HIDDEN DEFECTS IN HADĪTH AS A BRANCH OF HADĪTH SCIENCES

Abstract

The religion of Islām is derived from two divine sources; Qurʾān and ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ. The second source, ḥadīth, has been meticulously preserved by scholars through various means that have been codified and organised and are well-known as ḥadīth sciences. This is an extensive field which requires one to have an abundance of knowledge in order to master it. One of the highest and most complicated of its branches is the knowledge of hidden defects, termed as ʿilal al ḥadīth. In this paper, the term ʿilal al ḥadīth is explained and its significance is brought to light. There have been a handful of classical scholars who mastered this art and have made an impact on this science. They will be mentioned with their accomplishments. The hidden defect can occur either in the text (matn) of the ḥadīth or its chain (sanad). This aspect is discussed in detail and examples of causes (ilal pl.)) are explored in this paper.