Isnad (Chain of Narration)
The chain of narrators connecting a hadith back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Isnad is the chain of narrators connecting a hadith back to its original source, typically the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The isnad system is unique to Islamic scholarship and is considered one of the most sophisticated methods of historical verification in the ancient world.
Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak said: "Isnad is part of the religion. Were it not for isnad, anyone would say anything." Hadith scholars (muhaddithin) developed detailed criteria for evaluating each narrator: their memory, honesty, precision, and whether they had actually met the person they narrated from.
Regarding prayer legislation, isnad is crucial because many details about how to perform the prayer are only known through hadith. Imam Muslim dedicated the introduction of his Sahih to a discussion of the importance of isnad scholarship, and Imam al-Bukhari was famous for his strict evaluation of chains of narration.
Related terms
Salat al-Ayat (Prayer of the Signs)
An obligatory prayer performed during natural phenomena such as solar and lunar eclipses.
Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)
The Islamic legal science that derives practical rules from the Quran and Sunnah.
Salat al-Istisqa (Rain Prayer)
A special congregational prayer performed to ask Allah for rain during drought.
Qiyam (Standing Position)
The standing position in prayer, during which the Quran is recited.
Khalifah (Caliph/Successor)
The political and religious leader of the Muslim community after the Prophet's passing.
Salah (Prayer)
The Islamic ritual prayer, performed five times daily.