If you have ever seen a hadith end with "reported by al-Bukhari" or "Tirmidhi 2616", you have met the six books. The Sihah Sittah are six collections of the sayings, actions and approvals of the Prophet ﷺ: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa'i and Sunan Ibn Majah. Their compilers lived within a century of each other and shared many teachers. Here is who they were and how each worked.
What are the Sihah Sittah, the six books of hadith?
Sihah Sittah means "the six authentic ones". The name is a little generous, and scholars know it. Only the first two books, by al-Bukhari and Muslim, set out to include authentic hadith alone. The other four are called Sunan: books arranged by topics of law and practice, which contain mostly sound hadith along with some weaker ones, often with the weakness pointed out. For this reason many scholars prefer the name al-Kutub al-Sittah, "the six books".
Together the two Sahihs are called as-Sahihayn, and the four others are called as-Sunan al-Arba'ah, "the four Sunan". When a book says a hadith is muttafaq 'alayh, it usually means both al-Bukhari and Muslim reported it from the same Companion, which is the strongest kind of reference a reader normally sees. Our guide to hadith terms explained simply covers these labels in detail.
They are not the only collections: Imam Malik's Muwatta is older and Imam Ahmad's Musnad is larger. But these six became the standard reference set.
How was hadith preserved before the six books were written?
The six books were written in the third century after the Hijrah, but they did not create the hadith. They gathered what had been carried for two hundred years by memory, by writing and by a strict culture of checking.
- Memory and practice. The Companions learned from the Prophet ﷺ directly and lived what they learned. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Convey from me, even if it is one verse" (Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 3461), and he warned that whoever lies about him deliberately should take his seat in the Fire (Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 110). That warning made people extremely careful.
- Early written notebooks. Some Companions kept written collections, called sahifahs. 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As wrote what he heard and named his notebook as-Sadiqah, "the truthful". Hammam ibn Munabbih wrote down narrations from Abu Hurayrah, and his notebook still survives.
- Official gathering. Around the year 100 AH the Caliph 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz asked scholars such as Abu Bakr ibn Hazm and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri to collect the hadith, fearing that knowledge would be lost as the scholars passed away.
- The first great books. In the second century came works like Imam Malik's Muwatta, Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani's Kitab al-Athar from Imam Abu Hanifa, and later the Musannaf works of 'Abd al-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah and the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
Alongside the texts, scholars built the science of the isnad, the chain of narrators. Every report had to say who heard it from whom, and each narrator's honesty and accuracy was examined. The six imams inherited this whole system and applied it with remarkable rigour.
Who compiled Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim?
Sahih al-Bukhari: Imam Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (194-256 AH)
Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Ibrahim al-Bukhari was born in Bukhara, in Central Asia, in Shawwal 194 AH. His father, himself a narrator of hadith, died when he was small, and his mother raised him. He was memorising hadith as a boy, went for Hajj at about sixteen with his mother and brother, and stayed on in the Hijaz to study. He then travelled for decades through Makkah, Madinah, Basrah, Kufah, Baghdad, Syria and Egypt. Among his teachers were Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 'Ali ibn al-Madini, Yahya ibn Ma'in and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh. He died in 256 AH in Khartank, a village near Samarqand.
His teacher Ishaq ibn Rahwayh once wished aloud that someone would write a concise book of only authentic hadith. Al-Bukhari took this up. He is reported to have chosen his material from around 600,000 narrations and to have worked on the book for about sixteen years. Its full title is al-Jami' al-Musnad al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar: a comprehensive, connected, authentic, concise collection. His condition was among the strictest ever applied: each narrator had to be trustworthy and precise, and for a link between two narrators he looked for evidence that they actually met, not only that they lived at the same time.
The book contains about 7,500 entries in the common numbering (7,563), many repeated under different chapters. Without repetitions it is usually counted at roughly 2,600 hadith. It is arranged into some ninety-seven "books" beginning with the Book of Revelation, whose first hadith is "Actions are only by intentions" (hadith 1). Al-Bukhari is famous for his chapter titles, which often state a legal or theological point, so that scholars say "al-Bukhari's fiqh is in his chapter headings."
The best-known commentary is Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (d. 852 AH). Others include 'Umdat al-Qari by the Hanafi scholar Badr al-Din al-'Ayni, Irshad al-Sari by al-Qastallani, and in the madrasahs of India, Fayd al-Bari from the lessons of Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri.
Sahih Muslim: Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d. 261 AH)
Abu al-Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi was born in Naysabur (Nishapur), in Khurasan, around 204 or 206 AH, and died there in 261 AH. He travelled to the Hijaz, Iraq, Syria and Egypt, studied with Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, and spent time with al-Bukhari, whom he deeply respected.
