A comprehensive journey through the treasures of the purified Prophetic Sunnah, blending scholarly authenticity with modern technology
In Islamic terminology, Sunnah refers to everything narrated from the Prophet ﷺ of his sayings, actions, tacit approvals, physical or moral characteristics. It is the second source of legislation after the Holy Quran.
Allah says: "Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed" (53:3-4). The Prophet ﷺ said: "Indeed, I have been given the Quran and something similar to it." It is a binding proof that must be followed.
Allah has blessed this Ummah with distinguished scholars who preserved the Prophetic Sunnah, distinguishing its authentic from its weak through a precise methodology of criticism and validation.
I have left among you that which if you hold fast to, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah
Everything the Prophet ﷺ said on various occasions, such as: "Actions are judged by intentions" and "The religion is sincere advice." This is the most abundant type of Sunnah.
Actions performed by the Prophet ﷺ that demonstrate how to perform acts of worship and transactions, such as his prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. It is the practical model of Islam.
The Prophet's ﷺ silence regarding an action that occurred in his presence or reached him, such as his approval of some Companions' actions, indicating permissibility.
Figures are approximate and vary by counting method
The science that studies the principles and rules for distinguishing accepted hadiths from rejected ones, and understanding hadith grades and types.
The science that studies the biographies and conditions of hadith narrators.
The science that studies narrators' conditions regarding acceptance or rejection of their narrations.
Imam of Imams in Jarh wa Ta'dil
Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah in Jarh wa Ta'dil
One of the Imams of Jarh wa Ta'dil
Imam in knowledge of narrators
| Book | Author: | الوصف |
|---|---|---|
| Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah | Ibn al-Salah al-Shahrazuri (d. 643 AH) | The most famous book on Hadith sciences |
| Nukhbat al-Fikr | Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH) | A concise text on hadith terminology |
| Tadrib al-Rawi | Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH) | A commentary and explanation of Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah |
| Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith | Ahmad Shakir (d. 1377 AH) | A concise explanation of Hadith sciences |
| Book | Number of Hadiths (with repetition) | Number of Hadiths (without repetition) | Grade of Hadiths | Number of Books (Chapters) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sahih al-Bukhari | 7,563 | ~2,600 | Sahih | 97 books |
| Sahih Muslim | 7,500 | ~2,200 | Sahih | 54 books |
| Sunan Abi Dawud | 5,274 | ~4,800 | Hasan and Sahih | 37 books |
| Jami' at-Tirmidhi | 3,956 | ~3,800 | Hasan and Sahih | 46 books |
| Sunan an-Nasai | 5,761 | ~5,300 | Sahih | 51 books |
| Sunan Ibn Majah | 4,341 | ~4,000 | Hasan and Sahih | 37 books |
Figures are approximate, and books other than the two Sahihs contain hadiths of varying grades (Sahih, Hasan, Daif) in different proportions
Author:: Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (194-256 AH)
Total Hadiths: 7,563 (With Repetition)
~ Without repetition:: ~2,600
The most authentic book after the Book of Allah
Author:: Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Naysaburi (204-261 AH)
Total Hadiths: 7,500 (With Repetition)
~ Without repetition:: ~2,200
The second most authentic book after Sahih al-Bukhari
Author:: Sulayman ibn al-Ash'ath al-Sijistani (202-275 AH)
Total Hadiths: 5,274 (With Repetition)
~ Without repetition:: ~4,800
Compiler of Sunan Abi Dawud, one of the four Sunan
Author:: Muhammad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi (209-279 AH)
Total Hadiths: 3,956 (With Repetition)
~ Without repetition:: ~3,800
Distinguished by mentioning jurists' opinions and hadith defects
Author:: Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb an-Nasai (215-303 AH)
Total Hadiths: 5,761 (With Repetition)
~ Without repetition:: ~5,300
The Sunan with the fewest weak hadiths
Author:: Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Qazwini (209-273 AH)
Total Hadiths: 4,341 (With Repetition)
~ Without repetition:: ~4,000
Distinguished by chapters on asceticism and heart-softeners
Author:: Ahmad ibn Hanbal (164-241 AH)
Total Hadiths: 26,069 (With Repetition)
~ Without repetition:: ~10,000
The largest and most famous Musnad
Author:: Malik ibn Anas (93-179 AH)
Total Hadiths: 1,720 (With Repetition)
~ Without repetition:: ~1,600
The first and most famous compiled hadith book
Number of Chapters: 60 | Number of Hadiths: 822
Number of Chapters: 30 | Number of Hadiths: 450
Number of Chapters: 40 | Number of Hadiths: 600
Number of Chapters: 50 | Number of Hadiths: 750
Number of Chapters: 80 | Number of Hadiths: 1,200
Number of Chapters: 35 | Number of Hadiths: 500
Number of Chapters: 25 | Number of Hadiths: 400
Number of Chapters: 45 | Number of Hadiths: 650
Number of Chapters: 55 | Number of Hadiths: 850
Number of Chapters: 40 | Number of Hadiths: 700
Number of Chapters: 30 | Number of Hadiths: 450
Number of Chapters: 20 | Number of Hadiths: 300
Number of Chapters: 35 | Number of Hadiths: 550
Number of Chapters: 25 | Number of Hadiths: 380
Number of Chapters: 30 | Number of Hadiths: 420
Those who met the Prophet ﷺ, believed in him, and died as Muslims
Those who met the Companions and believed in them
1st Century AH
Those who met the Followers and learned from them
2nd Century AH
Compilers of the Six Books and Hadith Imams
3rd Century AH
The most famous and greatest commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari
Detailed commentary
Medium commentary
The most famous commentary of Sahih Muslim
One of the earliest commentaries
Important commentary
The most famous commentary of Sunan Abi Dawud
The most famous commentary of Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Concise commentary