Analysis of the Documentation Criteria of Hashim Ma'ruf al-Hasani in Narrations

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 1. PhD Student in Quran and Hadith Sciences, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

2 Corresponding Author, Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

10.22034/pht.2025.21159.1563

Abstract

The analysis and authentication of Islamic hadiths represent a fundamental area of inquiry that has consistently engaged scholars of hadith studies from both major Islamic traditions. As a contemporary Shia thinker, Hashim Ma’ruf al-Hasani addressed this field through works such as al-Mawdu‘at fi al-Athar wa al-Akhbar (Fabrications in Traditions and Reports), in which he systematically examined the criteria for hadith criticism. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology, this study reviews the criteria adopted by al-Hasani for authenticating hadiths, focusing on two main areas: criticism of the chain of transmission (al-naqd al-sanadi) and criticism of the text (al-naqd al-matni). The findings reveal that, in the realm of chain criticism, al-Hasani considers “exaggeration and extremism” (al-ghuluww wa al-tatarruf) to be the primary cause for the weakness of Shia narrators, whereas he views “enmity and hostility towards Imam Ali (peace be upon him)” (al-nasb wa al-'adawah) as the fundamental flaw that discredits Sunni narrators. In the area of textual criticism, al-Hasani established the contradiction of narrations with reason, the Qur’an, and definitive Islamic principles as a central axis, while he employed the methodology of fiqh al-hadith (jurisprudence of hadith) in limited cases. Al-Hasani also criticized Shia scholars for their neglect in independently compiling fabricated hadiths and argued that the principle of “leniency in the evidence for recommended practices” (al-tasamuh fi adillat al-sunan) had paved the way for the proliferation of unreliable narrations. This article further analyzes the motivations behind hadith fabrication (e.g., political, sectarian, and the role of storytellers) and highlights certain methodological weaknesses in al-Hasani’s approach. These include his overreliance on chain criticism based on accusations of narrator extremism, his insufficient attention to content criticism, and his neglect of foundational Shia doctrinal principles concerning the Imamate. In conclusion, this study evaluates the shortcomings of al-Hasani’s methodology within the framework of the science of hadith criticism, while also acknowledging its strengths, such as his systematic elaboration of the motivations for hadith fabrication. 

Keywords

References

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11- Pajooheshname Hadith Tatbighee
Volume 12, Issue 22 - Serial Number 22
September 2025
Pages 251-282

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History

  • Receive Date: 06 March 2026
  • Revise Date: 01 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 24 April 2025

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