Journal of Islamic Studies > Volume 25, No. 2, 2013

Al-Hadīth Al-Azīz” in Theory and Practice / Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed

This research paper is concerned with the study of the Arabic term “al-hadīth al-azīz”. The term has been widely used by
Hadith specialists, but earlier specialists did not give it a clear-cut definition. Later specialists that were concerned with terms and
classifications gave it more or less similar definitions. The research investigates how the concerned imams have used the term, and it
discusses the definitions mentioned in the terminology books in the light of practical applications. This seeks to attune the terms and issues of
Hadith disciplines with the methodologies applied by Hadith specialists and critics. The paper is an applied study, and it follows a deductive
approach. According to the research results, there is a difference between the definitions given by early specialists and by later ones. Also,
the meaning common among later specialists was not evident in practical applications of those concerned. The paper recommends that
Hadith technical terms be studied along deductive lines in the light of the practical use applied by the imams concerned