Mutavirrat

Mutavirrat is a term found in Islamic jurisprudence, specifically within the context of hadith studies. It refers to narrations that have been transmitted by different chains of transmission, where each chain independently reports the same or a very similar meaning. These independent chains are crucial for scholars to assess the authenticity and reliability of a hadith.

The presence of multiple, varied mutavirrat chains for a particular narration significantly strengthens its credibility. This is because it becomes highly improbable that such a widespread and consistent transmission could be the result of fabrication or error. If a hadith is transmitted through numerous independent routes, it is considered to have reached the level of mutawatir, meaning it is "successive" or "transmitted by a multitude."

Scholars categorize mutavirrat hadith into different types based on the number of narrators in each chain and the nature of the transmitted content (e.g., wording vs. meaning). The highest level of mutawatir is considered to be certainty, akin to direct observation, due to the sheer improbability of collusion or error among so many independent narrators. Therefore, mutavirrat narrations are generally accepted as definitively authentic without requiring further corroboration.