Elevated isnad in hadith transmission

The isnad system used by the hadith scholars to determine the belonging of the narrations to the Prophet is of great importance in the science of hadith. One of the most emphasized features of the isnad, which is classified from various aspects in the classical, is the concept of elevated isnad, which is based on the low number of narrators in the isnad. When the narrations of a hadith are considered to be concerning each other, the terms elevated and descending isnad express the smallness and abundance of the number of narrators in the isnad. Between these two terms, hadith scholars preferred the elevated isnad, which provides closeness to the Prophet. On this occasion, hadith scholars showed great effort for the audition of elevated isnads, and scholars who had such transmissions attracted great interest among students. In this study, the search for elevated isnad in the first four centuries of the hijra, which can be considered the period of narration, the historical process of the concept, the terms it is related to, the approaches of the hadith scholars to the subject and why such isnads are demanded have been researched. In addition, the approaches to the elevated isnad are discussed with their periodic and regional differences, and the hadith scholars and cities that are the source of the elevated isnad are examined.