1. Introduction to Hadith Studies
LESSON THREE
The Elements of Hadiths
The TAWATOR HADEETH

2. Forms of Hadiths:
Hadiths are studied by two elements. One is the sanad, which is the support/chain of narrators. The other element is the Matn, which is the content or text.
Sanad
The sanad is the chain of narrators that connects the Hadith to the Infallible (as) from the last transmitter to the first person who actually heard the Hadith directly from the Infallible (as). This sanad is studied in Usool Hadith studies, and the Rawee (narrators) are studied in Usool Rajaal. The most popular word used here is ‘Un which means “about”.

3. Matn
The text of the Hadiths has two elements, namely words and meaning. The meaning could be the meaning of the word in its literal sense, or it could have a different meaning according to the context, or it possibly could have a metaphorical meaning. Every single detail related to the text (matn) is subjected to a lot of scrutiny by the scholars. Finally, in the study of Usool ul-Fiqh the Hujjat (or argumentative strength) is studied.
Understanding the text is done by the help of USOOL ALFIQH consepts.

4. Types of Hadiths Mutawatir
Mutawatir means followed, with or without a time lapse. This is the literal meaning. The idiomatic meaning in this science differs between scholars of this science.
Definitions:
A narration narrated by many narrators, to the extent that the possibility of all of narrators agreeing that a Hadith is false is thereby eliminated. (It maybe difficult to find about such agreements as we know in politics, there may be different opinions.)
A narration narrated by a group, which by itself, is definitive about its true authenticity. (This does not need any other support evidence or clue about its authenticity.)

5. Mutawatir logically, without any need for external evidence, has certainty of the truthfulness of a Hadith. Both of the above definitions are valid, but for the first one, we have to change the clause with “many” narrators, such that it ensures the security of a Hadith being intentionally false.

6. Conditions of the Mutawatir
NARRATORS
1. The number. There was a huge dispute among the scholars regarding the number which qualifies a narration to be considered Mutawatir. Scholars tried to derive the number from some verses of the Holy Qur'an. Some scholars said 5, 10, 12, 20, 40, 70, 313….but these were only their personal opinions (raye.) Personal opinions are not accepted by Shiites, but are accepted by Sunnis. The number is a relative issue. This means that in rare cases such as eating gum while fasting, a Mutawatir could be as little as 3-4 people. In common practices, like Salaat, it could be as high as people. Again, the number is only a relative number as long as there is satisfaction of its true authenticity. The followers of Ahlul-Bayt (as) did not use a fixed number such as described in Mutawatir, but rather they used a criteria to determine the certainty of a Hadith’s true authenticity.

7. 2. Narrator’s knowledge about the content of the narration
2 Narrator’s knowledge about the content of the narration. There are 3 opinions regarding the level of knowledge.
It may be his personal experience/assured knowledge and not an experience of others.
It may be a higher possible thought (Zun), not an assured one. This is because the multiplication of Zun leads finally to an assured one. (Assured narrators are not necessary.)
It may be that some narrators narrate the thought (Zun), whereas others narrate with assurance. There has to be some among the narrators who narrate with assurance.

8. Note: There is a difference between the social narrations and religious narrations of Hadiths. In this situation, if the narrator narrates an event, then it has to be based on his knowledge that he experienced himself and cannot be based on someone else’s information (Zun or possibility). In the case where a saying is being narrated, the narrator does not have to know the actual text. This is because he has listened to the Infallible (as) relay the Hadith directly. However, we do need to know that the words are the exact words of the Infallible (as) or that the saying has the same meaning with only some minor possible differences in the meaning. This issue of ensuring that the saying has the same meaning is controlled by the condition that the narrator should be strong in memory, and that he narrates direct from the Infallible (as) as first person sense.

9. 3. The narration must be derived by one of the five senses
3 The narration must be derived by one of the five senses. For example, “I saw/heard….”
4 The above 3 conditions should exist in each level of the narrator in the chain of narrators.

10. B. LISTENERS The conditions for the listeners are as follows:
The listener should not know the content of the Hadith. Otherwise, he/she will be considered a narrator because he experienced the actual event.
There should be no cause of denial (due to confusion) or disbelief of the listener, which might result in becoming a cause of denying the narration, its content, or its indications.

11. It is better to say that the above conditions are the conditions which cause an effect of the Mutawatir narration in what the listener hears and that these conditions do not effect the narration itself. The type of knowledge of the listener acquired by the Mutawatir narration is DHAROORI (obvious), and not nazhari (unapparent). This is because if the type of knowledge of the listener is nazhari, it requires a thought process.

12. Types of Mutawatir
LAFZHI:Verbal Mutawatir: All narrators in every generation narrate the exact wordings of Hadiths, very similar to the instructions given in this Hadith, “whoever narrated falsely and relates it to others may then choose his place in the fire”. These types of narrations are rare.
MANAWE: Meaning of Mutawatir: This implies that in repeating the meaning of a narration to such an extent, it becomes impossible to deny its meaning. Examples of this are like the narrations regarding the reappearance of our 12th Imam (aj).

13. Value or argumentative strength of a Mutawatir
As discussed in Usool al-Fiqh, the reasons for why the Mutawatir narration is considered a proof (Hujjat)and is one of the strongest sources of religious rulings.