The third article in the series explaining the book ‘Ilal al-Tirmidhi: an explanation of the legitimacy of al-jarh wa al-ta’dil (narrator criticism and accreditation) and the method of Imam Ibn Rajab.
This article offers a comprehensive scholarly explanation of the concept of al-jarh wa al-ta’dil in ‘ilm al-rijal (the science of hadith narrators), following the method of Imam al-Tirmidhi and Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, drawing on the evidence of the Shari’ah and the spirit of Islamic law.
Defining Jarh and Ta’dil and Their Legitimacy
Jarh (impugning) in the science of narrators means mentioning the causes and defects that make a narrator untrustworthy, whether these defects are personal or relate to the narrator’s conduct in his adherence to the law of Allah, such as his being prone to error, having a weak memory, or the like. Ta’dil (accreditation), on the other hand, is establishing that a narrator is reliable and truthful, and it is the first step in evaluating hadith narrators. It also includes honest criticism of flattery and false praise, into which some opportunists fall when they sing the praises of the undeserving for the sake of some worldly gain.
Speaking about the defects of narrators resembles backbiting (ghibah), which Islam forbids, in being prohibited; yet speaking about narrators has a special, legitimate ruling because Muslims need to investigate and to distinguish the authentic from the weak in the Prophetic hadith. This is what Imam al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Rajab pointed to.
The Role of the Companions in Jarh and Ta’dil
Although al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Rajab did not mention many reports about the Companions in jarh and ta’dil, evidence from al-Tabarani’s al-Mu’jam al-Kabir and other works confirms that jarh and ta’dil began with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who would make clear the condition of the Companions and narrators even in times of trial. An example is the incident of the slander (al-ifk), in which the Messenger declared the innocence of Lady ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and described the man to whom the accusations had been attributed as one “about whom I know nothing but good,” which is the highest degree of accreditation.
This shows that the science of jarh and ta’dil was not an invention of a particular period; rather, it follows the Prophetic Sunnah and the practice of the Companions, who accredited one another or impugned one another on the basis of considerations recognized by the Shari’ah.
Criticism of Flattering Narrators and Compromise in Knowledge
Al-Tirmidhi warns against lavishing undeserved praise on scholarly figures and narrators, whether out of courtesy or as a means of gaining some worldly benefit, because this affects the credibility of knowledge and obscures the truth, and it counts as a failure to understand correctly the law of Islam regarding jarh and ta’dil.
The Importance of Context and Weighing (Tarjih) in the Science of Narrators
The statements transmitted about narrators must be viewed in their context, and one must know the chain of transmission and the book in which the hadith or the report appears. Partial reading diminishes understanding and may mislead the researcher. Weighing between opinions (tarjih) is essential, and blind transmission is not permissible whatever the source, especially in the science of narrators, where a scholarly verdict is a weighty responsibility.
Distinguishing Between Kinds of Scholarly Consensus
Al-Tirmidhi makes clear that there is a difference between the general consensus of the people of knowledge and the consensus of a particular group, and the two must be distinguished when studying questions of jarh and ta’dil, so that not every expression is treated as a general consensus unless specific conditions are met.
Conclusion: The Importance of Original Sources and Verification
The scholarly method in the science of jarh and ta’dil stresses the necessity of reading the original sources and not relying solely on transcripts or summaries, and of relying instead on verification and on weighing between opinions, with precise documentation of every piece of information transmitted from the science of narrators.
With this, the third article has surveyed the most important scholarly concepts related to jarh and ta’dil in the science of narrators according to the method of the people of hadith, the Sunnah and the Jama’ah, benefiting from the words of Imam al-Tirmidhi and the commentary of Imam Ibn Rajab, while stressing the importance of clarity, precision, and verification when dealing with the texts of the science of narrators and the noble Prophetic hadith.
Below is a presentation of some of the original quotations that appear in the text, attributed to their authors among the scholars and hadith masters:
- The statement of Imam al-Hafiz Zayd al-Din Abu al-Faraj ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ahmad, known as Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali:
“Some who do not understand have faulted the people of hadith for speaking about narrators; here Imam al-Tirmidhi wishes to speak about the legitimacy of jarh and ta’dil.”
(Sharh al-‘Ilal al-Saghir li al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali) - The hadith of the Prophet ﷺ concerning the incident of the slander, narrated in al-Tabarani’s Mu’jam:
“There are those who have violated my sanctity and accused my household of what they are innocent of, and I know nothing of them but good.”
(al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, al-Tabarani) - The statement of Shaykh al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, in mentioning the Companions as hadith masters who accredited one another:
“He mentions the hadith masters, among them the Companions, and mentions the expressions that came from them indicating accreditation and authentication of one another.”
(Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, Shaykh al-Dhahabi) - The statement of Ibn Hibban in the introduction to Kitab al-Majruhin:
“The first concern we have regarding the conditions of narrators is ‘Abd Allah ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, when he forbade narrating hadith in abundance.”
(al-Majruhin, Ibn Hibban) - The statement of al-Dhahabi on the legitimacy of jarh and ta’dil:
“The jarh that counts is the jarh that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began; there is no distinction within it except in the matter of detailed technical terminology.”
(Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, al-Dhahabi) - The statement of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal on the meaning of backbiting:
“If you do not intend to fault the man, you have spoken; and if a man says, ‘So-and-so did not hear,’ or ‘He errs’…”
(Usul al-Fiqh, Ibn Taymiyyah) - The statement of Imam Ibn Sirin regarding the science of narrators:
“This knowledge is religion, so look to whom you take your religion from.”
(Introduction to al-Majruhin by Ibn Hibban, quoting Ibn Sirin) - The statement of Imam Ibn al-Jawzi on being alone in a verdict on narrators:
“Ruling with a solitary opinion is often rejected, and al-Suyuti refuted Ibn al-Jawzi’s many solitary rulings.”
(Mawdu’at fi ‘Ilm al-Rijal) - The statement of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar rejecting a solitary opinion that contradicts the majority:
“Whoever among the scholars is alone in impugning or accrediting and contradicts the majority, his opinion is not adopted.”
(Fath al-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari) - The statement of Imam al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, on the difference between the weak and the strong in hadith:
“How do we know the weak from the strong if we are not told about it? No, we are not told.”
(al-Risalah, Imam al-Shafi’i) - The statement of Imam Ibn Abi al-Dunya on the punishment of the liar:
“Part of the punishment of the liar is that truth is not accepted [from him].”
(Kitab al-Samt, Ibn Abi al-Dunya) - The statement of Imam Muslim in the introduction to his Sahih:
“Whoever does not memorize hadith well, or is weak, is not to be narrated from.”
(Introduction to Sahih Muslim)
These quotations have been isolated through careful analysis of the text and are confirmed by the sources mentioned. They represent the essence of the discussion explaining the legitimacy of jarh and ta’dil in the science of narrators according to the method of the people of hadith, the Sunnah and the Jama’ah.