Sanad, Matn and Meaning: Methodological Reconsideration in Modern Hadith Criticism

Abstract

Hadith criticism continues to face a methodological tension between verifying historical transmission, evaluating textual coherence, and determining normative applicability in changing social contexts. This study aims to reconstruct major developments in classical and modern hadith criticism, identify the limitations of approaches that isolate sanad, matn, or contextual meaning, and formulate an integrated framework capable of connecting these dimensions. It employs a qualitative textual design combining historical criticism, comparative methodological analysis, document analysis, and hadith hermeneutics. The corpus includes classical hadith-critical literature, modern historical-critical scholarship, Muslim reformist writings, and maqāṣid-oriented studies. The findings show that classical criticism was not exclusively sanad-centred because matn analysis was embedded in the evaluation of anomalous reports, hidden defects, conflicting transmissions, and textual variants. Modern historical criticism expanded attention to common links, transmission networks, textual formation, and source dating, while Muslim hermeneutical approaches emphasized Qur’anic coherence, historical context, Prophetic purpose, and ethical consequences. However, these approaches often remain methodologically fragmented. The study therefore proposes an Integrated Circular Model in which sanad functions as the historical anchor, matn as the textual and epistemic test, and meaning as the contextual-normative dimension. Application to the Abū Bakrah hadith on women’s political leadership demonstrates that historical attribution does not automatically establish universal applicability. The study contributes a recursive methodology that distinguishes and reintegrates authenticity, interpretive plausibility, and normative applicability while avoiding both radical skepticism and ahistorical literalism.

Keywords: hadith criticism, sanad, matn, contextual interpretation, women’s political leadership