Introduction to Science Of Hadith

I will start of by summarising this introduction, to make it easier for some of you, so  when it comes to the science of hadith we can derive it from the Quran and Sunnah. Allah commands verification of reports, as seen in Surah al-Hujurat (49:6), and the Prophet ﷺ encouraged accurate transmission of his words.

The sahabah followed this carefully, verifying narrators before accepting reports. This led to the importance of isnad (chain of transmission), and scholars developed approaches to assess narrators through al-jarh wa al-ta‘dil (criticism and validation of narrators).

At first, hadith sciences were transmitted orally. Later, they were written down but were mixed with other sciences, such as fiqh. By the fourth century AH, scholars began writing separate books on hadith terminology. One of the earliest books was al-Muhaddith al-Fasil by al-Ramahurmuzi (d. 360 AH).

Hadith reports are divided into two main types based on how they reach us. If a hadith has many independent chains of narrators making it impossible to be fabricated, it is called mutawatir. If it has a limited number of narrators, it is called ahad. Mutawatir hadiths are very few but provide certain knowledge. They are further divided into mutawatir in wording (exact words passed down) and mutawatir in meaning (same idea but different wording). Scholars compiled books on these, such as Al-Azhar al-Mutanathira by al-Suyuti.

To determine authentic hadiths, scholars classified them into sahih (authentic), hasan (good), and da‘if (weak). A sahih hadith must meet five conditions:

1. Continuous chain – Every narrator must have received it directly from the one before him.
2. Trustworthy narrators – They must be known for honesty and piety.
3. Precise narrators – They must have a strong memory or reliable written records.
4. No contradictions – The narration must not contradict stronger reports.
5. No hidden defects – There should be no unnoticed flaws in its transmission.

The two most authentic books of hadith are Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, compiled by Imams al-Bukhari and Muslim. They did not collect every sahih hadith but only what met their strict conditions.

Other authentic hadiths exist in books like the Sunan of Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa’i, but these books also include weak hadiths. Scholars like Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim attempted to collect additional authentic hadiths, but their approaches were sometimes lenient.

In the early days, hadith authenticity was determined by memorisation and verification. Today, scholars rely on established hadith books for authenticity rather than checking every chain independently. The study of hadith sciences remains an important field, ensuring that the words of the Prophet ﷺ are preserved accurately.

The fundamental principles and pillars of the science of narration and the transmission of reports are present in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet. In the Quran, Allah says: “O you who have believed, if a wicked person comes to you with news, verify it” (Surah al-Hujurat, verse 6).

In the Sunnah, the Prophet ﷺ said: “May Allah brighten the face of a person who hears something from us and conveys it as he heard it, for perhaps the one it is conveyed to understands it better than the one who heard it” (al-Tirmidhi – Book of Knowledge – 13/5 – Hadith 2657, and he said: it is hasan sahih).

In another narration: “Perhaps a carrier of fiqh to someone who is more knowledgeable than him, and perhaps a carrier of fiqh is not a faqih” (the same source, Hadith 2656, but he said: it is hasan, and the hadith was also reported by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad).

In this noble verse and this honourable hadith, there is the principle of verification in receiving reports and how to properly preserve them by paying attention, understanding, and scrutinising them before transmitting them to others.

Following the command of Allah and His Messenger, the Companions would verify reports before transmitting or accepting them, especially if they had doubts about the trustworthiness of the narrator.

Based on this, the importance of the isnad (chain of transmission) and its value became evident in accepting or rejecting reports. In the introduction to Sahih Muslim, Ibn Sirin said: “They did not use to ask about the isnad, but when the fitnah occurred, they said: ‘Name your men for us.’ So, the hadith of the people of Sunnah was accepted, and the hadith of the people of innovation was not accepted” (Introduction to Sahih Muslim, p. 15).

Since a report could only be accepted after knowing its isnad, the science of al-jarh wa al-ta‘dil (criticism and validation of narrators) emerged, along with the study of the connected or disconnected chains of transmission and the recognition of hidden defects. There also began to be discussions about some narrators, though initially, it was rare due to the limited number of unreliable narrators in the early period.

