Validitas Sanad dalam Penetapan Hukum Islam : Aplikasi Teori Jarh wa Ta’dil

Abstract

This research comprehensively examines the discipline of 'Ilm al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil (Science of Discrediting and Vindicating) as a fundamental science in Hadith studies. This discipline is essential because the Hadith, as the second source of Islamic law after the Qur'an, necessitates strict validation of both the sanad (chain of narrators) and the matn (text of the Hadith). The authenticity of a sound (sahih) Hadith depends on the quality of its narrators, who must be 'adil (possessing integrity) and dhabith (having strong memory or accuracy). Al-Jarh is the negative critique of a narrator that leads to the rejection or weakening of their narration, while Al-Ta'dil is the positive evaluation that makes the narration acceptable. Overall, 'Ilm al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil serves as a specialized tool for scrutinizing the condition of narrators through specific criteria, a practice established since the early days of Islam to preserve the purity of the Shari'ah. The research method employed is qualitative library research, based on the analysis of relevant scholarly literature. The findings include: (1) The definition and urgency of Jarh wa Ta'dil in determining the quality of Hadith; (2) The stratification (levels) of Jarh and Ta'dil terminology (each having six levels) used to classify narrators from the most tsiqa (trustworthy) to the most kadhdhab (liar); and (3) An analysis of the scholarly disagreements (khilafiyah) regarding narrator assessments. When confronting such disagreements, the consensus (jumhur) of scholars prioritizes Jarh over Ta'dil, arguing that the critic is generally more meticulous in revealing a narrator's hidden flaws. This science functions to definitively establish whether a narrator's transmission can be accepted as a hujjah (legal argument) or must be entirely rejected.