A hadith is a report of what the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, did or silently approved, passed down through a named chain of narrators. Together, these reports record the Prophet's example, called the Sunnah. After the Quran, the hadith literature is the second main source of Islamic belief, law and ethics.
The Quran tells Muslims what God revealed. The hadith show how the Prophet lived it out: how he prayed, fasted, traded, judged disputes and treated his family. This guide explains how Muslim scholars checked these reports, how they graded them, which collections became standard, and how modern Western academics have assessed them.
Key takeaways
- A hadith has two parts: the isnad, the chain of people who passed the report on, and the matn, the actual text of what was said or done.
- The Quran commands Muslims to follow the Prophet: "whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from" (Quran 59:7).
- Scholars grade hadith as sahih (sound), hasan (good), da'if (weak) or mawdu' (fabricated), mainly by testing the reliability and continuity of the chain.
- Sunni Muslims treat six collections as canonical, led by Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, both compiled in the 9th century CE.
- The Prophet warned against inventing reports about him: whoever lies about him deliberately "let him occupy his seat in Hell-fire" (Sahih al-Bukhari 110).
What is a hadith?
The Arabic word hadith (hadith, حديث) literally means "speech," "report" or "something new." In Islamic usage it means a report about the Prophet. A hadith can record his words, his actions, or his silent approval of something done in his presence.
A short, famous example opens Sahih al-Bukhari. The caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that he heard the Prophet say, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1). Bukhari placed it first as a reminder that the whole religion rests on sincerity.
Hadith also record reports about the companions and their rulings, but the core material is what goes back to the Prophet himself.
Hadith vs Quran vs Sunnah: what is the difference?
These three words are related but not the same. The table sets out the differences.
| Feature | Quran | Hadith | Sunnah |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | The word of God, revealed to the Prophet | Individual reports about the Prophet | The Prophet's overall way and example |
| Wording | God's own words, recited in worship | The narrators' words, sometimes paraphrased | Not a text, but a practice |
| Status | Every verse is accepted as authentic | Each report is graded individually | Known through hadith and living practice |
| Recited in prayer | Yes | No | Not applicable |
| Compiled | Written in the Prophet's lifetime, gathered into one book soon after | Collected over two centuries, major books in the 800s CE | Practiced continuously by the community |
Muslims believe the Prophet's guidance also came from God. The Quran says of him, "Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed" (Quran 53:3–4). It also calls him "an excellent pattern" for believers (Quran 33:21).
For more on how the Quran itself was recorded, see what is the Quran and who wrote the Quran. Scholars often use hadith to explain verses, a discipline covered in what is tafsir.
How is a hadith structured? Isnad and matn
Every hadith has two parts.
- Isnad (isnad, إسناد), meaning "support," is the chain of narrators. It reads like this: A told me that B told him that C heard the Prophet say...
- Matn (matn, متن) is the text of the report itself.
Early Muslim scholars made the chain central. The introduction to Sahih Muslim records the saying of the scholar Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (d. 797) that the isnad is part of the religion, and that without it anyone could say whatever he wished.
This led to a vast biographical science called 'ilm al-rijal, "the knowledge of men." Scholars compiled dictionaries of thousands of narrators recording when they lived, who they met, how good their memory was and whether they were honest. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so a single unknown or unreliable person can weaken a report.
The Quran itself lays down the principle of checking news: "if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate" (Quran 49:6).
What are the types of hadith? Grading explained
Hadith scholars sort reports into grades. The main Sunni categories are below.
| Grade | Meaning | Main conditions | Used for law? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sahih | Sound, authentic | Unbroken chain, every narrator upright and precise, no hidden flaw, not contradicting stronger reports | Yes |
| Hasan | Good | Like sahih, but one or more narrators has a slightly weaker memory | Yes |
| Da'if | Weak | A break in the chain, or a narrator with poor memory or unknown status | Generally no; some scholars allow it for encouraging good deeds |
| Mawdu' | Fabricated | A known liar in the chain, or content clearly invented | Never; may not be narrated as the Prophet's words except to expose it |
Scholars also classify hadith by how many chains support them:
- Mutawatir (mass-transmitted): reported by so many independent narrators at each stage that collusion on a lie is impossible.
- Ahad (solitary): reported through fewer chains. Most hadith fall in this category.
Grading is not purely mechanical. Critics also compared versions of the same report to spot errors, a method that works on the text as well as the chain. Different scholars sometimes reach different grades for the same hadith, which is why you will see notes such as "graded hasan by al-Albani."
What are the six books of hadith?
By the 9th century CE, scholars had traveled widely to collect reports and sift them. Six collections, known as al-Kutub al-Sittah, became the standard reference for Sunni Muslims.
| Collection | Compiler | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sahih al-Bukhari | Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari | 870 CE | Regarded as the most authentic book after the Quran; about 7,500 reports with repetitions |
| Sahih Muslim | Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj | 875 CE | Known for careful arrangement of variant chains |
| Sunan Abi Dawud | Abu Dawud al-Sijistani | 889 CE | Focused on legal hadith |
| Jami' al-Tirmidhi | Abu 'Isa al-Tirmidhi | 892 CE | Records the grade of many hadith and the views of jurists |
| Sunan al-Nasa'i | Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb al-Nasa'i | 915 CE | Known for strict narrator criteria |
| Sunan Ibn Majah | Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Majah | 887 CE | Contains more weak reports than the others |
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are together called al-Sahihayn, "the two sound collections." Bukhari and Muslim only included reports meeting their strict standards. The four Sunan books include a mix of grades, and their compilers or later scholars often flag weak reports.
