Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
PhD Student in Quranic Sciences and Hadith; Faculty of Law, Theology, and Political Science, Science and Research Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences; Faculty of Law, Theology, and Political Science, Unit of Sciences and Research, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3
Associate Professor at the Faculty of Theology, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
"Muhammad ibn Senan Zahiri (d. 220 AH) is recognized as one of the prolific hadith narrators influential in Shia jurisprudence and hadith. Numerous narrations attributed to him are found in the four fundamental texts of Shia Islam. Many notable scholars of hadith criticism, such as Ibn al-Ghadha'iri in *Al-Du'afa*, Ibn Najashi in *Al-Rijal*, Shaykh Tusi in *Al-Fahrist* and *Al-Tahdhib*, Shahid Thani in *Al-Rawdah al-Bahiyyah*, and Khui in *Mu'jam Rijal al-Hadith* have criticized him, sometimes accusing him of exaggeration, elevation, and weakness. Consequently, especially his isolated narrations have been deemed unreliable.
This study aims to examine seven isolated narrations of Muhammad ibn Sanan in *Al-Kafi* and *Al-Tahdhib*, utilizing rational and empirical evidence alongside the opinions of prominent hadith scholars to analyze the aforementioned weaknesses in his narrations, thereby achieving a more comprehensive understanding of his character. We have evaluated the text of these narrations in light of their exaggerated content and lack of coherence with reason. The most significant finding of this research is that the narrations of Ibn Sanan, characterized by multiple weaknesses such as exaggeration and extremism, are indeed flawed and contrary to reason. Consequently, the assessments of major hadith scholars regarding the weak character of Muhammad ibn Sanan and the rejection of his isolated narrations are valid and accurate."
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