Classification of Hadith: Difference between revisions

Along the continuous century, one another way of classification emerged; according this method, the first letter of Hadiths sentences is the criterion of the classification and the purpose is proposing a alphabetic order of Hadiths. The oldest known example of this kind of hadith books are some Shi’a texts which written based on this order such as Jami’ al-Ahadith of Ja’far b. Ahmad b. Razi (included the prophet’s traditions), Ghurar al-Hikam of Abu al-Fath Amadi (included Imam ‘Ali’s traditions). Likewise, from 10 century, it is used in the recognition of Hadiths in Sunni’s Majami’ and we cans see this results in some books such as al-Jami’ al-Saghir of al-Sayuti.  

Cataloging of Hadiths is started with the book al-Mu’jam al-Mufharas -Li- al-Alfaz al-Hadith al-Nabawi written by A.Y. Winsink which is published by brill in Leiden (Netherlands) in 1936-1969. But then, some Shi’a and Sunni scholar’s try to provide such Cataloging books. Moreover, as an example of subject index for Hadiths, see the book Miftah Kunuz al-Sunna which originally written by A.Y. Winsink and is translated to Arabic by ‘Abd al-Baqi; form that time, we see several works and similar books in this regard from booth Sunni and Shi’a school of thoughts.  

During three century till five century, the beigest Hadith collections have written and the most important figures of the next century try to interpreter and commentate these collections instead of writing unwritten Hadiths.  

It might said that in the end of five century, the religious scholars felt that the most important steps for collecting Hadiths had done and regarding the “Four books” of Shi’a and the “Six Sihah” of Sunnis, there is not any considerable threat about diminishing or misusing of Hadiths; and in the next century, some books wrote for preaching Hadiths without any citing of references. The scholars of these books didn’t feel any need to reciting references and it is called Tajrid.  

Writing books with ethical subjects and full of preaching and apothem, leads to remarkable consideration of ethical Faqihs to these Mojarrad (without any references) Hadiths; some of these books are as follow: Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din of Abu al-Hasan Mawirdi and Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din written by al-Ghazzali.  

Likewise, the other Shi’a texts with this approach are as follows, Karajuki, Rawza al-Wa’izin of Fattal Nishaburi, Nazha al-Nazir of Husayn b. Muhammad Halwani, Ghurar al-Hikam of Amadi, al-Ihtijaj of Ahmad b. ‘Ali Tabarsi and Makarim al-Akhlaq of Hasan b. Muhammad Tabarsi.  

In the beginning of seven century, at the time of Mongol empire’s attack to the east part of Islam word, the scientific schools declinded and this depression was dominant in all fields including Hadith sciences; many of the resourses diminished and the approach of writing Mujarrad books increased. During the severn and eight centuries, and in the Sunni’s schools, we see some Hadith works such as al-Targhiyb wa al-Tarhiyb of ‘Abd al-‘Azim Mundhari and al-‘Arba’iyn of Muhyi al-Din Nuwi; and also, in the shi’a school toughts, some great religious scholar such as Radi al-Din Ibn Tawus do this way with numerical Hadith works.  

In addition to Mujarrad Hadiths in preaching works, there were some other Mujarrad Hadiths in Sufi’s books as well as Ghali’s literature which were without any references which along theses century and considering the outspreading of Mijarrad Hadith, they enter to these literature. Hence, we can find, in the middle centuries’ works of both Shi’a and Sunni, many of Mujarrad Hadiths which could not be found in the classical resources.