Page 192 - History of The Quranic Text | Kalamullah.Com

172 THE HISTORY OF THE QUR'A.NIC TEXT

4. The Authentication if Isndd and lfadzth

In the mind of lyufith critics, the [mal acceptance of a report did not rest solely
on its authenticity; in fact accuracy and authenticity were both insufficient
in the eyes of the muhaddlthin (U;JS.\ : scholars of ~adith),for they sought three
more conditions:
1. All narrators in the chain had to be thiqa (~: trustworthyj.!"
2. The chain of transmission had to be unbroken.
3. Positive support for the statement from all available evidence was
a prerequisite.

i. Establishing Trustworthiness

Ascertaining a narrator's reliability depends on two criteria: (a) morality
and (b) sound knowledge.

A. MORALITY
Here is how the Qur'an describes the qualifications of a witness:

16~~ ~~ Z>jS iJ¥lj ~
"... andtakejOr witness twopersonsfrom amongyou, endued withjustice."

174 1'1' l. II' ~. ~.: ~ :l.
'\ ~ ..,....... ~ uyP.f ~ J!'
"... such asyou approve qJ;for witnesses."

'Umar used the phrase "w.)I J..wl U..t.:.Y c::.Jl;" when addressing 'Abdur-
Rahman bin 'Auf ("To us you are righteous and approved of"). The word
'adl (J~: of righteous conduct), delineating an Islamically-sound character,
is defined more concretely by as-Suyutt;"
"0.))1 rh:>-) ,J-ill yl,..J 0" \...,L ,Sul>- ,Wl; ,LL.. 0.f..< 0i"
"[It refers to] a Muslim who has reached maturity, is mentally sound, free
from the causes of indecency, and who abides by the standards and norms
of his community." Ibn al-Mubarak (118-181 A.H.) also defines personal
character, stating that an acceptable narrator must:
Pray in congregation (~LJ,.I 0')\....,,).
Avoid nabidh (J..,:'), a drink prone to fermentation if stored for long
periods.

15 The word thiqa is here used in its linguistic meaning. It is not a hadith. term.
16 Qur'an 65:2.
17 Qur'an 2:282.
18 As-Suyuti, Tadrib, i:300.