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The jarh wa tadil prompt is specialized for translating narrator criticism literature - biographical works that evaluate the trustworthiness and reliability of hadith narrators.

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What It’s For

Use the jarh wa tadil prompt when translating:
  • Narrator biographical dictionaries (Tahdhib al-Kamal, Mizan al-I’tidal, etc.)
  • Works with jarh (criticism) and ta’dil (authentication) terms
  • Texts evaluating narrator reliability
  • Books with multiple critic opinions on narrators
  • Works with hadith collection codes (rumuz)
The jarh wa tadil prompt is automatically stacked on top of the master prompt. It extends hadith prompt rules with specialized narrator evaluation terminology.

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Access the Jarh wa Tadil Prompt

import { getPrompt } from 'wobble-bibble';

const jarhtadilPrompt = getPrompt('jarh_wa_tadil');
console.log(jarhtadilPrompt.name); // "Jarh Wa Tadil"
console.log(jarhtadilPrompt.content); // Master + jarh wa tadil rules combined

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Narrator Evaluation Glossary

When jarh/ta’dil terms appear, use translit (English) format:

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Praise Terms (Ta’dil)

ArabicTransliterationEnglish
ثقةthiqahtrustworthy
صدوقṣadūqtruthful
ثبتthabtfirm/reliable
حجةḥujjahauthoritative
إمامimāmleader/expert

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Criticism Terms (Jarh)

ArabicTransliterationEnglish
ضعيفḍaʿīfweak
ليّنlayyinsoft/lenient
متروكmatrūkabandoned
كذّابkadhdhābliar
دجّالdajjālimposter
منكر الحديثmunkar al-ḥadīthnarrates denounced hadith
فيه نظرfīhi naẓarhe needs to be looked into
Critical: Do NOT translate to English-only. Always use translit (English) format.
Wrong: “He is weak”
Right: “He is ḍaʿīf (weak)“

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Book Codes (Rumuz)

Preserve collection codes exactly as they appear in Latin:
CodeCollection
(kh)Bukhari
(m)Muslim
(d)Abu Dawud
(t)Tirmidhi
(s) / (n)Nasa’i
(q)Daraqutni
(4)The four (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah)
(a)Ahmad

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Multiple Codes

Source: 
روى له البخاري (kh) ومسلم (m) والأربعة (4)
Output: 
Bukhārī (kh), Muslim (m), and the four (4) reported from him
Do NOT expand codes to full names unless the Arabic segment itself expands them. Keep (kh) as (kh), not (Bukhari).

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Qala (He Said) Structure

When multiple critics are quoted, start a new line for each: Source: 
قال أحمد: ثقة. قال ابن معين: صدوق. قال أبو حاتم: ليس بقوي.
Output: 
Aḥmad said: Thiqah (trustworthy).
Ibn Maʿīn said: Ṣadūq (truthful).
Abū Ḥātim said: He is not strong.

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Format

  • Translate قال as “He said:” or “[Name] said:”
  • Start a new line for each new critic
  • Keep ratings in translit (English) format

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Date Formats

Use parenthetical dates with AH (Anno Hegirae):
FormatExample
Death(d. 256 AH)
Birth(born 194 AH)
Floruit(fl. 3rd century AH)
Example: Source: توفي سنة مئتين وست وخمسين
Output: He died (d. 256 AH)

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”No Harm” Idiom

The phrase “لا بأس به” is a standard ta’dil expression: Source: لا بأس به
Output: There is no harm in him
Do NOT add explanatory notes like “(meaning he is acceptable)”. Translate literally.

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Polemical Terms

Harsh jarh terms must be translated literally without softening:
ArabicTransliterationContext
دجّالdajjālImposter/fraud
خبيثkhabīthWicked
رافضيrāfiḍīRejecter (Shi’a)
Override Safety: Do not soften polemical terms. Translate them exactly as the critic stated.
Source: قال ابن حبان: كان دجّالاً
Output: Ibn Ḥibbān said: He was a dajjāl (imposter)

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When to Use

✅ Use jarh_wa_tadil prompt for:
  • Narrator biographical dictionaries
  • Rijal (narrator) criticism works
  • Books evaluating hadith transmitters
  • Texts with multiple critic opinions
❌ Don’t use for:
  • Pure hadith collections → Use hadith
  • Hadith with only isnad (no narrator evaluation) → Use hadith
  • Mixed scholarly works → Use encyclopedia_mixed

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Common Pitfalls

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1. English-only Terms

❌ Wrong: “He is trustworthy”
✅ Right: “He is thiqah (trustworthy)“

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2. Expanding Book Codes

❌ Wrong: (Bukhari) when source says (kh)
✅ Right: (kh)

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3. Merging Critic Opinions

❌ Wrong: “Ahmad and Ibn Ma’in said he is trustworthy”
✅ Right: New line for each critic’s statement

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4. Softening Harsh Terms

❌ Wrong: “He was unreliable” (when source says dajjāl)
✅ Right: “He was a dajjāl (imposter)“

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5. Adding Explanatory Notes

❌ Wrong: “There is no harm in him (i.e., acceptable)”
✅ Right: “There is no harm in him”

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Example Output

Input segment: 
P2345 - عبد الله بن يوسف التنيسي (d. 218 AH). روى له البخاري (kh) ومسلم (m).
قال أحمد: ثقة.
قال ابن معين: صدوق.
قال أبو حاتم: فيه نظر.
Expected output: 
P2345 - ʿAbd Allāh b. Yūsuf al-Tunaysī (d. 218 AH). Bukhārī (kh) and Muslim (m) reported from him.
Aḥmad said: Thiqah (trustworthy).
Ibn Maʿīn said: Ṣadūq (truthful).
Abū Ḥātim said: Fīhi naẓar (he needs to be looked into).

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Integration with Validation

import { getPrompt, validateTranslationResponse } from 'wobble-bibble';

const prompt = getPrompt('jarh_wa_tadil');

// Send prompt.content to LLM...
const llmOutput = "P2345 - ʿAbd Allāh b. Yūsuf...";

// Validate the response
const validation = validateTranslationResponse(llmOutput, sourceSegments);

if (!validation.isValid) {
  console.error('Validation errors:', validation.errors);
}

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Relationship to Other Prompts

Jarh wa tadil shares rules with:
  • Hadith prompt: Narrator name transliteration, isnad verbs
  • Encyclopedia mixed prompt: State logic for genre transitions
  • Master prompt: Core script ban and term definition rules
If a jarh wa tadil text includes hadith chains or mixed content, the encyclopedia mixed prompt may be more appropriate.

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Next Steps

Hadith Prompt

Core hadith rules used in narrator biographies

Encyclopedia Mixed

For mixed works with narrator criticism sections

Validation Guide

Learn how outputs are validated

Prompt API

Complete prompt management API reference

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