Jarh wa Ta’deel (Arabic: ﺍﻟﺠﺮﺡ ﻭﺗﻌﺪﻳﻞ ) is two sciences: the science of jarh (criticizing) and of ta’deel (praising). The science of jarh is an independent science and this refutes the false minhaj of mentioning the good with the bad. The science of jarh is an independent science, and for this reason many of the Imams wrote books with just jarh (criticizing) in them. O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful. - 49:6 The knowledge of al-Jarh wat-Ta’deel has been proven in the Kitab (Qur’an) and Sunnah and by Ijma’ (consensus). So this ayah is a clear text about the acceptance of the news of one trustworthy person. And the point of that is that Allaahu subhanahu wa taa’ala commanded confirming and verifying once some news comes via a faasiq (a disobedient sinner). And the understanding of that is that the trustworthy narrator does not require confirmation of his news. And the trustworthy narrator is the one who is known for truthfulness, trustworthiness and verification in narrating his reports. And this ayah is also a proof for splitting the people up into two categories. The first of them is the one whom it is obligatory to confirm and verify. And this one is the faasiq, whose fisq is known. And the second is the one whom it is obligatory to accept his report because his honesty is known. So therefore the first of the two categories is majruh (disparaged). And due to this, his report is discredited and the second category is trusted and praised. And due to this, his report is accepted. Your Salafiyyah will be not be sound whilst [holding that] no one is to be disparaged. Loving for Allaah and hating for Allaah and allegiance for Allaah and enmity for Allaah - if a person is devoid of these four matters, then that means that his Islaam is weak. And the Messenger, salallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam, said: "Whomsoever amongst you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he is not able, then [let him change it] with his tongue [by speaking against it with knowledge]; and if he is not able, then with his heart [by hating it for Allaah’s sake], and that is the weakest of Eemaan." - The weakest of Eemaan is that you forbid falsehood with your heart. However as for the one who does not forbid falsehood with his heart, then where is the Eemaan in his heart?!! Meaning that his Eemaan is weak, of no benefit. And we ask Allaah for pardon and good health, and Allaah is sufficient for us and what a fine trustee He is. -Shaykh Ahmad bin Yahyaa an-Najmee Imam as Suyuti [raheemullah] gathered various terms and arranged them in order of strength. He quoted four levels of strength for praise from Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn al-Salah, adding that al-Dhahabi and Abd al-Rahim ibn al-Husain al-‘Iraqi added an additional level and Ibn Ḥajr one above that. Thus according to al-Suyūṭī, there are six levels of praise. Similarly, al-Suyūṭī described six levels of terms used to criticize a narrator; he arranged them beginning with the least severe and concluding with the most severe criticism. Levels of praise 1. Ibn Ḥajr held that the highest level of praise was expressed was through the use of the superlative, for example, the most established of the people ( athbat al-nās ), or the most reliable of the people (awthaq al-nās ). 2. Al-‘Iraqi and al-Dhahabi were of the opinion that the highest level was the repetition of adjective, or adjectives, in praising a narrator. For example, reliable, reliable (thiqah thiqah ), or reliable, firm ( thiqah thabt). 3. The highest level according to Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn al- Salah the highest is the use of a single adjective in describing a narrator. Examples of this are: reliable (thiqah ), precise (mutqin) or firm (thabt). 4. Trustworthy ( ṣadūq) and worthy of trust ( maḥallahu al- ṣidq) are both examples of the next category to Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn al-Salah while al-‘Iraqi and al-Dhahabi consider the latter term to be from the next level. 5. Next is respectable (shaykh) along with worthy of trust (maḥallahu al-ṣidq ) according to some. This level would also be inclusive of an individual accused of heresy. 6. The lowest of the levels of praise is, for example, satisfactory in hadith (ṣāliḥ al- ḥadīth), meaning according to Ibn Ḥajr, this includes acceptable (maqbūl ) meaning, when supported by other narrators. Levels of criticism 1. The least severe level for the criticism of a narrator is soft in hadith (layyin al-ḥadīth) and, according to al-‘Iraqi, they have spoken about him (takallamū fīhi ). This level would also be taken into consideration as a corroborating narrator, but at a level less than the lowest level of praise. 2. Next is he is not strong ( laysa bi l-qawī ). The hadith of a narrator determined to be at this level would also be taken into consideration, as with the previous level, however, this narrator is weaker than one of the previous level. 3. More severe than he is not strong is weak in hadith (ḍaʻīf al-ḥadīth), however, none of these first three categories are rejected outright. 4. The fourth of the levels of severity of criticism includes terms such as: his hadith is rejected ( rudd al-ḥadīth ) and very weak ( ḍaʻīf jiddan). 5. The fifth includes terms such as: his hadith is abandoned (matrūk al-ḥadīth ) and destroyed ( hālik). 6. From the most severe level of terms of criticism are: compulsive liar ( kadhdhāb), he lies (yakdhib ) and fabricator (waḍḍāʻ ) among other terms. The noble Scholar, Muhammad ibn Uthaymeen was asked about al-Jarh wat-Ta’deel in modern times and he affirmed that, not only is al-Jarh wat- Ta’deel recorded in the books of Hadeeth, but it also exists today in the Sharee’ah courts and it exists today in refuting and warning against the callers to innovation and misguidance. Existence & practice till the day of judgement And Shaykh Rabee’ al- Madkhalee said, "And the time of narrations ended in the third generation. So why did Ibn Taymiyyah raise the banner of criticism (an-naqd) and the banner of al-Jarh wat- Ta’deel?! Likewise, so did adh- Dhahabee, Ibnul-Qayyim, Ibn Katheer, Ibn Hajr and others and they will continue until the Day of Judgement! As long as there is this fight between the truth and falsehood and between the guidance and misguidance and between the people of the truth and falsehood and between the people of guidance and the misguidance, then it is inevitable that the swords of criticism and al-Jarh wat- Ta’deel be unsheathed against the people of falsehood.? - Refer to As’ilah Abee Rawaahah al-Manhajiyyah (p. 26).
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 15:09:03 +0000
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