صحیح مسلم بطور مصدرِ حدیث: مقدمہ، شروط اور منہجِ تالیف کا اصولی جائزہ

Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim as a Primary Source of Ḥadīth: An Analytical Study of its Introduction, Authenticity Criteria, and Methodology of Compilation

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive academic study of Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim) authored by Imām Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj al-Naysābūrī, one of the most authoritative compilations of Prophetic traditions in Islamic scholarship. The study explores the historical background, motivation of compilation, and scholarly objectives behind the work, while also analyzing the original title of the book and its significance. Special attention is given to the introduction (Muqaddimah) of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim as an independent foundational text in the principles of Ḥadīth sciences. The research further highlights the process of selection from a vast corpus of transmitted narrations and examines the scholarly rigor applied in ensuring authenticity and precision in transmission. The article also critically examines the methodological framework (Manhaj) of Imām Muslim, including his criteria of authenticity (Shurūṭ al-Ṣiḥḥah), approach toward connected chains (Ittiṣāl al-Sanad), treatment of Muʿanʿan narrations, and classification of narrators into different reliability tiers. Additionally, it evaluates the distinctive structural and technical features of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim such as the systematic collection of multiple chains in a single place, preservation of textual variations, and avoidance of excessive repetition. The study situates Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim within the broader scholarly discourse of Ḥadīth literature, including its comparison with Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, its reception among scholars, and its lasting contribution to the preservation and systematization of Prophetic traditions.