Arabic consonants can share an outline, while dots distinguish them. In early manuscripts, missing dots or a scribe’s error can turn one narrator’s name into another. Cases such as Ḥarām and Ḥizām illustrate why the correct reading must be established despite a similar graphic appearance.
When a chain preserves an undotted name, one should not settle its dots merely by intuition. Parallel isnāds, reliable vocalized biographical records, and links to teachers and pupils are needed.
Practical caution: What looks like a small orthographic change can refer to an entirely different person and can therefore affect an evaluation of the chain.