The Possibility of the Companions Fabricating Narrative According to al-Māturīdī

Abstract

According to the principle adopted by the Sunnī schools of thought, the Companions were considered trustworthy in transmitting hadīth. al-Māturīdī (d. 333/944), a prominent representative of the Ahl al-Ra’y within the Hanafī school, asserts that it is not obligatory to adhere to the narrations of everyone who encountered the Prophet. Because it is possible that some of these people may have fabricated a narration. Since they were individuals who encountered the Prophet, the Companions are also encompassed within the scope of al-Māturīdī's statements. This approach, which raises important problems for the science of ḥadīth, if accepted as it is, also calls into question the reliability of religious knowledge as a whole. Furthermore, al-Māturīdī accepts a narration that implies that the companion Fāṭimah bint Qays may have lied as authentic and uses it as evidence. Based on these two pieces of evidence, the study hypothesizes that according to al-Māturīdī, it is both possible and probable for the Companions to fabricate ḥadīth. On the other hand, he has very clear expressions of praise and admiration for the Companions and declares that it is obligatory to follow their narrations. The aim of this study is to reveal the invalidity of the hypothesis in question within the framework of al-Māturīdī’s positive opinions about the companions. Although his individual statements might suggest that the Companions could fabricate narrations, when considered alongside his general views on the Companions, it becomes evident that al-Māturīdī aligns with the Sunnī sects on the trustworthiness of the Companions. According to the findings of the research, al-Māturīdī adopts the definition of the ṣaḥāba proposed by the methodologist (uṣūliyyūn), rather than the ḥadīth scholars, referring to the hypocrites and some ordinary individuals who had limited interaction with the Prophet. In any case, al-Māturīdī does not include them in the scope and definition of the ṣaḥāba, and the apparent