Hadith Mutawatir حدیث متواتر
Narrated by at least 10 persons in each era.
Khabar e Waahid خبر واحد
Narrators are less than ten.
Hadith Mash hoor حدیث مشہور
Narrated by at least 3 persons in each era.
Hadith Azeez حدیث عزیز
Narrated by two persons in each era.
Hadith Ghareeb حدیث غریب
Narrated by only one person in any era.
Hadith Qudsi حدیث قدسی
Saying of Allah, expressed by the Prophet.
Hadith Marfoo حدیث مرفوع
Sayings & Actions and silent approvals of Prophet.
Hadith Mawqoof حدیث موقوف
Sayings and Acts and silent approvals of Sahabi.
Hadith Maqtoo حدیث مقطوع
Sayings and Acts and silent approvals of Tabi ee.
Hadith Sahih حدیث صحیح
Whose Narrators are
Aadil
Narrators have sound retentive memory,
chain of Narrators is continuous,
reliable narrator did not contradict with any other more reliable narrator,
there are no hidden contradictions/defects in Hadith.
Hadith Hasan حدیث حسن
Narrator’s memory is not as sound as that in case of Hadith Sahih.
Hadith Zaeef حدیث ضعیف
Narrated by only one person, and In which a few or all five conditions of Hadith Sahih are not found,
If hadith zaeef is Narrated by 2 persons then it also becomes hadith Hasan.
Hadith Mawzoo حدیث موضوع
a fabricated hadith,
Which is Narrated by a fabricator of Hadith.
In what condition should we act upon Khabr e wahid?
when it is not against Quran,
when it is not against Hadith Mash Hoor,
when it is not against Zaahir
Important Principles
In matters related to faith and basic creeds only Hadith Mutawatir is acceptable.
In case of commands/obligations and forbidden acts only hadith Sahih or Hadith Hassan will be valid.
Hadith Zaeef can be accepted only regarding description of personality traits/characteristics of individuals or virtue of deeds.