Hadith, according to Imami Shiʿi Islam, is narrative record of a saying, deed, or tacit approval attributed to one of the People of the Household (Ahl al-bayt): fourteen infallibles which include Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima, and twelve rightly guided Imams appointed by the Prophet. Ismaʿili Shiʿa will concur with this definition through their chain of Imams, whereas Zaydi Shiʿa would be more open to embrace the sayings of the Companions. Generally, the chain of narrators of a particular report is supposed to be considered a part of hadith, making hadith a combination of chain of narrators (al-sanad) and text (al-matn). Theoretically, hadith serves the purpose of an auxiliary source to the Qur’an but in practice it is the focal point of reference for jurisprudence, Qur’anic exegesis, theological doctrines, and moral values. The distinct feature of Shiʿi Hadith literature, Zaydis being an exception, is the absence of hadith narrated by a Companion of the Prophet.
