Three Basic Methods of Receiving Hadith

1. Samāʿ wa-Taḥdīth

● Definition: The teacher reads or narrates a Hadith and the student listens.

● Example: A teacher is reading a Hadith while the student listens attentively.

● Reason: The student receives the Hadith by hearing it from the teacher, so this is samāʿ wa-taḥdīth.

2. Qirāʾah ʿalā al-Shaykh

● Definition: The student reads a Hadith before the teacher and the teacher listens.

● Example: The student reads the Hadith while the teacher listens.

● Reason: Here the student is the reader, so this is qirāʾah ʿalā al-shaykh.

3. Ijāzah

● Definition: A shaykh gives a student oral or written permission to transmit a specified Hadith or the Hadith reports in a specified book through the shaykh's chain.

● Example: The shaykh says, 'I authorize you to transmit this specified Hadith.'

● Reason: Permission to transmit has been given, so this is ijāzah.

4. Ijāzah May Be Oral or Written

A shaykh may give permission orally or in writing. The authorization concerns a specified Hadith or the Hadith reports in a specified book.

5. Who Reads and Who Listens?

● Teacher reads, student listens: samāʿ wa-taḥdīth.

● Student reads, teacher listens: qirāʾah ʿalā al-shaykh.

● The shaykh authorizes transmission: ijāzah.

6. These Are Not Hadith Grades

Samāʿ, qirāʾah ʿalā al-shaykh, and ijāzah are methods of receiving Hadith. They are not grades such as ṣaḥīḥ, ḥasan, or ḍaʿīf.