- Saheeh lidhaatihi (Authentic according to its own merit)
o Complete Isnaad.
o ‘Adl – trustworthy narrators. The definition is: A Muslim person who is sane and of age, and avoids the major sins and also avoids continuing minor sins.
o Dhabt – highly accurate narrator.
o It cannot be shaadh – meaning a hadeeth that contradicts something stronger than it, i.e. the Qur’an or a hadeeth stronger than it.
o The hadeeth cannot have an ‘ilah (a hidden defect that only a muhaddith can spot), e.g. a narration from ibn Mas’ood. 10 people in the chain said that the narration was from ibn Mas’ood (e.g., “ibn Mas’ood said…”). One person forgot it was from ibn Mas’ood, and raised it to the saying of the Prophet (SAW) by accident, yet all the other conditions are there. This is the most difficult condition to spot.
o When you have two or more hasan hadeeth, with the same matn (text), but with two different isnaad (chain of narrations), it is raised to the level of Saheeh lighayrihi (Saheeh according to supporting evidences).

- Hasan lidhaatihi (Good according to its own merit)
o Fulfills all of the five criteria of a Saheeh hadeeth, except that in condition three, instead of the narrators being Dhabt, they are average in their memory.
o When you have two or more da’eef hadeeth, with the same matn (text), but with two different isnaad (chain of narrations), it is raised to the level of hasan lighayrihi (good according to supporting evidences).
o Anything below this, it is not acceptable to act upon this, according to the vast majority of scholars. As for mawdoo’, all of the scholars agree that this cannot be acted upon.

1. The isnaad is not continuous or complete:

o Mursal:- The isnaad is broken, the companion is missing , e.g. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar is missing from the chain, and Naafi’ (a tabi’ee) reports directly from the Prophet (SAW), thought he never met him. This is the strongest type of mursal hadeeth, since only the companion is missing, and all of the sahaba are ‘adl and Dhabt, as Allah has praised them in the Qur’an and stated that He is pleased with them, so they do not lie about the Prophet.
o Mu’allaq:– when the primary shaykh of the author or more people are missing from the end of the chain. For example, Bukhari reports from Imam Malik, though he studied under his students, but he never met Imam Malik. The gap has to be continuous. For example, He misses his shaykh, the shaykh’s shaykh, and that shaykh’s shaykh. Even if, for example, Bukhari directly quoted the Prophet, this is still mu’allaq, as the gap is continuous.
o Mu’dhal :- Two consecutive people are missing. For example, Bukhari said, that ‘Abdullah ibn Maslamah said, that ibn ‘Umar said, that the Prophet said.
- Mu’allaq Mu’dhal: Two consecutive people are missing, and the primary shaykh is also missing, e.g. Bukhari said, that Naafi’ said, that ibn ‘Umar said, that the Prophet said.
o Munqati’ – Any other break in the chain is Munqati’, this is in the specific sense. However, some scholars of hadeeth generally refer to any break in chain as Munqati’.
o Mudallas: Normally, the scholars would use specific language such as, ‘I heard’, or ‘So-and-so narrated to me’. However, sometimes the word ‘an is used, which means ‘from’. It is not clear if they heard these words directly. Certain narrators were known for using these terms, though they never met the person whom they heard from. The scholars of hadeeth hated tadlees, and specific books were written on those who performed tadlees on purpose.

2. The narrators are not ‘Adl:
o If his ‘adaalah is impugned, his hadeeth will always be either da’eef jiddan or mawdoo’. For example;
o Major innovators of the deviant sects, e.g. a raafidhee.
o Liar. However, if he used to lie against the Sunnah, his hadeeth will be classified as fabricated. If he lied about worldly affairs, his hadeeth will be classified as da’eef jiddan.
o Committed major sins.
o If the narrator is unknown (majhool person), and there’s no biography of him, then we don’t know if he was a liar or pious person. This hadeeth is da’eef. However, if only one person narrated from them, it is da’eef jiddan. If two or more narrators narrated from him, it is da’eef.

3. The narrators are not Dhabt.
o There are various levels of Dhabt.
- If you have the highest quality, your hadeeth are Saheeh.
- If you are average, your hadeeth are hasan.
- If you are below average, then it is da’eef.
- However, if you’re really below average, your hadeeth are da’eef jiddan.
- Mawdoo’ does not fit in to this category, as the ‘adl is checked before the Dhabt.

4. Shaadh hadeeth.
o A hadeeth that contradicts something that is stronger than it. The outer isnaad looks authentic (meets the first three conditions), but in the matn contradicts something that is stronger than it.
o E.g., ‘Aisha (ra) narrated that the Prophet would lie on his right side after praying two raka’ah of Sunnah for Fajr. However, one of the narrators made a mistake, and said that the Prophet (SAW) said when you pray two raka’as of Sunnah for Fajr, then lie down on your right hand side. So he changed the action in to a statement. In order to correct this you need to compare it to stronger ahadeeth, e.g. the narrators have more Dhabt.
5. Mu’allal.
o Has a hidden defect. Example was given in the Saheeh category.

2. The narrators are not ‘Adl:
o Major innovators of the deviant sects, e.g. a raafidhee.
o If the narrator is unknown (majhool person), and there’s no biography of him, then we don’t know if he was a liar or pious person. This hadeeth is da’eef. However, if only one person narrated from them, it is da’eef jiddan.
o Liar. If he lied about worldly affairs, his hadeeth will be classified as da’eef jiddan.
o Committed major sins.
3. The narrators are not Dhabt.
- If your strength of memory is really below average, your hadeeth are da’eef jiddan.

