Narrators about whom Abū Ḥātim al-Razi said: “He is not relied upon (in ḥadīth),” yet whose narrations appear in the two Ṣaḥīḥs – A Critical Applied Study

This study provides a critical and applied analysis of the phrase “not reliable as proof” frequently used by Abu Hatim al-Razi, a leading authority in hadith criticism known for his precision and methodological rigor. While the phrase seems to imply absolute rejection of a narrator’s reports, the research reveals its more nuanced meaning and varied usage.The study focuses on narrators described this way by Abu Hatim whose hadiths were nevertheless included by al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihayn, either in the main texts or as follow-up reports and supporting narrations. This highlights a subtle difference between Abu Hatim’s critical .approach and that of the two compilersThe findings show that the phrase usually indicates a relative weakness in precision rather than a complete lack of reliability, which explains why .such narrations were still considered authentic