“The chains of narrations (isnaad) is from the religion; were it not for the isnaad anyone could say anything they wanted.”
Abdullaah Ibn Al Mubaarak, (d.181AH)
"Who knows better about what happened, than those who witnessed it?"
What is this site?
Traced Truth is a platform that highlights the depth and precision behind the preservation of ancient islamic history— also known as Hadith.
Why?
The topic of Hadith sciences and the rigorous means by which islamic history has remained authentically preserved is an unfamiliar subject to the masses, and it's an issue that people sometimes entirely dismiss the authenticity of, simply because of their ignorance about the subject.
See, with Hadith, it's not just about finding a manuscript that could potentially be ascribed to a particular person in a point of time in the past and calling it a day (as most history is documented), rather it's much deeper than that.
What is a hadith?
A Hadith is defined by the scholars of islam as:
That which is attributed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, from speech, actions, or silent approvals.
A Hadith consists of two parts, as illustrated in the diagram below:
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Am Example of a Hadith
The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said: None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
Chain of Narrators (Sanad):
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ - Musaddad narrated to us (Bukhaari)
↓
قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى - he said, Yahyaa narrated to us
↓
عَنْ شُعْبَةَ - on the authority of Shu'bah
↓
عَنْ قَتَادَةَ - on the authority of Qataadah
↓
عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ - on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)
↓
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ - on the authority of the Prophet, who said
"None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."
As you can see, the chain of a hadith is simply connecting the names of people who transmitted the Prophet's statement, passing it along from one person to another until it reached the one who recorded it. In this case, the hadith is found in Saheeh Al-Bukhaari, a well-known collection by the 9th-century scholar, Imaam Al-Bukhaari.
Why is this chain important?
The chain of narrators, or Sanad, is crucial because it helps ensure the authenticity of the Hadith. Each person in the chain is carefully vetted for their reliability, memory, and integrity, meaning that the teachings we have today can be traced back to those who directly witnessed or accurately passed on the words of the Prophet ﷺ. Without this meticulous process, anyone could claim to say anything and attribute it to the Prophet, undermining the credibility of the teachings. This rigorous method of preservation is what gives us confidence in the authenticity of Hadith and ensures the integrity of Islamic teachings.