The Theory of Conflict and Mutual Invalidation Taʿāru ḍ wa Tasāqu ṭ ) in Biographical Evaluation ʿ Ilm al Rijāl ): Foundations, Conditions, and Critiques

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Corresponding Author; PhD Student in Comparative Hadith Studies, Higher Education Complex for Quran and Hadith, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran

2 PhD in Comparative Hadith Studies, Higher Education Complex for Quran and Hadith, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran.

3 PhD student in Quranic and Hadith Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

10.22034/pht.2026.12580

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to examine the theoretical foundations, operational conditions, and practical implications of the doctrine of "Conflict and Mutual Invalidation" (taʿāruḍ wa-tasāquṭ) within the discipline of biographical evaluation (ʿilm al-rijāl), evaluating its role in resolving conflicting testimonies regarding hadith transmitters.
Methodology: Utilizing a descriptive-analytical methodology grounded in primary biographical (rijālī), hadith, and legal-theoretical (uṣūlī) sources, the research analyzes the conditions governing mutual invalidation and examines selected case studies of divergent transmitter evaluations.
Findings: The study identifies five essential conditions for applying taʿāruḍ wa-tasāquṭ: unity of subject (waḥdat al-mawḍūʿ), epistemic validity of both accounts, parity of indicative strength (tasāwī al-dalālah), impossibility of conventional harmonization (al-jamʿ al-ʿurfī), and the absence of a recognized preponderant factor (murajjiḥ). When these criteria are met, both assessments lose operative probative force (al-ḥujjiyyah al-muʾaththirah).
Conclusion: While rationally and legally justified in genuine epistemological impasses, the unconstrained application of taʿāruḍ wa-tasāquṭ can often be avoided through rigorous historical/contextual analysis or validated preference criteria. Consequently, this theory should serve strictly as an exceptional measure of last resort in biographical critique.

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 October 2026
  • Accept Date: 25 October 2026

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