The idea in brief

The Sunnah is the Prophet Muhammad’s example: what he said, did, and approved. Hadith are the reports that transmit it. Muslim scholars developed a detailed science for evaluating these reports, and the major collections remain central to how Muslims understand worship, law, and character.

Why the Prophet’s example matters

The Qur’an tells Muslims that the Messenger of God is a beautiful example, 33:21, and to take what he gives and refrain from what he forbids, 59:7. The Qur’an commands prayer, for instance, but it is the Prophet’s practice that shows how to pray. Scripture and example are read together.

The Sunnah also covers manners, family life, trade, treatment of neighbours and animals, and how to disagree. For many Muslims, love of the Prophet is expressed through learning and following this example.

What a hadith is

A hadith has two parts: the isnad, the chain of people who transmitted it, and the matn, the text itself. A typical report begins “A told us that B told him that C heard the Prophet say…”. Both the chain and the content are examined.

Hadith differ from the Qur’an. The Qur’an is believed to be God’s word, transmitted by mass memorisation. Hadith are human reports about the Prophet, transmitted by individuals and therefore subject to assessment of reliability.

How reports were evaluated

Scholars studied the biography and reliability of every transmitter, whether each link in the chain could have met the next, and whether the text contradicted stronger evidence. Reports were graded sahih (sound), hasan (good), da‘if (weak), or fabricated. This discipline, developed mainly in the eighth and ninth centuries, is one of the most rigorous source-critical traditions of the pre-modern world.

Grading is not the end of interpretation. A sound report still needs context: when it was said, to whom, whether it states a general rule or a specific ruling, and how it relates to the Qur’an and other reports.

The major collections

Sunni Muslims give particular weight to six collections compiled in the ninth century, above all those of al-Bukhari and Muslim. The Muwatta of Malik is earlier. Shia Muslims rely on their own collections, notably the four books beginning with al-Kafi, which include reports from the Imams as well as the Prophet.

Short thematic compilations, such as the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi, gather foundational teachings and are often where students begin. Our sources link to Sunnah.com, where these collections can be read with reference numbers.

Reading hadith responsibly

Quotations attributed to the Prophet circulate widely online, some sound, some weak, some invented. Ask for the collection and number. Read the full report rather than a fragment, and look for how scholars have understood it.

For a newcomer, the hadith on intentions, on wishing for others what one wishes for oneself, and on good character are reliable places to start, and they show the ethical heart of the tradition.

Sources & further reading

Original introductory summary, not a direct scripture translation. Prepared 21 October 2026. Qualified human religious review is pending. About our editorial approach.