al-kutub as-sittah

Islamic literature

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June 30, 2026

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Al-kutub al-sittah, meaning "the six books," refers to the six most authoritative collections of hadith for Sunni Muslims. Hadith are accounts of the statements, actions, and approbations of the Prophet Muhammad, reported by various authorities. These collections were compiled between the 9th and 10th centuries CE and are considered the most reliable sources of hadith.12

The six books are:
* Al-Jāmiʿ al-ṣaḥīḥ by al-Bukhārī
* Al-Jāmiʿ al-ṣaḥīḥ by Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj
* Sunan by Abū Dāwūd
* Sunan by al-Tirmidhī
* Sunan by Ibn Mājah
* Sunan by al-Nasāʾī

These compilations are organized by matn (text) and are crucial for understanding Islamic law and tradition.12

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ʿilm al-ḥadīth
…only six collections, known as al-kutub al-sittah (“the six books”), arranged by matn—those of al-Bukhārī (died 870), Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (died 875), Abū Dāʾūd (died 888), al-Tirmidhī (died 892), Ibn Mājāh (died 886), and al-Nasāʾī (died 915)—came to be recognized as canonical in orthodox Islam, though the
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…only six collections, known as al-kutub al-sittah (“the six books”), arranged by matn—those of al-Bukhārī (died 870), Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (died 875), Abū Dāʾūd (died 888), al-Tirmidhī (died 892), Ibn Mājāh (died 886), and al-Nasāʾī (died 915)—came to be recognized as canonical in orthodox Islam, though the
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