Is the status of the فقيه (Islamic jurist) higher than the status of the راوي الحديث (narrator of Hadith)?
The jurist (faqih) is the mujtahid (independent reasoner) who deduces and clarifies Islamic rulings, whereas the narrator (rawi al-hadith) is a truthful and trustworthy transmitter of what he heard from the prophetic , without elaborating or deducing rulings. Imam Al-A'mash likened jurists to doctors and Hadith narrators to pharmacists, indicating that their work is complementary. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, differentiated between the transmitter of the Sunnah and its understanding person, indicating the virtue of the latter. He likened beneficial knowledge to rain that falls upon the earth. Just as the earth has different types, so too do people fall into three categories: The first is the حافظ faqih (jurist and memorizer) who benefits himself and others. The second is the حافظ (memorizer) who preserves knowledge for others so they may benefit. The third is he who neither memorizes nor comprehends Islamic jurisprudence.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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