Muslim is reported to have selected his book from around 300,000 narrations over roughly fifteen years. He opens with an important Introduction on why narrations must be checked, which contains the famous words of 'Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak: "The isnad is part of the religion; were it not for the isnad, anyone would say whatever he wished." His condition for a connected chain was that two trustworthy narrators lived at the same time and could have met, without fabrication or concealment, a slightly wider condition than al-Bukhari's.
The book holds about 3,000 main hadith in the common numbering of Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi, and several thousand more when every repeated chain is counted; totals differ by edition. Its great strength is arrangement: Muslim places all the chains and wordings of one hadith together in one place, so a reader can compare them at a glance. He did not write chapter titles himself; the headings in printed copies were added later, mostly by Imam an-Nawawi.
The most read commentary is al-Minhaj, known as Sharh an-Nawawi, by Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (d. 676 AH). Earlier is Qadi 'Iyad's Ikmal al-Mu'lim, and in the Hanafi world Fath al-Mulhim by Shabbir Ahmad 'Uthmani, completed in recent times by Mufti Muhammad Taqi 'Uthmani as Takmilat Fath al-Mulhim.
Who compiled the four Sunan and what is in each one?
Sunan Abi Dawud: Imam Sulayman ibn al-Ash'ath (202-275 AH)
Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn al-Ash'ath al-Sijistani was born in Sijistan (Sistan), on today's border of Iran and Afghanistan, in 202 AH. He studied in Iraq, the Hijaz, Syria and Egypt, was a close student of Imam Ahmad, and spent his last years teaching in Basrah, where he died in 275 AH. He said he chose his book from around 500,000 narrations and kept about 4,800; the common printed numbering runs to about 5,270.
His focus was the hadith of law: purification, prayer, zakat, fasting, trade, marriage and so on. For this reason jurists of every school have relied on it. In a well-known letter to the people of Makkah he explained his method: where a hadith had serious weakness he said so, and where he stayed silent the hadith was, in his view, fit to be used. Famous commentaries include Ma'alim as-Sunan by al-Khattabi, 'Awn al-Ma'bud by Shams al-Haqq 'Azimabadi, and the Hanafi Badhl al-Majhud by Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri.
Jami' al-Tirmidhi: Imam Muhammad ibn 'Isa (c. 209-279 AH)
Abu 'Isa Muhammad ibn 'Isa al-Tirmidhi was born around 209 AH near Tirmidh, on the Oxus river in Central Asia, and died there in 279 AH, having lost his sight in later life. He was a leading student of al-Bukhari and travelled to Khurasan, Iraq and the Hijaz. He said that after writing the book he showed it to the scholars of the Hijaz, Iraq and Khurasan, and they approved it.
The book has about 3,950 hadith in the common numbering. It is a teacher's book. After each hadith al-Tirmidhi tells you its grade, using terms like sahih, hasan, gharib and his well-known hasan sahih. He names other Companions who narrated on the same topic ("and on this subject from..."), and he records how the jurists acted on it, including the views of the people of Kufah, which often match the Hanafi position. At the end is a short treatise on hidden defects, al-'Ilal as-Saghir. Commentaries include 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi by Ibn al-'Arabi al-Maliki, Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi by 'Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri, and the Hanafi Ma'arif as-Sunan by Muhammad Yusuf Binnori and al-'Arf ash-Shadhi from Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri.
Sunan an-Nasa'i: Imam Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb (c. 215-303 AH)
Abu 'Abd al-Rahman Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb an-Nasa'i was born around 215 AH in Nasa, in Khurasan. He travelled widely, settled for many years in Egypt, and died in 303 AH; reports differ on whether he died in Ramlah in Palestine or in Makkah.
He first wrote a large book, as-Sunan al-Kubra. From it he drew a shorter selection, al-Mujtaba ("the chosen"), also called as-Sunan as-Sughra, and this smaller book is the one counted among the six. It holds about 5,700 hadith in the common numbering. An-Nasa'i is famous for laying out the different chains of a hadith to expose subtle defects, and many scholars rank its narrators, after the two Sahihs, as the strongest of the six. Commentaries include al-Suyuti's Zahr ar-Ruba, the notes of al-Sindi, and in recent times Dhakhirat al-'Uqba by Muhammad ibn 'Ali Adam al-Ithyubi.
Sunan Ibn Majah: Imam Muhammad ibn Yazid (209-273 AH)
Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Majah al-Qazwini was born in Qazwin, in northern Iran, in 209 AH, travelled to Iraq, the Hijaz, Syria and Egypt, and died in 273 AH.
