إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ هُنَاكَ دَلَالَةٌ بَيِّنَةٌ أَنَّ هَذَا الرَّاوِيَ لَمْ يَلْقَ مَنْ رَوَى عَنْهُ، أَوْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا، فَأَمَّا وَالْأَمْرُ مُبْهَمٌ عَلَى الْإِمْكَانِ الَّذِي فَسَّرْنَا، فَالرِّوَايَةُ عَلَى السَّمَاعِ أَبَدًا حَتَّى تَكُونَ الدَّلَالَةُ الَّتِي بَيَّنَّا.
Translation: An evident indication that the narrator never met or heard from the named source defeats that presumption. Where the issue remains uncertain but hearing is feasible, Muslim treats the ʿan as transmission by hearing until evidence to the contrary emerges.
Dalālah bayyinah is a substantive counter-indication, not just the absence of a meeting notice. An established chronological impossibility or reliable proof of non-hearing prevents assuming a direct link.