Kritik Orientalis terhadap Hadis: Analisis Epistimologis Pemikiran Goldziher, Schacht, dan Motzki

Abstract

Orientalist studies of hadith since the late 19th century, especially through the work of Ignaz Goldziher, Joseph Schacht, and Harald Motzki, have had a significant influence and triggered debate in modern hadith studies. Goldziher and Schacht view most of the hadith as a post-Prophetic socio-political construct and cast doubt on the historicity of the tadwīn al-sunnah process, emphasizing external criticism as well as a skeptic-radical approach. In contrast, Motzki offers a more moderate approach through the isnād--matn analysis method, which allows the tracing of parts of the hadith to the early layers of Islamic tradition. These epistemological differences make orientalist criticism important to be reviewed within the historical framework of the codification of hadith. This research aims to analyze comparatively the epistemological foundations, methods of criticism, and historical assumptions of the three figures, as well as their implications for the historical understanding of tadwīn al-sunnah. The method used is qualitative-based literature studies, with the main sources being books and articles in academic journals, including the response of Muslim scientists to orientalism. The analysis was carried out using historical-critical and epistemological approaches. The results of the study show that the orientalist approach is not monolithic; while Goldziher and Schacht emphasize historical skepticism, Motzki opens up the space for methodological hadith verification. In conclusion, orientalist criticism enriches the hadith discourse, but it requires rigorous historical and philological verification and an integrative approach.