Aina nyingi tofauti za vitabu vimeandikwa kuhusu somo la hadithi. Wataalamu wa hadithi wamezipanga aina za vitabu vya hadithi katika makundi. Hapa chini, tutataja baadhi yake:

Many different types of books have been written on the subject of ahadith. The hadīth masters have categorized the different types of books on ahadith. Below, we will mention some of them:

al-Jawami‘: al-Jawami‘ ni wingi wa Jami‘. Jami‘ ni kitabu cha hadithi kinachojumuisha mada nane tofauti: (1) Wasifu, (2) Maadili, (3) Imani, (4) Fitna, (5) Dalili za Siku ya Kiyama, (6) Hukumu za Sharia, (7) Fadhila za Masahaba [na wengine] na (8) Tafsiri ya Qur'an.

al-Jawami‘: al-Jawami‘ is the plural of Jami‘. Jami‘ denotes the hadīth book which includes eight different subjects: (1) Biographies, (2) Morals, (3) Beliefs, (4) Degeneration [Fitan], )5) Signs of the Day of Judgment, )6) Rulings of the Shari‘a, )7) Virtues of the Sahaba [and others] and (8) Exegesis of the Qur’an.

Jami‘ ya kwanza kabisa kuandikwa iliitwa Jami‘ Mu‘ammar ibn Rashid. Mu‘ammar ibn Rashid alikuwa mwanafunzi wa karibu wa Imam Zuhrõ. Kitabu hiki kilitoka katika karne ya kwanza na sasa hakipatikani. Jami‘ ya pili iliandikwa na Sufyan al-Thauri; kitabu chake nacho hakipatikani. Jami‘ ya tatu iliitwa Jómi‘ ‘Abd al-Razzóq, ingawa inajulikana zaidi kwa jina la Muhannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq. Kisha, bila shaka, Jami‘ nyingine maarufu ni Bukhara na Muslim.

The first Jami‘ ever written was called Jami‘ Mu‘ammar ibn Rashid. Mu‘ammar ibn Rashid was a close student of Imam Zuhrõ. This book came out in the first century and is now unavailable. The second Jami‘ was written by Sufyan al- Thauri; his book is also unavailable. The third Jómi‘ was titled Jómi‘ ‘Abd al-Razzóq, though it is better known by the name Muhannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq. Then, of course, the other well- known Jami‘ are Bukhara and Muslim.

Kwa kushangaza, baadhi ya wanazuoni bingwa wa hadīth wana tofauti ya maoni kuhusu Muslim. Wengi wao wanasema kwamba kitabu hiki ni miongoni mwa al-Jami‘, huku wengine wakisema kwamba si hivyo, kwa kuwa sehemu yake inayohusu tafsiri ya Qur’an ni fupi mno kiasi cha kutoweza kuitwa Jami‘.

Interestingly, some hadīth masters have a difference of opinion about Muslim. Many say it is amongst the Jami‘, while others say it is not, as its section on the exegesis of the Qur’an is too short to be labeled a Jami‘.

Sunan: Hizi ni vitabu vya hadith ambavyo hadith zake zimepangwa kwa mpangilio unaofuata mpangilio wa sura za vitabu vya fiqh [elimu ya sheria za Kiislamu]. Aina hii ya kitabu awali iliitwa al-Abwab [sura], lakini baadaye ikabadilishwa na kuitwa al-Sunan. Sunan al-Nisa’i, Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Sunan al-Tirmidhi na Sunan Ibn Maja vyote vinamo katika kundi hili.

al-Sunan: These are hadīth books in which the ahadith are arranged in the order upon which the chapters of the books of fiqh [Islamic jurisprudence] are arranged. This type of book was first called al-Abwab [chapters] but was later changed to al- Sunan. Sunan al-Nisa’i, Sunan Abñ Dówud, Sunan al-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Maja all belong in this category.

al-Masanid: Masanīd ni wingi wa Musnad. Hadithi zilizomo katika vitabu hivi zimepangwa kwa mpangilio wa majina ya Sahaba. Mpangilio wa hadithi hizi unaweza kuwa katika ngazi nyingi tofauti. Kwa mfano, zinaweza kupangwa kwa mpangilio kutoka kwa Sahaba mkubwa zaidi kwenda chini, au kwa mpangilio wa alfabeti wa majina ya Sahaba.

al-Masanid: Masanīd is the plural of Musnad. The ahadith in these books are arranged in the order of the names of the Sahaba . The arrangement of these ahadith can be on many different levels. For example, they can be arranged in the order of the greatest of the Sahaba downwards or in alphabetical order of the names of the Sahaba.

al-Mu‘jam: Hiki ni kitabu cha hadīth ambamo hadīth zimepangwa kwa mpangilio wa majina ya walimu ambao mwandishi alipokea kutoka kwao hadīth zake.

al-Mu‘jam: This is a book of hadīth in which the ahadith are arranged in order of the names of the teachers from whom the author narrated his hadīth.