Later, the ulama expanded on this, leading to research into many sciences related to hadith, such as its preservation, how it was received and transmitted, its abrogated and abrogating parts, its unusual terminology, and more. However, these sciences were initially transmitted orally among the ulama.

Over time, these sciences began to be written and recorded, but they were scattered in different books and mixed with other sciences, such as usul, fiqh, and hadith. Examples include the book al-Risalah and the book al-Umm, both by Imam al-Shafi‘i.

Finally, when the sciences matured, terminology became standardised, and each discipline became independent in the fourth century AH, the ulama began writing separate books on the science of hadith terminology.

One of the earliest to compile such a work was al-Qadi Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Khallad al-Ramahurmuzi (d. 360 AH) in his book al-Muhaddith al-Fasil bayna al-Rawi wal-Wa‘i.

Classification of Reports Based on Their Transmission to Us

Reports, in terms of how they reach us, are divided into two categories:

1. If a report has multiple chains of transmission that are not confined to a specific number, it is called mutawatir (consecutively transmitted).
2. If a report has a limited number of chains of transmission, it is called ahad (solitary report).

Each of these categories has subdivisions and details.

Mutawatir Reports

Definition:

• Linguistically: It is an active participle derived from tawatur, meaning succession. For example, tawatar al-matar means “the rain fell continuously.”
• Technically: It is a report narrated by a large number of people whose agreement on a lie is normally impossible.

Explanation of the Definition:

This means that a mutawatir report is a hadith or a report in which, at every level of its chain, there are numerous narrators, and reason dictates that it is impossible for them all to have conspired to fabricate the report.

Conditions of a Mutawatir Report:

From the explanation of the definition, it becomes clear that a mutawatir report must meet four conditions:

1. It must be narrated by a large number of people. Scholars have differed on the minimum number required, but the preferred view is ten narrators (Tadrib al-Rawi, vol. 2, p. 177).
2. This large number must be present at every level of the chain of transmission.
3.  It must be impossible, based on custom, for all these narrators to have agreed upon a lie (this applies when they come from different regions, ethnicities, and backgrounds; hence, a report may have many narrators but not reach the level of mutawatir, while another may have fewer narrators but still be mutawatir depending on their circumstances).
4. Their report must be based on direct sensory perception, such as saying “we heard,” “we saw,” or “we touched.” If it is based on rational deduction, like the argument for the created nature of the universe, then it is not classified as mutawatir.

Ruling on Mutawatir Reports

A mutawatir report provides necessary knowledge, meaning certain and definitive knowledge that compels a person to believe in it without hesitation—just as someone who directly witnesses an event does not doubt its occurrence. Thus, all mutawatir reports are accepted, and there is no need to investigate the conditions of their narrators.

Types of Mutawatir Reports

Mutawatir reports are of two types:

• Mutawatir in wording (lafdhi): This is when both the wording and the meaning are transmitted consecutively.
• An example is the hadith: “Whoever deliberately lies about me, let him take his seat in the Fire” (Narrated by more than seventy Companions, and this large number continued—rather, increased—in subsequent generations).
  (Reported by al-Bukhari – Book of Knowledge – Chapter on the Sin of Lying About the Prophet ﷺ – vol. 1, p. 202, Hadith 110, and by Muslim – Book of Asceticism – Chapter on Verification in Hadith and the Ruling on Writing Knowledge – vol. 4, p. 2298, Hadith 72, and also by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Darimi, and Ahmad).
• Mutawatir in meaning (ma‘nawi): This is when the meaning is mutawatir but not the exact wording.
• An example is the hadiths about raising the hands in supplication. Nearly one hundred hadiths have been reported about this, each mentioning the Prophet ﷺ raising his hands while making dua, but in different contexts. While each individual case is not mutawatir, the shared concept of raising hands in supplication becomes mutawatir when all the reports are considered together. (Tadrib al-Rawi, vol. 2, p. 180).

Existence of Mutawatir Reports

There are a considerable number of mutawatir hadiths, including the hadith of al-Hawd (the Prophet’s basin), the hadith on wiping over the socks, the hadith on raising the hands in prayer, and the hadith “May Allah brighten the face of a person…” among many others. However, when compared to ahad hadiths, mutawatir reports are very few.

