Method to check the authenticity of Hadith

Question 1

Who was the first person to have thought of the idea of compiling authentic hadiths?

Answer 1

Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari was the first person to conceive the idea of compiling authentic hadith

Question 2

How did other scholars follow Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari?

Answer 2

• Following his footsteps, other scholars also compiled authentic books which later came to be known as Sihah al Sitta or 6 authentic books

Question 3

How did the scholars check for authenticity?

Answer 3

To check the authenticity, these scholars divided every hadith into 2 parts, i.e. Isnad (chain of transmitters) and Matn (text)

Question 4

What’s the first part of the Hadith called and what is it?

Answer 4

• The first part of the Hadith is the chain of names.
• These are the authorities who are called narrators or Muhaddisin.
• It is called “Sanad” plural “Isnad” meaning support for the genuineness of a Hadith.

Question 5

Who must the first transmitter be?

Answer 5

The first transmitter in the chain must be a companion of the Holy Prophet pbuh

Question 6

What is each transmitter in the chain known as?

Answer 6

Each transmitter in the chain, known as Rawi(narrator), must be a strong Muslim, i.e., honest and upright.

Question 7

What would happen if any of the narrators were found guilty of falsehood?

Answer 7

• If any of the narrators was found guilty of falsehood or unreliable character, the hadith was not accepted as authentic.
• For example, Imam Malik bin Anas went to Egypt to collect the hadith.

Question 8

Were hadiths narrated by children rejected?

Answer 8

• He must be of an age in which he can understand the Hadith. Therefore, the hadiths narrated by children were not accepted as authentic.

Question 9

Were hadiths narrated by those who have weak memory accepted?

Answer 9

• He must have a strong and sound memory.
• If any of the narrators was found to have a defective memory, then the hadith was not accepted as authentic

Question 10

Why were the dates of death and birth of each transmitter checked?

Answer 10

• The dates of birth and death of each transmitter in the chain were checked to ensure that they met each other.

Question 11

Hadiths narrated by non-muslims accepted?

Answer 11

• Hadiths narrated by Non-muslims were not accepted as authentic

Question 12

What is Matn?

Answer 12

• The 2nd part of the Hadith is Matn which are the words of the Holy Prophet pbuh.
• Matn is the text of the hadith for example, “Pray as you see me offering prayers.”

Question 13

When is Matn accepted?

Answer 13

• The Matn is accepted as authentic if it is not against the previous hadiths nor contradicts the Quran

Question 14

What should Matn not level with?

Answer 14

• It should not level accusations to the Prophet’s family

Question 15

Why did the major collectors of hadith use strict and careful methods?

Answer 15

• The major collectors of hadith used strict and careful methods to ensure that the hadiths that they accepted were authentic.