This research tries to investigate Harald Motzki’s method and his view of authenticity ḥadīth. Motzki conducts the ḥadīth analysis, with the aim of dating ḥadīth, analyzes ḥadīth through the aid of isnād cum matn analysis. This method is applied just for complex or interconnected ḥadīth transmissions becouse this method is focused on the existence of common link and matn investigation. his interpretation of common link phenomenon and dating method show his differences from his predecessors. His dating is not stopped to the common link himself, it will also be posssible to be passed on common link’s informant if there is a reason for it. Then, his matn investigation, which analyzes the characteristic features by comparing its matns with the aid of common link’s existence, tries to open the independency of each matn transmission from the others in all probability of defection. It is becouse most of ḥadīth transmissions is orally and aurally delivered.
Comparing with Muslim ḥadīth criticism, Muslim ḥadīth scholars base mainly the reliability of transmitters on judgment of critic experts to them (al-jarḥ wa al-ta’dīl). While Motzki bases the reliability of transmitters mainly on the text. It is becouse Western scholarship doesn’t fully trust to rijāl books, especially its jarḥ wa ta’dīl. However, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t use rijāl books any longer. They use them secondarily in consulting and checking up.
Motzki’s result of method application lead to his view of ḥadīth authenticity. He actually still admits the existence of authentic ḥadīth. But the term ‘authentic ḥadīth’, according to him, is very different from others. Term ‘authentic ḥadīth’ is not always labeled to the ḥadīth which reachs back to the Prophet. It is becouse his research purpose is dating hadith. In the title of his article “The Muṣannaf of ‘Abd al-Razzāq al-S{an’ānī as a Source of Authentic Aḥādīth of the First Islamic Century”, ‘authentic aḥādīth of the first Islamic century’ doesn’t mean that the ḥadīth really reachs back to the Prophet, but it means that the ḥadīth was really exist in that century, whether it is from the Prophet or not is still uncertainty.