Hadith Mu‘allal

A hidden defect in the chain or text Read the bilingual lesson for Hadith Mu‘allal and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. In this lesson

A chain may appear sound, yet detailed investigation reveals a hidden defect. • We will examine a Hadith example in which a difference in a narrator’s name was identified. • We will then define mu‘allal: a report with a hidden defect affecting soundness. • We will also distinguish a defect in the chain from one in the text.

2. The Hadith example

الْبَيِّعَانِ بِالْخِيَارِ مَا لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقَا Translation: The buyer and seller have the option as long as they have not separated. Our focus is the difference in a transmitting narrator’s name, not the detailed commercial rulings of this Hadith. 1. Khiyār: the option to maintain or cancel a sale.

3. A difference in the narrator’s name

The students transmitting this Hadith from Sufyān al-Thawrī differ as follows: • Ya‘lā ibn ‘Ubayd: he named عمرو بن دينار (‘Amr ibn Dīnār) in the chain. • All the other students: they named عبد الله بن دينار (‘Abd Allāh ibn Dīnār) at that place. These are two different narrators, not two spellings of one person’s name.

4. The definition of mu‘allal

Mu‘allal is a Hadith whose chain appears sound, but whose chain or text contains a hidden defect affecting its soundness. Three points belong together: • The chain initially appears sound. • The defect is hidden rather than immediately obvious. • It affects soundness; it is not merely an inconsequential difference. 1. ‘Illah: here, a hidden defect affecting soundness.

5. Why is this an example of mu‘allal?

In this example, Ya‘lā ibn ‘Ubayd’s report names عمرو بن دينار in place of عبد الله بن دينار. • Reading this chain alone does not make the error obvious. • Comparing it with the reports of al-Thawrī’s other students reveals the difference. • The defect in this particular chain concerns the narrator’s name, not the wording of the sentence about buying and selling.

6. A chain defect and the text

The definition of mu‘allal mentions both chain and text because a hidden defect may occur in either. Keep the distinction clear in this example: • The particular chain: it is defective because the wrong narrator is named. • The Hadith text: it is sound in this example; the error in this chain does not make the text erroneous too. A defect in one chain does not necessarily mean that the same wording has no sound transmission.

7. The term mu‘allal

Hadith scholars use mu‘allal for this kind of report. The essential meaning here is a hidden defect affecting the soundness of a report that initially appears sound. 1. Word formation: the regular form from أَعَلَّ is مُعَلّ, while معلل also occurs in Hadith scholars’ usage. 2. Morphological terminology: أَعَلَّ belongs to the Arabic verb pattern called bāb al-if‘āl. مُعَلّ is its passive participle, a word describing what receives the action. A full study of morphology is not required here.

8. Summary

• Mu‘allal: a Hadith with an apparently sound chain but a hidden defect in its chain or text affecting soundness. • The example: Ya‘lā ibn ‘Ubayd named ‘Amr ibn Dīnār; al-Thawrī’s other students named ‘Abd Allāh ibn Dīnār. • Location of the defect: the narrator’s name in this particular chain; the text in this example is sound. • Key distinction: noticing any difference is not enough; the definition requires a hidden defect affecting soundness.

Practice questions

Question 1

Which defect is meant in the definition of mu‘allal?

  • A difference not affecting soundness.
  • A hidden defect affecting soundness.
  • Only a difficulty in translation.

Question 2

Which narrator is named in Ya‘lā ibn ‘Ubayd’s report?

  • ‘Amr ibn Dīnār
  • ‘Abd Allāh ibn Dīnār
  • Both names together

Question 3

How was the naming error revealed in this example?

  • By reading only the translation.
  • By counting the words of the text.
  • By comparison with the other students’ reports.

Question 4

Does this particular chain’s defect make the example’s text erroneous too?

  • Yes, every chain error makes the text erroneous.
  • No, the text in this example is sound.
  • No text was presented here.

Question 5

Where may the hidden defect in mu‘allal occur?

  • In the chain or text.
  • Only in the translation.
  • Only in the page layout.

Question 6

If a difference does not affect soundness, does that difference alone meet the definition of mu‘allal?

  • Yes, any difference is enough.
  • Yes, only the number of words matters.
  • No, a hidden defect affecting soundness is required.

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