Famous Works on Mutawatir Hadiths

The ulama took great care in compiling mutawatir hadiths into independent works for easy reference. Among these works are:

• Al-Azhar al-Mutanathira fi al-Akhbar al-Mutawatira by al-Suyuti, which is arranged by topics.
• Qatf al-Azhar by al-Suyuti as well, which is a summary of the previous book.
• Nadhm al-Mutanathir min al-Hadith al-Mutawatir by Muhammad ibn Ja‘far al-Kattani.

The First Type of Hadith Sciences: Identifying Authentic Hadiths

Definition of Sahih Hadith

A sahih hadith is a hadith with a continuous chain of transmission (isnad) that is narrated by trustworthy and precise narrators from similar trustworthy and precise narrators until the chain reaches its endpoint. It must also be free from shudhudh (anomalies) and ‘ilal (hidden defects).

This definition excludes mursal (hadith with a missing link between a Tabi‘i and the Prophet), munqati‘ (a hadith with any type of break in its chain), mu‘dal (a hadith missing two or more consecutive narrators), shadh (a narration that contradicts stronger narrations), and any hadith containing a narrator who has a flaw affecting reliability. (The author (Mahmud Al Tahhan), pointed out that this definition excludes reports that do not meet the conditions of authenticity.)

Conditions of a Sahih Hadith

A hadith is classified as sahih when it meets five conditions, which will be explained below:

Continuity of the Chain of Transmission

This is implied by the phrase “a hadith with a continuous isnad to its endpoint.”

• Meaning of Continuity: Each narrator in the chain must have received the hadith directly from the one before him through an accepted mode of transmission.
• Exclusions: This condition excludes hadiths with any kind of broken chain, such as mursal, mu‘allaq (a hadith with missing narrators at the beginning of the chain), mu‘dal, mudallas (a hadith where a narrator omits an intermediary without clarifying it), and mursal khafi (a subtle form of disconnection).
• Why It Matters: If a hadith lacks continuity, it means a narrator is missing, and that missing narrator could be weak, making the hadith unreliable.

Integrity and Uprightness of the Narrators

This condition, which will be explained in more detail later, ensures that the narrators possess a strong moral character that compels them to piety and prevents them from lying or engaging in conduct that undermines their credibility.

• Exclusions: This condition excludes fabricated hadiths (mawdu‘) and weak hadiths that involve narrators accused of fisq (sinfulness), dishonesty, or lack of credibility.

Precision and Accuracy of the Narrators

• Meaning: A narrator must be able to accurately preserve the hadith, whether in his memory or written records, and recall it correctly when narrating.
• Importance: This condition ensures the narrator does not forget or make errors in transmission.
• Exclusions: A hadith is deemed weak if its narrators are prone to negligence, errors in narration, or carelessness when transmitting hadith.

Absence of Anomalies (Shudhudh)

• Definition: A shadh hadith is one in which a trustworthy narrator contradicts a more reliable authority.
• Why It Matters: If a hadith contradicts a narration from a stronger chain or a larger number of more reliable narrators, then the weaker narration is considered shadh.
• Exclusions: This condition ensures that the narrator did not make an error in transmission, even if he is generally reliable.

(Although precision is a general quality of a trustworthy narrator, mistakes can still occur in individual hadiths. Therefore, scholars specifically mention the condition of avoiding shudhudh to ensure the reliability of each hadith individually.)

Absence of Hidden Defects (‘Ilal)

• Definition: A ‘illah is a hidden flaw that undermines the authenticity of a hadith while the hadith appears outwardly sound.
• Why It Matters: Some hadiths may appear authentic at first glance but contain subtle defects that can only be detected by expert analysis.
• Exclusions: A hadith is deemed weak if an ‘illah is discovered that affects its reliability.

(The presence of the first four conditions establishes that a hadith is free from apparent defects. However, to ensure it is also free from hidden defects, scholars include this fifth condition.)

Ruling on Sahih Hadith

A sahih hadith provides a reliable transmission of the Prophet’s words and is accepted as a basis for legal rulings and beliefs.

