wikishia:Featured Article/2016/32

Tawātur (Arabic: تواتر) is a term in the science of hadith and the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), which is used when an account is reported numerously by different narrators and through various chains of transmission, in a way that substantiates its authenticity. Such a report is called "mutawatir".

In the sciences of hadith, fiqh (jurisprudence), history, rijal (narrators of hadith), and logic, different aspects of mutawatir reports are discussed.

A mutawatir report is authentic and valid to be used in an argument; and a weak chain of transmission does not reduce its authenticity.

Tawatur has two types: when reporters give the same account in the same wording it is called tawatur of text; however, when one account is given through similar phrases with different texts the tawatur is in context. Read more...