The book contains about 4,340 hadith in the common numbering. It opens with a fine introduction on following the Sunnah and the virtues of the Companions, and its chapters are clearly and practically arranged. Its special value lies in its zawa'id: hadith not found in the other five, which al-Busiri studied in his Misbah az-Zujajah. Its weakness is that it contains more weak narrations than the others, and critics identified a small number they considered fabricated. Commentaries include the notes of al-Sindi, al-Suyuti's Misbah az-Zujajah and Injah al-Hajah by 'Abd al-Ghani al-Dihlawi.
Why these six books, and what about the Muwatta?
The two Sahihs earned their place quickly. Scholars of later centuries agreed that, after the Qur'an, they are the most reliable books, and generally placed al-Bukhari first. Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i became a recognised group because their books covered the hadith of law so thoroughly and with such care.
The sixth place was debated. The scholar Ibn Tahir al-Maqdisi (d. 507 AH) is known as the first to count Ibn Majah as the sixth, mainly because of its many extra hadith, and most later scholars followed him. But others, such as Razin ibn Mu'awiyah and Ibn al-Athir in his Jami' al-Usul, put Imam Malik's Muwatta in that place instead, arguing that it is older and its chains are stronger. Some suggested the Sunan of al-Darimi.
It also helps to remember that being "in the six books" is not the same as being authentic. A hadith in al-Bukhari or Muslim is accepted as sound. A hadith in the four Sunan needs its own grading, which is why careful writers add a note like "graded hasan by al-Tirmidhi".
How are the six books studied in Dawrah al-Hadith?
In many traditional madrasahs, including the well-known seminaries of India, the final year of the 'Alim course is called Dawrah al-Hadith. In this one year the students read all six books from cover to cover, together with the Muwatta of Imam Malik (often in both the narration of Yahya al-Laythi and that of Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani), Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar of Imam al-Tahawi and the Shama'il of al-Tirmidhi.
Two books are taught in great depth: Sahih al-Bukhari and Jami' al-Tirmidhi. With these the teacher explains the narrators, the wording, the different views of the four imams and the evidence of the Hanafi school. The rest are often read more quickly, with the student reading aloud and the teacher commenting where needed. The year ends with a gathering for the completion of Sahih al-Bukhari, and students receive an ijazah with a chain of teachers reaching back to the imams themselves, much like the Qur'an sanad that connects a reciter to the Prophet ﷺ.
What did Hanafi scholars contribute to the six books?
People sometimes assume the Hanafi school is a school of opinion with little hadith. The history says otherwise. Imam Abu Hanifa narrated hadith himself, and his student Imam Muhammad recorded them in Kitab al-Athar and in his narration of the Muwatta. You can read more about him in our article on Imam Abu Hanifa.
- Imam al-Tahawi. His Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar brings together hadith that appear to differ and explains how the Hanafi scholars reconcile them.
- Al-Zayla'i. His Nasb ar-Rayah traces the sources of the hadith used in Hanafi fiqh, and scholars of all schools praise its fairness.
- Badr al-Din al-'Ayni. His 'Umdat al-Qari is one of the two great commentaries on al-Bukhari, rich in language, narrators and law.
- The scholars of India. Shah Waliullah al-Dihlawi revived hadith teaching, and later scholars wrote major works: Rashid Ahmad Gangohi's lessons, Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri's Fayd al-Bari, Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri's Badhl al-Majhud, Shabbir Ahmad 'Uthmani's Fath al-Mulhim, Zafar Ahmad 'Uthmani's I'la as-Sunan and Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi's Awjaz al-Masalik on the Muwatta.
These works show that Hanafi positions rest on hadith and Companion practice.
How should an ordinary Muslim read the six books today?
The six books are a treasure, but reading them well takes care.
- Read for faith and character first. Chapters on manners, softening of hearts, dua and the life of the Prophet ﷺ are easy to benefit from. A selection like the 40 Hadith of Imam an-Nawawi or Riyad as-Salihin is a good place to begin.
- Do not derive rulings alone. One hadith may be explained, restricted or abrogated by another. That is why the imams of fiqh exist. In matters of prayer, fasting or money, follow the Hanafi rulings as taught by qualified scholars.
- Use a commentary or a teacher.
- Check the grade in the four Sunan. A reference to Abu Dawud or Ibn Majah tells you where a hadith is, not how strong it is.
- Keep the adab. Read with respect, send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ when his name comes, and act on what you learn.
The imams of hadith also loved the Qur'an, and every one of them learned it before anything else. To build that foundation in your own home, see our courses, and for a gentle start on the Prophet's life, our free Seerah series in the Library.
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 1: actions are only by intentions.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 110: whoever lies about the Prophet deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 3461: convey from me, even if it is one verse.
- Sahih Muslim, Introduction: the saying of 'Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak that the isnad is part of the religion.
- Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, introduction (Hady as-Sari), on the counts and conditions of Sahih al-Bukhari.