then comes any description that is reinforced (1) by a single attribute (2) or by two attributes (3), such as “trustworthy, trustworthy” or “trustworthy and a ḥāfiẓ (master memoriser)” (4).
At the lower end is whatever wording suggests that the narrator is close to the mildest level of criticism, for example, simply calling him “a shaykh.”
A commendation (tazkiyah) is accepted from someone who is aware of the grounds for it, even if it is transmitted by only one person—the sounder opinion (5).
Disparagement (jarḥ) takes precedence over commendation (taʿdīl) when it is stated with explanation (6) by a critic who knows its causes. If no commendation exists for the narrator, an unspecified criticism is accepted (7) according to the preferred view.
(1) MS Ha reads “and what is emphatic,” while MS W has “then an emphasis,” in place of the accepted wording “then what is emphatic”; the adopted reading agrees with Nuzhat al-Nazar.
(2) In MS J the word appears as “bi-sifati” with a single kasrah—an error. The preferred form follows MSS D and W.
(3) The phrase “with one attribute or with two attributes” is missing from MS Ha.
(4) MS Ha reads “such as thiqah hafiz, or thiqah thiqah,” with the elements reversed.
(5) The preposition “ala” is omitted from MS B, leaving a blank space.
(6) MS Ha vocalizes the word as “mubayyin-an” (with a kasrah on the ya), and the form “mubayyan-an” is absent from MSS Ha and Z; the adopted form follows MSS B and W.
(7) The word “qubila” (was accepted) is missing from MS Z.