Study and Critique of Misconceptions against Sheikh Saduq's Authenticity and Reports

Among the most important and hard-working Shia traditionists (muḥaddiths), it should be mentioned of Sheikh Ṣadūq in the fourth hijrī century, whose works are extended to tree hundreds. Although he has a great position in Shia', some Shia simple-minded scholars, regarding the lack of assertion of authenticity of Ṣadūq by Ṭūsī and Najāshī, have faced with him silently and even some charged him with change, summary and removing words and phrases of traditions (hadiths) relying his own opinion. Their words are applied by some temporary Sunnis scholars to propose some misconceptions against him and call him “the liar Sheikh”! The present paper through a descriptive-analytical method aims to reply two questions: 1- what are the invalidation of the misconception of being silent about Sheikh Ṣadūq? 2- what are the invalidation of the misconception of the quality of Sheikh Ṣadūq’s reports? Findings say that making doubt and being silent on the authenticity of Sheikh Ṣadūq have two contradictive and remedial responses: A) The contradictive answer: the lack of authenticity by the others is not confined merely to Sheikh Ṣadūq, B) The remedial answer: according to some evidences, he is regarded by the early Shia scholars and biographers like Ṭūsī and Najāshī as authentic. The misconception of change and removing traditions is also invalid because of the followings: 1- The diversity of the chain (of reporting), 2- issuing fatwa (ijtihad) to solve the contents of traditions, 3- cutting traditions, 4- relying on the Sheikh Ṣadūq’s traditions because of their stricter chain (of transmitters) and content.