Adapted from: Bulugh al-Maram min Adillati al-Ahkam
Although the Muwatta was compiled before the two Sahihs, in terms of rank and status, it occupies the third place.
According to Imam Malik and like-minded scholars, all the Hadiths in the Muwatta are authentic. However, other scholars observe that although its interrupted (munqati') or mursal narrations are connected through other chains, mere connection of chains does not always guarantee authenticity.
Some also include Musnad Ahmad and Sunan al-Darimi in this category.
The compilers were experts in Hadith science, known for their trustworthiness, precision, and adherence to rigorous standards in Hadith transmission. Their collections have been widely accepted and revered by Hadith scholars and the broader scholarly community across all eras.
The aim of these authors was merely to collect Hadiths without stringent selection. Therefore, all types of narrations are found within them.
Examples:
These Hadiths often contain the sayings of preachers, wise sayings, Israeli traditions, and fabricated narrations intermingled with authentic texts, sometimes due to ignorance or intentional misattribution.
Examples include:
Such compositions were labeled "Hadith" only in a literary sense and not in the technical sense recognized by Hadith scholars.
❀ Using Hadiths from the third level requires expert knowledge of narrators and hidden defects.
❀ Assembling support for Hadiths from the fourth level is considered a mere scholarly exercise and is generally not reliable.
❀ Innovators often misuse Hadiths from the fourth level to support their innovations.
(*Summarized from Hujjat Allah al-Baligha)
Books where authors narrated Hadiths with their full chains of transmission. The above levels generally refer to these.
◈ Maraji' (References):
Books compiled by selecting Hadiths from various Masadir, divided into three types:
➊ References containing only authentic Hadiths:
Examples: Al-Lu’lu’ wal-Marjan, ‘Umdat al-Ahkam, etc.
➋ References mostly sourced from authentic books but including some weak narrations:
Examples: Mishkat al-Masabih, Riyad al-Salihin, At-Targhib wat-Tarhib, Bulugh al-Maram, etc.
➌ References compiled without any rigorous selection criteria:
Example: Kanz al-‘Ummal
Note:
It is not correct to deduce legal rulings from narrations in the second and third types of Maraji' without proper verification.
➋ If reconciliation is not possible, it will be investigated whether one Hadith abrogates the other. The abrogated narration will be discarded in favor of the abrogating one.
➌ If no abrogation is proven, preference will be given to one narration based on its stronger authenticity or higher scholarly rank, while the lesser one will be set aside.
Examples of preference:
Important Note:
In case of a contradiction between an accepted (maqbul) and a rejected (mardud) Hadith, only the accepted Hadith will be acted upon, and the rejected one will be dismissed.
Levels of Hadith Collections
➊ First Level
This includes Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and Muwatta Imam Malik.Although the Muwatta was compiled before the two Sahihs, in terms of rank and status, it occupies the third place.
According to Imam Malik and like-minded scholars, all the Hadiths in the Muwatta are authentic. However, other scholars observe that although its interrupted (munqati') or mursal narrations are connected through other chains, mere connection of chains does not always guarantee authenticity.
➋ Second Level
This consists of the Sunan al-Arba'a (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah).Some also include Musnad Ahmad and Sunan al-Darimi in this category.
The compilers were experts in Hadith science, known for their trustworthiness, precision, and adherence to rigorous standards in Hadith transmission. Their collections have been widely accepted and revered by Hadith scholars and the broader scholarly community across all eras.
➌ Third Level
This includes collections compiled before, during, or shortly after the time of the Sihah Sittah (the Six Authentic Books).The aim of these authors was merely to collect Hadiths without stringent selection. Therefore, all types of narrations are found within them.
Examples:
- Musannaf 'Abd al-Razzaq
- Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah
- Musnad al-Tayalisi
- Collections by al-Bayhaqi, al-Tahawi, and al-Tabarani
➍ Fourth Level
This includes collections compiled long after the earlier levels, gathering Hadiths from lesser-known or insignificant sources.These Hadiths often contain the sayings of preachers, wise sayings, Israeli traditions, and fabricated narrations intermingled with authentic texts, sometimes due to ignorance or intentional misattribution.
Examples include:
- Kitab al-Du'afa by Ibn Hibban
- Al-Kamil by Ibn 'Adi
- Works of Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani, Ibn 'Asakir, al-Jurqani, Ibn Najjar, and al-Daylami
- Musnad al-Khwarizmi
- Al-Mawdu'at by Ibn al-Jawzi and Mulla Ali al-Qari
➎ Fifth Level
These include fabricated Hadiths crafted by fraudsters or ignorant individuals, often mixing eloquent speech with fabricated chains of narration.Such compositions were labeled "Hadith" only in a literary sense and not in the technical sense recognized by Hadith scholars.
General Principles Regarding These Levels
❀ Complete reliance has always been maintained on the Hadiths from the first and second levels.❀ Using Hadiths from the third level requires expert knowledge of narrators and hidden defects.
❀ Assembling support for Hadiths from the fourth level is considered a mere scholarly exercise and is generally not reliable.
❀ Innovators often misuse Hadiths from the fourth level to support their innovations.
(*Summarized from Hujjat Allah al-Baligha)
Sources (Masadir) and References (Maraji')
◈ Masadir (Primary Sources):Books where authors narrated Hadiths with their full chains of transmission. The above levels generally refer to these.
◈ Maraji' (References):
Books compiled by selecting Hadiths from various Masadir, divided into three types:
➊ References containing only authentic Hadiths:
Examples: Al-Lu’lu’ wal-Marjan, ‘Umdat al-Ahkam, etc.
➋ References mostly sourced from authentic books but including some weak narrations:
Examples: Mishkat al-Masabih, Riyad al-Salihin, At-Targhib wat-Tarhib, Bulugh al-Maram, etc.
➌ References compiled without any rigorous selection criteria:
Example: Kanz al-‘Ummal
Note:
It is not correct to deduce legal rulings from narrations in the second and third types of Maraji' without proper verification.
Resolving Apparent Contradictions Between Accepted Hadiths
➊ First, a reconciliatory interpretation will be sought that allows both Hadiths to be acted upon. Preference will be given to explanations mentioned in a third Hadith or elaborated by jurist-Hadith scholars.➋ If reconciliation is not possible, it will be investigated whether one Hadith abrogates the other. The abrogated narration will be discarded in favor of the abrogating one.
➌ If no abrogation is proven, preference will be given to one narration based on its stronger authenticity or higher scholarly rank, while the lesser one will be set aside.
Examples of preference:
- Narrations from books of a higher tier or with superior chains of transmission.
Important Note:
In case of a contradiction between an accepted (maqbul) and a rejected (mardud) Hadith, only the accepted Hadith will be acted upon, and the rejected one will be dismissed.
