Basic Breaks in the Chain

1. Muʿallaq

● Definition: A report in which one, several, or all transmitters are omitted consecutively from the beginning of the chain.

● Example: The statement of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī is cited directly with «قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى ...».

● Reason: The opening transmitters are not named, so this is muʿallaq.

2. Omission from the Beginning in Muʿallaq

The beginning of the chain is the side from which the compiler starts citing transmitters. Consecutive omission from this side makes a report muʿallaq.

3. Mursal

● Definition: A report in which the transmitter after a Successor, the Companion, is omitted.

● Example: Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab reports directly from the Prophet ﷺ.

● Reason: Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab is a Successor and no Companion is named between them, so this is mursal.

4. Munqaṭiʿ

● Definition: A report in which one transmitter is omitted from within the chain, or more than two transmitters are omitted at separate places.

● Example: «عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ يُثَيْعٍ عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ مَرْفُوعًا ...»

● Explanation: In this chain, a transmitter between Sufyān al-Thawrī and Abū Isḥāq is not named.

● Reason: One transmitter is omitted from within the chain, so this is munqaṭiʿ.

5. The Basic Difference among the Three

● Muʿallaq: consecutive omission from the beginning of the chain.

● Mursal: a Successor reports directly from the Prophet ﷺ.

● Munqaṭiʿ: one transmitter is omitted within the chain, or several are omitted at separate places.

6. Maqṭūʿ and Munqaṭiʿ Are Not the Same

● Maqṭūʿ: a saying or action attributed to a Successor.

● Munqaṭiʿ: a chain from which a transmitter is omitted.

● The words look similar, but they concern different matters.