Studies in Hadith and Sunnah Studies aims to introduce students to different aspects of the hadith sciences. It will explain: the methodology used by traditionalists to authenticate hadiths; the practice of hadith study:travelling for hadith; taking notes; reading and hearing; and the compilation of hadith compendia; adducing and juxtaposing hadith texts to inform understanding of the religion as practice (norms and laws); the increasing sophistication of hadith criticism; and the gradual predominance of hadith texts as a record of the Prophetic Sunnah. These aspects of the hadith sciences will be studied with reference primarily to al-Muwatta, and the six compendia that have, over centuries, retained the widest acceptance among the Muslim community.