2. The narrators are not ‘Adl:
o If his ‘addaalah is impugned, his hadeeth will always be either da’eef jiddan or mawdoo’. For example;
o Major innovators of the deviant sects, e.g. a raafidhee.
o Liar; if he used to lie against the Sunnah, his hadeeth will be classified as fabricated.
o Committed major sins.

o Marfoo’: Linguistically this means ‘raised’. If the hadeeth goes back to the authority of the Prophet (SAW).
o Mawqoof: Goes back to a companion.
o Maqtoo’: Goes back to the successors (tabi’een and tabi’ tabi’een), e.g. Ikrimah, Mujaahid, ‘Alqamah, etc. These last two are more appropriately named ‘athaar’. These are based on their knowledge.

o Imam Bukhari wrote a book at the age of 18 on Jarh wa Ta’deel, named at-tareekh al-kabeer (the big history). This is published in about 8 volumes. This was his first book.

o ‘AbdulGhaniy al-Maqdisee (D.610) wrote a book called al-Kamaal fee Asmaa wa Rijaal. This book was so thorough and so comprehensive, that every scholar after him had to rely on his book. He chose in this book to compile the names of narrators of six books of hadeeth. Till this day, when we refer to ‘the six books’, we refer to the books of hadeeth that he used. They are Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa’ee, Ibn Majah. These six books became better known after he chose them, so that is why they are famous. This book is not in print today.

o Jamal-ad-Deen al-Mizee (D.720) (one of the students/teachers/close friends of ibn Taymiyyah) took Al Kamaal fee Asmaa wa Rijaal and added to it, subtracted unnecessary information and compiled another book named tahdheeb al-Kamaal. This is the standard major reference of the muhaditheen of our time. So the reason al-Kamaal fee Asmaa wa Rijaal is not in print is because Jamal-ad-Deen al-Mizee reorganising it so well, that al-Kamaal fee Asmaa wa Rijaal became ignored. This book is published in 38 volumes, and is the biggest encyclopaedia of jarh wa ta’deel in existence.

o Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hajar (D.854) took this book tahdheeb al-Kamaal and condensed and compressed it in to a smaller work. This book was called tahdheeb at-tahdheeb (the summary of the summary). This book is available in four or five volumes. However he felt that this was also too big, so he wrote a book called taqreeb at-tahdheeb (condensing of the summary). This is available in one volume. All it contains is his name, his kunyah, his father’s name, grandfather’s name, tribe, his date of death and his degree or level of jarh or ta’deel. This was one word at the end, e.g. da’eef, kadhdhaab, Haafidh or Imaam.

o Extreme words of praise, e.g. Imaam of the Dunyaa, shaykh-ul-Islaam, Imaam-ul-Muhaditheen, Haafidh-ad-Dunyaa or ‘I don’t know anyone of his status’, etc. This is very rare and limited to the highest scholars such as Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Bukhari, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyainah.
o High words of praise, such as ‘He is not one that is asked about’, i.e., his ‘adl and Dhabt is so high that you should not even question it – there is no doubt.
o To repeat a phrase of ta’deel twice. For example, Imaamun Haafidh, Thiqqatun ‘adl, thiqqatun Haafidh, thiqqatun Hujjah, etc.
o To use one word of ta’deel. For example, thiqqah. So all of the above, their hadeeth are Saheeh, as long as there is no shaadh or ‘ilah.
o When you use average phrases, e.g. ‘he has no problem’
o Lowest category of praise, e.g. ‘InshaAllah he’s thiqqah’, ‘thiqqah but makes some mistakes’. With these last two categories, their hadeeth are hasan.

o The slightest term for weakness, e.g., ‘people talk about him’ (meaning the scholars of hadeeth), ‘we have our doubts’.
o To be explicit, e.g. ‘Da’eef’, ‘Cannot memorise his hadeeth’, ‘has some strange hadeeth’. These two categories will be classified as da’eef.
o Severely dispraise, e.g. ‘Da’eef jiddan’, ‘rejected’, ‘it is not permissible to narrate from him’.
o To accuse him of lying, e.g. ‘He was accused of lying’. Both of these hadeeth are da’eef jiddan.
o To explicitly accuse him of lying, e.g. ‘he was a kadhdhaab!’, ‘so-and-so stole hadeeth’, ‘fabricated hadeeth’.
o The worst category, e.g. ‘Fulaan Dajjaal’, ‘the leader of the liars’. These last two are mawdoo’.

o Al Muwatta of Imam Malik ibn Anas (D.179).
o Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Musnad al-Mukhtasar min sunan ar-Rasoolillahi sal-Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam min sunan wa af’ali wa ayaamihi (Saheeh al-Bukhari) by Muhammad ibn Isma’eel al-Bukhari (D.260).
o Saheeh Muslim by Muslim ibn Hajjaaj al-Qushayri (D.261).

o Sunan Abee Dawood, by Abu Dawood Sulayman ibn ‘Ash’ath as-Sijastaanee (275). This is the most authentic of the sunan works.
o Sunan at-Tirmidhee, by Muhammad ibn ‘Easa at-Tirmidhee (D.279). However, this work is closer to being a jaami’, and this is how many scholars refer to it.
o Sunan ibni Maajah, by Muhammad ibn Yazeed ibn Maajah (D.279).
o Sunan an-Nasaa’ee, by Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb an-Nasaa’ee (D.303). He was the last of the six muhaditheen to die.
o Sunan ad-Daaraqutnee.
o Sunan ad-Daarimee.
All of these are in print, and all except ad-Daarimee have a sharh (explanation).

o Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal (D.241). This is the most prominent of the Musnad books.

o Mu’jam of at-Tabaraani (D.370). He had three mu’jams;
- Mu’jam al-Kabeer
- Mu’jam al-Awsad
- Mu’jam as-sagheer

o The most famous being that of ad-Daaraqutnee. This is comprised of 11 volumes.