Al-Kashani on the contradictions with regard to classifications

Question:

Can we rely on the classification of the chains of transmission according to Al-Kashani

Answer:

Al-Faid Al-Kashani writes: “There are disagreements, contradictions and doubts with regards the classifications of trustworthy and untrustworthy narrators and the conditions for them, which means that the souls do not find peace, as it is not hidden from those who know about it. One should first of all stop at the methods of the early scholars and pay absolutely no attention to this invented terminology and leave this oppression behind. Yes, if two reports contradict each other, which are relied upon according to the method of the early scholars, then we need the preference of the one over the other and it is up to us to return to the state of its narrators in the classifications of the trustworthy and untrustworthy ones, who report from the teachers among them, and we base the judgement on what is stated by the Imams (a.) in the accounts of preference that have been handed down: “Then it is the judgement of the one who is the most just and pious and truthful of the two in the light of the traditions that judges.” [Kitab-ul-Wafi, Volume 1 Page 25]

قال الفيض الكاشاني: فإن في الجرح والتعديل وشرائطها اختلافات وتناقضات واشتباهات لا يكاد ترتفع بما تطمئن إليه النفوس كما لا يخفى على الخبير بها فالأول الوقوف على طريقة القدماء وعدم الاعتناء بهذا الإصطلاح المستحدث رأسا وقطعا والخروج عن هذه المضايق نعم إذا تعارض الخبران المعتمد عليها على طريقة القدماء فأحتجنا إلى الترجيح بينها فعلينا أن نرجع إلى حال رواتها في الجرح والتعديل المنقولين عن المشايخ فيهم ونبني الحكم على ذلك كما أشير إليه في الأخبار الواردة في التراجيح بقولهم عليهم السلام فالحكم ما حكم به أعدلهما وأورعهما وأصدقهما في الحديث

Comment:

The statement mentioned by Al-Kashani deals with the case when two disputants choose two judges who contradict [Read here]