The
Kutub al-Sittah are six (originally five) books containing collections of
hadith (sayings or acts of the
prophet Muhammad) compiled by six
Sunni Muslim scholars in the ninth century
CE. They are sometimes referred to as
Al-Sihah al-Sittah, which translates as "The Authentic Six". They were first formally grouped and defined by
Ibn al-Qaisarani in the 11th century, who added
Sunan ibn Majah to the list. Since then, they have enjoyed near-universal acceptance as part of the official canon of Sunni Islam.