Yayin da lokaci ya ci gaba, sai ƙarin masu ruwaito suka shiga cikin kowane isnad, don haka al'amarin ya buƙaci tsananin ladabi wajen karɓar hadisai; dokokin da ke tsara wannan ladabi an san su da Mustalah al-Hadith (Rarrabe Hadisi).

As time passed, more reporters were involved in each isnad, and so the situation demanded strict discipline in the acceptance of ahadith; the rules regulating this discipline are known as Mustalah al-Hadith (the Classification of Hadith).

Daga cikin malaman farko na ilimin hadisi (muhaddithai, masana hadisi), ƙa'idoji da ma'aunan nazarin hadisi sun kasance masu tsanani da daidaito, amma kalmomin da suke amfani da su sun bambanta daga mutum zuwa mutum, kuma ƙa'idodinsu sun fara a rubuce cikin tsari, amma an warwatsa su a cikin littattafai daban-daban, misali a cikin Al-Risalah na al-Shafi'i (d. 204), a cikin Gabatarwar Sahih na Muslim (d. 261) da kuma a cikin Jami' na al-Tirmidhi (d. 279). Yawancin ma'aunan malaman farko, misali al-Bukhari, malaman baya ne suka fitar da su ta hanyar nazari mai zurfi na waɗanda masu ruwaitowa ko isnadi da suka karɓa da waɗanda suka ƙi.

Amongst the early traditionists (muhaddithin, scholars of Hadith), the rules and criteria governing their study of Hadith were meticulous but some of their terminology varied from person to person, and their principles began to be systematically written down, but scattered amongst various books, e.g. in Al-Risalah of al- Shafi'i (d. 204), the Introduction to the Sahih of Muslim (d. 261) and the Jami' of al-Tirmidhi (d. 279); many of the criteria of early traditionists, e.g. al-Bukhari, were deduced by later scholars from a careful study of which reporters or isnads were accepted and rejected by them.

Ɗaya daga cikin rubuce-rubucen farko da suka yi ƙoƙarin rufe ilimin Mustalah gaba ɗaya, suna amfani da kalmomin ƙa'ida (watau waɗanda malamai suka amince da su gabaɗaya), shi ne aikin al-Ramahurmuzi (d. 360). Gudummawa ta gaba mai muhimmanci ita ce Ma'rifah 'Ulum al-Hadith na al-Hakim (d. 405), wanda ya rufe nau'o'in Hadith hamsin, amma har yanzu wasu abubuwa ba a taɓa su ba; Abu Nu'aim al-Isbahani (d. 430) ya cike wasu sassan da suka ɓace a wannan aiki. Bayan haka sai Al-Kifayah fi 'Ilm al-Riwayah na al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463) da wani aiki kan hanyar koyarwa da karatun Hadith; malamai na baya an ɗauke su a matsayin waɗanda suka fi dogara ga aikin al-Khatib.

One of the earliest writings to attempt to cover Mustalah comprehensively, using standard (i.e. generally-accepted) terminology, was the work by al-Ramahurmuzi (d. 360). The next major contribution was Ma'rifah 'Ulum al-Hadith by al- Hakim (d. 405), which covered fifty classifications of Hadith, but still left some points untouched; Abu Nu'aim al-Isbahani (d. 430) completed some of the missing parts to this work. After that came Al-Kifayah fi 'Ilm al- Riwayah of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463) and another work on the manner of teaching and studying Hadith; later scholars were considered to be greatly indebted to al-Khatib's work.

Bayan ci gaban da Qadi 'Iyad al-Yahsubi (d. 544) da Abu Hafs al-Mayanji (d. 580) suka yi, da sauran malamai, sai aka samu littafi wanda, duk da karancin shafukansa, ya kasance cikakke wajen kyakkyawan bayanin wannan fanni har ya zama littafin da ake komawa gare shi a matsayin ma'auni ga dubban malamai da dalibai na ilimin Hadisi a cikin shekaru masu yawa, har zuwa yau: 'Ulum al-Hadith na Abu 'Amr 'Uthman Ibn al-Salah (d. 643), wanda aka fi sani da Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah, wanda ya rubuta shi yayin da yake koyarwa a Dar al-Hadith na birane da dama a Siriya. Daga cikin littattafai masu yawa da suka biyo baya bisa tushen littafin Ibn al-Salah akwai:

After further contributions by Qadi 'Iyad al- Yahsubi (d. 544) and Abu Hafs al-Mayanji (d. 580) among others, came the work which, although modest in size, was so comprehensive in its excellent treatment of the subject that it came to be the standard reference for thousands of scholars and students of Hadith to come, over many centuries until the present day: 'Ulum al- Hadith of Abu 'Amr 'Uthman Ibn al-Salah (d. 643), commonly known as Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah, compiled while he taught in the Dar al-Hadith of several cities in Syria. Some of the numerous later works based on that of Ibn al-Salah are:

• Takaitaccen bayanin Muqaddimah, Al-Irshad na al-Nawawi (d. 676), wanda daga baya ya taƙaita a cikin littafinsa Taqrib; al-Suyuti (d. 911) ya tsara sharhi mai amfani a kan wannan littafi mai suna Tadrib al-Rawi.

