A question regarding corroborating narrations, supporting chains, and the differences between them.
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The questioner : Corroborating narrations and supporting chains.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is the matter with it?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If a hadith comes, for example, from al-Zuhri from Sa'id from Abu Hurayrah with a certain hadith, and then the hadith comes from a route other than al-Zuhri from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, then this other narrator is said to have supported al-Zuhri. However, al-Zuhri's route stands on its own. A hadith comes—and if you wish, you can call it a second route—from Abu Hurayrah not through the route of whom? Ibn al-Musayb. Rather, it is from a route other than Abu Hurayrah's; a hadith from one Companion from another Companion with a different chain of narration. This is called the corroborating narration (shahid) for the first one. But in reality, as they said, it is expressed this way for that one, and there is no objection to saying: this is a supporting chain (mutaba'ah) for that one. Why? If you start with the Companion, the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in the example has a corroborating narration from the hadith of Ibn 'Umar. Ibn 'Umar is a supporting chain for Abu Hurayrah. The Successor who narrated from Abu Hurayrah is a supporting chain for the Successor who narrated from Ibn 'Umar, and so on in every tier. Thus, the corroborating narration is a supporting chain, and the supporting chain is a corroborating narration. It is a technical term, meaning, as I told you, it is not narrow, but rather it has breadth.
Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is the matter with it?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If a hadith comes, for example, from al-Zuhri from Sa'id from Abu Hurayrah with a certain hadith, and then the hadith comes from a route other than al-Zuhri from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, then this other narrator is said to have supported al-Zuhri. However, al-Zuhri's route stands on its own. A hadith comes—and if you wish, you can call it a second route—from Abu Hurayrah not through the route of whom? Ibn al-Musayb. Rather, it is from a route other than Abu Hurayrah's; a hadith from one Companion from another Companion with a different chain of narration. This is called the corroborating narration (shahid) for the first one. But in reality, as they said, it is expressed this way for that one, and there is no objection to saying: this is a supporting chain (mutaba'ah) for that one. Why? If you start with the Companion, the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in the example has a corroborating narration from the hadith of Ibn 'Umar. Ibn 'Umar is a supporting chain for Abu Hurayrah. The Successor who narrated from Abu Hurayrah is a supporting chain for the Successor who narrated from Ibn 'Umar, and so on in every tier. Thus, the corroborating narration is a supporting chain, and the supporting chain is a corroborating narration. It is a technical term, meaning, as I told you, it is not narrow, but rather it has breadth.
Yes.
Source
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