Littattafan Mustalah sun yi magana game da nau'o'in hadisi da dama bisa ga matsayinsu. Ana iya yin manyan rarrabuwa kamar haka, kuma kowanne daga cikinsu an yi bayaninsa a sassan da suka biyo baya.

Mustalah books speak of a number of classes of hadith in accordance with their status. The following broad classifications can be made, each of which is explained in the later sections:

• Bisa ga ambaton wani mai ruwaya, misali Manzon Allah (Allah ya yi masa salati da sallama), wani Sahabi, ko wani Tabi'i; irin wadannan hadisai ana kiransu marfu' (wanda aka dagawa), mauquf (wanda aka tsaya da shi) da maqtu' (wanda aka yanke) bi da bi.

• According to the reference to a particular authority, e.g. the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), a Companion, or a Successor; such ahadith are called marfu' (elevated), mauquf (stopped) and maqtu' (severed) respectively.

Dangane da hanyoyin haɗin kai a cikin isnadi, watau ko sarkar masu ruwaitawa tana katsewa ko kuwa ba ta katsewa ba, misali musnad (wanda aka danganta), muttasil (mai ci gaba), munqati' (mai katsewa), mu'allaq (rataye), mu'dal (mai rikitarwa) da mursal (gaggawa).

• According to the links in the isnad, i.e. whether the chain of reporters is interrupted or uninterrupted, e.g. musnad (supported), muttasil (continuous), munqati' (broken), mu'allaq (hanging), mu'dal (perplexing) and mursal (hurried).

Bisa ga adadin masu ruwaya a kowane mataki na isnadi, misali mutawatir (jere-jere) da ahad (keɓantacce), inda ake raba na ƙarshen zuwa gharib (ba kasafai ba, baƙon abu), 'aziz (kaɗan amma mai ƙarfi), da mashhur (sananne).

• According to the number of reporters involved in each stage of the isnad, e.g. mutawatir (consecutive) and ahad (isolated), the latter being divided into gharib (scarce, strange), 'aziz (rare, strong), and mashhur (famous).

Bisa ga hanyar da aka ruwaito hadisi, kamar amfani da kalmomin Larabci 'an ("daga"), haddathana ("ya ba mu labari"), akhbarana ("ya sanar da mu") ko sami'tu ("na ji"). A wannan rukuni ne tattaunawar game da hadisai na mudallas (boyayye) da musalsal (haɗe-haɗe iri ɗaya) ta shiga. [Lura: A cikin nakalto isnadai a sauran wannan littafi, hanyar ruwaito ta farko da aka ambata a sama za a wakilta ta da layi ɗaya mai karyewa haka: ---. Sauran hanyoyin ruwaito uku da aka ambata a sama, waɗanda duk suna nuna sarai cewa hadisin ya zo kai tsaye, ana wakilta su da layi biyu haka: ===.]

• According to the manner in which the hadith has been reported, such as using the (Arabic) words 'an ("on the authority of"), haddathana ("he narrated to us"), akhbarana (- "he informed us") or sami'tu ("I heard"). In this category falls the discussion about mudallas (concealed) and musalsal (uniformly-linked) ahadith. [Note: In the quotation of isnads in the remainder of this book, the first mode of narration mentioned above will be represented with a single broken line thus: ---. The three remaining modes of narration mentioned above, which all strongly indicate a clear, direct transmission of the hadith, are represented by a double line thus: ===.].

• Bisa ga yanayin matn da isnad, misali karin da wani amintaccen mai ruwaya ya yi, wanda ake kira ziyadatu thiqah, ko kuma sabani da wani mai ƙaramin matsayi ya yi wa wanda ya fi amana, wanda ake kira shadhdh (mai sabawa/ba-daidai ba). A wasu lokuta, hadisin da ke ɗauke da kalma ta batsa, magana marar hankali ko kuskuren da ya bayyana, malaman hadisi suna ƙin karɓarsa kai tsaye ba tare da duba isnad ba: irin wannan hadisi ana kiransa munkar (wanda aka ƙi). Idan aka tabbatar cewa wata kalma ko magana karin da mai ruwaya ya saka ne cikin matn, ana bayyana ta a matsayin mudraj (wacce aka saka cikin hadisi).

• According to the nature of the matn and isnad, e.g. an addition by a reliable reporter, known as ziyadatu thiqah, or opposition by a lesser authority to a more reliable one, known as shadhdh (irregular). In some cases, a text containing a vulgar expression, unreasonable remark or obviously-erroneous statement is rejected by the traditionists outright without consideration of the isnad: such a hadith is known as munkar (denounced). If an expression or statement is proved to be an addition by a reporter to the text, it is declared as mudraj (interpolated).

• Bisa ga wani lahani da aka gano a ɓoye cikin isnādi ko matn na hadisi. Ko da yake wannan na iya shiga cikin wasu daga cikin rukunan da suka gabata, hadisi mu'allal (hadisi mai lahani) ya cancanci a yi bayaninsa daban. Lahanin na iya faruwa ta hanyoyi da dama; misali, nau'o'i biyu na hadisi mu'allal da aka sani su ne maqlūb (wanda aka juya) da mudtarib (mai girgiza).

• According to a hidden defect found in the isnad or text of a hadith. Although this could be included in some of the previous categories, a hadith mu'allal (defective hadith) is worthy to be explained separately. The defect can be caused in many ways; e.g. two types of hadith mu'allal are known as maqlub (overturned) and mudtarib (shaky).

• Bisa ga amincin masu ruwaito da ƙarfin ƙwaƙwalwarsu; hukuncin ƙarshe a kan wani hadisi ya dogara sosai a kan wannan al'amari: hukunce-hukunce irin su sahihi (ingantacce), hasan (mai kyau), da'if (raunanne) da maudu' (wanda aka ƙirƙira, na jabu) sun dogara ne musamman a kan yanayin masu ruwaito a cikin isnad.

• According to the reliability and memory of the reporters; the final judgment on a hadith depends crucially on this factor: verdicts such as sahih (sound), hasan (good), da'if (weak) and maudu' (fabricated, forged) rest mainly upon the nature of the reporters in the isnad.