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What is the difference between the muhaqqiq (verifier/editor) and the mukhrij (referrer/indexer) in hadith books, and what is the task of the muhaqqiq; and does the muhaqqiq change the ruling of the mukhrij on hadiths?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

This text clarifies the difference between the work of a muhaqqiq (verifier/editor) and a mukharrij (source-finder/authenticator) in classical and hadithic books. "Verification" (tahqiq) is the meticulous care given to manuscripts to ensure the authenticity of the book's title, its author's name, and its attribution to them, as well as to precisely establish its text to closely approximate the original set down by its author. This requires a scholar specialized in the art. As for "source-finding" (takhrij), it refers to indicating the location of a hadith in its original sources, along with clarifying its rank when necessary. Despite the difference between the two tasks, the work of a muhaqqiq may include takhrij if possible, especially in hadithic, poetic, and proverbial texts. One must refer to the introduction of each book to understand the methodology of the muhaqqiq and mukharrij and their respective work.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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