«ثُمَّ سُوءُ الْحِفْظِ»
Next comes defective memory.
Ḍabṭ is the ability to preserve what was heard and transmit it accurately. Sūʾ al-ḥifẓ means that mistakes become significant enough to compromise confidence in a narrator’s wording, chains, or sequence.
The distinction from the preceding discussion is essential. Innovation raises questions about belief, integrity, and possible motivated reporting; poor memory directly concerns the capacity to remember and convey material reliably. A well-intentioned and truthful narrator can still have weak retention. Personal honesty does not remedy inadequate precision.