There are several types of compilations of Hadith. Each has its own name. The student will need to know them when researching anything.
Jaami’
Is a Kitab in which Ahadith of eight types are included viz. Siyar (military expeditions), Aadab (etiquettes), Tafsir (exegis of Qur’aan), Aqaid (beliefs), Fitan (trials), Ashrat (signs of Qiyaamah),
Ahkam (commandments), Manaqib (virtues of people).
Note: From among the Sihah Sittah, Bukhari and Tirmidhi are of this type. Muslim has very little regarding Tafsir and the remaining three are Sunan.
Sunan
Are those Kitabs whose Abwab (chapters) are arranged according to chapters of Fiqh. The object of these Kitabs are to gather the proofs of the Fuqahaa; e.g. Sunan Abu Dawud. Sunan Tirmidhi, Sunan Nasai etc.
Musnad
Are Kitabs in which Ahadith are gathered according to the names of the Sahabah who narrate them i.e. all the narrations of one Sahabi are gathered in one place irrespective of the subject matter; e.g. Musnad Ahmad .
Mu’jam
Is a Kitab in which all the Ahadith of a certain Shaikh are gathered together, then those of another then those of another; e.g. Tabarani’s three Mu’jams – Kabir, Awsat and Saghir.
Mustadrak
Is a Kitab in which all the Ahadith according to the Sharait of another Muhaddith are gathered which the first Muhaddith did not include in his Kitab; e.g. Mustadrak alas-sahihain of Hakim.
Mustakhraj
Is a Kitab in which the Ahadith of another Kitab are gathered but with other Sanads so as to lend strength to the first Kitab; e.g. Ismaili’s Mustakhraj on Bukhari and Abu Awwanahs on Muslim.
Ajzaa’
Is a Kitab in which Ahadith pertaining to one Mas’alah are gathered; e.g. Bukhari’s Juz Qira’ah and Juz Raf’ul Yadain.
Afrad wa Gharaib
Are Kitabs in which all the Tafarrudat (exceptions) of a Muhaddith are gathered; e.g. Kitabul Afrad of Dar Qutni and Gharaib Imam Malik.
Tajrid
Are Kitabs from which the Sanads and Mukarrarat (repetitions) are omitted; e.g. Zubaidi’s Tajridul Bukhari.
Takhrij
Is a Kitab wherein the Ahadith without Sanad of another Kitab are gathered; e.g. Nasbur Raayah of Zayla’e and Ibn Hajar’s Dirayah.
Kitabs of Jamaa’
Are Kitabs in which the Ahadith of several other Kitabs are gathered but the Mukarrarat are omitted; e.g. Humaidi’s Jama’ Baynas Sahihain and Ibn Athirs Jaami’ul Usul.
Atraf
Are Kitabs in which all the Sanads of a Hadith are gathered with only the beginning portion of the Hadith; e.g. Mizzi’s Tuhfatul Ashraf bi Ma’rifatil Atraf.
Faharis
Are Kitabs in which the Ahadith of one or more Kitabs are indexed for ease in research; e.g. Miftahu Kunuzis Sittah and Mu’jamul Mufahris li Alfazil Hadith.
Arba’een
Are compilations of forty Ahadith; e.g. Arba’een of Nawawi.
Mawdhu’at
Are compilations of fabricated Ahadith; e.g. Mawdhu’atul Kubra of Mulla Ali Qaari.
Kutub Ahadith Mash-hurah
Are Kitabs in which the Sanads of famous and well circulated Ahadith are researched; e.g. ‘Maqasidul Hasanah fil Ahadithil Mushtaharati Alal Alsinah’ of Sakhawi.
Gharibul Hadith
Are Kitabs in which the words of Ahadith are explained (Lughatan and Istilahan); e.g. Ibn Athirs Nihayah and Zamakhshari’s Al Faiq and ‘Majma Biharil Anwar’ of Shaikh Muhammad Tahir Patni.
‘Ilal
Are Kitabs in which the Mutakallam (commented upon) Sanads of Ahadith are discussed e.g. Tirmidhi’s Ilal Kabir and Ilal Sagheer.
Kutubul Adhkaar
Are Kitabs in which the Du’as and practices of Rasulullah (Sallallahu a’laihi wa Sallam) are mentioned; e.g. Adhkar of Nawawi and Jazris Hisnul Hasen min Kalam Sayyidil Mursalin.
Zawa’id
Are compilations of Ahadith from one Kitab which are not in another e.g. Haithami’s Majmauz Zawaid wa Manbaul Fawaid, in which the unique ahadith of Musnad Ahmad, Bazzar, Abu Ya’la, Taranis Ma’ajimuth Thalathah are gathered which are not in Sihaah Sittah and Ibn Hajar’s Matalibul aliyah bi Zawaid Masaniduth Thamaniyah.
There are other types of Tasnifat (compilation)of Hadith but the above are the more common ones.
From the book: NUKBATUL FIKAR {PART-1}
AL BASAIR ISLAMIC MEDIA 