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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Sciences of Hadith Chapterr 9 : Meeting 8 the Science of Al-mostalaahat (science of Derayatul-hadith( Meeting 8: The Science of al-Mostalahaat (Science of Derayatul-Hadith( Part I In the next two lessons we shall learn about the third science of the sciences of Hadith; i.e. the science of al-Mostalaat (terminologies) which is also historically called 'science of Derayatul-Hadith (understanding the Hadith(.

The main topics in this science include: o Definition of al-Mostalahat and its aim o The difference between this science and the science of Fiqhul-Hadith o The difference between this science and the science of Rijal o The main references on this science o Common Hadith terminologies o Types of Hadith o Conditions of accreditation of a narrator o Methodology of proving the justice of a narrator o Etiquettes of writing and teaching the Hadith Definition and historical background Historically this science has been referred to as 'the science of Derayatul-Hadith'.

Derayah literally means to understand and reflect on something. Derayatul-Hadith coupled with the science of Rijal (knowing the biography of narrators) have been the only names for the sciences of Hadith for several centuries.

Al-Shahid al-Thani (martyred in 966 A.H.) in defining the science of Derayah said: "It is a science which deals with the body of the Hadith and the chain of its narrators; whether they are just and true or weak, and whatever is needed to know the accepted and unaccepted Hadith." [^80] It seems the reason because of which the science of Hadith is traditionally called the science of 'Derayah' is the number of Ahadith in which the Imams (a.s) have encouraged their followers to understand the Hadith more than mere narrating them.

It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a.s): حديث تدريه خير من الف ترويه. "To understand (Derayah) a Hadith is better than one thousand Hadith that you may narrate." [^81] The Science of Derayah in this sense includes Fiqhul-Hadith (understanding the meaning of the body of the Hadith) too. In the recent years the scholars of Hadith have opened a separate science for understating the text of the Hadith called the science of Fiqhul-Hadith.

Thus, in order for them to avoid any confusion between the science of Derayah and Fiqhul-Hadith, they changed the name of Derayatul-Hadith to the science of al-Mostalahaat, i.e. the science of Hadith terminologies.