• When scholars say, “This hadith is sahih,” they mean that it meets all five conditions.
• Similarly, when they say, “This hadith is not sahih,” it does not mean that it is certainly false. Rather, it means its isnad does not meet the required conditions.

Sahih Hadiths Vary in Strength

• Sahih hadiths differ in strength based on how well they meet the five conditions.
• Some are universally agreed upon, while others are disputed.

The Strongest Chain of Narration

The scholars have a difference opinion on what the strongest isnads are. Some of them are:

• Ishaq ibn Rahwayh and Ahmad ibn Hanbal: “The most authentic isnad is al-Zuhri from Salim from his father (‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar).”
• ‘Amr ibn ‘Ali al-Fallas and ‘Ali ibn al-Madini: “The most authentic isnad is Muhammad ibn Sirin from ‘Ubaydah from ‘Ali.”

Al-Hakim al-Naysaburi specified strong isnads by region:

• The strongest isnad from Abu Bakr: Isma‘il ibn Abi Khalid from Qays ibn Abi Hazim from Abu Bakr.
• The strongest isnad from ‘Umar: Al-Zuhri from Salim from his father from his grandfather (‘Umar).
• The strongest isnad from the people of Makkah: Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah from ‘Amr ibn Dinar from Jabir.
• The strongest isnad from the people of Yemen: Ma‘mar from Hammam from Abu Hurayrah.

(References: Ma‘rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith, p. 54-56; Tadrib al-Rawi, p. 36.)

Conclusion

A sahih hadith is one that meets the five necessary conditions. However, determining authenticity is a scholarly effort (ijtihad), and scholars may disagree on individual hadiths based on their assessment of these conditions. Nonetheless, a sahih hadith is the most reliable source of Prophetic knowledge and must be accepted and acted upon.

The Strongest Chains of Transmission (Asanid)

Some scholars have designated a specific narrator from whom Muhammad (the Prophet ﷺ) was reported, identifying him as Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, while others have identified him as Ibn ‘Awn.

It is narrated from Yahya ibn Ma‘in that he said: “The best among them is the chain: al-A‘mash from Ibrahim from ‘Alqamah from ‘Abdullah.”

It is also narrated from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah that he said: “The most authentic chain of transmission is al-Zuhri from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn from his father from ‘Ali.”

It is narrated from Abu ‘Abdullah al-Bukhari, the author of al-Sahih, that he said: “The most authentic chain of transmission is Malik from Nafi‘ from Ibn ‘Umar.” Based on this, Imam Abu Mansur ‘Abd al-Qahir ibn Tahir al-Tamimi considered the noblest chain of transmission to be: “Al-Shafi‘i from Malik from Nafi‘ from Ibn ‘Umar,” arguing that the scholars of hadith unanimously agree that there was no one more distinguished in narrating from Malik than al-Shafi‘i. May Allah be pleased with them all.

Judging a Hadith as Sahih Outside the Two Sahihs (Bukhari and Muslim)

If we find a hadith with an authentic chain of transmission in individual collections of hadith (ajza’ al-hadith) or other sources, but it is not included in either Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, nor explicitly declared authentic in any of the well-known, authoritative works of the hadith scholars, then we cannot assert with certainty that it is sahih.

(Reference: See the verification of opinions regarding the strongest chains in the valuable chapter of al-Kifayah fi ‘Ilm al-Riwayah by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, pp. 397-400. Imam al-‘Iraqi compiled the narrations transmitted through the strongest chains of transmission in his book Taqrib al-Asanid wa Tartib al-Masanid, though he did not cover all of them. I have gathered what has been ruled as the strongest chains comprehensively, and I have traced the hadiths narrated through them. May Allah facilitate their publication.)

In these times, it is no longer possible to independently ascertain the authenticity of hadith solely by examining its chains of transmission. This is because, in nearly every isnad, there are narrators who have relied on written records without fulfilling the conditions of sahih in terms of memorisation, precision, and accuracy.

Therefore, the primary approach for determining whether a hadith is sahih or hasan is to rely on the judgments of the great hadith scholars in their well-known, authoritative works, which—due to their fame—are safe from alterations and distortions.

