, to know how a different expression can alter the meaning, and to report the wording of the hadîth verbatim, not only its meaning”.
Hasan - good: is the one where its source is known and its reporters are unambiguous.
Dacîf - weak: a hadîth which fails to reach the status of Hasan. Usually, the weakness is: a) one of discontinuity in the isnâd, in which case the hadîth could be - according to the nature of the discontinuity - Munqati (broken), Mucallaq (hanging), Mucadal (perplexing), or Mursal (hurried), or b) one of the reporters having a disparaged character, such as due to his telling lies, excessive mistakes, opposition to the narration of more reliable sources, involvement in innovation, or ambiguity surrounding his person.
Mauduc - fabricated or forged: is a hadîth whose text goes against the established norms of the Prophet’s sayings, or its reporters include a liar. Fabricated hadîth are also recognized by external evidence related to a discrepancy found in the dates or times of a particular incident.