Hadith shape even familiar parts of Muslim devotion. The saying that God has ninety-nine names is recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, while the best-known list of those names comes from Jami' al-Tirmidhi, as explained in where the 99 Names of Allah come from.
Other important works include the Muwatta of Imam Malik (d. 795), one of the earliest surviving collections, and the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855). Shia Muslims rely on their own collections, chiefly the "Four Books," led by al-Kafi of al-Kulayni, transmitted largely through the family of the Prophet. Our guide to Sunni vs Shia explains that difference.
What is a hadith qudsi?
A hadith qudsi (hadith qudsi, "sacred hadith") is a report in which the Prophet relates words from God, but which is not part of the Quran. The meaning is attributed to God, while the wording is the Prophet's.
A well-known example is in Sahih Muslim 2577, where the Prophet reports that God said: "O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another." Another, in Sahih al-Bukhari 1904, quotes God saying that every deed of the son of Adam is for himself "except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it."
Unlike the Quran, a hadith qudsi is not recited in prayer, and it is graded like any other hadith. Some hadith qudsi are weak.
How do Western academics view hadith?
Hadith authenticity has been debated in Western scholarship for more than a century. A fair summary covers several positions.
The skeptical view: Goldziher and Schacht
The Hungarian scholar Ignaz Goldziher, in Muhammedanische Studien (1889–1890), argued that many hadith reflected the legal and political disputes of the generations after the Prophet rather than his own time. Joseph Schacht, in The Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence (1950), went further. He argued that legal hadith with full chains mostly appeared in the 8th century and that isnads tended to "grow backwards" to reach the Prophet.
The response: Azami and Motzki
Muslim scholars responded strongly. Muhammad Mustafa al-Azami, in Studies in Early Hadith Literature and On Schacht's Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence, argued that hadith were written down much earlier than Schacht allowed.
The German scholar Harald Motzki offered a different kind of challenge. Studying the Musannaf of 'Abd al-Razzaq al-San'ani (d. 826), he developed the "isnad-cum-matn" method, comparing chains and texts together. He concluded that a substantial body of material could be reliably dated to the late 7th century, much earlier than Schacht proposed. His work, published in English as The Origins of Islamic Jurisprudence (2002), pushed many Western scholars toward a middle position.
Where the debate stands
Today the field is divided. Some scholars remain broadly skeptical, others accept that much early material is genuine while doubting particular reports. Jonathan A.C. Brown's Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (2009) is a widely used introduction that sets out both the Muslim critical tradition and the Western debate. Muslim scholars point out that they never claimed every hadith was authentic; that is precisely why they built a grading system.
How can you check whether a hadith is authentic?
Social media is full of quotes attributed to the Prophet that have no reliable source. A few simple steps help.
- Ask for the reference. A real hadith should name a collection and number, such as "Sahih al-Bukhari 6035."
- Look it up. Sites such as sunnah.com give the Arabic text, English translation and, for many collections, the grade.
- Check the grade. A report in Bukhari or Muslim is accepted by Sunni scholars. For other books, look for the grade given by specialists.
- Be wary of vague wording. "The Prophet said something like..." with no source is a warning sign.
- Ask a qualified scholar if a hadith seems to conflict with the Quran or other authentic reports. There is often context or a scholarly explanation.
Read the Quran's verses on the Prophet on Quran Universe
The verses that establish the Prophet's authority are worth reading in full with their commentary. Start with Surah al-Hashr 59:7 and Surah an-Najm, which opens with a description of how revelation came to him. Each verse on Quran Universe has the Arabic text, word-by-word meaning and Tafsir Ibn Kathir, which itself quotes hundreds of hadith to explain the Quran. You can also explore how the Prophet's life fits into the wider story on the Quran Universe timeline.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hadith in simple words?
A hadith is a report of something the Prophet Muhammad said, did or approved of. Each hadith comes with a chain of narrators showing who passed it on. Muslims use hadith to understand how the Prophet practiced the Quran's teachings, such as how to pray, fast and treat other people.
What is the difference between hadith and Quran?
Muslims believe the Quran is the direct word of God, preserved word for word and recited in prayer. A hadith is a report about the Prophet in the words of his companions and later narrators. Every verse of the Quran is accepted as authentic, while each hadith is graded individually as sound, good, weak or fabricated.
What is Sahih Bukhari?
Sahih al-Bukhari is a collection of hadith compiled by Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari, who died in 870 CE. It contains about 7,500 reports including repetitions, selected under strict conditions for reliability. Sunni Muslims regard it as the most authentic book after the Quran, alongside Sahih Muslim.
What are the types of hadith?
By authenticity, the main types are sahih (sound), hasan (good), da'if (weak) and mawdu' (fabricated). By number of chains, hadith are mutawatir (mass-transmitted) or ahad (solitary). There is also the hadith qudsi, in which the Prophet relates words from God that are not part of the Quran.
What is a hadith qudsi?
A hadith qudsi is a report in which the Prophet conveys a message from God in his own wording. It differs from the Quran because it is not recited in prayer and must be graded like other hadith. A famous example in Sahih Muslim 2577 begins, "O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself."
Are all hadith authentic?
No. Muslim scholars have always held that some hadith are weak and some are fabricated, which is why they developed a detailed grading system. Sunni scholars accept the reports in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim as authentic, while hadith in other collections must be checked individually before being relied on.