Ibn Jawzi's method of resolving problems in contradictory hadiths in Kashf al-Mushkil min Hadith al-Sahihayn

Mushkil al-Hadith is one of the sub-disciplines of Ulum al-Ḥadith that aims to resolve the problems in authentic hadiths which contradict each other, the Qur'anic verses or the fundamental principles of reasoning. Kashf al-Mushkil min Hadith al-Sahīhayn, written by Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201), is considered as one of the important works written in this field. The content of this book was arranged in musnad genre composing some of the hadiths selected from Sahīhayn of al Bukhari and Muslim, although it was originally designed as a commentary on Humaydī's (d. 488/1095) al-Jam' bayn al-Sahīhayn. Ibn al-Jawzī states that he has written his book with the aim of explaining the mushkil hadiths in Humaydī's book. From this we can infer that he understood the mushkil concept from a wider perspective. In this study we have used both qualitative and quantitative methods in order to determine the method of Ibn al-Jawzī for removing the problems in hadiths. Within this framework, we have handled the historical, social, political and cultural situations that influence the authoring of the mentioned book and made some textual analysis on some the selected hadiths. In addition, the problematic hadiths that Ibn al-Jawzī pointed out in the book and the answers he offered to them were determined. We have shown them with graphics. As a result, it was determined that Ibn al-Jawzi pointed to ninety-eight contradictory hadiths in the book. The common method he preferred to resolve the problems are jam' (combination), naskh (abrogation) and tarjīh (preference). He used the methods of haml (attribution), takhsīs and taqyīd while combining the mushkil hadiths with each other. In cases where he could not reach a conclusion with naskh method, he solved the contradiction with the method of tarjīh depending on the situation of the narrator or the nature of the narration.