THE SHI'A APPROACH TO ISNAD CRITICISM

Abstract

Sanad criticism constitutes one of the primary instruments in hadith studies for determining the authenticity of transmitted reports. Differences in sanad criticism methodologies between Twelver Shi‘ism and Sunni Islam have significantly influenced the acceptance and utilization of hadith within Muslim scholarly traditions. This study aims to analyze the concepts, principles, and criteria of sanad criticism in Twelver Shi‘i tradition and compare them with those developed in Sunni hadith scholarship. Employing a qualitative method with a library research approach, this study examines classical hadith literature, rijāl works, and relevant academic sources. The findings reveal that Shi‘i sanad criticism emphasizes the continuity of transmission to the infallible Imams (Imam Ma‘ṣūm), the narrator’s loyalty to Ahl al-Bayt, and the assessment of reliability and precision in transmission. In contrast, Sunni scholarship focuses primarily on the integrity (‘adālah) and accuracy (ḍabṭ) of narrators, grounded in the principle of the collective uprightness of the Companions (‘adālat al-ṣaḥābah). These methodological differences result in distinct classifications of hadith, varying perceptions of narrator authority, and divergent evaluations of hadith authenticity. A case study of a narration found in Al-Kāfī demonstrates that Shi‘i sanad criticism also applies rigorous scrutiny to both narrator credibility and chain continuity. The study concludes that methodological differences in sanad criticism have contributed significantly to the formation of distinct hadith corpora and legal interpretations within Sunni and Shi‘i traditions