MUHADDITH AND FAQEEH

Muhaddith is a person who is well-versed in regards to Hadith. This is what is called an expert and a scholar of Hadith.

As for a Faqeeh, it is a person who has got an extraordinary gift to understand and interpret the Qur'an-e-Kareem and the Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam). Moreover, he knows the circumstances under which the law of every verse and Hadith should be applied. This is what is called the jurists.

A Muhaddith locates the position of every Hadith while a Faqeeh shows the correct and appropriate application of every verse and Hadith. Imam Tirmizi (Rahmatullahi alayh) said: "It is the Fuqaha (jurists) who know the interpretation of Hadith better."

We should follow the research and the opinion of a Muhaddith to situate the real status of a Hadith. As for the interpretation and application of a verse or Hadith, we should follow the research of a Faqeeh. Just as in the former case, a person does not have the freedom to decide the status of a Hadith by himself without following the research of a Muhaddith, in the latter case also, a person is not free to apply a verse or Hadith by himself without following the research of a Faqeeh.

[English version of "Mouhaddith et faqih." – Al Jamiat – Vol.1 No.8]