Ni elimu ya kanuni hizo ambazo kwazo hujulikana hali ya sanadi [mnyororo wa usimulizi] na matni [maandishi ya hadithi]. Lengo lake ni kutofautisha hadithi sahihi na zile nyingine. Ina aina mbili: elimu ya hadithi inayohusu usimulizi [riwaya] na elimu ya hadithi inayohusu maana [dirayah]. Kuhusu ile inayohusu usimulizi, inajumuisha usimulizi wa maneno ya Mtume ﷺ, vitendo vyake, idhini yake na sifa zake, kwa kuzingatia usimulizi wake, usahihi wake na uandishi wa maneno [tahriri alfadhi]. Kuhusu ile inayohusu maana, kwayo hujulikana hakika, masharti, aina na kanuni za usimulizi, pamoja na hali ya wasimulizi, sifa zao, aina za usimulizi na yanayohusiana nayo. Dirayah pia inajumuisha ujuzi wa maana iliyomo katika hadithi kwa mtazamo wa kama inapingana na andiko lisilo na shaka.

It is the science of those laws whereby the condition of the sanad [chain of transmission] and matn [text of the ḥadīth] is known. Its objective is to differentiate the sahīh hadīth from the others. It is of two types: the science of hadīth pertaining to transmission [riwāya] and the science of the hadīth pertaining to meaning [dirāya]. As for the one pertaining to transmission, it includes the transmission of the sayings of the Prophet , his actions, consent and attributes, with repsect to their narration, accuracy and transcription of words [tahrīr alfādh]. As for the one pertaining to the meaning, the reality, conditions, types and rules of transmission are known through it, as well as the state of the transmitters, their conditions, the types of the transmissions and that which is related to it. Dirāya also covers knowledge of the meaning contained in the hadīth in terms of whether it contradicts a definitive text.