A Critical Study of the Dual Revelation Theory of Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i

There is a common belief that besides the Quran, the prophet of Islam had the mission of delivering a second revelation collection i.e., tradition/Hadith. In other words, there are two types of revelation; one is the recited (al-Matlow) revelation that is the Quran, and the other is the non-recited (Ghayr al-Matlow) revelation which is "the tradition/ Hadith." The exact study of this theory in the course of the Islamic evolution shows that its basis goes back to Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'I and he can be considered the creator of the theory of 'Dual Revelation' in Islam. This theory was initially put forward in support of the sect of the traditionists, but gradually with their increasing dominance, it became an undeniable fact. In this article, the formation of this theory has historically been analyzed. The findings show that this theory is only a reinterpretation and has been proposed following the reconstruction of the past and in a context of the sectarian competition, to gain authority.