16
Next comes poor retention: if it is persistent, the report is classified as shādh (anomalous)—according to one opinion—whereas if it is incidental, it falls under the category of mukhtaliṭ (confused) (1).
Whenever (2) a narrator of weak (3) memory is corroborated by an acceptable (4) supporting chain—and the same applies to the mastūr (unknown) (5), the mursal (interrupted), and the mudallas (concealed) reports—his narration is deemed ḥasan (fair); not intrinsically, but by virtue of the collective evidence.
(1) MS H reads “fa-l-mukhtalif,” which is a scribal slip; MSS B and D have “fa-l-mukhtalat” with a fatha on the lam. The vocalization adopted here follows MS W. The author states in Nuzhat al-Nazar: “This, then, is the mukhtalat (narrator whose memory became confused).”
(2) MS H reads: “wa-idha.”
(3) MS D has: “sayyiʾ” (bad).
(4) MS H reads: “fa-muʿtabar.” The author says in Nuzhat al-Nazar: “Whenever a narrator of poor memory is corroborated by a muʿtabar (reliable narrator)—such as one who is superior to him or his equal, not someone below him….”
(5) MS H reads: “al-mashhur” (the well-known). MS B reads: “wa-kadha al-mukhtalat wa-l-mastur” in place of “wa-kadha al-mastur.”
ثُمَّ سُوءُ الحِفْظِ: إِنْ كَانَ لَازِماً فَالشَّاذُّ - عَلَى رَأْيٍ -، أَوْ طَارِئاً فَالمُخْتَلِطُ (١).
وَمَتَى (٢) تُوبِعَ السَّيِّئُ (٣) الحِفْظِ بِمُعْتَبَرٍ (٤) - وَكَذَا المَسْتُورُ (٥)، وَالمُرْسَلُ، وَالمُدَلَّسُ -: صَارَ حَدِيثُهُمْ حَسَناً؛ لَا لِذَاتِهِ، بَلْ بِالمَجْمُوعِ.
(١) في هـ: «فالمختلف»؛ وهو تصحيف، وفي ب، د: «فالمختلَطُ» بفتح اللَّام، والضبط المثبت من و. قال المصنِّف ﵀ في نزهة النَّظر -: «فهذا هو المختلط».
(٢) في هـ: «وإذا».
(٣) في د: «سيئ».
(٤) في هـ: «فمعتبرٌ»، قال المصنِّف ﵀ في نزهة النَّظر -: «ومتى تُوبِعَ السَّيِّئُ الحِفْظِ بِمُعْتَبَرٍ - كَأَنْ يَكُونَ فَوْقَهُ أَوْ مِثْلَهُ لَا دُونَه … -».
(٥) في هـ: «المشهور»، وفي ب: «وكذا المختلط والمستور» بدل «وَكَذَا المَسْتُورُ».