RECONSTRUCTING ḤADĪTH CRITICISM THROUGH ISLAMIC EPISTEMOLOGY: A STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY HERMENEUTICS AND IDEOLOGICAL INFLUENCES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64757/alqanatir.2026.3505/1475Keywords:
Ḥadīth, Criticism, Epistemology, Digital, ReligionAbstract
This study examines contemporary transformations in ḥadīth criticism, with particular attention to the epistemological challenges posed by modern hermeneutical approaches, ideological influences, and digital religious discourse. Classical Islamic scholarship developed a rigorous methodology of ḥadīth verification through the combined processes of isnād and matn criticism, aimed at preserving the authenticity and authority of Prophetic traditions. In the contemporary context, however, various interpretive trends, particularly those influenced by modern hermeneutics, feminist readings, reformist thought, and digital media discourse have encouraged renewed engagement with ḥadīth texts and their meanings. Adopting a qualitative library-based methodology, this study analyses selected contemporary approaches to ḥadīth criticism and evaluates them through the lens of Islamic epistemology, particularly the tawḥīdic paradigm and the Qur’ānic worldview. The study argues that although contemporary hermeneutical models may offer useful insights for contextual understanding, some approaches raise epistemological concerns when they rely heavily on subjective, relativistic, or ideologically shaped criteria. This is especially evident when ethical reinterpretation is prioritised without sufficient attention to established principles of authentication and isnād-based validation. The paper proposes a reconstructed framework for ḥadīth criticism that integrates classical methodologies with contemporary awareness while maintaining epistemological integrity. It concludes that a balanced approach, anchored in revelation (waḥy), reason (‘aql), and authoritative transmission (naql), is essential for safeguarding the authenticity and relevance of ḥadīth in the digital era. The study further proposes a structured three-stage model integrating authentication, analysis, and contextualisation within a tawḥīdic epistemological framework.
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