Narrators Differed Upon Regarding Their Trustworthiness and Its Impact on Judging Hadith: An Applied Study on Selected Hadiths from the Sunan

Abstract

This study addresses the issue of narrators whose authenticity differs and the impact this has on the judgment of hadiths. This is one of the most prominent issues in hadith sciences, as it has a direct impact on determining the legal rulings derived from the Prophetic Sunnah. Scholars of criticism and ta'dil have excelled in evaluating narrators, but their differences in authenticity and ta'dil have resulted in discrepancies in the judgments of some hadiths, which has been reflected in their acceptance or rejection.
The study adopted a critical analytical approach, by studying the chains of transmission (sanad), tracing the scholars' statements in evaluating narrators, and comparing their positions to clarify their impact on hadith judgments. The study focused on several applied models that represented a vivid example of the differences among hadith scholars in evaluating narrators and their impact on hadith judgments.
The study concluded that the critics' differences in the authenticity of narrators is a primary reason for the discrepancies in their judgments of hadiths. This is not due to personal differences or whims, but rather to precise scientific criteria related to the soundness of the recording, fairness, and the temporal circumstances of the narration.