What is a "Mutawatir" hadith?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The hadiths of the Prophet having the conditions of mutawatir khabar (news) are generally divided into two in terms of the number, that is, the plenitude-fewness of the narrators as Mutawatir and Ahad. Mutawatir hadith is the hadith reported by a group that is impossible to agree on a lie beginning from the Era of the Companions in every era. In other words, mutawatir is the hadith that have the conditions of khabar.

A hadith has to have the following conditions in order to be regarded as mutawatir:

I) A mutawatir hadith must be reported by many people in every era. However, there is no need for the determination of a minimum number for the narrations of every generation (tabaqa). There are some scholars who say that the congregation that is impossible to agree on a lie must have at least 4, 5, 10, 12, 20, 40, 70 and 300 people but none of them bases their views on a serious evidence. (Subhi as-Salih, Hadis İlimleri ve Hadis Istılahları, Ankara 1973, p. 120-122). What matters is the hadith being reported by a congregation that is impossible to agree on a lie – deliberately or unintentionally.

2) There must not be a decrease in the number of the narrations in any generation. On the contrary, the increase in number confirms the trueness of the news.

3) Those who report the incident or the news first must see or hear it themselves. Besides, the issue that is reported must be something possible, not impossible. (Abdullah Sirajuddin, Sharhul-Manzumatil-Bayquniyya, Aleppo 1372, p. 40)

Mutawatir hadiths are divided into two as lafzi (in words) and manawi (in meaning):

a) Mutawatir Lafzi: It is the hadith that is reported by all narrators in the chain of narrators in all generations with the same words. It was not possible for many people to report the statements of the Prophet (pbuh) word for word in all eras. If there had been such a condition, all hadiths that could not be memorized word for word would have been forgotten. The number of mutawatir lafzi hadiths is very few since it is permissible to report hadiths with meaning. The following hadiths are examples of mutawatir lafzi hadiths.

"If a person tells a lie about me deliberately, let him get ready for his place in Hell." "Every intoxicant is haram." "If a person builds a mosque for Allah’s sake, Allah will prepare a house for him in Paradise." "The Quran was sent down based on seven letters".

b) Mutawatir Manawi: An issue or incident that is reported by the narrators with different words is regarded as mutawatir manawi. The common aspect in those narrations is regarded as mutawatir. There are a lot of mutawatir manawi hadiths. Deeds of worship like five daily prayers, fasting, zakah and hajj are at the degree of mutawatir manawi. For example, about one hundred hadiths were reported related the Prophet’s raising his hands while praying to Allah (during dua). The common aspect of those narrations is raising the hands; and this aspect is mutawatir.

According to hadith scholars, there is no need to search the narrators of mutawatir hadiths one by one because it is accepted that they cannot agree unanimously on a lie. Therefore, all hadith scholars agree unanimously that both mutawatir lafzi mutawatir manawi hadiths give definite information. (Nuraddin al-Itr, Manhajun-Naqd fi Ulumil-Hadiths, Damascus 1392/1972, p. 382; Subhi as-Salih, ibid, p. 124)

Mutawatir hadiths are regarded as evidence on their own related to the issues of creed. Therefore, a person who denies a mutawatir khabar coming from the Messenger of Allah becomes an unbeliever because to deny such khabar means to deny the Prophet, which is definitely unbelief. (Ahmed Naim, Tecrid-i Sarîh Tercemesi, Ankara 1976, Mukaddime, p. 102)

Jalaluddin as-Suyuti (911/1505) collected the hadiths that he decreed as mutawatir as a result of his research in a book called "al-Azharul-Mutanasira fil-Akhbaril-Mutawatira"; he classified and arranged the hadiths according to their topics, giving their sources and various chains of narrators. (Ahmed Naim, ibid, p. 104)

Nuri TOPALOĞLU

Questions on Islam