سیرت نگاری میں تاریخی تنقید کا منہج: روایتی محدثانہ اسلوب اور معاصر استشراقی طریقہ کار کا تقابلی مطالعہ

The Methodology of Historical Criticism in Sīrah Writing: A Comparative Study of the Traditional Muḥaddithūn Approach and the Contemporary Orientalist Framework

Abstract

This article presents a comparative analysis of two fundamental approaches to historical criticism in the research and compilation of the Prophetic Sīrah (peace be upon him): on one hand, the traditional muḥaddithūn methodology, which is based on the science of Asmāʾ al-Rijāl (biographical evaluation of narrators), Jarḥ wa Taʿdīl (criticism and validation), and the authentication of chains of transmission (isnād); on the other hand, the contemporary Orientalist approach, which employs the tools of historical criticism, intertextual analysis, and social anthropology. The article compares the theoretical foundations, historical evolution, research methods, and outcomes of these two methodologies, demonstrating that the traditional muḥaddithūn approach is not only more coherent in its internal consistency but also offers more reliable criteria for authenticating sīrah sources than contemporary methodologies. Instances of dialogue between the two approaches are also highlighted in certain contexts.