(Explanation of their statement that a report from a single chain yields probability, and the division of reports into mass-transmitted and single-chain) And transmission is single-chain, so it is contingent upon*** the truthfulness of the narrators, and this is not proof, for
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Likewise, there are other defects of a second type.
"And transmission is single-chain"
Transmission is either single-chain or mass-transmitted. Single-chain transmission is contingent upon the truthfulness of the narrators, and this is not proof; it is contingent upon the truthfulness of the narrators, and the truthfulness of the narrators is not certain, for anyone can lie, anyone can forget, and anyone can be mistaken. For this reason, he said:
"For some of them always cast doubt on others***"
Is that not so? If we look into the books of men, we find that regarding the narrators, it is said: this one is weak in memory, this one is poor in memory, this one has an innovation, this one has such-and-such. So some of them cast doubt on others. Yes.
"*** and casting doubt on them is possible"
This means that casting doubt on the narrators is not rationally impossible; rather, it is possible.
"And mass-transmission, which is few"
This means that transmission is single-chain, and mass-transmission is conjoined to single-chain. That is, transmission is also mass-transmitted, which is few and very rare. So where is the certainty of proof? Here, they criticized the texts from another angle, which is the chain of narration. They said: they come through single-chain paths, and the single-chain path is not certain in its truthfulness, because the narrators may be mistaken, forget, or lie, and the like.
"And transmission is single-chain"
Transmission is either single-chain or mass-transmitted. Single-chain transmission is contingent upon the truthfulness of the narrators, and this is not proof; it is contingent upon the truthfulness of the narrators, and the truthfulness of the narrators is not certain, for anyone can lie, anyone can forget, and anyone can be mistaken. For this reason, he said:
"For some of them always cast doubt on others***"
Is that not so? If we look into the books of men, we find that regarding the narrators, it is said: this one is weak in memory, this one is poor in memory, this one has an innovation, this one has such-and-such. So some of them cast doubt on others. Yes.
"*** and casting doubt on them is possible"
This means that casting doubt on the narrators is not rationally impossible; rather, it is possible.
"And mass-transmission, which is few"
This means that transmission is single-chain, and mass-transmission is conjoined to single-chain. That is, transmission is also mass-transmitted, which is few and very rare. So where is the certainty of proof? Here, they criticized the texts from another angle, which is the chain of narration. They said: they come through single-chain paths, and the single-chain path is not certain in its truthfulness, because the narrators may be mistaken, forget, or lie, and the like.