Discover the meaning of the term Al-hadith (حديث) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 5 min readIn language: the opposite of the ancient, for it renews one thing after another; and "beware of the hadith" is used for both scant and abundant speech. Usul al-hadith is the science by whose principles one knows the state of the hadith of the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), regarding the soundness or weakness of its transmission and the ways of reception and delivery. Its subject is the hadith of the Messenger (may prayer and peace be upon him), for inquiry into it concerns only its accidents, even if some are essential, as in Jawahir al-Usul.
And the hadith, in the usage of the hadith specialists, is the Prophet's (peace be upon him) word, deed, approval and description, down to the vowels and pauses, awake and asleep; its synonym among the majority is the sunna. It is said in al-Kifaya that the hadith is of nine kinds: the Prophet's (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) word, his deed, his approval, the word of his Companions, their deeds, their approvals, and that of the Followers who followed them. And al-khabar is synonymous with hadith; some said it is broader; and its ultimate end is winning the happiness of the two abodes.
In language: the opposite of the ancient. Hence the word of 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her): "Were it not for the hadith (newness) of your people in disbelief, I would have torn down the Kaaba and rebuilt it" [al-Bukhari, "Pilgrimage" 42]. And hadathana ash-shay', with kasra: its beginning; it is a masdar of hadatha, yahduthu huduthan and huduthanan, meaning the closeness of their era to disbelief; hence the hadith: "People new of their teeth" [al-Bukhari, "Accepting Excuses" 6].
And the hadith: speech, plural: ahadith; and al-ahadith is the plural of ahdutha, meaning the strange report; and hadith may denote visions and dreams, as Allah, the Most High, said: "and He will teach you the interpretation of ahadith (reports)".
The word of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), or a Companion's narration of his deed, bearing a ruling.
Everything reported, whether speech or information; plural: ahadith. Hadith, tradition * Among the usul scholars: what is related from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in word, deed or approval. Narrative relating deeds and utterances of the Prophet
It applies to the Prophet's (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) word, deed and approval; and likewise to the word of the Companion and the Follower, their deeds and their approvals.
Everything reported in speech or information: (plural) ahadith. : The noble Quran: thus the word of Allah: "Perhaps you will destroy yourself with grief over them if they do not believe in this hadith (discourse)" (al-Kahf 6), that is: do not ruin yourself in grief for them because they did not believe; and the lam in this verse expresses prohibition, according to Ibn 'Atiya and al-'Askari. : The word of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
: In legal usage: what is attributed to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). (Ibn Hajar)
﴿يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَعَصَوُا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ لَوْ تُسَوَّىٰ بِهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَلَا يَكْتُمُونَ ٱللَّهَ حَدِيثًۭا﴾
« That Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish they could be covered by the earth. And they will not conceal from Allah a [single] statement. »
Surah النساء : 42
﴿أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍۢ مُّشَيَّدَةٍۢ ۗ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌۭ يَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌۭ يَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِكَ ۚ قُلْ كُلٌّۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًۭا﴾
« Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. But if good comes to them, they say, "This is from Allah "; and if evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say, "All [things] are from Allah." So what is [the matter] with those people that they can hardly understand any statement? »
Surah النساء : 78
﴿ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۗ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِيثًۭا﴾
« Allah - there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble you for [account on] the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allah in statement. »
Surah النساء : 87
﴿وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًۭا مِّثْلُهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا﴾
« And it has already come down to you in the Book that when you hear the verses of Allah [recited], they are denied [by them] and ridiculed; so do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them. Indeed Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together - »
Surah النساء : 140
﴿وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦ ۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ﴾
« And when you see those who engage in [offensive] discourse concerning Our verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another conversation. And if Satan should cause you to forget, then do not remain after the reminder with the wrongdoing people. »
Surah الأنعام : 68
﴿أَوَلَمْ يَنظُرُوا۟ فِى مَلَكُوتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍۢ وَأَنْ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ قَدِ ٱقْتَرَبَ أَجَلُهُمْ ۖ فَبِأَىِّ حَدِيثٍۭ بَعْدَهُۥ يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
« Do they not look into the realm of the heavens and the earth and everything that Allah has created and [think] that perhaps their appointed time has come near? So in what statement hereafter will they believe? »
Surah الأعراف : 185
This term appears in 23 verses of the Quran.