What is Hadith Commentary?

The introduction opens with the central question of what a hadith commentary is. It presents a number of cases where hadith is commented upon, but not necessarily in works called ‘hadith commentary’. The chapter suggests that, beyond the discussion of ‘genre’ and the focus on the text, it is the actors, too, who determine hadith commentary, establishing a cultural tradition embedded in transregional and transtemporal networks. The chapter then explores the various ways that hadith commentaries were classified, for example by discipline, or sectarian affiliation. This fluidity and variety reflect the various contexts that shaped hadith commentary and guaranteed its transmission. Commentary practices unfolded in diverse social, political, cultural, and religious contexts, and served different purposes. All of this must be taken into account when studying these texts, their producers, their transmitters, and their users.