Every hadith consists of two sections. The first section is a list of all those who transmitted the saying of the Prophet (salallaahu alayhi wa sailam) beginning with the last transmitter to the one who collected it in his book and ending with the Companion who narrated it from the Prophet (salallaahu alayhi wa sallam). The second section is the narrated saying, action, approval or physical description of the Prophet. The first portion is known as the isnad or the sanad (chain of narrators) and the second is called the matn (text).
For example: '"Abdul-'Azeez ibn al- Mukhtar told us, saying: Suhayl ibn Abi Salih informed us from his father from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (salal/ahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"The Imam was appointed to be followed. So when he says, 'Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is Greater)', say 'AllaahuAkbar'. But do not say it until he has said it. And bow when he bows, but don't bow until he bows. And when he says, Sami Allaahu liman hamidah (AIlaah hears those who praise Him)', say, 'Allaahumma rabbanaalakal-hamd (0 Allaah, our Lord, aIl praise is Yours)' And when he prostrates, do so, but don't do so before he does so. And if he prays standing, do so and if he prays sitting you should aIl pray sitting." (Abu Dawud)
In the above-mentioned hadith: ['Abdul-'Azeez ibn al-Mukhtar told us, saying: Suhayl ibn Abi Salih informed us from his father from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said] is the isnad and the remainder ["The Imam was appointed to be followed. So when he says, 'Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is Greater)', say, 'Allaahu Akbar ... ' and if he prays sitting you should all pray sitting."] is the matn.
The pattern of isnad
The usual pattern, which the isnad system follows, is that the further one goes down the chain of narrators (isnad), the greater the number of transmitters. For example, in the case of the abovementioned hadith, research reveals that ten Companions living in three locations, Madeenah, Syria and Iraq, transmitted it. One of the Companions, Abu Hurayrah, had seven students transmit the hadith from him alone. Four of them lived in Madeenah, two in Egypt and one in Yemen. These seven students, in turn, transmitted the hadith to twelve of their students; fIVefrom Madeenah, two from Makkah, and one each from Syria, Kufa, Ta' if, Egypt and Yemen. The total number of third generation authorities who reported this hadith is twenty-six coming from ten different locations; Madeenah, Makkah, Egypt, Homs, Yemen, Kufa, Syria, Was it and Ta'if. Furthermore, the hadith is found with virtually the same wording or meaning in all of the ten locations.
Another example: "Nasr ibn 'Ali al- Jahdami and Hamid ibn 'Umar al- Bakrawi informed us saying: Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal informed us from Khalid, from 'Abdullah ibn Shaqeeq from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that Prophet Muhammad (salal/aahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"If anyone among you wakes up from sleep, he must not put his hand in a utensil until he has washed it three times, for he doesn't know where his hand was during sleep." (Bukhari)
At least thirteen students of Abu Hurayrah transmitted this hadith from him. 8 out of the I3 were from Madeenah, I was from Kufa, 2 from Basrah, I from Yemen and I from Syria. There are sixteen scholars who transmitted this hadith from the students of Abu Hurayrah. 6 out of the 16 were from Madeenah, 4 from Basrah, 2 from Kufaand Iraq, I from Makkah, I from Khurasan (Iran) and I from Homs (Syria).
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited