Understanding hadith science is crucial to understanding the foundations of Islamic theology, shariah, and Islamic thought. This book outlines the history, development, and current practice of hadith science with special attention to Shiʿa scholarship. It covers hadith terminology, sources of hadith, chains of narration, categories of hadith, the criteria for accepting hadith narrators, and transmission of hadith. Additionally, the book includes a translation of a seminal work on hadith studies, Dirayat al-Hadith, by the renowned sixteenth-century Shiʿi scholar al-Shahid al-Thani – the work that paved the way for the modern Shiʿi study of hadith.
For the past decade, Introduction to Hadith has been designated as a textbook in Islamic studies courses worldwide. The work is an essential read for anyone seeking to learn more about hadith analysis, Islamic law, Islamic history, or the Islamic scholarly heritage.
