The Term "Vessels of knowledge": A General Theoretical Study with Applied Models from the Book "Tathkerat Alhuffaazh" by Al-Thahabi

Abstract

There is a variety in the terms of Hadith scholars for judging narrators. This research deals with one of these terms: the description of a narrator as one of the (vessels of knowledge). The aim of this research is to find out its meaning and clarify the relationship between this description and the narrator’s verification. In addition, it also aims at presenting the most famous Hadith scholars who used this description on narrators and give examples of the most prominent narrators who have been described as "vessels of knowledge".

The study concluded that this description was given to some imams of hadith and compilers, as well as to some trustworthy narrators and some who are not. Moreover, this description does not necessarily mean accepting the narrations of those attributed with it, as it was used to describe some whose narrations were not accepted for some considerations.