ARABIC-THE HIERARCHY OF CRITICISM AND AUTHENTICATION IN HADITH: RESOLVING CONFLICTS BETWEEN JARH AND TA'DIL

مراتب الجرح والتعديل وحكم التعارض بينهما

Abstract

The noble Prophetic tradition (Hadith) has faced vigorous attempts of manipulation and falsification by enemies of Islam. The movement of "Wudu'" (fabrication) emerged, threatening this significant aspect of Islamic heritage with distortion. However, scholars have diligently scrutinized, criticized, and distinguished authentic Hadith from fabricated ones, largely succeeding in their mission."Science of Criticism and Authentication" is one of the esteemed sciences of Prophetic traditions, which delineates the ranks of narrators and identifies weak or reliable narrations using specific terminologies and concepts recognized by scholars. Precision in formulation and determination of significance plays a crucial role in the critique of the chain of transmission of the noble Hadith. Scholars' opinions may diverge in the criticism (jarh) and rehabilitation (ta'dil) of narrators, as some deem a narrator to have been morally corrupt and thus criticize them, while others believe they have repented and therefore rehabilitate them. When criticism and rehabilitation conflict without reconciliation, scholars express varied viewpoints on the matter.