Itibar

Compare two roads of one report

A single isnad is a witness. The critic lays a second road beside it — same companion (mutabi) or another companion with the same meaning (shahid). Shared names are the trunk. Names that appear on only one side are the test.

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ

Mutabi — same Companion, another student

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah from Yazid from Yahya.

رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ
عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّاب
Umar ibn al-Khattab
عَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ وَقَّاصٍ اللَّيْثِي
Alqamah ibn Waqqas al-Laythi
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِي
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Taymi
يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْأَنْصَارِي
Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari
يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُون
Yazid ibn Harunthis road only
أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَة
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybahthis road only
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ ابْنُ مَاجَه
Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Majah

Read the hadith · Yazid ibn Harun

Muhammad ibn Rumh from al-Layth from Yahya.

رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ
عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّاب
Umar ibn al-Khattab
عَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ وَقَّاصٍ اللَّيْثِي
Alqamah ibn Waqqas al-Laythi
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِي
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Taymi
يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْأَنْصَارِي
Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari
اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْد
al-Layth ibn Sa'dthis road only
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْح
Muhammad ibn Rumhthis road only
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ ابْنُ مَاجَه
Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Majah

Read the hadith · al-Layth ibn Sa'd

Names on both roads6

Ibn Majah printed a ha (ح) and a second teacher: Yazid ibn Harun and al-Layth ibn Sad both take from Yahya. Comparison is not only book against book. It is student against student of the same imam. When both thiqah men agree, the trunk is heavier.

Examine Sunan Ibn Majah