Explaining the correct methodology for studying the science of hadith, and the Shaykh’s clarification of the most important matters that beginners study from the books on the terminology of hadith.
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The Shaykh : Due to the importance of hadith, as has become apparent to you now, it was obligatory for some of the Muslim scholars to give special attention to knowing the methods for distinguishing an authentic hadith from a weak one. This distinction is based on two sciences:
One is what is known as the science of hadith terminology, and the other is what is known as the science of the critique and vindication of narrators. Each of these two sciences has many, and very many, references and sources, which differ in terms of length and brevity, and elaboration and conciseness. Therefore, we advise anyone who wants to study this and finds in himself the aptitude and a general Islamic legal culture, who has the aptitude to study this science in its two parts, that he should first study, from what relates to the science of terminology, the book of the Hafith Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi, known as *Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith* (A Summary of the Sciences of Hadith). *'Ulum al-Hadith* (The Sciences of Hadith) is a book by Ibn al-Salah, known as *Mukhtasar Ibn al-Salah* (The Summary of Ibn al-Salah), a simplified volume on this science, the science of terminology. The Hafith Ibn Kathir came after him and summarized and abridged it in a small part he named *Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith*. Then, in the present era, one of the precise scholars of hadith in both theory and practice, namely the Shaykh Ahmad Shakir, the Egyptian judge (may Allah have mercy on him), explained the book of Ibn Kathir and named it: *Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith Sharh Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith* (The Eager Spur: An Explanation of the Summary of the Sciences of Hadith). It is recommended that the beginner in this science should begin his study of this science with this book. And I advise that if it is not feasible for this student to have a proficient Shaykh in this science, he should seek the help of some of his brothers who share in it, meaning he should not study this science alone, because there is clear difficulty in it. The principle is that he should study this under one of the proficient scholars in it, but if that is not feasible for him, he should seek the help of some of his brothers and they should study this science together, cooperating on it.
Then, on this occasion, I advise that one should not focus on studying this book from beginning to end, but rather study the first half, because the second half mostly relates to the narration of hadiths by chains of transmission, knowing for example: elevation and descent, and the names of fathers and grandfathers, and the like. So he should leave that after he has mastered the first part of it. And a student of this science, if he looks at the index of the aforementioned book, will find that he should choose some of the topics, or most of them, and not study every chapter there, because some of them relate to the method of narrating hadiths by chains of transmission, and this method has become, unfortunately, forgotten today, because we take the narrations not from a Shaykh to a Shaykh so that we know the names in detail, but rather we take them from the well-known books of the Sunnah today, such as the Six Books and the like.
When he finishes studying this part of this book, he then moves on to studying a book by the Hafith Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, which is concise and condensed, known as *Sharh al-Nukhba* (Explanation of al-Nukhba). *Sharh al-Nukhba* by the Hafith Ibn Hajar is among the best that has been authored in the science of terminology, because its author is among the rare scholars of hadith who knew this science in terms of terminology and application. Then the student of this science continues to ascend from book to book until he finally returns to the original books, such as the book *Mukhtasar 'Ulum al-Hadith* (Summary of the Sciences of Hadith) by the Hafith al-'Iraqi, such as the book *Al-Kafiyyah* (The Sufficient) by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, which was printed in India long ago, and the book *'Ulum al-Hadith* (The Sciences of Hadith) also by Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Nisaburi, and also a book by al-Ramahurmuzi. And so on, these are the mother books from which the later scholars drew the sciences of this science: terminology.
One is what is known as the science of hadith terminology, and the other is what is known as the science of the critique and vindication of narrators. Each of these two sciences has many, and very many, references and sources, which differ in terms of length and brevity, and elaboration and conciseness. Therefore, we advise anyone who wants to study this and finds in himself the aptitude and a general Islamic legal culture, who has the aptitude to study this science in its two parts, that he should first study, from what relates to the science of terminology, the book of the Hafith Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi, known as *Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith* (A Summary of the Sciences of Hadith). *'Ulum al-Hadith* (The Sciences of Hadith) is a book by Ibn al-Salah, known as *Mukhtasar Ibn al-Salah* (The Summary of Ibn al-Salah), a simplified volume on this science, the science of terminology. The Hafith Ibn Kathir came after him and summarized and abridged it in a small part he named *Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith*. Then, in the present era, one of the precise scholars of hadith in both theory and practice, namely the Shaykh Ahmad Shakir, the Egyptian judge (may Allah have mercy on him), explained the book of Ibn Kathir and named it: *Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith Sharh Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith* (The Eager Spur: An Explanation of the Summary of the Sciences of Hadith). It is recommended that the beginner in this science should begin his study of this science with this book. And I advise that if it is not feasible for this student to have a proficient Shaykh in this science, he should seek the help of some of his brothers who share in it, meaning he should not study this science alone, because there is clear difficulty in it. The principle is that he should study this under one of the proficient scholars in it, but if that is not feasible for him, he should seek the help of some of his brothers and they should study this science together, cooperating on it.
Then, on this occasion, I advise that one should not focus on studying this book from beginning to end, but rather study the first half, because the second half mostly relates to the narration of hadiths by chains of transmission, knowing for example: elevation and descent, and the names of fathers and grandfathers, and the like. So he should leave that after he has mastered the first part of it. And a student of this science, if he looks at the index of the aforementioned book, will find that he should choose some of the topics, or most of them, and not study every chapter there, because some of them relate to the method of narrating hadiths by chains of transmission, and this method has become, unfortunately, forgotten today, because we take the narrations not from a Shaykh to a Shaykh so that we know the names in detail, but rather we take them from the well-known books of the Sunnah today, such as the Six Books and the like.
When he finishes studying this part of this book, he then moves on to studying a book by the Hafith Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, which is concise and condensed, known as *Sharh al-Nukhba* (Explanation of al-Nukhba). *Sharh al-Nukhba* by the Hafith Ibn Hajar is among the best that has been authored in the science of terminology, because its author is among the rare scholars of hadith who knew this science in terms of terminology and application. Then the student of this science continues to ascend from book to book until he finally returns to the original books, such as the book *Mukhtasar 'Ulum al-Hadith* (Summary of the Sciences of Hadith) by the Hafith al-'Iraqi, such as the book *Al-Kafiyyah* (The Sufficient) by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, which was printed in India long ago, and the book *'Ulum al-Hadith* (The Sciences of Hadith) also by Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Nisaburi, and also a book by al-Ramahurmuzi. And so on, these are the mother books from which the later scholars drew the sciences of this science: terminology.