Imam Abu Dawud’s Approach to the Addition of a Trustworthy Narrator in the Chain of Transmission and in the Text(A Practical Study from Sunan Abi Dawud)

Abstract

A trustworthy narrator sometime adds something to the narration that others have not mentioned. And this addition may be in the chain of transmission or in the text itself.

Scholars have differed on the ruling regarding the addition made by a trustworthy narrator. Some said that it should be accepted unconditionally, while others have argued that it should be rejected outright. A third group has taken a more nuanced approach, stating that the addition is accepted if it aligns with the established narration but not if it contradicts it. It is understood from the approach of Imam Abu Dawud that he neither accepts the addition of a trustworthy narrator unconditionally nor rejects it unconditionally; rather, he opts for a detailed evaluation. He does not reject an addition in the chain or Matan merely because it differs from other narrations. Rather, he evaluates it based on contextual and critical hadith criteria.

In this article, we will mention the definition of the addition of a trustworthy narrator (ziyādat al-thiqa) and its categories, followed by some examples from the Sunan of Imam Abu Dawud.