اصول جرح و تعدیل کی روشنی میں"ڈیجٹل راوی"کا تصور:جدید ابلاغی ذرائع کی شرعی حیثیت

Abstract

The Islamic discipline of Jarḥ wa Taʿdīl—the critical evaluation of ḥadīth narrators—represents one of the most refined methodologies of epistemic scrutiny in the classical Islamic tradition. Rooted in principles of moral uprightness (ʿadālah), narrative precision (ḍabṭ), memory integrity, and chain continuity (ittiṣāl al-isnād), this science was developed to safeguard the authenticity of prophetic traditions. In the digital age, where information spreads rapidly through platforms like Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, and AI-driven systems, the concept of authorship, trustworthiness, and verifiability has become increasingly ambiguous. Social media influencers, anonymous content creators, and even artificial intelligence agents now serve as modern transmitters of religious, ethical, and social narratives. This reality necessitates the development of a new epistemological category: the “Digital Rāwī”—a metaphorical but critical lens through which modern modes of information transmission can be evaluated.

This study seeks to bridge the gap between classical isnād-based authentication and contemporary digital communication by investigating whether the principles of Jarḥ wa Taʿdīl can be recontextualized and applied to modern digital contexts. Can a digital narrator be judged for his or her narrative reliability? What are the equivalents of ʿadālah and ḍabṭ in the digital world? How do we address issues of anonymity, disinformation, and algorithmic manipulation in light of Islamic epistemic ethics?

Through interdisciplinary analysis—drawing upon uṣūl al-ḥadīth, media theory, digital ethics, and Islamic legal maxims—the research proposes a classification framework for types of digital narrators, including authentic transmitters, weak sources, manipulators, bots, and synthetic content engines. It also outlines suggested criteria for verifying online narratives from an Islamic epistemological standpoint. In doing so, the paper not only expands the scope of traditional ḥadīth sciences but also contributes to the urgently needed discourse on ethical information sharing, Islamic media literacy, and the preservation of truth in the post-truth digital age.

This research ultimately argues that the spirit of Jarḥ wa Taʿdīl remains relevant and adaptable, offering a timeless Islamic framework to navigate the complexities of modern digital knowledge ecosystems, ensuring that the virtue of authentic transmission continues to thrive in a new age of challenges.