Three Basic Methods of Receiving Hadith

Distinguish samāʿ, qirāʾah ʿalā al-shaykh, and ijāzah in plain teacher-student situations. Read the bilingual lesson for Three Basic Methods of Receiving Hadith and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

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.

Practice questions

Question 1

Which method is it when the teacher reads a Hadith and the student listens?

  • Samāʿ wa-taḥdīth
  • Qirāʾah ʿalā al-shaykh
  • Ijāzah

Question 2

Which method is it when the student reads a Hadith before the teacher and the teacher listens?

  • Qirāʾah ʿalā al-shaykh
  • Samāʿ wa-taḥdīth
  • Ḥasan li-ghayrihi

Question 3

What is it called when a shaykh authorizes a student to transmit a specified Hadith or book through the shaykh's chain?

  • Ijāzah
  • Samāʿ wa-taḥdīth
  • Munqaṭiʿ

Question 4

Complete the term: samāʿ wa-___.

  • Taḥdīth
  • Ijāzah
  • Ḥasan

Question 5

What do samāʿ, qirāʾah ʿalā al-shaykh, and ijāzah describe?

  • Ways of receiving Hadith and transmitting it onward
  • By the number of transmitters
  • By attribution to a Companion or Successor

Question 6

Which pairing is correct?

  • Teacher reads, student listens: samāʿ wa-taḥdīth
  • Student reads, teacher listens: ijāzah
  • The shaykh authorizes transmission: munqaṭiʿ

Question 7

In qirāʾah ʿalā al-shaykh, the teacher reads and the student listens.

  • True
  • False

Question 8

In ijāzah, a shaykh may give oral or written authorization to transmit a Hadith or book.

  • True
  • False

Open the interactive quiz