An Analysis of Khatib Baghdadi’s Approach Towards Shiʿi Narrators

Khaṭīb Baghdadi is a well-known hadith scholar of the Islamic world who has authored many works. His views on the principles of hadith are generally considered authoritative by Sunnī hadith scholars. Understanding the foundational principles of establishing the reliability of narrators who are Shīʿī from the viewpoint of Khaṭīb Baghdādī is important because it reflects the views of Sunnī scholars about Shīʿah narrators in general, and their degree of adherence to scientific methods as well as the effect of religious bias in considering these narrators reliable or weak. The main question addressed in this research is: What was the attitude of Khaṭīb Baghdādī towards Shīʿī narrators and did religious bias play a role in his judgment? By examining his works, we have been able to record and analyze the views of Khaṭīb Baghdādī towards Shīʿah narrators. Baghdādī has occasionally paid attention to the honesty of some Shīʿī narrator and in other instances he has considered the fact that they are Rāfīḍī (lit. rejecters) to be enough of a reason to reject their narrations. It can be seen that his bias against the narrators is more evident in traditions such as those of the ‘two weighty things’ (thaqalayn), Ghadīr, and the status and virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).