Historiography Of Hadith: The Development of Syarah Hadith and Hasyiyah

Abstract

This study explores the historiography of hadith by tracing the development of syarah (commentaries) and hasyiyah (marginal notes) from the classical era to the modern-contemporary period. It demonstrates that hadith commentary evolved in stages: from the Prophet’s explanations during his lifetime, the companions’ oral interpretations, the Tabi’in and Atba’ al-Tabi’in’s contextual clarifications, to systematic written works in the medieval period, and finally to thematic and interdisciplinary approaches in modern scholarship. The research highlights four primary methods of commentary ijmali (concise), tahlili (analytical), muqarin (comparative), and maudlu’i (thematic) each reflecting distinct scholarly needs and socio-cultural contexts. Indonesian contributions, especially by KH. Muhajirin Amsar al-Dari through Misbāh al-Ẓalām, exemplify innovative approaches combining linguistic, historical, and sociological perspectives. The findings affirm that syarah and hasyiyah are not static, but dynamically respond to the intellectual, social, and legal challenges of their times, thereby ensuring the relevance of hadith studies across centuries.