Errors in Citing Scholars’ Sayings: Examples from books of the Hadith sciences

• Main Author: حميد قوفي
• Format: Article
• Language: Arabic
• Published: Qatar University Press 2021-06-01
• Series: مجلة كلية الشريعة والدراسات الإسلامية
• Subjects: Errors in citations; tracing the sayings back; Scientific research; the sciences of hadith
• Online Access: https://185.37.108.12/index.php/sharia/article/view/1856
• ISSN: 2305-5545; 2523-1715

Purpose: The aim of this article is to revise the cited sayings of scholars in the field of the hadith sciences, to clarify errors in this field and to emphasize the correct methodology for citing original works in contemporary studies. Furthermore, the article aims to correct some serious existing mistakes found in Islamic heritage. Methodology: This research uses analytical and critical methodologies to trace the reasons that mistakes have been committed in citing, analyzing, and assessing the sayings of past scholars. Finally, the research explains the mistakes found in citing these sayings. Findings: The article finds six reasons that mistakes relating to the citation of the sayings of scholars have been committed. Furthermore, hadith and hadith science books need precise and careful revision, especially in terms of citations of previous scholars. Ultimately, researchers in this field are advised to not use secondary sources and to rely on primary sources instead. Moreover, mistakes in citing the works of scholars are a human error that no one can completely escape; thus, we emphasize the importance of using primary sources rather than secondary sources. Originality: The originality of this article lies in dealing with examples related to the hadith sciences but eliminating the incorrectly cited sayings of certain scholars and then explaining the consequences of these mistakes. Finally, this article helps cleanse our Islamic heritage of errors in both methodology and information.