Isnad
الإسناد
The isnad is the chain of men linking a hadith's text back to the Prophet ﷺ or a Companion — 'so-and-so told us from so-and-so'; by it the muhaddithun judged a report sound or weak, examining narrators for integrity and precision and the chain for continuity. Muslim opened his Sahih with the isnad's dignity and its guarding against fabrication, so that it came to be counted among this community's distinguishing marks.
At a glance
- Era
- The Rashidun Caliphate · The Umayyad Period · The Early Abbasid Caliphate
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
The isnad (chain of transmission) is the series of narrators leading to the text of a hadith, in the form "so-and-so related to us from so-and-so," until the report ends at the Prophet or a Companion. 1
Its function
By it the scholars of hadith knew the soundness of a report from its weakness. They studied the narrators for their probity and precision, and they looked into whether the chain was connected or broken. 1
In the introduction to Sahih Muslim
Muslim opened his Sahih by speaking of the greatness of the isnad and of its protection from falsehood. It has been said that it is one of the distinctions of this community. 1
Related concepts
Connections
People and things also explored
Hadith· Hadith methodology (mustalah al-hadith)· Shama'il Muhammadiyya· The Prophetic sira· Connectedness of the isnad and proven hearing· حديث غياث المكذوب وأشهد أن قفاك قفا كذاب· محاورة الرشيد مع الزنديق في الحديث· Arba'un 18 — fear God wherever you are
Sources
- Sahih Muslim
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Isnad”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/isnad/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.