Enhancing Hadith Education Through Al-Dhahabī’s Methodology: A Critical Reassessment of His Alleged Reluctance to Classify Fabricated Hadith

Abstract

The interpretation of classical Hadith methodological texts plays a fundamental role in both Hadith scholarship and contemporary Hadith education. One of the recurring claims in modern discussions is that al-Dhahabī refrained from classifying disputed narrations as mawḍūʿ (fabricated) whenever disagreement existed among Hadith scholars regarding their authenticity. This study critically reassesses that claim by examining whether it accurately reflects al-Dhahabī's methodological approach. Employing a qualitative textual research design, the study adopts a three-layer analytical framework integrating contextual and linguistic analysis of the disputed passage in al-Mūqiẓah, comparative analysis of the classical commentary tradition, and empirical analysis of selected representative cases from al-Dhahabī's Hadith-critical works. The findings demonstrate that the frequently cited expression, “We do not dare to designate it as fabricated,” does not represent al-Dhahabī's own methodological position but rather reports the cautious terminology adopted by a particular group of Hadith scholars. This interpretation is consistently supported by the principal commentators on al-Mūqiẓah, who distinguish between al-Dhahabī's authorial voice and the opinions he records. Furthermore, the analysis of representative case studies reveals that al-Dhahabī repeatedly classified narrations as mawḍūʿ despite the existence of differing scholarly evaluations, indicating that his judgments were based on the cumulative strength of evidential indicators (qarāʾin) rather than on the presence or absence of scholarly consensus. The study contributes to the field by proposing a three-layer analytical framework that integrates textual, interpretive, and empirical evidence for reassessing disputed methodological claims in classical Hadith scholarship. Beyond clarifying al-Dhahabī's methodology, the findings offer important implications for Hadith education by highlighting the importance of contextual reading, critical engagement with the commentary tradition, and the integration of theoretical and practical analyses in teaching classical Hadith methodology.