Ilm al-Rijal is a branch of Islamic scholarship that focuses on the study of the narrators of hadith, which are the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. This discipline evaluates the reliability and credibility of individuals who transmitted these traditions, ensuring that authentic teachings are preserved within the Islamic community. Scholars in Ilm al-Rijal analyze various aspects of narrators, including their character, memory, and the context of their lives. This rigorous examination helps to establish a chain of transmission, known as isnad, which is crucial for determining the authenticity of hadith literature in Islam.