What is the difference between a corroborating narration and a supporting chain?
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The questioner : ... supporting chains
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Supporting chains and corroborating narrations?
The Shaykh : What is the matter with them?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If a hadith comes, for example, from al-Zuhri from Sa'id from Abu Hurayrah, and then the hadith comes from a route other than al-Zuhri from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, then the latter is said to be a supporting chain (mutabi') for al-Zuhri. But this route of al-Zuhri proceeds on its own; a hadith comes, or if you wish, a second route from Abu Hurayrah that is not through the route of Ibn al-Musayib, and not even through the route of Abu Hurayrah, but a hadith from another Companion with another chain of narration. This is called a corroborating narration (shahid) for the first one. But in reality, they said that it is permissible to use this term for that, and there is no objection to saying that this is a supporting chain for that. 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 (Tabi'i) narrator who narrated from Abu Hurayrah is a supporting chain for the Successor who narrated from Ibn 'Umar, and so on in every tier. So 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 there is breadth in it. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Supporting chains and corroborating narrations?
The Shaykh : What is the matter with them?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If a hadith comes, for example, from al-Zuhri from Sa'id from Abu Hurayrah, and then the hadith comes from a route other than al-Zuhri from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, then the latter is said to be a supporting chain (mutabi') for al-Zuhri. But this route of al-Zuhri proceeds on its own; a hadith comes, or if you wish, a second route from Abu Hurayrah that is not through the route of Ibn al-Musayib, and not even through the route of Abu Hurayrah, but a hadith from another Companion with another chain of narration. This is called a corroborating narration (shahid) for the first one. But in reality, they said that it is permissible to use this term for that, and there is no objection to saying that this is a supporting chain for that. 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 (Tabi'i) narrator who narrated from Abu Hurayrah is a supporting chain for the Successor who narrated from Ibn 'Umar, and so on in every tier. So 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 there is breadth in it. Yes.