Categories of Rejected Hadith
The study of hadith is a meticulous science that scholars have devoted significant effort towards categorization and classification. The prophetic tradition (Sunnah) serves as the second source of legislation after the Holy Qur’an. Consequently, scholars have exercised caution in accepting or rejecting hadith, leading to their division into two main categories: accepted hadith, which meets six specific criteria in both the text and chain of narration, and rejected hadith, which lacks one or more of these criteria.
Rejected hadith are commonly referred to as weak hadith, which encompasses various types. According to the missing criterion, scholars determine whether the hadith is entirely rejected and not to be transmitted, or if the deficiency can be compensated by another criterion. There are differing methodologies among scholars regarding the evaluation of hadith; some are stringent, while others are lenient.
The absence of these criteria may relate to the continuity of the chain of narration. For instance, the hadith could be disconnected, problematic, or transmitted without a reliable chain. Alternatively, it may pertain to the character of one of the narrators, where the standards of integrity include their good standing in Islam, moral conduct, and protection from immorality, alongside their reliability and precision in transmitting the hadith. A narrator could be unknown, weak in memory, or even produce inverted or altered narrations, leading to flawed reports.
Moreover, a hadith may be weak in one narration due to a specific chain but can be considered authentic in another or through a combination of supportive narrations. The fabricated hadith, which is falsely attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), will not be included in this discussion as it is, strictly speaking, not considered hadith.
The types of rejected or weak hadith are as follows:
Hadith Rejected Due to Chain Discontinuity
A hadith is rejected if at least one narrator within its chain is missing, regardless of whether this missing narrator is at the beginning or end of the chain. This category includes various types:
Al-Mursal
There are two cases of the mursal hadith:
- First Case:
This refers to a hadith in which a companion’s narration has a missing link, as a tabiyi narrates from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Since the chain is not continuous, it cannot be relied upon. This was noted by Imam Muslim in the introduction of his Sahih.
- Second Case:
This involves narrations from companions where one companion narrates from another companion about the Prophet (peace be upon him) without naming the intermediary companion. Such narratives are acceptable and are not considered weak, as the ignorance of a companion’s identity does not adversely affect the chain.
Al-Munqati
This refers to a hadith where the continuity of the chain is disrupted by the omission of one or more narrators, or when a vague reference is made, such as “a certain elder” or “I heard from two men,” rendering the identification unknown and not recognized by experts in the field.
Al-Mu‘dal
This is a hadith in which two consecutive narrators are missing, further increasing its weakness due to interrupted chains, making it one of the most disconnected types of narrations, and hence, not acceptable as evidence.
Al-Mudallas and Al-Mu‘allaq
Al-Mudallas refers to hadith where there is an ambiguity in the narration, indicating that the narrators might have heard from another source but without a definite assertion. This may occur in scenarios where one narrator from Sham narrates from another in Kufa without any travel between them. Should a narrator declare that they heard a report when, in fact, they did not, this constitutes a form of deceit. Al-Mu‘allaq refers to a hadith where portions of the initial chain or some elements are omitted entirely.
Hadith Rejected Due to Criticism of the Narrator
It is critical for a narrator of hadith to possess both integrity and reliability, with integrity relating to their soundness in Islam. Therefore, individuals known for immorality, lies, or theft cannot be accepted as narrators of the sayings of the Prophet. Furthermore, the aspect of reliability refers to memory, with significant variability in the preservation of hadith. Those who frequently err or who suffer from forgetfulness, especially later in life, are scrutinized more closely. The categories of rejected hadith due to narrator critique include:
Al-Matruk and Al-Mankur
Al-Matruk refers to hadith narrated by someone accused of being dishonest or immoral, or who exhibits a lack of precision. Al-Mankur denotes hadith narrated by a weak source that contradicts a more reliable source. This results in two differing chains: one with trustworthy narrators and another inferior in its reliability, or where the weak narrator is the sole source of a particular narration.
Al-Shadhdh, Al-Mudraj, and Al-Mudtarib
Al-Shadhdh is defined as a hadith narrated by a reliable source yet contradicts a narration from a more reliable individual. This results in two narrations of equal strength and credibility, making such occurrences rare. Al-Mudraj refers to a hadith where additional words unfamiliar to the original text are added by a narrator, rendering those inclusions as invalid and not part of the actual narration.
Finally, Al-Mudtarib refers to a hadith reported from various equal sources where we cannot favor one over the others, thus making harmonization impossible.
Hadith Rejected Due to Errors
There are instances when a hadith may be deemed either accepted or rejected based on established errors in its chain or text post-correction. The types of hadith that may contain mistakes in their transmission can be categorized as:
Al-Maqlub
This refers to a hadith where an error occurs by reversing the text or chain, such as substituting “from the right” for “from the left” or altering the order of narrators like swapping “Nafi’ from Salim” for “Salim from Nafi’.”
Al-Muṣḥaf and Al-Muḥarraf
Al-Muṣḥaf pertains to errors in the number of diacritical points, such as those between the Arabic letters “س” (seen) and “ش” (sheen). These errors impact both the chain and text. Al-Muḥarraf refers to errors in grammatical markings, such as confusing a dammah ( ُ ) for a fatha ( َ ), changing “جُنَاحٍ” (wing) to “جَنَاحٍ” (the dialogue about a side).