ULUM-I-HADITH
Year:2010 | Volume:14 | Issue:4 (54)|Papers Count:11

While studying hadith, it is very important to have a good knowledge of methods of hadith comprehension. Among hadith collections, there are some books with the title of Arbaeen Hadith. Much attention has been focused on this type of hadith collections by scholars through centuries. The late Aqa Bozorg Tehrani, in his book al-Dhari’a, has introduced seventy books under this title. Sheikh Bahaee’s Arbaeen is one of them. It has been written by this great scholar in the tenth century AH. In spite of its small size, it contains many useful issues in a variety of topics. Some important features of this book are: accurate translation of words, transmission of words of hadith with outmost care, analyzing the content of hadith, using syntactic and semantic approach, interpreting hadith with the aid of other hadiths and verses of the Holy Quran.

“Your brother is your religion, so be cautious of your religion as much as you can.” The above mentioned hadith is a religious most-used statement which is found in the science of Usul al-Fiqh when a mojtahid doubts his judgment. Though its chains of documents are few but its text is widely used by Usulis. Referring to two books of Usul (i.e. Fraid al-Usul written by Sheikh Ansari, and Kifaya al-Usul written by Akhund Khorasani), the author of the presented paper tries to investigate the reliability of chain of documents and its content. He finally concludes that what had been thought of concerning this hadith during centuries is not accepted due to some mistakes and deficiencies while reporting its message.

Most discussions produced by scholars in the field of Quran and hadith are concerned with abrogation of the verses of the Quran rather than hadith abrogation. There is no clear and significant discussion concerning hadith abrogation. Yet content of some hadiths found in Shi`i and Sunni sources, indicate that the phenomenon of abrogation can apply to hadith too. No doubt, based on many evidences and examples, its application to the Prophetic hadith is a must, but to the Infallible Imams hadith does not seem to be easy.

Hadith, as the second source of Islamic source, has a special place in Islam. A proper knowledge of hadith plays a fundamental role in locating hadith in such a high position. Incorrect knowledge of hadith not only challenges its status but distorts the fact of faith and weakens its reliability. In ordered to understand hadith, many sciences should be studied. Knowledge of causes for issuing hadith is one of them. There are different causes for issuing hadith which are of different degree of reliability. On the other hand there are some mistakes that we should be bewaring of committing them. If appropriate attention is not paid, this knowledge will be useless and inefficient and make hadith comprehension more complicated.In this paper, the author tries to view the causes for issuing hadith from different perspectives and regards its reliability as a strategy for a better understanding of hadith. He also deals with setbacks in the way of this knowledge.

Sheikh Saduq’s books specially Man la Yahdaruh al-Faqih, `Ilal al- Sharai`, and Uyun al-Akhbar al-Reda are full of narrations by Fadl ibn Shadhan Nayshaboori from Imam Rida, peace be upon him. During past centuries, Islamic scholars specially faqihs (jurisprudents) have utilized those narrations while making a religious decision or passing a judgment. In Wasail al-Shi`a, there are 350 narrations by Fadl ibn Shadhan from Imam Rida which are regarded as the fundamental sources of Ijtihad. Contemporary hadith scholar, Mohammad Baqer Behboodi, refers to Rijal of Kashi and Tusi and concludes that Fadl was born after martyrdom of Imam Rida. Thus he regards those narrations as unreliable. The author of the present paper investigates Rijal of Kashi and Tusi, while taking into consideration some historical evidences as well as Fadl’s teachers and students, and finally comes up with a different conclusion. He argues that Fadl was born about 180 A.H. and those narrations can be narrated by him.

Hadith Safina is one of the hadiths narrated from the Holy Prophet which is found in Shi`I and Sunni sources. This hadith says that every one who follows the Household of the Holy Prophet will achieve his salvation and those who do not follow them will perish.Investigating the different versions of this hadith as well as its chain of documents, the author of this paper tries to answer questions raised by Ibn Taimiyya, Albani, and other scholars in this regard.

Every one who is a little familiar with Ibn abi al-Hadid’s Commentary on Nahj al-Balagha is also aware of historical status among historians. Thus the author tries to investigate some parts of this commentary which are supposed to deal with Imam Husain, peace be upon him. There are some hadiths in this commentary about Imam Husain and their reliability should be verified. Surely the present paper is a beginning to better works on the historical hadiths of this commentary.

Allama Helli’s Approach to Chains of Documents in His Editions is of those issues which have been introduced by some modern scholars as a general authenticity. Allama Helli, in the final section of Khulasat al-Aqwal, mentions some ways of hadiths while regarding some of them as authentic. This approach has many rijal advantages through which a group of unknown is introduced into the circle of reliable hadith reporter. This led to different reactions by Shi’i rijal scholars, some accepted it and regarded it as useful. On the other hand some rejected it and regarded it as unreliable due to some deficiencies in it. After viewing of pros and cons of this general rule and documents of this authentication, the author of the present paper tries to prove unreliability of this general authentication.

Jaber ibn Yazid Ju’fi, a great Shi’i scholar of the second half of the first century and the first half of second century, was one of the famous and reliable companions of Imam Baqir and Imam sadiq, peace be upon them. He narrated from some famous teachers and had some outstanding students from Sunni people. Hence Jabir Ju’fi was always highly spoke of among the Sunni people but from past to present, Sunni rijal scholars have often analyzed him and considered his narrations as unreliable. The most important reasons for criticizing Jabir by the Sunni scholars are as follows: belief in returning, extremism in Shi`a school of thought, telling odd things, insanity, telling lies and misrepresenting, and etc.

For the first time, Hurwitz recognized the relationship between Hadith and Quran the same as the relationship between oral tradition and written one. Islamic scholars didn’t admit this theory. Some of them (especially Goldziher) resoundingly rejected it. To Goldziher, hadith exited in written form and debates on writing hadith was merely a theoretical issue. According to the research done in the time of Hurwits, Jewish oral tradition was considered as merely oral for centuries. Now we know that it was a wrong consideration.The author of the present paper, in the light of results of new research on Talmud and historical analysis of old hadith sources, tries to make a comparison between them in more details. In two primary parts of this paper, he verifies the methods of note-taking in Jewish and Islamic traditions and compares the methods of transmitting of religious teachings in both of them. In part three, the author deals with the formation of early hadith collections and methods of compiling them.in next part, he has a critical view of opinions presented by scholars who are in favor of writing hadith or against it in the light of their political and social conditions.