Science of Narrators (ELMUR REJAAL)

1. Science of Narrators (ELMUR REJAAL) LESSON 1 (Encyclopedia of the narrators+ principles to verify the identity & the status of the narrator) Lectures from USOOL ELMUR REJAAL, Dr. Abdulhadi Alfadhli

2. HADEETH vs. REJAAL • As it was studied in the Principles of Hadeeth, that the hadeeth has two components, in order to authenticate the hadeeth a careful research is done in verifying both components, and these components are the MATN (text) and the SAND (link or the support).  In the hadeeth science the type of the Sanad was studied from being a strong to a weak one, based on the narrator. In this science we will study the narrator and the principles or tools to identify the narrator and his status from being trusted or a non-trusted.

3. Definition:  So defining the narrator is done in two steps: 1. Identifying the narrator (WHO) 2. Verifying his trustworthiness (HOW) These two steps are studied in ELMUR REJAAL, science of narrators, REJAAL means plural of RAJUL which is man, it was named by the science of men , due to the vast majority of the narrators who were men. There are few female narrators too.  Since hadeeth is the second important resource of Islam, it has taken a great deal of our scholar’s attention in scrutinizing it, and the science of hadeeth and rejaal which studies the Sanad or the link or the support of the Hadeeth is used for such purpose. These lectures are from a book which was written from about sixty resources of this science most of these books are references of this science in HOWZA studies.

4. Definition of ELM REJAAL ALHADEETH: (Science of narrators) • ELM means the science which deals with the general principles of a research or a subject. • REJAAL means male or female narrators. • HADEETH: means the words, actions or the acknowledgments of the Infallibles (AS). • So this science can be defined as a science which provides us with tools and principles which are used to identify the narrator and to verify his/her trustworthiness. (identification and verification) • There have been several attempts to define this science, but the above definition is a common one from all those attempts.

5. Confusion: • There was a confusion in the opinion of some scholars or their definition, between the principles of the narrators and their Biography, both help in defining the narrator, but the principles are general rules, and the biography are the specifics on which the general rules are implemented, just like in ELMUL USOOL ALFIQH we studied the common elements (KOBRA) or rules and the specific elements (SOGHRA) which are the parts on which the common elements are implemented. • For example: Every metal expands with the heat (is a KOBRA, or a common law or general rule) and Iron expands with the heat (is a SOGRA or the implementation of the common rule, or a specific) We conclude from the SOGRA and the KOBRA that iron expands with the heat.

6. Biography and principles So in order to verify the status of a narrator we need two sciences: • The Biography of the narrator: This gives us the history, identity and the status of the narrator, (SOGRA). • The general rules or the principles (USOOL): This helps us define his status, or his trustworthiness. • The book is divided in to two parts, the first part will discuss about the books which contain the biography and the history of the narrators (USMAA/ FAHRAST REJAAL), and the second part will discuss the Principles of the narrators (USOOLUR REJAAL).

7. Subject of this science (Principles/USOOL) • General rules or principles which identify and define the status of the narrator. • His name, genealogy, his time, his character, his trust and every thing which helps us reach the aim or the goal of this science is found in the biography.

8. Knowledge of the narrator • There are three types of knowledge about the narrator of HADEETH: • The Real Knowledge (MARIFA WAQEYA): This kind of knowledge is achieved if a person who personally saw and heard the narrator by him self, without any second person, it is a direct exposure. (this happens if a person lives the time of the narrator)

9. b. The Apparent Knowledge (MARIFA ZAHIRIYA): This is a testimony about a narrator, through some one who had a real knowledge about the narrator, who later tells about his real knowledge to others, the listeners of this testimony create an apparent knowledge because they did not know the narrator directly, they only knew about him through someone else indirectly who had direct information about the narrator. (this happens if a person lives the time of the one who lived with the narrator)

10. c. The deductive or the derived or the deduced knowledge (MARIFA EJTIHADIYA), this basically happens when a person does not live the time of the narrator or the time of those who knew the narrator, he finds several information about the narrator, and he does some intellectual work and investigation which leads him to a conclusion or knowledge about the narrator or his status, this type of knowledge is his EJTIHAAD, and this kind of knowledge is a responsibility of every scholar who does a research on a narrator. (especially who comes after long time from the death of the narrator)

11. The principles of ELMUR REJAAL and the books of the narrator’s biography are used, to achieve an intellectual knowledge about the narrator which is the third type of knowledge. • But there are few scholars such as most of the AKHBARI’S who do not consider the validity of this science, due to their knowledge that what ever is narrated in the four compiled books of hadeeth is correct. So there is no benefit of this science to them. • As mentioned previously in ELUM ALHADEETH and it is proven that not all what is narrated in the four books is correct, in fact many hadeeth require authentication, and that leads to acknowledge the great importance of this science.

12. Allama Majlisi the author of Bihaar Ulanwaar by him self mentioned that there are many HADEETH narrated by unknowns and many are weak hadeeth. • S. Alkhoei in his great encyclopedia of narrators gave several examples of such hadeeth in our compiled books of hadeeth. • Allama Hilli, Agha Bozork Tahrani and other great scholars of Hadeeth emphasized on studying this science and considered it an extremely important science in order to be a Jurist or Mojtahid.