«القراءة على الشيخ أحد وجوه التحمل عند الجمهور»
Reading to a teacher is a recognized method of receiving hadith according to the majority.
Three positions must be distinguished:
1. Rejection: Some Iraqi scholars rejected reading to the teacher (ʿarḍ) as a valid mode of acquisition.
2. Acceptance: The majority accepted it. Imam Malik and other Medinan scholars strongly challenged the rejection; some even preferred reading to the teacher over hearing his own recitation.
3. Equivalence: Al-Bukhari and a group of imams regarded audition from the teacher and reading to him as equal in authenticity and strength.
During ʿarḍ, the student reads the report while the teacher listens and corrects or confirms it. The dispute was therefore not simply about which of two accepted methods is stronger: some denied the validity of ʿarḍ itself, and Malik opposed that denial. The care exercised in a particular session also matters.