Al-Mustadrak: Vitabu vya hadithi ambavyo vimekusanywa kulingana na masharti [ya kukubali hadithi katika kitabu cha hadithi] yaliyowekwa katika kitabu kingine cha hadithi. Hata hivyo, hakijumuishi hadithi zilizosimuliwa katika kitabu asili cha hadithi. Mustadrak ya Hakim, kwa mfano, inakusanya hadithi zinazotimiza masharti ambayo Imam Bukhari aliweka kwa ajili ya kukubali hadithi katika kitabu chake.

Al-Mustadrak: The books of hadīth that have been compiled according to the conditions [for accepting a hadīth into a úadīth book] laid down in another úadīth book. However, it does not include the hadīth being narrated in the original hadīth book. The Mustadrak of Hakim, for example, compiles ahadith that fulfill the conditions Imam Bukhari laid for accepting a hadīth in his book.

al-Mustakhraj: Kitabu hiki kinachukua hadithi za kitabu kingine na kusimulia minyororo mbalimbali ya upokezi kwa kila hadithi ambayo inatofautiana na mnyororo wa upokezi uliotajwa katika kitabu hicho cha hadithi. Ingawa minyororo ya upokezi ya hadithi moja ina wasimulizi tofauti, hatimaye yote hupanda hadi kwa mtu mmoja yule yule.

al-Mustakhraj: This compilation takes ahadith of another book and narrates the different chains of transmission for every hadīth that differs from the chain of transmission mentioned in that hadīth book. Though the chains of transmission of one hadīth contain different narrators, they eventually ascend to the same person.

Al-‘Ilal: Kitabu cha hadith kinachofichua kasoro mbalimbali zinazopatikana katika mnyororo wa usimulizi wa hadith.

al-‘Ilal: A book of hadīth that reveals the various faults found in the chain of transmission of a hadīth.

Al-Arba‘in: Mkusanyiko wa hadithi arobaini.

al-Arba‘in: A compilation of forty ahadith.

al-Ta‘aliq: Kitabu cha hadith kinachosimulia hadith bila kutaja mnyororo wa wapokezi, kama vile al-Mishkat al-Mashbih. Sharh al-Athar: Kitabu cha hadith kinachosimulia hadith zinazoonekana kupingana, na kutoa maelezo yanayoondoa mkanganyiko huo. Ikiwa mkanganyiko kati ya hadith hizo hauwezi kuondolewa, basi kinatoa dalili na sababu za kuipa upendeleo hadith moja kuliko nyingine.

al-Ta‘aliq: The book of ahadith that narrates ahadith with- out mention of the chain of transmission, such as al-Mishkat al-Mashbih Sharh al-Athar: A book of hadīth that narrates apparently conflicting ahadith and offers an explanation that eliminates the contradiction. If the contradiction between the ahadith cannot be removed, then it provides the proofs and reasons for giving preference to one hadīth over another.

Al-Jam‘a: Kitabu cha hadithi kinachofupisha mkusanyiko wa hadithi kutoka vitabu mbalimbali na kuondoa kurudiwa kwa hadithi.

al-Jam‘a: The hadīth book that abridges a collection of ahadith from different books and eliminates repetition of ahadith.

al-Adhkār: Kitabu cha hadithi kinachokusanya hadithi zinazosimulia dua mbalimbali [maombi] na aina mbalimbali za dhikr [dhikri zinazotamkwa kwa ibada].

al-Adhkór: The book of hadīth that compiles the hadīth that narrate different du‘as [supplications] and forms of dhikr [uttered devotions].

al-Mauḍū‘āt: Kitabu cha hadith kinachokusanya hadith zilizozuliwa ambazo zimetawanyika katika vitabu mbalimbali vya hadith.

al-Mauðu‘at: The book of hadīth that collects fabricated ahadith that are scattered in various hadīth books.

Kuna aina nyingi nyingine za vitabu vya hadīth ambavyo havijatajwa hapa, kwa ajili ya ufupi na pia kwa sababu kuelewa aina nyingine mbalimbali za makusanyo kunahitaji utaalamu katika fani ya hadīth.

There are many other types of hadīth books which are not being mentioned here, both for the sake of brevity and because understanding the various other types of compilations requires an expertise in the field of hadīth..