A Study on the Usage Forms and Course of Meaning of Ṣāḥib sunna as a Praising (Taʿdīl) Term

Abstract

Ṣāḥib sunna is one of the most common terms in al-jarḥ wa-l-taʿdīl literature. This concept signifies a reason for preference in the determination of narrators from whom a ḥadīth will be transmitted in written form or through narration. Therefore, this article concentrates on the different usages of ṣāḥib sunna over the course of time, the meanings ascribed to it, the influence of historical circumstances on its meaning, and the value of being described as ṣāḥib sunna within al-jarḥ wa-l-taʿdīl studies. Ṣāḥib sunna is apparent in ḥadīth sources as a term of accreditation (taʿdīl) since earlier periods; in riwāya terminology, however, it is used in ṭabaqāt-tarājim works as a term that expresses the competence of a narrator in terms of delivering the narrative, particularly since the 3rd century AH. It is possible to assert that ṣāḥib sunna has an extensive structure of meaning depending on the author, the period or the kind of work, and this openness in meaning primarily originates from semantic diversity regarding the use of the concept of “Sunna” in different sciences such as ḥadīth, uṣūl al-fiqh, and kalām.

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