Rational Inquiry in the Criticism of Isnāds and Matn among Hadith Scholars: An Analytical Study 10.35781/1637-000-137-001

Abstract

This study investigates the methodology of hadith critics in evaluating prophetic reports, considering it one of the earliest rational frameworks for textual analysis and critique. It focuses on their intellectual instruments - such as comparison, observation, induction, reflection, and analysis - and their function in shaping a systematic and comprehensive critical approach. The research demonstrates that hadith scholars did not limit their critique to chains of transmission but extended it to the analysis of textual content (matn), employing rational procedures to detect hidden defects and irregularities, and to compare reports in order to ensure their consistency with the most reliable narrations. It further shows how their methodology incorporated rational inquiry in addressing textual variations, classifying hadith, and verifying both the credibility of narrators and the integrity of transmitted texts. The study concludes that hadith critics contributed to the formation of a pioneering critical model that utilized reasoned scrutiny to examine the authenticity of transmitted evidence, thereby establishing a methodological foundation that continues to inform the development of contemporary research practices. The research also underscores the importance of engaging with this critical heritage to better understand the tools of verification and analysis employed by hadith scholars in their academic practice, through a close reading of the statements of early authorities which reveal the intellectual procedures they applied in testing and regulating narrations.