The contradictions and violations present in religious heritage are numerous, and these contradictions are evident to everyone except the ignorant or the obstinate. Among these violations is what is known as the science of Al-Jarh wal-Ta'dil (Hadith validation and criticism).
This "science" has no existence in the Book of Allah, neither closely nor remotely; in fact, it completely contradicts it. However, religious clerics invented it to classify people and narrators.
Allah Almighty addresses our Prophet Muhammad in the Quran:
"And among those around you of the bedouins are hypocrites, and [also] from the people of Madinah. They have become accustomed to hypocrisy. You, [O Muhammad], do not know them, [but] We know them."
[At-Tawbah: 101]
This verse is directed to the Messenger of Allah, who received revelation from the Lord of the Worlds. Allah informs him that no matter how much he tries, he will not know who the hypocrite is; rather, this is something only Allah knows.
However, religious clerics had a different opinion. They claimed to know the hypocrite from the non-hypocrite, the righteous from the wicked, the liar, the deceiver, the senile, and the deviant. They claimed to know what the Messenger himself did not know.
This "science" is based on classifying individuals through the testimonies of other individuals. It is a field that lacks actual scientific research or methodology. It relies on the testimonies of people who were "vetted" by other people to inspect the intentions of others in a relative and conjectural manner.
Sheikh Al-Albani set new titles for these four aforementioned books, after he "refined" them, providing us with the following categories:
Books he authenticated:
- • Sahih Abi Dawood
- • Sahih Ibn Majah
- • Sahih al-Nasa'i
- • Sahih al-Tirmidhi
- • Sahih al-Targhib wal-Tarhib
- • Sahih al-Jami' al-Saghir
- • Sahih al-Adab al-Mufrad
- • The Series of Authentic Hadiths
Books he weakened:
- • Da'if Abi Dawood
- • Da'if Ibn Majah
- • Da'if al-Nasa'i
- • Da'if al-Tirmidhi
- • Da'if al-Targhib wal-Tarhib
- • Da'if al-Jami' al-Saghir
- • Da'if al-Adab al-Mufrad
- • The Series of Weak Hadiths
Conclusion:
The science of Al-Jarh wal-Ta'dil represents a major methodological problem in traditional Islamic thought. It is built on conjectural foundations and personal assessments that conflict with what is stated in the Holy Quran. This field was invented by clerics to classify people and evaluate their narrations, forgetting that Allah alone is the observer of intentions and hearts.
The problem deepens when this "science" becomes a tool to constantly "renew" religion and change rulings, creating a gap between Muslims and their Holy Book, and diverting their attention from the real issues facing the nation.