Describing a scholar as the bearer of the banner of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators)

Question:
Some of the brothers describe one of the scholars as the bearer of the banner of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators), so that if he criticizes a narrator, that narrator is considered defective on the grounds that he would not criticize without evidence. Therefore, it is obligatory to follow him in this.

Answer:
Al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators) in the isnad (chain of narration) is part of the science of hadith, and its practitioners have passed away; there is no one, as far as we know, among the scholars of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators). However, there may be those who are scholars of ghibah (backbiting) and namimah (talebearing); this exists—people who criticize others and backbite them. This is not al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators). Al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators) is part of the science of the isnad (chain of narration), and it has its own methodology. You, or perhaps you do not, and Allah knows best, what does this mean? But there may be someone who reads the books of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators) and benefits from them, yes. As for saying that this person is one of the scholars of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators), that is a big word that does not apply to one who is limited to perusal and reading books? One does not say he is one of the scholars of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators), but rather that he is well-versed in the books of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators) only. Yes.