The Principles of Recognizing the Transmitted Supplications with an Emphasis on the Ḥadīth Studies

Since the study and research on the chains of transmission (sanads) of the transmitted (ma’thūra) supplications are among the duties of ḥadīth studies, the present research has recognized some criteria such as the sanad examination of the supplications and the soundness of their attribution to the Infallibles and has comparatively delved into the text of some supplications with respect to some points such as the compatibility of their phrases with the overall tone of the supplication and by paying attention to the meaning of their phrases. Then, it has undertaken to critique them by comparing some of them and examining such instances as the priority and posterity of the phrases, the historical circumstances of the ḥadīth, non-paraphrasing, paying attention to the context the supplication or its conformity to the wording of the Qur’ān, the sound narrations, and the Shī‘a history and theology. The conclusion is that, after quoting various opinions on the study or lack of study of the sanad of supplications and the issue of permissibility or impermissibility of paraphrasing, the necessity and importance of paying attention to the above-mentioned criteria becomes more outstanding.