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Which six Sunni hadith collections are known as al-kutub al-sittah?
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In Sunni Islam, the six canonical hadith collections known as al-kutub al-sittah ("the six books") are recognized for their authority in preserving the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. These collections are arranged by matn (text) rather than by isnād (chain of transmission).12
The six collections are:
- Sahih al-Bukhari by Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari12
- Sahih Muslim by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj12
- Sunan Abi Dawood by Abu Dawood12
- Jami' at-Tirmidhi by al-Tirmidhi12
- Sunan ibn Majah by Ibn Majah12
- Sunan an-Nasa'i by al-Nasa'i12
While all six are considered authoritative, the collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim are held in particularly high prestige, often eclipsing the others in terms of recognized authenticity.12