Classification of Hadith: Difference between revisions

Traditionally, religious scholars were perusing sorting and classification of Hadiths for the sake 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 to refer to these sporadic Hadiths in the next centuries. To solve this problem, some religious scholars tried to propose some classification of Hadiths. Some ones assorted Hadiths based on the Imam who stated it; another group classified them based on Hadith transmitter, and again, the other tried to sort them based on the first letter of Hadiths' sentences.

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-'Alam" (the book of sky and universe) which were neglected by previous Hadith scholars. Moreover, al-Majlisi, in contrary with Kulayni, 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 [[Ayatollah 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 (913/300) 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 order 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 Musnad 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-Shuyukh, 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-Mufahras -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.

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 Amudi, ''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 Jawzi 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 ''al-Kashshaf'' by al-Zamakhshari) have repeatedly mentioned such a sentences "this Hadith didn't find in any references"