مصادرِ حدیث میں خواتین کی روایت و سماع کا کردار: تاریخی و تنقیدی مطالعہ

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION OF HADITH: A HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL STUDY

Abstract

This research article presents a comprehensive study of the historical, jurisprudential, and critical role of women in the transmission and reception of Hadith in Islamic sources. While the study of Hadith has traditionally focused on male narrators, women scholars and transmitters (Muhaddithat) played a pivotal role in the listening (Sama‘), narration (Riwayah), precision, mastery, and authentication of Hadith chains (Isnad). This study aims to fill this scholarly gap by highlighting the academic participation and contributions of women narrators, substantiated with historical and critical evidence.The research traces the activities of women scholars during the Prophetic period (Seerah) and the era of the Sahabah, including their participation in Hadith assemblies, active listening, narration, and ensuring the continuity of authentic chains of transmission. The Mothers of the Believers (Ummahat al-Mu’minin) and other female companions not only preserved Hadith but also ensured the authenticity and reliability of the Isnad. Among them, Aisha bint Abu Bakr (RA) holds a central position due to her scholarly, critical, and verification-oriented contributions, serving as a model for subsequent generations of Hadith scholars.During the Tabi‘un and Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in eras, the role of women narrators became further consolidated. They contributed to the correction, precision, and mastery of Isnad, reinforcing the communal standards of Hadith transmission. The presence of women narrators in the Kutub al-Sittah, Musanid, Mu‘jam, and Sunan illustrates that their scholarly participation was methodologically and epistemologically recognized.

The study also provides a detailed analysis of the role of women narrators in ‘Ilm al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dil (the science of critique and validation of narrators). It highlights that the principles of critique and authentication applied equally to women, and their narrations were rigorously examined for accuracy. Objections and criticisms raised against women narrators are also critically examined, demonstrating that most of these critiques were historical or social in nature and that women’s narrations remained reliable according to scholarly evidence.

The findings indicate that women narrators not only actively participated in Hadith transmission but their contributions in terms of trustworthiness, precision, and reliability played a pivotal role in ensuring the continuity and authenticity of Hadith texts and chains of transmission. Furthermore, the study confirms that without the participation of women narrators, the completeness, authenticity, and methodological soundness of Islamic Hadith sources would have been significantly compromised.This research integrates historical evidence, contemporary scholarly approaches, jurisprudential opinions, and isnad-based analysis to fully illuminate the academic, jurisprudential, and critical significance of women narrators in Islamic tradition.