ESENSIA: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Ushuluddin
Vol. 26 No. 2 (2025)

The Genealogy of Hadith Criticism Methods in Western Scholarship

Imam Sahal Ramdhani (Universitas Islam Darussalam Ciamis)
Al Makin (UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta)
Ja'far Assagaf (UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Dec 2025

Abstract

The historicity of hadith is a prominent topic in debates concerning hadith criticism methods within Western hadith scholarship. The issue lies in the fact that the methods developed by Western revisionist hadith scholars, primarily based on the written tradition, tend to marginalize sources of hadith historicity grounded in the oral tradition. Consequently, Western revisionist hadith scholarship often provides an unbalanced justification and generalization of hadith historiography. Addressing this concern, this article employs a genealogical approach alongside Michel Foucault’s theory of power relations in knowledge to trace, examine, and evaluate the methods of hadith criticism that have emerged within Western scholarship. The findings of this research are as follows: first, the methods of hadith criticism developed by Western revisionist scholars are founded upon a Eurocentric paradigm that dominates and exerts hegemony over the history of hadith. This paradigm centers on the primacy of the written tradition’s validity. Second, the methods developed by the revisionist group are ultimately rooted in a network of knowledge-power, which is interconnected and exerts hegemonic control over the discourse

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Journal Info

Abbrev

esensia

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Social Sciences

Description

ESENSIA: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Ushuluddin is a multidisciplinary journal that publishes articles of the highest quality and significance in all areas of Islamic theology (uṣūl al-dīn). The journal covers research on the immense significance of Islam in the context of religious life to which it has ...