0/5.1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 75 — Confused Hadith Chains
Unveiling Defects of the Transmitters of Ḥadīth and Relaters of Reports and the Statements of the A’immah Regarding That
Hadith Chain Accuracy and Unreliable Attribution
Sahih Muslim : 75
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 75
وَحَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ يَزِيدَ بْنَ هَارُونَ، . وَذَكَرَ زِيَادَ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ فَقَالَ حَلَفْتُ أَلاَّ أَرْوِيَ عَنْهُ شَيْئًا وَلاَ عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَحْدُوجٍ . وَقَالَ لَقِيتُ زِيَادَ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ حَدِيثٍ فَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ عَنْ بَكْرٍ الْمُزَنِيِّ ثُمَّ عُدْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ عَنْ مُوَرِّقٍ ثُمَّ عُدْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ . وَكَانَ يَنْسُبُهُمَا إِلَى الْكَذِبِ . قَالَ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الصَّمَدِ وَذَكَرْتُ عِنْدَهُ زِيَادَ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ فَنَسَبَهُ إِلَى الْكَذِبِ .
Al-Hasan al-Hulwānī Narrated from:
I heard Yazīd bin Hārūn mention Ziyād bin Maymūn, and he said: ‘I swore that I would not transmit anything from him or Khālid bin Mahdūj’. [Yazīd] said: ‘I met Ziyād bin Maymūn and asked him about a Ḥadīth, so he narrated it to me on authority of Bakr al-Muzanī, then I returned to him and he narrated [the same Ḥadīth] to me on authority of Muwarriq; then I returned to him and he narrated it to me on authority of al-Hasan.’ [Al-Hulwānī said]: ‘He [Yazīd] would charge both of them with lying [i.e. Ziyād bin Maymūn and Khālid bin Mahdūj].’ Al-Hulwānī said: ‘I heard [Ḥadīth] from Abd as-Samad and I mentioned Ziyād bin Maymūn near him and he charged him with lying’.
Reference : Sahih Muslim Introduction 75In-book reference : Introduction, Narration 74
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 75
This report shows why hadith chain accuracy matters. Yazid bin Harun said he swore not to transmit anything from Ziyad bin Maymun or Khalid bin Mahduj. He explained that he asked Ziyad about a Hadith, and Ziyad first narrated it from Bakr al-Muzani. Later he narrated the same Hadith from Muwarriq. Then he narrated it from al-Hasan. The same report was being linked to different sources. Al-Hulwani also says Yazid charged both men with lying, and Abd as-Samad also charged Ziyad with lying. The lesson is direct: changing the chain of a report damages trust in the narration.
What we learn from this hadith
- Changing the source of the same Hadith raises serious concern.
- A reliable chain needs stable and honest attribution.
- Scholars avoided narrating from people they believed lied.
- Repeated warnings from scholars affect trust in a narrator.
