مَروِيّاتُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ الزَّاهِرِيِّ وَأَثَرُهَا فِي اسْتِنْباطِ الأَحْكامِ الفِقْهِيةِ عَرْضٌ وَتَحْلِيلٌ

The Narrations of Muḥammad ibn Sinān al-Zāhirī and Their Impact on the Derivation of Jurisprudential Rulings: A Presentation and Analysis

Abstract
This research explores the narrations of Muhammad ibn Sinan al-Zahiri, one of the narrators whose reliability has been a matter of scholarly dispute, It investigates the extent to which his narrations influence the process of deriving Islamic legal rulings (ahkam fiqhiyyah), The study aims to analyze the nature of these narrations in terms of acceptance or rejection, and to assess their role in the construction of legal rulings, It also presents the various positions adopted by jurists and hadith scholars regarding his narrations ,The researcher employed inductive, analytical, and descriptive methodologies to examine the narrations attributed to Ibn Sinan. This was achieved by tracing them through hadith and fiqh literature and comparing scholarly evaluations of his reliability ـ whether as a trustworthy or weak narrator ـ and analyzing the implications of these evaluations for using or discarding his narrations in legal derivation ,The study found that Muhammad ibn Sinan al-Zahiri is among the narrators whose integrity and precision have been widely debated, While some scholars affirmed his reliability, others criticized him for what they considered to be oddities or inconsistencies in his narrations. The research revealed that a number of jurists relied on his narrations in certain legal issues, particularly in the absence of stronger opposing reports, whereas others dismissed them due to doubts about his credibility Ultimately, the study highlights how disagreements over his narrations reflect the influence of ‘ilm al-rijāl (the science of narrator evaluation) on legal rulings, and how the disciplines of hadith and legal theory are closely intertwined. It concludes by emphasizing the need for a balanced and critical approach when dealing with narrators of disputed reliability and calls for a re-examination of such narrations in light of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah (the higher objectives of Islamic law) and the principles of uṣūl al-fiqh, free from preconceived judgments, to ensure methodological rigor in legal deduction.