The Pathology of “Non-Literal Transmission” in Traditions and its Causes and Consequences

Document Type : Research Article

Author

• Sayyid ‘Alī Dilbarī

10.22067/naqhs.v42i1.11807

Abstract

There is no doubt that the way to gain access to religious rulings and doctrines is the sunna of the Prophet and the Imams, as only second to the Holy Qur’ān, which is reported in thousands of traditions in various tradition books. In the meantime, every theologian and ḥadīth researcher has to leave behind two stages for a proper understanding of traditions: in the first stage, he is to consider preparing the positive exigencies and conditions for proper understanding of the ḥadīth and in the second stage, after identifying the pitfalls and obstacles to understanding ḥadīth, is to proceed to eliminate them. Given the vulnerability of aḥādīth, making use of this invaluable treasury demands certain preparations, one of which is to identify the pathologies in order for the ḥadīth researcher to take measures in eliminating these pathologies and their undesirable consequences concerning understanding of ḥadīth.
“Non-literal transmission” (naql bi ma‘nā) is one of these pitfalls that the present article is addressing with a descriptive-analytic method. After a brief account about the preparation of the ground for the discussion and pointing out its background, the writing deals with the permissibility and impermissibility of non-literal transmission from the viewpoint of traditions and Muslim thinkers in a well-reasoned way and goes on to discuss the factors and consequences of non-literal transmission. In conclusion, while presenting some examples of the undesirable consequences of this phenomenon, it provides its remedy, as well.
Keywords: fiqh al-ḥadīth (ḥadīth appreciation), pathology of comprehension of traditions, non-literal transmission.

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