Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat: History and Importance of the Hadiths — Revision Notes (0493)

These notes condense Paper 2 Question 2 of Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat 0493, The History and Importance of the Hadiths. Learn the stages of compilation in order, the two kinds of early collection, how scholars tested reliability, the compilers of the six Sunni and four Shi’a books, and how Hadiths relate to the other sources of Islamic law.

Syllabus coverage

0493 Paper 2, Topic 2 (2026–2027 syllabus): compilation history; earliest collections; musnad and musannaf works and compilers; isnad and matn methods; the six Sunni and four Shi’a collections; major themes; use in law with the Qur’an, ijma’ and qiyas; significance in thought and action.

Key terms

Term	Meaning
Hadith	Report of the Prophet’s (pbuh) words, actions or approval
Sunnah	The Prophet’s practice and way of life
Isnad	Chain of narrators
Matn	Text of the Hadith
Sahifa	Early written notebook of Hadiths
Musannaf	Collection arranged by subject
Musnad	Collection arranged by narrating companion
Sahih	Sound, fully reliable
Hasan	Good, acceptable
Da’if	Weak
Mawdu’	Fabricated
Ijma’	Consensus of scholars
Qiyas	Analogy from an existing ruling
Tabi’un	The generation after the companions

Stages of compilation

1. Prophet’s lifetime: memorisation; limited writing by some companions with permission.
2. Companions (to c. 700): teaching in Madina and the new cities; sahifas, such as that of Hammam ibn Munabbih.
3. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (717–720): orders official written collection; al-Zuhri.
4. Musannaf works (2nd century AH): al-Muwatta of Imam Malik; Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq.
5. Musnad works: Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
6. The great Sahih and Sunan collections (3rd century AH): al-Bukhari, Muslim and the others.

Testing reliability

Isnad checks:

• Each narrator of good character and religious practice.
• Each narrator with a strong memory.
• Chain unbroken: each narrator could have met the next.
• Biographies of narrators studied (ilm al-rijal).

Matn checks:

• Must not contradict the Qur’an or well-established Hadiths.
• Must be consistent with reason and with the Prophet’s character.

The six Sunni books

1. Sahih al-Bukhari (al-Bukhari, d. 870)
2. Sahih Muslim (Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, d. 875)
3. Sunan Abu Dawud
4. Jami’ al-Tirmidhi
5. Sunan al-Nasa’i
6. Sunan Ibn Majah

The two Sahihs have the strictest conditions; the Sunan works focus on legal Hadiths.

The four Shi’a books

1. al-Kafi (al-Kulayni)
2. Man la yahduruhu al-faqih (Ibn Babawayh, al-Shaykh al-Saduq)
3. Tahdhib al-ahkam (al-Shaykh al-Tusi)
4. al-Istibsar (al-Shaykh al-Tusi)

Shi’a scholars accept Hadiths transmitted through the Prophet’s family and the Imams.

Hadiths and the sources of law

Source	Role	Example
Qur’an	First and highest source	Command to pray and give zakat
Hadith / Sunnah	Explains and details the Qur’an; guidance where it is silent	How to perform salat; zakat rates
Ijma’	Agreement of scholars	Compilation of the Qur’an into one book
Qiyas	Extends a ruling to a similar new case	Ban on wine applied to drugs

Why Hadiths matter: points for part (b)

• Explain the Qur’an: they show how to carry out commands such as prayer, zakat and hajj.
• Add rulings: they give guidance on matters the Qur’an mentions only briefly or not at all.
• Model of character: they show the Prophet’s (pbuh) honesty, mercy and patience, which Muslims copy (Qur’an 33.21).
• Daily life: manners of eating, greeting, trading and family life come largely from Hadiths.
• Unity: shared practice based on the Sunnah links Muslims around the world.
• New questions: scholars use Hadiths with ijma’ and qiyas to answer modern issues.

Worked example

Question: Explain how the Hadiths are used alongside the Qur’an in making legal decisions. [4]

Model answer: The Qur’an is always consulted first, but it often gives commands in general terms. The Hadiths explain how to carry them out; for example, the Qur’an commands prayer, while the Hadiths show the times, number of units and actions. Where neither source gives a direct ruling, scholars use ijma’, agreement based on these sources, or qiyas, comparing the new case with one already decided, such as treating all intoxicants like wine because they share the same effect.

Common mistakes and exam traps

• Confusing musnad and musannaf. Musnad = by narrator; musannaf = by subject.
• Saying Hadiths were not written at all until the third century. Writing began earlier in sahifas; the great collections came later.
• Listing compilers without features. For 14-mark answers, say what makes each collection distinctive.
• Forgetting the Shi’a books. The syllabus names four Shi’a collections.

How is this topic examined?

In Cambridge IGCSE 0493 Paper 2 (1 hour 30 minutes, 50 marks), the history and importance of the Hadiths is examined by Question 2, which is compulsory: part (a) is worth 10 marks for knowledge and part (b) 4 marks for evaluation. Each answer has a knowledge part and a shorter part asking for understanding or significance, so revise every point with a reason why it matters to Muslims, not just the facts. For this topic, part (b) often asks why the Hadiths are important to Muslims or how they are used in law, so link compilation and authentication to the trust Muslims can place in a Hadith.

Frequently asked questions

Which collections are most respected by Sunni Muslims? The Sahih collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.

What is a weak Hadith? One whose chain or text does not meet the conditions for a sound or good Hadith, so it is not used on its own for legal rulings.

Related pages

• History and Importance of the Hadiths study guide
• Major Teachings in the Hadiths revision notes
• Paper 2 revision notes

Source: Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat 0493 syllabus for examination in 2026 and 2027, Paper 2 Topic 2.