Periodization of Hadith
A Proposed Taxonomy of Hadith Scholarship
Author: Muntasir Zaman
Introduction
With over a millennium of hadith scholarship across various regions marked by prolific activity, hadith scholars can be categorized in multiple ways—by region, disposition, affiliation, and more. However, a chronological or timeline-based approach can be especially useful for assessing the development of the field of hadith. The following graph is designed to help students appreciate the different eras and distinctive traits of hadith scholarship within each. This graph represents a simplified overview of the field, and many more names could be included, but it highlights the key figures of each period and serves as a prelude to more detailed discussions. Multiple studies have demonstrated that a simple binary division of “early scholars” (mutaqaddimūn) and “later scholars” (mutaʾakhkhirūn), while helpful in some respects, lacks the nuance necessary to understand the intricate evolution of hadith scholarship. A more nuanced approach entails broadly dividing hadith scholars into five periods, each characterized by key developments, methodological features, and notable regions of activity.
