Baada ya muda kupita, wapokezi zaidi walihusika katika kila isnadi, hivyo hali ilidai nidhamu kali katika kukubali hadithi; kanuni zinazosimamia nidhamu hii zinajulikana kama Mustalah al-Hadith (Uainishaji wa Hadithi).

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).

Miongoni mwa wanachuoni wa mwanzo wa Hadith (muhaddithin, wataalamu wa Hadith), kanuni na vigezo vilivyoongoza utafiti wao wa Hadith vilikuwa vya kina na makini, lakini baadhi ya istilahi zao zilitofautiana kutoka mtu mmoja hadi mwingine. Kanuni zao zilianza kuandikwa kwa utaratibu, lakini zilitawanyika katika vitabu mbalimbali, kwa mfano katika Al-Risalah ya al-Shafi'i (d. 204 H.), utangulizi wa Sahih ya Muslim (d. 261 H.) na Jami' ya al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 H.). Vigezo vingi vya wanachuoni wa mwanzo, kama al-Bukhari, vilitolewa na wanachuoni waliokuja baadaye kwa kuchunguza kwa makini ni wasimulizi au isnadi zipi walizokubali na zipi walizokataa.

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.

Moja ya kazi za mwanzo kujaribu kufunika Mustalah kwa kina, kwa kutumia istilahi za kawaida (yaani zinazokubalika kwa ujumla), ilikuwa kazi ya al-Ramahurmuzi (d. 360). Mchango mkubwa uliofuata ulikuwa Ma'rifah 'Ulum al-Hadith ya al-Hakim (d. 405), ambayo ilihusu aina hamsini za Hadith, lakini bado iliacha baadhi ya mambo bila kuguswa; Abu Nu'aim al-Isbahani (d. 430) alikamilisha baadhi ya sehemu zilizokosekana katika kazi hii. Baada ya hapo kulikuja Al-Kifayah fi 'Ilm al-Riwayah ya al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463) na kazi nyingine kuhusu namna ya kufundisha na kujifunza Hadith; wanazuoni waliofuata walichukuliwa kuwa wenye deni kubwa kwa kazi ya 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.

Baada ya michango zaidi ya Qadi 'Iyad al-Yahsubi (d. 544) na Abu Hafs al-Mayanji (d. 580) miongoni mwa wengine, ulikuja kazi ambayo, ingawa ni ndogo kwa ukubwa, ilikuwa pana sana katika ufafanuzi wake bora wa somo hilo hivi kwamba ikawa marejeo ya msingi kwa maelfu ya wanazuoni na wanafunzi wa Hadith waliokuja baadaye, kwa karne nyingi hadi leo: 'Ulum al-Hadith ya Abu 'Amr 'Uthman Ibn al-Salah (d. 643), inayojulikana kwa kawaida kama Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah, iliyoandikwa alipokuwa akifundisha katika Dar al-Hadith za miji kadhaa ya Syria. Baadhi ya kazi nyingi za baadaye zilizotegemea ile ya Ibn al-Salah ni hizi:

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:

Muhtasari wa Muqaddimah, Al-Irshad ya al-Nawawi (d. 676), ambao baadaye aliufupisha katika kitabu chake Taqrib; al-Suyuti (d. 911) aliandika ufafanuzi wenye thamani kubwa juu ya kitabu hicho kiitwacho 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 cha Ibn Kathir (d. 774), Al-Khulasah cha al-Tibi (d. 743), Al-Minhal cha Badr al-Din b. Jama'ah (d. 733), Al-Muqni' cha Ibn al-Mulaqqin (d. 802) na Mahasin al-Istilah cha al-Balqini (d. 805), ambavyo vyote ni vifupisho vya Muqaddimah ya 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 ya al-Zarkashi (d. 794), Al-Taqyid wa 'l-Idah ya al-'Iraqi (d. 806) na Al-Nukat ya Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (d. 852), vyote hivi ni maelezo zaidi juu ya mambo yaliyotolewa na 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 ya al-'Iraqi, ni kuandika upya kwa Muqaddimah katika umbo la shairi refu, ambalo lilikuja kuwa mada ya sharhi kadhaa, zikiwemo mbili (moja refu, nyingine fupi) zilizoandikwa na mwandishi mwenyewe, Fath al-Mughith ya al-Sakhawi (d. 903), Qatar al-Durar ya al-Suyuti, na Fath al-Baqi ya Shaykh Zakariyyah 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 ya Ibn Daqiq al-'Id (d. 702). Tanqih al-Anzar ya Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Wazir (d. 840), ambayo ilifanyiwa sharh na al-Amir al-San'ani (d. 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).

• Nukhbat al-Fikr ya Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, ambayo tena ni mada ya sharhi kadhaa, zikiwemo ile ya mwandishi mwenyewe, ile ya mwanawe Muhammad, na zile za 'Ali al-Qari (d. 1014), 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Munawi (d. 1031) na Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Hadi al-Sindi (d. 1138). Miongoni mwa wale waliosema upya Nukhbah kwa umbo la ushairi ni al-Tufi (d. 893) na 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 ya al-Suyuti, kazi ya kishairi yenye ukamilifu zaidi katika fani hii. Al-Manzumah ya al-Baiquni, ambayo ilipanuliwa na, miongoni mwa wengine, al-Zurqani (d. 1122) na Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (d. 1307). Qawa'id al-Tahdith ya 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 cha Tahir al-Jaza'iri (d. 1338), muhtasari wa Ma'rifah ya al-Hakim.

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