Isnād-specific evidence can resolve ambiguous naming, but clues differ in strength. A pupil's frequent transmissions from one teacher, a shared city, or a fuller name in a parallel chain may help.
1. Parallel transmissions: another route spells out the name.
2. Teachers and pupils: who actually transmits from whom?
3. Chronology: do death dates and hearing periods fit?
4. Location and nisbah: do their scholarly journeys correspond?
If another reliable route reads “Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ” while the first reads only “Aḥmad,” with the remainder of the chain matching, that can be a strong clue. The reliability of the parallel route and possible editorial variation must still be assessed.