A Survey of Moqaddas Ardebili's Approach to Hadiths concerning Causes for Revelation

Most of traditions concerning causes for revelation are wahid hadith which have been transmitted by Sunni hadith scholars. One's approach to hadith in general and wahid hadith in particular has full authority in his interaction with traditions concerning causes for revelation. An akhbari jurisprudent does his best to transmit traditions concerning causes for revelation but he is not interested in utilization of their contents. On the contrary, an `usuli jurisprudence has a different approach to these traditions. Those groups of usulis who do not accept the authenticity of wahid hadith to act upon, have transmitted traditions concerning causes for revelation less and those who act upon wahid hadith are more willing to transmit this kind of traditions. Various utilization of these traditions is found in their works. Moqaddas Ardebili is of the second group. He, like his previous generations such as Shaykh Tusi, regards wahid hadith as authentic. He accepts or rejects a jurisprudential deduction based on traditions concerning causes for revelation. He has made a criticism of these traditions when needed.