Development of Islamic communication instruments rooted in authentic hadith conditions

Abstract

This study aims to develop an Islamic communication instrument grounded in the five conditions of authentic hadith: continuity of the chain of transmitters (ittishāl al-sanad), integrity of the narrator (`adālah al-ruwāt), reliability in preserving the narration (tamām al-dhabt), non-contradiction with established sahih hadiths (ghayr al-shudhūdh), and freedom from hidden flaws (ghayr al-`illah). Instrument development proceeded through five main phases: item construction based on relevant literature, content validation by seven multidisciplinary experts, pilot testing for validity and reliability, item revision, and finalisation. The findings demonstrate that all constructs achieved a high level of internal consistency, with Cronbach's Alpha values exceeding 0.7. Expert evaluations also indicated high acceptance (mean > 3.0) across all subconstructs. This research confirms that the authentic hadith criteria can be operationalised as dimensions of effective Islamic communication and serve as a credible evaluative framework for assessing religious discourse in various modern settings.