Uloom ul hadith Notes in English

In this article, we will learn all you need to know about Uloom ul-hadith notes, and its curriculum, so keep reading if you want to know the answer.

Uloom ul hadith is known as the “Foundation of Prophetic Traditions”, in this field a learner will study hadiths classification, terminology, and interpretation.

Studying this field will help you know which hadiths are weak/fabricated and which are authentic. Most of the fabricated or weak hadiths cause conflicts within the Umah, that’s why it’s important to learn this science.

Ulum al-Hadith is a big science that requires years and years of study and reading, but in order to make it easier for you, here is a curriculum that you can study on your own.

Uloom ul hadith notes:

1- The Uloom al-Hadith basic definitions: 

Before we get to Uloom ul hadith notes in English, let’s discuss some definitions.

Matn: The actual text of the hadeeth. 

Raawi: Raawi is one of the narrators in the chain of narration. The word Raawi means 

narrator.

Sanad: It refers to the chain of narrators of a particular hadith.

Hadeeth Saheeh: It is the higher grade for the sanad and the matn. It means sound and 

correct. Its plural is sihaah.

Hadeeth Hasan: It is a good grade hadith that is slightly less than Saheeh. The plural is 

hisaan.

Hadeeth Da’eef: It is a low-grade hadith that means there is a significant weakness in the 

chain or in the text of the hadeeth. The plural of da’eef is di’aaf.

Hadeeth Mawdoo’: This means that proof is available to show that the hadeeth is 

fabricated or has untrue narration. Its plural is mawdoo’aat.

2- The difference between weak hadith and Saheeh hadith:

Saheeh hadith is the authentic hadiths, here are the conditions that must be fulfilled:

• The chain of narration must be connected. 
• The narrators must be known for their high religious standards. 
• The narrators must be known for their excellent memory. 
• The text of the narration must not contradict another more reliable text 
• There should not be any logical problem with the hadeeth. 

While weak hadiths are the ones that don’t fulfill the above conditions. 

How to study Ulum al-Hadith?

Here are books that you can read before you start the elementary Ulum al-Hadith curriculum:

• Al-Nawawi – Al-Arba’in al-Nawawiyah with the zawa’id of Ibn Rajab
• Muhammad ‘Awwamah – Min Sihah al-Ahadith al-Qisar
• Al-Bulandshehri – Zad al-Talibin
• Al-Tirmidhi – Al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyah
• Al-Maqdisi – Umdat al-Ahkam
• Al-Nawawi – Al-Adhkar
• Al-Bukhari – Al-Adab al-Mufrad
• Ibn Hajar – Bulugh al-Maram
• Al-Nawawi – Riyadh al-Salihin
• Ibn Hajar – Mukhtasar al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib
• Al-Nu’mani – Ma’arif al-Hadith
• Al-Mundhiri – Mukhtasar Sahih Muslim
• Al-Zabidi – Al-Tajrid al-Sarih (Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari)
• Al-Tabrizi – Mishkat al-Masabih

How to study Ulum al-Hadith at the Elementary level?

The purpose of this stage is to acquire major knowledge of the hadith literature, sciences, nomenclature, and prophetic narrations.

You could start by reading hadith books and the Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature. For example, you can read the revised Malaysian edition by Mustafa al-A’zami and then read the book Hadith Literature by Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi.

When you finish those two books you can read Introduction to the Sciences of Hadith by Suhaib Hasan it’s a brief book in English. Also, you can read is al-Manhal al-Latif by Muhammad b. ‘Alawi al-Maliki, Taysir Mustalah al-Hadith by Mahmud al-Tahan, Ibn al-Mulaqqin’s Tadhkirah. Also, there is a clear book called al-Wadih fi Mustalah al-Hadith by shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Shaya’.

Also, read the Textbook of Hadith Studies by Hashim Kamali. You are now ready to study the meaning of each hadith, to do so read memorizing al-Arba’un by Imam al-Nawawi then read Jami’ al-‘Ulum Wa al-Hikam by Ibn Rajab.

Other books to read in Ulum al-hadith:

•  Taysir Mustalah al-Hadith by Mahmud al-Tahan
• Nukhbat al-Fikr with Sharh Nuzhat al-Nazr by Ibn Hajar (edited by Nur al-Din ‘Itr)
• Al-Muwqizah by al-Dhahabi (edited by Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah)
• Hadith Literature by Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi (ITS edit by Abd al-Hakim Murad)
• Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature by Mustafa al-A’zami
• Risalah Abi Dawud to the Makkans
• Manhaj al-Naqd by Nur al-Din ‘Itr
• A Textbook of Hadith Studies by Hashim Kamali
• Bukhari by Ghassan Abdul Jabbar
• Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah (with Nukat Ibn Hajar)
• Al-Sunnah wa Makanatiha by Mustafa al-Siba‘ee
• Al-Raf’ wa al-Takmil by al-Laknawi (edited by Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah)
• Hadith by Jonathan Brown
• Studies in Early Hadith Literature by Mustafa al-A’zami

How to study Ulum al-Hadith at an Advanced level?

