The sciences of hadith according to Moncef Zenati:

The Sunna is the second scriptural source of Islam, just after the Koran. The hadiths and of paramount importance to know the rules and teachings of Islam.

It suffices to be convinced of this to take a look at the innumerable works of Muslim law "fiqh" through the generations in Islam, to realize that most of the prescriptions are drawn from the texts of the Sunna.

Just like the sciences of the Koran from any alteration or modification, the sciences of the Koran have contributed to the preservation of the Koran from any alteration or modification, the sciences of the Hadith have had the role of preserving the Sunna, thus challenging the attempts of certain orientalists who seek to discredit this fundamental scriptural source.

Both concise and simplified, this work gives the French-speaking public an overview of the sciences of hadith accessible to all and makes it possible to acquire fundamental and imperative knowledge to better understand hadith. It aims to present the main rules adopted to accept a hadith, to receive or transmit it, as well as the annexed studies concerning the degree of the transmitters and the information transmitted and the rules which result therefrom concerning the admissibility or the refutation of traditional information.

This book was composed to serve as a support within the framework of Islamic studies at a distance in French language offered by the Institute


This book has 16 chapters, here are their titles:

• Chapter 1: Definition of the Sunna.
• Chapter 2: The place of the Sunna in the legislative field.
• Chapter 3: Controversy around the legal legitimacy of the Sunna and their refutations.
• Chapter 4: The relationship of the Sunnah to the Quran.
• Chapter 5: The Preserving Factors of the Sunnah.
• Chapter 6: Transcription of the Sunna.
• Chapter 7: The hadith books.
• Chapter 8: The sciences of hadith.
• Chapter 9: The ways of reception and the terms of communication.
• Chapter 10: Companions and Tabi'ines.
• Chapter 11: The titles of the people of hadith.
• Chapter 12: The Science of Disparaging Criticism and Approval of Transmitters ('ilm al-jarh wat-ta 'dil).
• Chapter 13: Terminology.
• Chapter 14: Typology of hadith.
• Chapter 15: Common terminology between the safe-valid "sahih", the good "hasan" and the weak "da'if".
• Chapter 16: The hadith forged “al-moawdou'”.
• Chapter 17: The science of contradictory hadith "ilm mukhtalaf al hadith" and the hadith raising some ambiguities "moshkal al-hadith".
• Chapter 18: The abrogating and the abrogated among the hadiths "annasikh wal-mansoukh".