Thus, most of the purpose behind transmitting isnads today is to preserve the unbroken chain of transmission (isnad)—a distinction unique to this ummah. May Allah increase its honour, Ameen.

Disagreement Among Scholars on Declaring Hadiths Sahih

Al-Nawawi and others disagreed with Ibn al-Salah on this issue. Al-Nawawi stated: “The stronger opinion, in my view, is that it is permissible for someone who has mastered the science and possesses deep knowledge to judge a hadith as sahih independently.”

Al-‘Iraqi commented: “What An Nawawi preferred is what the scholars of hadith actually practice.” However, as a precaution, it is safer to say, “This hadith has an authentic chain,” rather than simply stating, “This hadith is sahih,” since there may be a hidden defect (‘illah) in the hadith that has not been noticed. (See detailed discussion in: Sharh al-‘Iraqi ‘ala al-Alfiyyah, p. 12; Fath al-Mughith by al-Sakhawi, commentary on Alfiyyat al-Hadith by al-‘Iraqi, p. 6; and Tadrib al-Rawi by al-Suyuti, pp. 78-82.)

Suyuti dedicated a special study to this issue in his work al-Tanqih fi Mas’alah al-Tashih, in which he attempted to reconcile the differing views. He concluded that the tashih (authentication) rejected by Ibn al-Salah refers to ruling a hadith as sahih li-dhatihi (intrinsically authentic), whereas the authentication permitted by others refers to ruling a hadith as sahih li-ghayrihi (authentic due to supporting evidence). His conclusion was based on an analysis of how the scholars applied these principles.

(See the aforementioned work in the manuscripts of Dar al-Kutub al-Zahiriyyah, general collection no. 5896. Also, see detailed discussion in Manhaj al-Naqd fi ‘Ulum al-Hadith, pp. 280-282.)

The First Compilation of Authentic Hadith

The first scholar to compile a book of sahih hadith was al-Bukhari, Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Ju‘fi (their freed slave). He was followed by Abu al-Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Naysaburi al-Qushayri, who was of the same background. Although Muslim learned from al-Bukhari and benefited from him, they shared many of the same teachers.

Their two books (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) are the most authentic books after the Book of Allah. As for what is narrated from Imam al-Shafi‘i that he said: “I do not know of any book on earth with more correctness in knowledge than the book of Malik” (with some variations in wording), this statement was made before the compilation of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

Among the two books, Sahih al-Bukhari is considered the more authentic and contains more benefits.

(Reference: Some scholars have argued that al-Muwatta’ of Imam Malik was the first book to contain only authentic hadith due to Malik’s rigorous selection of hadith. However, it has been objected that al-Muwatta’ includes mursal (hadith missing a link between a Tabi‘i and the Prophet), munqati‘ (hadith with a disconnected chain), and balaghat (reports without a chain of transmission). In response, it has been said that Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr traced the missing chains of most of them in al-Tamhid, except for four hadiths, whose chains he could not complete (al-Taqassi, pp. 247, 253, 254; Ikhtisar ‘Ulum al-Hadith, p. 30; Tadrib al-Rawi, p. 41). Ibn al-Salah later compiled a separate work where he completed the missing chains. See al-Risalah al-Mutatarifah, pp. 4-5, and Miftah al-Sunnah by al-Khuli, pp. 22-23.)

Nur al-Din said: “However, Malik mixed hadith with the statements of the Companions and Tabi‘un, presenting them all in the same manner. His book was not exclusively dedicated to marfu‘ (Prophetic) hadith. In contrast, al-Bukhari distinguished the statements of the Companions and Tabi‘un by placing them in the chapter headings, making his book exclusively dedicated to authentic marfu‘ hadith. Thus, his book takes precedence in this regard. However, if we consider any book that contains sahih hadith, even if mixed with other material, then al-Muwatta’ was the first book of authentic hadith.”

Comparing the Two Sahihs

It is narrated from Abu ‘Ali al-Hafidh al-Naysaburi, the teacher of al-Hakim, that he said: “There is no book under the sky more authentic than the book of Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj.” Some scholars from the Maghreb have also preferred Sahih Muslim over Sahih al-Bukhari.

