Seiring berjalannya waktu, semakin banyak perawi yang terlibat dalam setiap isnad, sehingga keadaan menuntut disiplin yang ketat dalam penerimaan hadis; kaidah-kaidah yang mengatur disiplin ini dikenal sebagai Mustalah al-Hadis (Klasifikasi Hadis).

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).

Di antara para ahli hadis awal (muhaddithin, ulama hadis), kaidah dan kriteria yang mengatur kajian hadis sangat cermat, namun sebagian terminologi mereka berbeda-beda dari satu orang ke orang lain, dan prinsip-prinsip mereka mulai dituliskan secara sistematis, tetapi tersebar di berbagai kitab, misalnya dalam Al-Risalah karya al-Shafi'i (w. 204 H), Pendahuluan Sahih Muslim (w. 261 H), dan Jami' karya al-Tirmidhi (w. 279 H). Banyak kriteria para ahli hadis awal, misalnya al-Bukhari, baru disimpulkan oleh ulama-ulama kemudian melalui penelaahan cermat terhadap para perawi atau sanad mana yang mereka terima dan mana yang mereka tolak.

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.

Salah satu tulisan paling awal yang berupaya mencakup Mustalah secara menyeluruh, dengan menggunakan terminologi baku (yakni yang diterima secara umum), adalah karya al-Ramahurmuzi (w. 360). Kontribusi besar berikutnya adalah Ma'rifah 'Ulum al-Hadith karya al-Hakim (w. 405), yang membahas lima puluh klasifikasi hadis, namun masih menyisakan beberapa pokok yang belum dibahas; Abu Nu'aim al-Isbahani (w. 430) melengkapi sebagian bagian yang belum tercakup dalam karya ini. Setelah itu datang Al-Kifayah fi 'Ilm al-Riwayah karya al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (w. 463) dan karya lain tentang tata cara mengajarkan dan mempelajari hadis; para ulama setelahnya dianggap sangat berutang budi pada karya 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.

Setelah sumbangan lebih lanjut dari Qadi 'Iyad al-Yahsubi (w. 544) dan Abu Hafs al-Mayanji (w. 580) di antara yang lain, lahirlah karya yang, meskipun ukurannya ringkas, begitu komprehensif dalam pembahasannya yang luar biasa terhadap topik ini sehingga menjadi rujukan baku bagi ribuan ulama dan penuntut ilmu Hadis di masa-masa berikutnya, selama berabad-abad hingga masa sekarang: 'Ulum al-Hadith karya Abu 'Amr 'Uthman Ibn al-Salah (w. 643), yang umumnya dikenal sebagai Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah, disusun ketika beliau mengajar di Dar al-Hadith di beberapa kota di Syria. Di antara banyak karya yang kemudian disusun berdasarkan karya Ibn al-Salah adalah:

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:

Ringkasan dari Muqaddimah, Al-Irshad karya al-Nawawi (w. 676 H), yang kemudian ia ringkas lagi dalam kitab Taqrib-nya; al-Suyuti (w. 911 H) menyusun sebuah syarah yang berharga atas kitab yang terakhir ini, berjudul 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 karya Ibn Katsir (w. 774 H), Al-Khulasah karya al-Tibi (w. 743 H), Al-Minhal karya Badr al-Din b. Jama'ah (w. 733 H), Al-Muqni' karya Ibn al-Mulaqqin (w. 802 H) dan Mahasin al-Istilah karya al-Balqini (w. 805 H), yang semuanya merupakan ringkasan dari 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 karya al-Zarkasyi (w. 794 H), Al-Taqyid wa 'l-Idah karya al-'Iraqi (w. 806 H), dan Al-Nukat karya Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (w. 852 H), yang semuanya merupakan catatan tambahan atas poin-poin yang dikemukakan oleh Ibn al-Salah.

• 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.

• Alfiyyah al-Hadith karya al-'Iraqi, sebuah penulisan ulang Muqaddimah dalam bentuk syair panjang, yang menjadi subjek beberapa syarah, termasuk dua (satu panjang, satu pendek) oleh pengarangnya sendiri, Fath al-Mughith karya al-Sakhawi (w. 903), Qatar al-Durar karya al-Suyuti, dan Fath al-Baqi karya Syaikh Zakariyyah al-Ansari (w. 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 karya Ibn Daqiq al-'Id (w. 702). Tanqih al-Anzar karya Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Wazir (w. 840), yang menjadi objek syarah oleh al-Amir al-San'ani (w. 1182).

• 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).

• Nukhbah al-Fikr karya Ibnu Hajar al-'Asqalani, yang juga menjadi objek beberapa syarah, di antaranya syarah oleh penulisnya sendiri, oleh putranya Muhammad, serta oleh 'Ali al-Qari (w. 1014 H), 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Munawi (w. 1031 H), dan Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Hadi al-Sindi (w. 1138 H). Di antara mereka yang menyusun ulang Nukhbah dalam bentuk syair adalah al-Tufi (w. 893 H) dan 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.

• Alfiyyah al-Hadith karya al-Suyuti, karya puitis yang paling komprehensif di bidang ini. Al-Manzumah karya al-Baiquni, yang dikembangkan lebih lanjut oleh, antara lain, al-Zurqani (w. 1122) dan Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (w. 1307). Qawa'id al-Tahdith karya Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi (w. 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 karya Tahir al-Jaza'iri (w. 1338), ringkasan dari Ma'rifah karya al-Hakim.

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