Investigating the Narrators from the Senior Tabi'in Class who Narrated from Three or More Companions and were Classified as "Maqbul" by Ibn Hajar in "Taqrib Al-Tahdhib"
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study explores a unique group of narrators from the elder generation of successors (Kib?r al-T?bi??n) who transmitted ?ad?th from three or more Companions (?a??ba) and were deemed "acceptable" (maqb?l) by Ibn ?ajar al-?Asqal?n? in his critical work, Taqr?b al-Tahdh?b. Positioned in the sixth tier of narrator assessment, these individuals highlight the need to examine the relationship between the diversity of sources and the moderate reliability attributed to them in the field of al-jar? wa-al-ta?d?l. Although they had access to multiple Companions—often seen as beneficial for transmission integrity—their limited recognition in authoritative collections and their cautious reliability classification raise important methodological questions. This research fills a gap by systematically identifying, classifying, and analyzing these narrators, focusing on their transmission patterns, volume of narrations, and academic reception in classical sources. A qualitative, inductive-analytical approach is employed, primarily extracting data from Taqr?b al-Tahdh?b and verifying it through biographical dictionaries and ?ad?th anthologies. The study categorizes narrators based on their transmission of Marf?? and Mawq?f reports, the extent of their narrational reach, consistency in biographical identity, and levels of endorsement by Ibn ?ibb?n and other scholars. The findings deepen our understanding of Ibn ?ajar’s methodology for evaluating narrators with extensive but superficial isn?d connections. By clarifying how narrators with three or more Companions remained within the maqb?l category, the research underscores that source diversity alone does not guarantee a higher status in the narrator hierarchy. This work provides valuable insights into early transmission networks and the complex criteria used in narrator authentication, thereby enhancing scholarly engagement with ?ad?th validation frameworks.
Authors: Fouad Bounama, Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Halwani
Institution: Al Madinah International University
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7077076020
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