Semantics of the Term “Sahykh” Based on the Science of Adaptation

A review of the study of narrators (‘ilm al-rijāl) and the course of development of the science of adaptation (‘ilm-i jarḥ wa ta‘dīl) talks about the evaluation of hadith in terms of critiquing the narrators mentioned in the chain of transmitters. To this end, they have created special terms and phrases for authentication of each of the transmitters so that to determine the validity of the transmitter’s tradition by their employment. However, the rijāl experts were divided over the meaning and the signification of some of them which have prompted to turn the semantic study and reappraisal of the meaning and evidential analysis of these terms into an efficient procedure with a new glance at sanad studies. The main approach of this research is to study and evaluate the rank and rate of the term “shaykh”. As for the evidential aspects regarding validation or praise among theoreticians, various viewpoints have been presented concerning its evidential aspects, so that while bringing various opinions close together, we can explain the limits of its evidential meaning in various ranks and rates of adaptation and uncover and delineate the weakness of its meaning.