Al-Nasā’ī’s Method of Hadith Criticism in His Sunan (al-Mujtabā): A General Overview

Abstract

The study of the classical hadith criticism method is important to understand the standard of authenticity of history in the Islamic scientific tradition. Imam al-Nasā'iy is one of the important figures in the development of hadith which is known for its distinctive characteristics in jarḥ wa taʿdīl. This research aims to examine al-Nasā'iy's approach in compiling the book al-Mujtabā and its contribution to the method of hadith criticism. This paper is a qualitative research with the method of literature study, analyzing the content of the book al-Mujtabā and comparing it with the works of other hadith scholars such as al-Bukhāriy and Muslim. The results of the study show that al-Nasā'iy not only played the role of a narrator, but also as a critic who actively assessed the quality of the sanad and the narrator carefully. In general, the criteria of the book are divided into three categories: the hadith found in al-Ṣaḥīḥain, the sahih hadith according to the conditions of both, and the hadith that explains the 'illat. Al-Nasā'iy also critically evaluates narrators who are considered weak despite being narrated by other great muḥaddiṡ. Thus, al-Nasā'iy's work has made a great contribution, not only in narration but also in the development of the methodology of hadith criticism.