The fifth group omitted the chain of narrators in their...

The fifth group omitted the chain of narrators in their writings and contented themselves with a simple relation of the text of the traditions. Some scholars regard these commentators as the source of varying views in the commentaries by connecting many traditions to a companion or a follower without verifying their validity or mentioning their chain of narration.

Consequently, confusion has arisen allowing many false traditions to enter the body of traditions, thus undermining the reputation of this section of hadith literature. Careful) examination of the chains transmission of the traditions leaves one in doubt as to the extent of the deceitful additions and false testimonies. Many conflicting traditions can be traced to one companion or follower and many traditions, which are complete fabrications, may be found amongst this body of narrations.

Thus reasons for the revelation of a particular verse, including the abrogating and abrogated verses, do not seem to accord with the actual order of the verses. No more than one or two of the traditions are found to be acceptable when submitted to such an examination.

It is for this reason that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who himself was born before this generation of narrators, said, "Three things have no sound base: military virtues, bloody battles and the traditions pertaining to Qur'anic commentary. " Imam al-Sh?fi'i relates that only about one hundred traditions from Ibn 'Abb?s have been confirmed as valid.

The sixth group consists of those commentators who appeared after the growth and development of the various Islamic Sciences and each undertook the study of Qur'anic commentary according to his specialization: al-Zajj?j studied the subject from the grammatical point of view; al-W?hidi and Abü Hayy?n(17) investigated the verses by studying the inflection of the verbs, the vowels and the diacritical points.

There is also commentary on the rhetoric and eloquence of the verses by al-Zamakhshari(18) in his work entitled alKo4uhaf. There is a theological discussion in the "Grand Commentary" of Fakhr al-Din al-R?zi. (19) the gnosis of Ibn al-'Arabi and 'Abd al-Razz?q al-K?sh?ni(20) treated in their commentaries. Other narrators, like al-Tha'labi, record the history of transmission of the traditions(21) . Some commentators, among them al-Qurtubi, (22) concentrate on aspects of feqh (jurisprudence).