• An abridgement of Muqaddimah, Al-Irshad by al- Nawawi (d. 676), which he later summarised in his Taqrib; al-Suyuti (d. 911) compiled a valuable commentary on the latter entitled Tadrib al-Rawi.

• Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith na Ibn Kathir (d. 774), Al-Khulasah na al-Tibi (d. 743), Al-Minhal na Badr al-Din b. Jama'ah (d. 733), Al-Muqni' na Ibn al-Mulaqqin (d. 802) da Mahasin al-Istilah na al-Balqini (d. 805), duk waɗannan gajeruwar bayani ne na Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah.

• Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith of Ibn Kathir (d. 774), Al-Khulasah of al-Tibi (d. 743), Al- Minhal of Badr al-Din b. Jama'ah (d. 733), Al- Muqni' of Ibn al-Mulaqqin (d. 802) and Mahasin al-Istilah of al-Balqini (d. 805), all of which are abridgements of Muqaddimah Ibn al- Salah.

• Al-Nukat na al-Zarkashi (d. 794), Al-Taqyid wa 'l-Idah na al-'Iraqi (d. 806) da Al-Nukat na Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (d. 852), dukkansu ƙarin bayanai ne kan abubuwan da Ibn al-Salah ya gabatar.

• Al-Nukat of al-Zarkashi (d. 794), Al-Taqyid wa 'l-Idah of al-'Iraqi (d. 806) and Al-Nukat of Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (d. 852), all of which are further notes on the points made by Ibn al- Salah.

• Alfiyyatu l-Hadith ta al-'Iraqi, wacce sake rubuta Muqaddimah a cikin salon waka mai tsawo, kuma ta zama batun sharhi da dama, ciki har da guda biyu (daya mai tsawo, daya gajere) da marubucin da kansa ya rubuta, Fath al-Mughith na al-Sakhawi (d. 903), Qatar al-Durar na al-Suyuti, da Fath al-Baqi na Shaikh Zakariyya al-Ansari (d. 928).

• Alfiyyah al-Hadith of al-'Iraqi, a rewriting of Muqaddimah in the form of a lengthy poem, which became the subject of several commentaries, including two (one long, one short) by the author himself, Fath al-Mughith of al-Sakhawi (d. 903), Qatar al-Durar of al- Suyuti and Fath al-Baqi of Shaykh Zakariyyah al-Ansari (d. 928).

• Al-Iqtirah na Ibn Daqiq al-'Id (d. 702). Tanqih al-Anzar na Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Wazir (d. 840), wanda Al-Amir al-San'ani (d. 1182) ya rubuta sharhi a kansa.

• Al-Iqtirah of Ibn Daqiq al-'Id (d. 702). Tanqih al-Anzar of Muhammad b. Ibrahim al- Wazir (d. 840), the subject of a commentary by al-Amir al-San'ani (d. 1182).

• Nukhbatu al-Fikr na Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, wanda ya zama batun sharhi da dama, daga ciki akwai wanda marubucin kansa ya rubuta, wanda ɗansa Muhammad ya rubuta, da waɗanda 'Ali al-Qari (d. 1014), 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Munawi (d. 1031) da Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Hadi al-Sindi (d. 1138) suka rubuta. Daga cikin waɗanda suka sake tsara Nukhbah a cikin salon waƙa akwai al-Tufi (d. 893) da al-Amir al-San'ani.

• Nukhbah al-Fikr of Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, again the subject of several commentaries, including one by the author himself, one by his son Muhammad, and those of 'Ali al-Qari (d. 1014), 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Munawi (d. 1031) and Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Hadi al-Sindi (d. 1138). Among those who rephrased the Nukhbah in poetic form are al-Tufi (d. 893) and al- Amir al-San'ani.

• Alfiyyar al-Hadith ta al-Suyuti, aikin waka mafi cikakken bayani a wannan fanni. Al-Manzumah ta al-Baiquni, wadda masana da dama suka faɗaɗa, daga cikinsu al-Zurqani (d. 1122) da Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (d. 1307). Qawa'id al-Tahdith ta Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi (d. 1332).

• Alfiyyah al-Hadith of al-Suyuti, the most comprehensive poetic work in the field. Al-Manzumah of al-Baiquni, which was expanded upon by, amongst others, al-Zurqani (d. 1122) and Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (d. 1307). Qawa'id al-Tahdith of Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi (d. 1332).

Taujih al-Nazar na Tahir al-Jaza'iri (d. 1338), taƙaitaccen littafin Ma'rifah na al-Hakim.

• Taujih al-Nazar of Tahir al-Jaza'iri (d. 1338), a summary of al-Hakim's Ma'rifah.