If the preference for Sahih Muslim is based on the fact that it does not contain anything mixed with non-sahih material—unlike Sahih al-Bukhari, which includes reports in chapter headings that do not meet the strict conditions of sahih—then this is an acceptable viewpoint. However, this does not mean that Sahih Muslim is more authentic in terms of the individual hadiths it contains. If someone claims that Sahih Muslim is overall more authentic than Sahih al-Bukhari, this claim is incorrect. (The scholars of hadith have confirmed that Sahih al-Bukhari is superior. See Hady al-Sari, the introduction to Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, vol. 1, pp. 7-8, and Tadrib al-Rawi, pp. 42-45. However, this preference does not mean that every hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari is necessarily stronger than every hadith in Sahih Muslim. There are individual hadiths in Sahih Muslim that are stronger than some in Sahih al-Bukhari. But overall, Sahih al-Bukhari contains a greater proportion of the strongest hadiths, making it superior as a whole.)

Did Al-Bukhari and Muslim Include All Authentic Hadiths?

Neither al-Bukhari nor Muslim compiled every sahih hadith in their collections, nor did they claim to do so. It is narrated that al-Bukhari said: “I only included in my book (al-Jami‘ al-Sahih) what is authentic, but I left out many authentic hadiths due to length constraints.” (See al-Kifayah fi ‘Ilm al-Riwayah by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, pp. 397-400.)

Similarly, Imam Muslim said: “Not everything that is authentic according to me did I include here. I only included what was unanimously agreed upon.” (What he meant, Allah knows best, is that he only included hadiths that met the strictest conditions of authenticity, even if there were some authentic hadiths that did not meet all the conditions of universal agreement.)

The hadith scholar Abu ‘Abdullah ibn al-Akhram said: “There are very few sahih hadiths that are not found in Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim.”

However, one could argue that the number is not small. Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn by al-Hakim is a large book that includes many sahih hadiths that were not included in the two Sahihs. While some of his judgments have been criticised, many of the hadiths he included are indeed sahih.

Al-Bukhari said: “I have memorised 100,000 authentic hadiths and 200,000 non-authentic hadiths.” His Sahih contains 7,275 hadiths including repetitions. Without repetitions, it has about 4,000 hadiths. (Reference: Some scholars include statements of the Companions and Tabi‘un when counting the hadiths. A single hadith reported through two chains is sometimes counted as two separate hadiths.)

Where to Find Additional Authentic Hadiths

Additional sahih hadiths beyond those in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim can be found in other well-known hadith collections compiled by scholars of hadith, including:

• Abu Dawud al-Sijistani
• Tirmidhi
• Nasa’i
• Ibn Khuzaymah
• Daraqutni

These collections contain hadiths that have been explicitly declared sahih by the authors.

However, simply finding a hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, or Sunan al-Nasa’i does not necessarily mean the hadith is sahih, since these books contain both authentic and weak hadiths. Instead, hadiths included in books where the author explicitly conditioned authenticity—such as Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah—can generally be assumed to be sahih.

Authentic hadiths can also be found in books that compiled additions to Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, such as:

• Musnad Abi ‘Awanah al-Isfarayini
• Musnad Abi Bakr al-Isma‘ili
• Musnad Abi Bakr al-Barqani

Many of these additional authentic hadiths are compiled in al-Jam‘ bayn al-Sahihayn by Abu ‘Abdullah al-Humaydi.

Al-Hakim’s Mustadrak and Ibn Hibban’s Sahih

Al-Hakim dedicated himself to expanding the number of sahih hadiths beyond what was included in the two Sahihs. He compiled these in his book al-Mustadrak, which includes hadiths he deemed to meet the conditions of al-Bukhari and Muslim, or at least one of them, as well as others that he personally judged to be sahih.

However, he was lenient in his conditions for sahih, and his judgments require verification.

A balanced approach is to say that if al-Hakim declared a hadith sahih and no other leading hadith scholar contradicted him, the hadith should at least be considered hasan (acceptable), unless a defect is found that weakens it.

A similar approach applies to Sahih Ibn Hibban, which follows a methodology close to that of al-Mustadrak.