Science of Narrators (ELMUR REJAAL) LESSON 9

1. Science of Narrators (ELMUR REJAAL)LESSON 9 The evidence of those who deny The need for the science of REJAAL: To define the trusted from the non trusted narrator Solving the conflicts between the narrations Existence of the fabricators in the name of religion Acknowledgment of the Infallibles (AS) (from the book lessons of REJAAL- SOBHANI )

2. The need for the science: • There are three opinions regarding the narrations or the HADEETH of Ahlul Bayt (AS) from the scholars followers of Ahlul Bayt (AS): • Every HADEETH in the four early complied books is correct and authentic • Every single narration is subjected to the process of authentication based on the status and the qualification of the narrator from being trusted or not. • The criteria is the SHOHRA famousness of a HADEETH or its being used by the majority of the scholars which makes it MASHOOR or famous, therefore a famous HADEETH is authentic even if its link was weak and if was not famous then it is rejected, even if it was strong. • The science of narrator is required for the second opinion.

3. Evidence of those who reject the science of REJAAL • What ever is narrated in the four early compiled books (ALKAFI, ALFAQEEH, ALESTIBSAAR and ALTAHZHEEB) are assured with certainty and certainly authentic –QATE’YAT OSSODOOR . • The authors of those books were trusted great scholars and narrators of HADEETH , they must have done their investigation , before writing those books. If relying on a trusted narrator is proof then their work is considered proof too.

4. Respond: We mentioned several reasons and proved intellectually in the Principles of HADEETH or the science of HADEETH how S. ALKHOEI rejected and explained why we can not consider all what ever is in ALKAFI SAHEEH, and is subjected to the process of authentication, and here we will mention few points: • The authors of those compiled books never mentioned that their narrations are QATE’YAH or certainly authentic.

5. 2. There is no doubt about the concept of the narration of the trusted is proof, and these were great authors, scholars and trusted narrators, but the method of authenticating the narrators is like any other analytical science which have been evolving from time to time from scholar to scholar, even in the time of those great authors of those books there were great scholars who used to reject few narrations from those book.

6. 3. If one of those great scholar who are trusted narrators too, if for example they narrate a HADEET directly from an Infallible (AS) then it will be taken without any doubt, because they will be dealt as trusted narrators, but when they narrate a HADEETH of an Infallible (AS) through a link or a chain or narrators, then as they did the investigation or the intellectual work or the process of authentication, then every scholar is responsible to perform such investigation, because as mentioned since the method might differ and may be they used a method which might not be acceptable to other scholar, an example would be the concept of relying on the MASHOOR HADEETH even if it was weak, and rejecting an authentic even if it was strong and narrated by trusted ones.

7. 4. Why did Sh. ATTOOSI and ALQOMMI compiled books of HADEETH after ALKOYANI, and rejected some of the narrations of ALKAFI, though they were close to the time of ALKOLAYNI and had disagreement in the authenticity of few narrations in between them, so those who say that we have to rely on the four books they will end up into conflicts and contradictions between certain narrations and will have to have some standard or criteria to define most authentic from the less authentic, and that is the area of REJAAL which is one of the important sciences available to solve such conflicts between the narrations and the narrators because as mentioned before that these great authors were narrators too.

8. To define the trusted from the non trusted narrator • It is proven in the USOOL or principles of Islamic jurisprudence through the religious and the logical evidences , that issuing a FATWA without knowledge is forbidden and HARAAM. • In order to achieve such knowledge about a narration and that it is really a source of knowledge and not a doubtful source, it is important to know the qualifications of the narrator and his historical background and such cannot be known unless through a science which provides a jurist with such information on an academic platform.

9. Solving the conflicts between the narrations • There are three types of conflicting areas or cases: • If a combination between the conflicting narrations is possible, in this case the conflict can be solved, by the use of the methods mentioned in the USOOL science or principles of Islamic jurisprudence. • If combination is not possible, and they were all trusted then the extra qualities and the qualifications of the narrators beside them being trusted are observed in order to prevail one narration over another , and in this case the importance of ELM OREJAAL is observed. • If the above is not possible then both narrations are rejected, and the situation is considered without any evidence, because all the conflicting narrations are rejected and dropped equally.

10. Existence of the fabricators in the name of religion • There is no doubt that in the history there were fabricators on the Prophet (S) and the Infallibles (AS) , and the Infallibles (AS) prohibited us to follow the fabricators and commended us to reject them and their narrations, therefore without the science of REJAAL and studying the narrators, their qualities or qualifications, and their trustworthiness , and defining the fabricators would have been a difficult task.

11. Acknowledgment of the Infallibles (AS) • The life style or the practice of most of the scholars from the time of the Infallibles (AS) to our day, they were and are used to define the narrators trustworthiness before implementing his narration or using it as a source of Islamic law. • This practice was done in front of the Infallibles (AS) and they did not prevent them from such practice, therefore such indicates that such practice was acceptable to them, if not they would have prevented it. • On the contrary there are indications from them that they used to teach the people the method of authentication.

12. Books of REJAAL written in the time of the Infallibles (AS): • .Abdullah son of JIBILAH ALKANANI (DIED 219 AH), companion of Imam ASSADIQ (AS) who wrote a book in REJAAL • ALHASSAN son of MAHBOOB (149-224 AH) from the companion of Imam ARREDHA (AS) wrote a book by the name of MASHYAKHAH. • ALI son of HASSAN son of FODHAAL from the companions of both Imam ALHADI (AS) and Imam ALASKARI (AS) (203-270 AH), he wrote a book in REJAAL. • Such work continued until our day • This was done in front of the Infallibles (AS)