noun

hadith

huh-DEETH

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Hadith (noun) means a reported account of something Muhammad, or occasionally one of his companions, said or did that is not recorded in the Quran. Example: “The scholar traced the hadith back to a companion of Muhammad.”

noun

A reported account of something Muhammad, or occasionally one of his companions, said or did that is not recorded in the Quran.

"The scholar traced the hadith back to a companion of Muhammad."

"Students at the seminary spend years learning to judge which hadiths are reliable."

A recognised collection of such reported accounts gathered from a particular source or tradition within Islam.

"The library holds several printed editions of the hadith used by that school of law."

"Different branches of Islam give different weight to particular hadith collections."

How to use hadith

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA hadith is a traditional report about something the Prophet Muhammad said or did.

When to use it

Hadith is a specialist term from Islamic studies and religious writing rather than everyday speech.

Memory tip

Remember that hadith can stay the same in the plural, so 'many hadith' is just as correct as 'many hadiths'.

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Common pairings

a collection of hadith an authentic hadith cite a hadith the study of hadith

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The scholar traced the _____ back to a companion of Muhammad.

Etymology

Hadith comes from the Arabic word حَدِيث (ḥadīṯ), which could mean recent events, a story, discourse, or a hadith itself. That Arabic noun in turn comes from the verb حَدَّثَ (ḥaddaṯa), meaning to tell, relate or report.

Origin: Arabic

Synonyms

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Sunna Sunnah

Frequently asked questions

What does hadith mean?

A hadith is a report of something Muhammad said or did that isn't part of the Quran itself. The word is also used for the wider collections of these reports.

What is the plural of hadith?

English uses hadiths, hadith, or the Arabic-derived ahadith, all of which are accepted.

Where does the word hadith come from?

It comes from Arabic ḥadīth, related to a verb meaning to tell or report, reflecting how these accounts were passed on by word of mouth.

What is the meaning of hadith?

"hadith" (noun) means a reported account of something Muhammad, or occasionally one of his companions, said or did that is not recorded in the Quran.