Validation of the Idea of Intellect in the Evaluation of Hadiths: A Case Study of the Fabricated Hadiths

Abstract

Intellectual criticism has a long history in hadith studies. Scholars have presented various views on the role of the intellect in the evaluation of the hadiths. Some believe that the intellect plays no role in understanding religious teachings. Some others assign different roles for intellect, ranging from maximum to minimum. An important fact is that intellect and its requirements are trans-religious. All acts and thoughts of the human being are surely based on the intellect and are confirmed or rejected by ultimate intellectual criteria. In the same vein, the accuracy of the theoretical and practical principles and rulings of religions is determined using general (al-ijmālī) and specific (al-tafṣīlī) judgment. Therefore, the intellect and its evidences are one of the main criteria in hadith criticism. Accordingly, most hadith scholars acknowledge the centrality of the intellect in distinguishing between right and wrong, religious and non-religious issues, and inferring the religious rulings. They argue that it is essential to refer to the intellect as a criterion.  In the present qualitative study, the texts were analyzed based on quantitative data, and the abstract issues were avoided.  The findings of the study showed almost half of the hadiths were fabricated or are in conflict with the axioms and principles of the intellect. Sometimes, the hadiths are intellectually possible but are in conflict with the premises of the intellectual reasoning.