Examining Hadith In The Light of The Holy Qur’an: “The Method of ‘Ard”

This method takes its place in the literature as an important subject of Islamic methodological sciences due to the debates about whether the ‘ard method can be a criterion when obtaining judgments in the science of Fiqh and determining the degree of authenticity of hadiths in the science of Hadith. The presentation of the ‘ard method by some schools as the only criterion in determining the belonging of the Hadiths to the Prophet (peace be upon him) brings with it allegations of subjective Quran-Sunnah contradiction. This situation leads to neglecting scientific data by ignoring the findings of studies examining the chain of transmission of Hadiths and results in the rejection of certain Hadith narrations attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) based on personal opinions. Moreover, drawing subjective conclusions that Hadith contradicts Quranic principles poses a methodological problem. To resolve this issue and approach the matter of ‘ard as a scientific method, it is necessary to clearly define the nature of the arz method, consider the evidence for its application as a method, examine the historical development of arz practices, and establish the principles of its application. The study first defines the arz method and explains the difference between the terms 'teârud' and 'muarada' to prevent conceptual confusion. It then addresses the starting points of debates related to the questions "Can there be contradictions between the Quran and Hadith?" and "Did the Prophet (peace be upon him) ever make statements contrary to the Quran?" In the subsequent sections of the research, it analyzes when the ‘ard method began, how it was practiced during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the period of the companions, and later periods, as well as how scholars of Hadith and jurists of various schools such as Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali approached this method. The principles of the ‘ard method, its rational and narrational evidence, examples of its application, and considerations necessary to preserve its scientific integrity are then examined.