The Expression “Gharib Min Hadha al-Wajh” in Jami al-Tirmidhi: An Applied Study of Hadith Critical Methodology

This study examines Imam al-Tirmidh?’s critical expression “ghar?b min h?dh? al-wajh” (“ghar?b through this particular route”) as employed in J?mi? al-Tirmidh?. The expression is important because it reflects the nuanced relationship between singularity in transmission, isn?d criticism, and the overall evaluation of a hadith. The study aims to clarify the expression's semantic scope, identify what al-Tirmidh? intends by restricting ghar?bah to a particular wajh (route), and demonstrate its implications through applied analysis of selected narrations. The research employs an inductive approach to identify relevant occurrences in J?mi? al-Tirmidh? and an analytical approach to examine the transmission routes, narrator assessments, corroborating reports, and the judgments of hadith critics. Two representative cases are examined. The first is a narration that al-Tirmidh? describes as “ghar?b min h?dh? al-wajh” while its transmitters are assessed between thiqah and ?ad?q; its singularity therefore does not necessarily undermine its acceptability. The second is a narration concerning the virtue of S?rat al-Dukh?n whose chain contains ?Umar b. Ab? Khath?am and Sufy?n b. Wak??, both criticised by hadith scholars; in this case, ghar?bah is accompanied by substantial weakness in the isn?d. The study concludes that “ghar?b min h?dh? al-wajh” should not be treated as an automatic declaration of weakness. Rather, it normally identifies singularity in a particular transmission route, while the final evaluation depends on the reliability of narrators and the existence and quality of other routes. The finding demonstrates the precision of al-Tirmidh?’s critical vocabulary and highlights the need to read his terminology contextually rather than in isolation.