Sources and methodology

Data sources

The main collections are served through HadithAPI. Additional collections, including Nawawi, Qudsi, Riyad us-Salihin and Muwatta Malik, are stored in Sirah’s Supabase database after import. Import scripts include material obtained from Sunnah.com and supplied text files. Provenance has not been recorded at the individual-record level for every import; an imported record should not be assumed to have a verified edition or translator attribution.

Sunnah.com is also an external reference readers can consult. Sirah does not currently use a Sunnah.now API or the Sunnah.com API to serve its main collections.

Record counts and numbering

Collection totals count records returned by the connected data source. They are not counts of distinct prophetic sayings: repetitions and alternative narrations may be separate records. Chapter counts reflect available coverage; some imported collections, including Muwatta Malik, are partial. Gaps, edition differences and corrections can change totals. Check the collection name, chapter and text when comparing a reference with another edition.

Translations

Arabic, English and other language fields are displayed when available in the source record. Coverage varies by collection. Sirah does not claim to have commissioned, independently checked or identified the translator of every translation. AI-generated translations and explanations should be checked against a recognised edition.

Grades and narrator chains

Grading badges reproduce source or import metadata. Some earlier imports assigned a general grade without recording the grading scholar or edition. These labels must not be treated as a new scholarly ruling or as evidence of agreement among all scholars. A missing grade means that this record supplies no grade.

Narrator names and chains are shown where included in the source text. Sirah does not independently assess narrators, establish meetings between transmitters, or authenticate manuscripts.

AI search and retrieval

Library search uses the connected hadith service and, where configured, an Algolia search index. AI Chat also uses the Sunnah.now search service to retrieve supporting narrations and check some hadith links. These retrieval paths may have different numbering and coverage.

AI assistance uses language models with instructions and the context available to the selected feature. An AI response can contain an incorrect quotation, attribution, reference or explanation. A displayed citation is a starting point for checking the original text; it is not proof that the response was verified against a manuscript or a scholarly database.

What Sirah checks

Sirah’s software checks record identifiers, routes and the source fields available for display. These technical checks do not establish religious authenticity. Scholarly evaluation, legal interpretation and personal religious rulings require appropriately qualified scholars.

Articles, lessons and review

Sirah publishes its own explanatory articles, study lessons and platform comparisons. Publication by Sirah is distinct from independent scholarly review. A named author, reviewer, source list or review date is displayed only when recorded for that content. Where no named reviewer is shown, no named scholarly review is recorded.

Lesson sources identify the specific claims they support. General reflections and suggested activities should be distinguished from direct quotations and religious rulings. Missing source details and unverified attributions remain limitations of the existing lesson library.

Platform comparisons are published by Sirah, which has an interest in its own product. Our comparisons describe features and intended uses; they are not independent ratings.

Corrections and known limitations

Provider outages, incomplete imports, translation errors, missing references and differing numbering schemes can affect the library. To report an issue, use Feedback in the site footer and include the permanent hadith or lesson URL, the text in question and an edition or source supporting the correction.