THE METHOD OF IMAM AL-SYAUKĀNĪ IN COPING TA‘ĀRUḌ AL-ḤADĪṠ

Study of the Chapter of Worship in the Book of Nayl al-Awṭār

Abstract

The issue of apparent contradictions between hadith (taʿāruḍ al-ḥadīṡ) constitutes a significant concern in the disciplines of hadith studies and uṣūl al-fiqh. Variations in narration often lead to challenges in legal determination, particularly in matters of ritual worship. This study examines how Imām al-Syaukānī addressed cases of taʿāruḍ al-ḥadīṡ in his work Nayl al-Awṭār, with special attention to the methods he employed when encountering seemingly conflicting narrations. Using a qualitative approach based on content analysis, this research analyzes selected cases within the chapters on worship that demonstrate differences in hadith transmission. The study focuses on al-Syaukānī’s perspective in responding to taʿāruḍ al-ḥadīṡ and evaluates the consistency of his methodological framework in light of uṣūl al-fiqh principles. The findings indicate that al-Syaukānī applied a systematic and balanced method in resolving such conflicts. He prioritized reconciliation (jamʿ wa al-tawfīq) whenever possible. When reconciliation was unattainable, he examined the possibility of abrogation (naskh). In cases where neither reconciliation nor abrogation could be established and the hadiths were of comparable strength, he resorted to preference (tarjīḥ). This approach reflects al-Syaukānī’s methodological rigor, intellectual caution, and openness in engaging with differing evidences. His framework remains relevant for contemporary Islamic legal discourse, offering a constructive model for addressing differences without turning them into sources of division.