In this stage, you want to read the major hadith works with commentary and takhrij, in addition to acquiring knowledge of the main features of ‘ilm al-rijal, and al-jarh wa al-ta’dil. And also to know how to respond to any criticisms regarding ulum al-hadith.

Study Fath al-Mughith by al-Sakhawi as it represents a strong base, think of it as the foundation. Then study Tahir al-Jaza’iri’s Tawjih al-Nazar, al-Suyuti’s own sharh on his own Alfiyyah, al-Bahr alladhi Zakhr fi Sharh Alfiyyat al-Athar. After that, you should read Tawdhih al-Afkar by al-San’ani as it contains issues not discussed anywhere else. Those books will help you learn the nomenclature.

Here is a collection of books in Ulum al-hadith:

• Athar al-Hadith al-Sharif Fi Ikhtilaf al-A’imma al-Fuqaha by Muhammad ‘Awwamah
• Manhaj al-Naqd/Muqaddimah Kitab al-Tamyiz by Mustafa al-A’zami
• Tahrir Ulum al-Hadith by Abdullah al-Juday’
• On Schacht’s Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence by Mustafa al-A’zami
• The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim by Jonathan Brown
• Constructive Critics by Scott Lucas
• The Evolution of a Hadith by Dr. Iftikhar Zaman
• Analyzing Muslim Traditions by Harald Motzki

To know how to respond when someone criticizes Ulum al-hadith, here is a popular book that will help you. al-Sunnah wa Makanatiha by Mustafa al-Siba‘i, al-Sunnah al-Mutahirah wa al-Tahadiyat by Nur al-Din ‘Itr.

Also, you could learn from:

• Abd al-Rahman al-Mu’allami’s al-Anwar al-Kashifa.
• On Schacht’s Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence by Mustafa al-A’zami
• Harald Motzki’s collection of articles in Analysing Muslim Traditions
• The Evolution of a Hadith by Dr. Iftikhar Zaman.

You should also learn about the biographies of the major narrators and you can do so through al-Mashur min al-Asanid al-Hadith by Adil b. Abd al-Shakur al-Zuraqi. You could know more about these figures from the rijal books. Start with Tahrir Taqrib al-Taqrib by Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut and Bashar ‘Awwad Ma’ruf as well as Tariq b. Then, Ibn Hajar’s Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, and al-Mizzi’s Tahdhib al-Kamal.

Also, you should read ahkam books, like Tarh al-Tathrib fi Sharh al-Taqrib by Wali al-Din al-‘Iraqi

How to study at the Mastery level:

•  Tadrib al-Rawi by al-Suyuti
• Ahmad Shakir – Al-Ba’ith al-Hathith
• Al-Sakhawi – Fath al-Mughith Sharh Alfiyat al-Iraqi

Other contemporary authors that you could read their books include:

•  Sa’id Ahmad Palanpuri
• Tariq Awadullah
• Hatim al-Awni

Obsessively read the Sahihayn, devoting a period each day for their study so that one can complete reading them in a year. One should aim at a minimum to do this over four years.

Here are the sahih narrations:

•  Al-Muwatta
• Ibn Hibban
• Ibn Khuzaymah
• Then read the sunan works:
• Abi Dawud
• Al-Nasa’i
• Al-Tirmidhi
• Al-Darimi
• Al-Daraqutni
• Sunan al-Kubra li’l-Bayhaqi

If you want to memorize the hadiths then these books will be of great help:

•  Al-Arba’in al-Nawawiyah (with zawa’id Ibn Rajab)
• Umdat al-Ahkam
• Bulugh al-Maram
• Al-Lu’lu wa al-Marjan
• Al-Sahihayn

Also, read commentaries on the hadith collections start with easier ones including:

•  Al-Khattabi– A’lam al-Hadith Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari
• Al-l-Nawawi – Sharh Sahih Muslim
• Al-Munawi – Fayd al-Qadir

While studying the hadith keep Ibn al-Athir’s Al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith with you to find the meaning of the words you don’t know.

• Here are commentaries to read
• Ibn Hajar – Fath al-Bari
• Ibn Abd al-Barr – Al-Tamhid

At the beginning of learning Ulum al-hadith one should begin with the following:

• Al-Bayquniyah and/or Nukhbat al-Fikar with an easy sharh
• Nuzhat al-Nazar or Al-Ba’ith al-Hathith (aged 15)
• Al-Dhahabi – Al-Mawqiza
• Muqadimah Ibn al-Salah with Nukat Ibn Hajar

Also while reading the Muqadimah you should read the following Takhrij work to understand how the theory of mustalah is applied:

• Mahmud al-Tahan – Usul al-Takhrij wa Dirasat al-Asanid
• Ibn al-Mulaqqin – Badr al-Munir
• Ibn Hajar – Talkhis al-Habir

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