His expression “huwa” is termed a separating pronoun that intervenes (1) between the subject and its predicate; it indicates that whatever follows is the predicate of what precedes, not an adjective modifying it.
His phrase “li-dhātihi” (“in and of itself”) rules out any report deemed ṣaḥīḥ because of an external factor, as noted earlier (2).
Variation in the levels of a hadith that is authentic in itself
“Its ranks vary” (3)—that is, the ranks of a ṣaḥīḥ (4) hadith—“because of the variation” (5) in the strength of the qualities that justify declaring it authentic. Since those qualities produce the preponderant probability upon which soundness turns, this entails (6) that they possess degrees, some above others, in proportion to the reinforcing factors.
Accordingly, whenever its transmitters (8) occupy (7) the highest tier of uprightness, precision, and the other traits that confer precedence, that report is more authentic than one transmitted by narrators of a lower standing.
(1) MS Ṭ reads “liyatawassata.”
(2) See p. 107. In the margin of MS A, in the author’s own hand: “thumma balagha kadhalik” (then it likewise reached). In the margin of MS H, also in his hand: “balagha al-shaykh Shams al-Din, his scribe, by recitation to me and revision. Written by: its author.” In the margin of MS J, likewise: “thumma balagha qiraʾata bahthin ʿalayya” (then it reached as a research recitation before me). In the margin of MS L, likewise: “balagha al-shaykh Kamal al-Din ibn Abi Sharif, as a research recitation before me. Written by: Ibn Hajar.”
(3) MS Z reads “watatafawwat,” with both the taʾ and the yaʾ.
(4) MS B has “al-sahihu” (nominative); the adopted text follows MSS J, W, and M.
(5) MSS B, Ḥ, and M read “bitafawut” instead of “bisabab tafawuti.” Al-Qari, in his Sharh Sharh al-Nukhba, p. 255, explains: “In the phrase (bisabab tafawuti hadhihi al-awsaf) the preposition baʾ in the main text is causal; one copy, however, has (bitafawut hadhihi al-awsaf).”
(6) In MS M the verb appears as “yakun,” with both the yaʾ and the taʾ marked.
(7) MSS H, Ṭ, Y, and M likewise read “yakun”; in MS A the word is written without diacritical dots.
(8) MS Y reads “rawihi.”