[The Distinction between gharīb and fard]
“(Only rarely do they call it fardiyya) (1), because gharīb and fard are synonymous both in language and in technical usage. However, the specialists have drawn a line between them simply according to how often each term is employed.
Fard is the term they most often apply to the absolute singular report,
while gharīb is the one they most often apply to the relative singular report.
This, though, concerns the use of the noun (2) in both cases.
When it comes to the derived verb, they make no distinction: with either the absolute or the relative they will say, “So-and-so tafarrada bihi,” or, “So-and-so aghraba bihi” (3).
Closely related to this (4) is their debate over the terms munqaṭiʿ and mursal—are they two separate categories or not?
Most hadith scholars say they are distinct, but only when speaking in the nominal form. When they shift to the verbal form, they use only irsāl, saying: