Mutawaqqaf fīh: When is judgment suspended?

Understand when and what it means to suspend judgment. Read the bilingual lesson for Mutawaqqaf fīh: When is judgment suspended? and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. In this lesson

Two Hadith have opposing meanings. They cannot be understood together so that both can be followed, and no scholarly basis for choosing one is available.

When is judgment suspended in such a case? This lesson explains the complete case and its meaning.

2. Five conditions together

• The two Hadith have opposing meanings.
• Both are equal in soundness—their degree of established authenticity.
• Taṭbīq (reconciliation) is impossible: their meanings cannot be brought together so that both can be followed.
• It is unknown which came earlier and which later.
• Tarjīḥ (preference) is also impossible: neither can be preferred over the other on scholarly grounds.

3. Mutawaqqaf fīh and tawaqquf

Hadith for which judgment is suspended under these five conditions are called mutawaqqaf fīh.

Here, tawaqquf means suspending the decision to choose one of the reports.

4. Suspending is not rejecting

In the stated case, when preference is also impossible, judgment is suspended.

This does not mean calling both Hadith false. The scholarly basis for choosing one is not established, so the decision is suspended.

5. Distinguish the cases

• If the other conditions remain the same but scholarly preference is possible, the rājiḥ—the preferred report—is followed.
• If preference is also impossible, judgment is suspended.

Merely saying “I did not understand the meaning” is not enough. Personal difficulty understanding is different from reconciliation or preference being scholarly impossible.

6. Summary

• The reports oppose each other, are equal in soundness, cannot be reconciled, have unknown chronology, and cannot be given preference over one another.
• Reports in this case are mutawaqqaf fīh; suspending judgment is tawaqquf.
• Suspension is neither calling both false nor choosing one by personal preference.

Practice questions

Question 1

Two Hadith oppose each other, are equal in soundness, cannot be reconciled, have unknown chronology, and neither can be preferred. What is done?

Choose whichever report we prefer.
Suspend the decision to choose one.
Declare both reports false.

Question 2

Calling reports mutawaqqaf fīh means that both have been declared false.

True
False

Question 3

In both cases the reports oppose each other, are equal in soundness, cannot be reconciled, and their chronology is unknown. Match the remaining difference to the appropriate action.

Question 4

A learner says: “I did not understand the meanings of the two Hadith, so they are mutawaqqaf fīh.” What is missing from this reasoning?

Personal difficulty does not establish all the scholarly conditions.
Not understanding just one report would have been enough.
The learner should first have chosen a personally appealing report.

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