Ṣiḥāḥ Sittah: The Six Authentic Hadith Collections and Their Contributions
The six most authoritative books of Hadith are collectively known as Ṣiḥāḥ Sittah (The Six Authentic Collections). These comprise two Ṣaḥīḥs (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) and four Sunan (Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah). These works emerged in the second phase of Hadith compilation, and remain the primary source of Hadith studies.
Orientalist R.A. Nicholson referred to them as the “Canonical Books of Islam”, highlighting their central role in Islamic tradition and law.
Imam al-Bukhārī (d. 256 AH)
Full Name: Muhammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī
Born: 13 or 16 Shawwal 194 AH, in Bukhara
Teachers:
- Abū Bakr ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥumaydī (d. 219 AH)
- Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn (d. 232 AH)
- Qutaybah ibn Saʿīd (d. 240 AH)
- Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal
Students: Over 90,000, including major Hadith scholars
Major Works:
- Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ (Sahih al-Bukhari)
- Al-Adab al-Mufrad
- Al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr
- Tafsīr al-Kabīr
Sahih al-Bukhari:
Full title: "Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Musnad min Ḥadīth Rasūlillāh ﷺ wa Sunanihī wa Ayyāmihī."
Out of 600,000 Hadiths, Imam al-Bukhari selected around 7,275 (including repetitions), of which about 4,000 are unique.
Unique Features:
- Mastery in fragmenting Hadiths across various chapters to highlight jurisprudential angles
- Chapter headings reflect subtle Fiqh discussions
- Repetitions are used to highlight multiple legal implications of a single narration
- 22 Thulāthiyyāt (Hadiths with only three narrators between Imam Bukhari and the Prophet ﷺ)
Imam Muslim (d. 261 AH)
Full Name: Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj al-Qushayrī al-Naysābūrī
Born: 204 AH in Nishapur, a renowned center of Hadith
Teachers:
- Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā
- Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal
- ʿAbdullāh ibn Muslimah al-Qanʿabī
- Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr
Major Work: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
Sahih Muslim:
Contains around 4,000 unique Hadiths.
Unlike al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim compiled all chains (ṭuruq) of each Hadith in one place, offering greater clarity in comparison.
Unique Features:
- Prioritized agreed-upon narrations among Hadith masters
- Presented his compilation to Imam Abū Zurʿah, and removed any Hadiths he objected to
- Emphasis on precise transmission and arrangement
Imam Abū Dāwūd (d. 275 AH)
Full Name: Sulaymān ibn al-Ashʿath al-Sijistānī
Born: 202 AH in Sijistān (modern-day Iran)
Major Works:
- Sunan Abī Dāwūd
- Marāsīl Abī Dāwūd
- Kitāb al-Nāsikh wa al-Mansūkh
Sunan Abī Dāwūd:
Compiled 4,800 Hadiths out of 500,000 reviewed.
Unique Features:
- Emphasis on Hadiths used by jurists as legal proofs
- Stated: “I have not included any Hadith in this book upon which there is a consensus that it must be abandoned.”
Imam al-Tirmidhī (d. 279 AH)
Full Name: Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā ibn Sūrah al-Tirmidhī
Born: 209 AH in Tirmidh (modern Uzbekistan)
Student of: Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim
Major Works:
- Al-Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī (also known as Sunan al-Tirmidhī)
- Al-Shamāʾil al-Muḥammadiyyah
- Kitāb al-ʿIlal
Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī:
Covers eight major topics:
Sīrah, Manners, Tafsīr, Creed, Legal Rulings, Signs of the Hour, Merits of Individuals, and Trials.
Unique Features:
- Assigns a grading (ṣaḥīḥ, ḥasan, ḍaʿīf) at the end of each Hadith
- Mentions legal opinions of jurists and clarifies points of disagreement
Imam al-Nasā’ī (d. 303 AH)
Full Name: Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Nasā’ī
Born: 215 AH in Nasa (a town in Khurasan)
Travelled to: Ḥijāz, Iraq, Shām, Egypt
Major Works:
- Al-Sunan al-Kubrā
- Al-Mujtabā (known as Sunan al-Nasā’ī)
Sunan al-Nasā’ī:
One of the most rigorous collections in terms of authenticity.
His Al-Mujtabā is a selection of Hadiths from al-Kubrā, focusing on sound narrations.
Style:
Resembles Imam Bukhari in arrangement and emphasis on strong chains.
Imam Ibn Mājah (d. 273 AH)
Full Name: Muḥammad ibn Yazīd Ibn Mājah al-Qazwīnī
Born: 209 AH in Qazwin, Persia
Major Work: Sunan Ibn Mājah
Sunan Ibn Mājah:
Noted for including many rare Hadiths. Although it contains some weak narrations, its inclusion in the Ṣiḥāḥ Sittah makes it highly respected.
Thulāthiyyāt: 5
The Significance of Ṣiḥāḥ Sittah
The Ṣiḥāḥ Sittah are foundational to Islamic scholarship in:
- Understanding Sunnah and Hadith sciences
- Legal derivation (Fiqh)
- Historical preservation of the Prophet’s ﷺ sayings and actions
Each compiler contributed unique methods, themes, and critical tools to ensure authenticity and clarity in transmitting the legacy of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
These six books form the cornerstone of Hadith literature, and studying them is essential for anyone pursuing knowledge of Islam.
وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
And Allah knows best what is correct.
