said, “It is not permissible to conceal a flaw in a garment—so how much worse is it to conceal a flaw in ḥadith!” Shuʿbah went even further in denouncing the practice.

Ruling on the narration of a mudallis

The scholars have differed over whether the reports of a mudallis may be accepted. One group of ḥadith and fiqh specialists considers tadlīs a discrediting defect, declaring that anyone known for it has all his narrations rejected outright—though others have allowed their acceptance. The majority, however, maintain that the tadlīs of someone who