The Connotation of the Term "Munkar al-Hadith" According to Imam Abu Abd al-Rahman al Nasa’i in His Book Al-Du‘afa’ wa al-Matrukin

Abstract

This study examines the concept of "munkar al-hadith" (narrator of repudiated hadith) as used by Imam Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Nasa’i in his work Al-Du‘afa’ wa al-Matrukin (The Weak and Abandoned Narrators). The term is identified as one of the severe forms of criticism (jarh) applied to narrators, based on an analysis of those described with this designation. The study reveals that the term "munkar al-hadith" is a stringent critique that excludes a narrator’s hadith from being accepted, due to a deficiency in one of the conditions for the acceptance of narration, namely, a flaw in the narrator’s integrity (‘adala) or accuracy (dabt). The research further establishes that Imam al-Nasa’i applied this term only to narrators lacking one of these two qualities. Additionally, it noted that other prominent scholars of hadith criticism, including Imam Yahya al-Qattan, Imam Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, Imam al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, and other leading authorities in this field, preceded Imam al-Nasa’i in the use of this term. The study highlights Imam al-Nasa’i’s distinguished status in evaluating narrators and discerning their reliability.