Ibn Ḥajr’s Chronological Critique of Ḥadīth Narrations in al-Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr: A Historical-Critical Study

Abstract

This study aims to examine the methodology of historical criticism employed by Ibn Ḥajr in his work al-Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr. It highlights the contribution of isnād and matn criticism in correcting historical inaccuracies. The data used in this research consist of both primary and secondary sources, analyzed descriptively. The theoretical framework adopted is the theory of historical criticism, with conclusions drawn through a deductive approach. The findings clearly show that the scholars of ḥadīth paid great attention to the authenticity of transmissions, both in terms of their chains of narrators (isnād) and textual content (matn). Ibn Ḥajr, Ibn al-Turkumānī, and other scholars demonstrated a critical stance in examining narrations that contained irregularities (iḍṭirāb), additional wordings, or weaknesses in narrators. On the other hand, numerous narrations were transmitted through multiple transmission routes, thereby strengthening their authority, although scholarly disagreements in evaluation persisted. The historical-critical approach reveals that the authenticity of a ḥadīth cannot be determined solely by the continuity of its isnād, but must also consider the conformity of its matn with historical facts, chronology, and socio-cultural context. Thus, ḥadīth research emphasizes the importance of being cautious, objective, and comparative in assessing narrations to preserve the core message of the Prophet’s traditions from distortion and misunderstanding.