The Muḥāddithūn have stipulated certain conditions for the authentication of hadith.
*The Hadith must be accompanied by an Isnād (chain of narrators) with the authority under whom it was transmitted.
*The Hadith must be traceable to the Prophet (S.A.W.).
*The Isnād must be continous and uninterrupted.
*Every link in the Isnād must be known to be upright persons (cādilūn).
*None of the persons in the Isnād must be implicated in forgery, sectarian, political and theological disputes.
*The narrators of the hadith must be a contemporary of the teacher on whose authority the hadith is related.
*The narrators of the Hadith must possess a retentive memory.
*The narrator must not be totally unknown (Majhūl).
*The Matn (text of hadith) must not contradict the Qurān.
*The Matn must be in agreement with reason.
*The hadith must be historical and it should not fail the test of historical evidence.
*The Matn of hadith must not extol the virtues of a particular tribe.
*The Matn must not predict the future events or dates.
*Both the Matn and Isnād of the hadith must be clear of subtle and hidden defects.