al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mutakallam Fihim Bima La Yujib Raddahum

al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mutakallam Fihim Bima La Yujib Raddahum (Transmitters of Trustworthy Standing Criticized on Grounds That Do Not Require Their Rejection) is a specialized biographical treatise in hadith transmitter criticism (rijal) by the Syrian scholar Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi (673–748 AH / 1274–1348 CE) Man Takallama Fihi wa Huw…+1.

Purpose and Scope

The treatise focuses on hadith transmitters whose names appear in disparagement literature (kutub al-jarh) or who were subjected to criticism by certain hadith critics, yet remain reliable and authoritative al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mut…+1. Al-Dhahabi explains that he had previously documented in his larger critical dictionary, Mizan al-I'tidal, a considerable number of trustworthy transmitters relied upon by authorities such as al-Bukhari and Muslim solely because their names had been recorded in works on defective transmitters; he notes that his aim in doing so was not to indicate weakness in them, but to clarify their true status al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mut…+1.

In the introduction, al-Dhahabi warns against indiscriminately accepting peer rivalry and ungrounded criticism (kalam al-aqran), arguing that such disparaging remarks should be set aside rather than taken as grounds for rejecting a narrator's reports al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mut…+1. He emphasizes treating transmitters with equity and justice, distinguishing between warranted, explicable jarh (al-jarh al-mu'tabar) and invalid jarh (al-jarh al-mardud) al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mut….

Distinction from Related Works

Scholars distinguish al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mutakallam Fihim from al-Dhahabi's related work Man Tukullima Fihi Wa Huwa Muwaththaq aw Salih al-Hadith on several grounds:

• Scope and transmitter count: Man Tukullima Fihi is larger, comprising roughly 405 biographical entries that encompass both fully trustworthy figures and transmitters with minor slightness of precision (lin) Man Takallama Fihi wa Huw…+1. By contrast, al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mutakallam Fihim is a smaller monograph containing approximately 96 transmitters (including those mentioned in its prologue), all of whom are considered established, prominent imams whose status is not undermined by the criticisms leveled against them Man Takallama Fihi wa Huw…+1.
• Methodology: While Man Tukullima Fihi employs concise entries often spanning only a line or two, al-Ruwat al-Thiqat al-Mutakallam Fihim contains lengthier discussions and direct arguments vindicating the transmitters from unjustified criticism Man Takallama Fihi wa Huw…+1.

Editions

The work was printed in early form in Cairo at Matba'at al-Zahir in 1324 AH / 1906 CE Man Takallama Fihi wa Huw…+1. It was later edited by Muhammad Ibrahim al-Mawsili and published by Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah in Beirut in 1412 AH / 1992 CE al-Sabr inda al-Muhaddith…+1. Another edition, published under the title Ma'rifat al-Ruwat al-Mutakallam Fihim Bima La Yujib Raddahum (edited by Ibrahim Sa'iday Idris, Beirut, 1406 AH / 1986 CE), combined elements of both treatises, creating an edited text criticized by later scholars for conflating the two works Man Takallama Fihi wa Huw….