The Islamic Personality by Sheikh Taqīuddīn An-Nabahānī

The Hadeeth divides into: Saheeh (correct), Hassan (Good) and weak (Dha'eef), according to the Hadeeth scholars.

The Saheeh Hadeeth is the related (Musnad) Hadeeth which its relation (Isnaad) is connected by the transmission of the just and accurate narrator from the just and accurate narrator up to the end of it, and it should not be irregular (shaazth), or problematic (mu'allal). This is the Hadeeth that the scholars of the Hadeeth decided -without dispute- its authenticity (sihhah, i.e. being Saheeh). Therefore that which has a cut in its relation (Isnaad) is not considered an authentic (Saheeh), like the cut (munqati') and the problematic (Mu'dhal). Also it is not considered an authentic what has been transmitted by he whose outward and inward situation is unknown, nor if himself is unknown, or known by weakness, nor is it considered to be Saheeh that which is transmitted by other than the attentive memorizer, as if it has been transmitted by an inattentive who commits lots of mistakes, nor what is narrated by the trustworthy but his narration is different to the narration of the people, then it is the irregular (shaazth), nor what has a hidden defamation reasons, then it is the problematic (mu'allal).

When seeking knowledge about the Saheeh Hadeeth; the matter ends to what the famous Imams of the Hadeeth compiled in their books. The Saheeh is what was found certified as authentic in one of the two Saheeh books or in any of the famous reliable books of the Hadeeth Imams. The divisions of the Saheeh (authentic) are:

1. A Saheeh which is compiled by Al Bukhari and Muslim.

2. A Saheeh which Al Bukhari compiled without Muslim.

3. A Saheeh which Muslim compiled without Al Bukhari.

4. A Saheeh according to their conditions but they did not compile it.

5. A Saheeh according to Al Bukhari condition but he did not compile it.

6. A Saheeh according to Muslim condition but he did not compile it.

7. A Saheeh according to other Imams but not according to either one of the two Imams.

These are the mothers of the Saheeh divisions. The highest of them is the first one which the people of the Hadeeth usually call it "agreed on" The Hassan (good) Hadeeth is the one that its compiler is known and its men became famous, and the majority of the Ahaadeeth revolve on this, and it is accepted by most scholars and used by common scholars. It had been narrated that Abu 'Issa Al-Tirmizthi (MAMBUH) meant by Al-hassan: is that which there is no suspect of lie in its isnaad (relation), nor is it an irregular (shaazth), and it is called Hassan for the favourable judgment for its narration The Hassan Hadeeth is two types: 1- The Hadeeth which the narration of it is not free from a concealed person who did not achieve the capability, but he is not that inattentive who makes lots of mistakes in what he narrates, nor is he accused to lie in the Hadeeth.

2- The Hadeeth that its narrator is one of the known by his truthfulness and trustworthiness, but he did not reach the level of the Saheeh Hadeeth men for he is lesser (weaker) than them. The Hassan Hadeeth is capable to be a proof same like the Saheeh Hadeeth. The ahaadeeth which came in the books of the Imams and their students, and in the other scholars and jurisprudents' books are considered to be from the Hassan Hadeeth, and it is used as a daleel, since they used it as a daleel for the verdict, or they derived a verdict from it, so it is a Hassan Hadeeth whether it came in the usoul or in the fiqh books which are proven that they are of the considered books like Al-Mabsout, Al-Umm, Al Mudawwanah Al-kubra (the big record) and the likes. Not like the books of Al Baajoury, Al-Shanshoury and the likes. As for what came as Ahaadeeth in the tafseer books; they are not to pay attention to, nor are they to be advanced as a proof even if the explainer (mufassir) is a mujtahid imam, that is because it came to explain a verse (Ayah) not to derive a verdict, and there is difference between them, and because the explainers are not usually concerned to investigate the ahaadeeth which they invoke in the tafseer, therefore these Ahaadeeth should not be considered (accepted) as soon as they are found in the tafseer books, as if they are in the Imams and scholars of fiqh books, but it is inevitable to investigate the Hadeeth even by imitation way, i.e. by asking a scholar of Hadeeth, or by referring to the considered Hadeeth books. The weak Hadeeth is the one that does not gather the qualities of the Saheeh Hadeeth, nor the qualities of the Hassan Hadeeth which are mentioned previously, i.e. it is the one which the authenticity of all or some of its narrators is not proven, for the ignorance of their situation or for a scratch in their truthfulness or as such, which necessitates negating their justness and their trustworthiness. The weak Hadeeth is not advanced as a proof nor is it taken as an evidence for the shari'ahi verdicts.