Classification of Hadith: Difference between revisions

Traditionally, religious scholars were perusing resorting and classification of Hadiths for the sack of more accessibility. At first, in the time of Ahl al-Bayt (a), the companions wrote what they heard from them without any special order and because of that, it was difficult referring to these sporadic Hadiths in the next centuries. To solve this problem, some religious scholars try to propose some classification of Hadiths. Some ones assort Hadiths based on the Imam who stated it; another group classified them based on Hadith transmitter, and again, the other try to sort them based on the first letter of Hadiths’ sentences.

During the second century, we see a general movement of Hadith classification which simultaneously formed under the names such as al-Sunan, al-Jami’, al-Muwatta’ and al-Musannaf.

One of these books was a Hadith book classified based on jurisprudential topics and was written by one of Shi’a Hadith scholars, Muhammad b. ‘Ali Halabi, and was one of Shi’a references books for the long times.

One of the contributors of the project of jurisprudential Hadiths classification was Abu Bakr b. Abi Shayba (850 CE/ 235 AH) in his book al-Musannaf. Likewise, in the second generation of Hadith collector, when Bukhari wrote his book al-Jami’ al-Sahih, we still see some defects and inconsistency in the classification of hadiths; and the best reason for this claims is the presence of some chapters without any Hadiths as well as the presence of the same Hadith with different references which are scattered in different chapters of the book.

Likewise, in the Shi’a school of thought, the first Hadiths collectors were Safwan b. Yahya, Husayn b. Sa’id, Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid Barqi as well as al-Kulini the author of al-Kafi which influenced the most on the early system of Shi’a Hadith collections from both aspect of the validity of contents and the collectivity of topics. Al-Kulini started this book with some general discussion on the intellect and science, then he proposed some theological topics including monism, prophet hood and Imamate; afterwards, he stated some historical discussion on the lives of infallibles and in the next part we see a big chapter which include jurisprudential subjects. The last chapter is actually a selective and brief part of religious thoughts.

The next three books after the “Four books” which were written based on jurisprudential subjects were actually a reformation of the classification of al-Kafi. But then, we see the book Da’a’im al-Islam by Qadi Nu’man Maghribi which was completely different with the Four books and follows a distinct way of classification. It is worthy to note that this new classification was later used in some jurisprudential books –not Hadith ones- specially al-Kafi by Abu Salah Halabi.

In the recent centuries, one of the most impressive Hadith books is the unparalleled book Bahar al-Anwar by ‘Allama Majlisi which is known as a comprehensive Hadith book which is written in consistent with modern rationality. According to Majlisi, this book follows from a special discipline. The author paid attention to the previous style, however, he added some new branches of Hadith such as “Kitab al-Sama’ wa al-‘Alim” (the book of sky and universe) which were neglected by previous Hadith scholars. Moreover, al-Majlisi, in contrary with Kukini, did not separate the history of the lives of infallibles from theological discussion of prophet hood and Imamate; and in he considers both theoretical and historical aspects in discussing on prophet hood. Likewise, in the theological topics, he proposed some independent part of the topics relevant to resurrection and justice.

Besides the common understanding of the subject order, there is a special order of Hadith based on the numbers mentioned in them which is possible just in numerical Hadiths (Ahadith al-‘Adadiyya). Some of these books are as follow: Kitab al-Ashkal and al-Qara’n in the collection of al-Mahasin by Barqi, al-Khisal by Ibn al-Babwayh and al-Mawa’z al-‘Adadiyya by Ayatullah Mishkini.

During the three century, along the improvement of Hadith classification, we see some opponent movements; in the Sunni school of thought, some of the recent scholars of Ashab al-Hadith (companions of Hadith) and on the top of them Ahmad Hanbal opposed to any subject classification of Hadith and at a result he inclined to writing Musnad instead of al-Jami’ books. Likewise, in the Shi’a school of thoughts, it seems that, in the half of three century, there were two contradict movements and it was spastically apparent in Qom; The first group trended to classify Hadith based on the subjects, and their first figure was Dawud b. Kura (913 CE/ 300 AH) which classified some of the previous important books based on the subject order such as al-Mashikha written by Hasan b. Mahbub and al-Nawadir written by Ahmad b. Muhammad b, ‘Isa. And the second group which their figures are Ahmad b. ‘Isa and ‘Abd allah b. Ja’far Hamyari. Ahmad b. Muhammad b.‘Isa wrote himself the book al-Nawadir without any subject classification.

Masanid (the plural of Musnad), which their writing started in the three century, were some Hadith writing classified based on Sahaba (companions of the prophets) instead of subjects and different topics. Sahaba were the first agents in the chain of Hadith who narrated Hadiths form the prophet (s) itself. In some early examples of Masanid such as Musnad of Tayalisi, Ahmad b. Hanbal, Royani, Abu Ya'la Musili, one part is devoted to each Sahaba but there isn’t any special order in every part. But in the other variety of Masanid which were written later, in the relevant part of each Sahaba, there are a special oreder based on the second narrators and even third narrators; Musnad of Ishaq b. Rahway, Musnad of Abu Bakr, Musnad of Haytham b. Kalib chichi are some examples of these Masanid.

Consequently, in the limited ones of Masanid which include just one of the Sahaba the expectation of the second narrators order was more natural and we can see these job in some of the Masanid such as Musna of ‘Umar from Ya’qub b. Shayba, Musnad of Ibn Abi Aufa from Yahya b. Sa’id and the Musnad of Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas from Dawraqi.

Resorting of Hadiths of one book based on the infallibles Imams is still another kind which is close to the previous one; we can see such Hadith collections in Shi’a school, for example Tuhaf al-‘Uqul of Ibn Shu’ba, al-Ihtijaj of Abu Mansur Tabarsi and Nazha al-Nazir Halwani. Al-Mu’jam al-Shuyukhs, local history books, and Rijal books are included some other Hadiths from different resources with different kind of classifications which it can be searched just with one narrator in the chain of references. From early Shi’a scholars, Ahmad b. Husayn b. ‘Abd al-Malik wrote the book al-Mashiykha of Hasan b. Mahbub based on the names of Shuyukh (prominent Hadith scholars in every century)

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.

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.

Form this kind of Hadith books; It is not easy to date the book Tuhaf al-‘Uqul of Ibn Sha’ba Harrani. In the six century, there were some preacher such as Ibn Juzi which had both kinds of Hadih books, Musnad and Mujarrad; some of his works were Musnad, corresponded to early method and his other works were Mujarrad such as Bustan al-Wa’izin.

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.

Some of the Hadith scholars such as Ziyn al-Din ‘Araqi (who tried to predicate the book Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din of al-Ghazali) and Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani (who tried to predicate Hadiths of Kashshaf al-Zamakhshari) have repeatedly mentioned such a sentences “this Hadith didn’t find in any references”