1. Classification, Application, and Differences
Week 4 of Understanding the Prophetic Sunnah

2. Review: Grading Hadith
Saheeh – Most Authentic and Sound
Intrinsically Saheeh
Extrinsically Saheeh
Hasan – Acceptable, Good
Intrinsically Hasan
Extrinsically Hasan
Da’eef – Weak
Weakness due to Sanad
Weakness due to Matn

3. Hadith Da’eef
Does not meet by itself (intrinsically) the 5 discussed conditions for being accepted (Saheeh or Hasan)
Connected and Continuous Sanad
Integrity of the Narrator
Precision of the Narrator
Not shadh
Not ma’loool
Weaknesses are of many types and levels
Some are minor and easily strengthened
Some are severe and not to be considered
Differences between scholars on application
In Acts of Worship
In Virtuous Deeds that are not obligatory (Fadaail)

4. Types of Weakness Due to the Continuity of the Sanad
‘Ilm of the Maraaseel (Science of Breaks in Continuity)
Dates of Birth and Death of Narrators
Where they lived
Countries and cities visited and when they were there
Names of Teachers and Students
Due to a Shortcoming or Flaw in the Narrator
‘Ilm al-Jarh wa al-Ta’deel (Science of Grading Narrators)
Biographies of the Narrators
Knowledge of the memory of the narrators
Due to a Flaw in the Matn (Shudhudh or ‘Illah)
‘Ilm ‘Illal al Hadith (Science of the Flaws in Hadith)

5. How to Look at a Sanad

6. Flaws in the Sanad Lack of Continuity Is the Gap Apparent or Slight?
Where in the Sanad?
How many gaps?
Mu’allaq (Hanging)
Mursal
Munqati’
Mu’dal
Is the Gap Apparent or Slight?
Apparent – Known by History
Slight (Khafi, Mudallas)
Contemporaries who never heard from one another
Contemporaries who heard

7. Hadith Mu’allaq A Hadith where the bottom part of the chain is broken.
Farthest from the Origin of the Hadith
Can be One or More Narrators Missing
Could be for a Specific Purpose
Various Types of Hanging Narrations
Remove the Entire Chain
Remove everyone but last narrator or two
Remove the last narrator (apparent)

8. Mu’allaqat in Bukhari 1341 in Bukhari Ruling on these Narrations
Clearly Attributed to Someone (Jazm)
Not clearly attributed (yurwa, dhukira)
Continuous elsewhere in the book – MOST
Not Connected in the book – 160 Total
Ruling on these Narrations
All of Category 1 are Saheeh
Category 2 Not Automatically Saheeh
Saheeh by others conditions
Hasan
Da’eef – Hasan extrinsically or he is stating the weakness

9. Hadith Mursal
A hadith where the top part of the chain is broken, where the tabi’ee narrates directly from the Prophet.
If any tabi’ee says, “the Prophet said…” and skips whoever is above him.
Wrong to say “where the Sahabi is missing”
Mursal is often a term used for any type of hole in the sanad

10. Hadith Mursal… Ruling on using Muraseel as evidence Generally Allowed
Not Allowed – Majority of Hadith Scholars (up to 6 or 7 missing)
Depends on the tabi’ee
Narrates from thiqaat – Allowed
Narrates from others – Not allowed
Allowed with Conditions and Supporting Narrations
Saheeh until the tabi’ee (before break)
Tabi’ee only narrates from acceptable people
Tabi’ee is himself thiqa (trusted, confidence in him)
Must be from the elder tabi’een
Another Narration with the same meaning or words
Another mursal narration from another sanad
Not taken from the teachers of the other tabi’ee’s narration
Agrees with the words of some of the companions
Agrees with the words of many scholars

11. Hadith Munqati’
A hadith where there is a singular break in middle of the sanad, even if in more than one location.
Only one narrator missing in a particular location.
The break is before the companion

12. Hadith Munqati’

13. Hadith Mu’dal
A hadith where there is a break in middle of the sanad and includes two or more continuous narrators
Examples
If Imam Malik narrates on the Prophet (2+ missing)
Younger tabi’ee narrations
Shafi’ from ibn Umar
Can be Mu’dal and Mu’allaq
Can be Mu’dal and Mursal

14. Flaws in the Narrators Related to his Integrity
Lies concerning the Prophet
Lies in his worldly affairs
Open and Flagrant Sinner
Character cannot be vouched for
Innovator
Related to his Precision and Memory
Makes Horrendous Mistakes Often
Quite Forgetful
Confused at Times
Contradicts others
Poor Memory – sometimes right, sometimes wrong

15. Flaws in the Matn Mixes Words or Letters Combines Narrations
Mixes mutoon and asaaneed

16. Acting Upon Weak Hadith
Not Allowed at All
Allowed if there is nothing else narrated on the issue, with conditions
A Distinction in what the hadith calls to:
Allowed in encouraging and motivating as well as extra virtuous deeds, with conditions
Not allowed in ‘aqeedah or ‘fiqh
Conditions for Acting Upon Weak Hadith
Weakness must not be severe
Must be supported by a general principle which is accepted
The one acting must realize the issue is not agreed upon or absolute

17. Causes for Differences
Differences in Usool al Fiqh (Legal Theory)
Differences in Hadith Sciences
Differences in Hadith Interpretations
Linguistic Differences
Intended Meaning
Differences in Knowledge

18. Differences in Legal Theory
“Whoever touches his penis must make wudu.”
“…is it anything other than a part of your body?”
Hanafi’s - If the hadith is a general necessity, it must be mutawatir
Difference over abrogation and tarjeeh

19. Differences in Legal Theory
“Surely there is zakat due upon grazing livestock.”
Al Mafhum al Mukhaalafa
Zakat not due if the livestock is not grazing

20. Differences in Hadith Acceptance
“There is no nikkah without a wali”
Weak according to Yahya ibn Maeen
Hanafi’s don’t use this hadith
“Any woman who marries herself without the permission of her wali, then her nikkah is invalid.
Al Zuhri forgot about the particular hadith
Hanafi’s reject the hadith if the narrator forgot it (like eye witness)

21. Differences in Waqf and Raf’
“There is no ‘itikaaf without fasting.”
Narrated by Aisha
Narrated as being attributed to the Prophet
Also narrated as the words of Aisha
Shafi’ school say it’s the words of Aisha and not of the Prophet
Response – No contradiction
Attributed to the Prophet correctly
Attributed to a fatwa of Aisha

22. Interpretation of a Hadith
“There is no prayer for the neighbor of the masjid except in the masjid.”
Which of the following does it mean?
No prayer is accepted or valid
No prayer is complete and perfect
Are there other hadith to explain this?
"Prayer in congregation is superior to praying individually twenty-seven times." (Bukhari and Muslim)

23. Other Differences… Increase by a Trustworthy Narrator
Hadith Reached an Imam in Different Ways
Conditions on the Narrator’s Knowledge
Differences in Grading a Narrator
ibn Hajar
Dhahabi
Bukhari
Yahya ibn Ma’een

24. Conclusion Must We Follow a Madhab?
Can We Pick and Choose from the Opinions?
Having a Methodology in Legal Theory
Having a Methodology in the Hadith Sciences
Following Scholarship is the Key
No One is Infallible except the Prophet
Many other considerations other than the literal and possible situational reasons for a narration.