The Meaning of Imam al-Tirmidhi’s Phrase: “Hasan Sahih” — Explained According to His Methodology
- Muiz As-Siddeeqi
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
The Meaning of Imam al-Tirmidhi’s Phrase: “Hasan Sahih” — Explained According to His Methodology
What does Imam al-Tirmidhi mean by the term “Hasan Sahih”?
It is likely based on his own methodology — the methodology of al-Tirmidhī. What he intends by ḥasan is: a narration that is reported through more than one route, is not shādh (irregular), and none of its narrators are accused of lying. This is what he calls ḥasan — based on these three conditions:
Reported from more than one route (one or more chains),
It is not deemed shādh — meaning it doesn’t contradict more authentic aḥādīth (because the shādh is what goes against that which is more authentic than it),
None of its narrators are accused of lying — even if a narrator is weak or of unknown status (mastūr al-ḥāl), as long as the chains support one another.
As for his phrase ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ, according to what he himself said — it is either due to an interpretation, or due to uncertainty (shakk), or because there are two isnāds: one is ḥasan and the other is ṣaḥīḥ.
Source: Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-ʿAẓīm by Ibn Kathīr, under the verse: “And mention the Name of Allah upon it...”
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