How can one differentiate between prophetic hadith narrated verbatim and that narrated in meaning?

The Hadith scholars differed on the permissibility of narrating a Hadith bi al-ma‘na (with its meaning, not its exact wording), with the majority of them deeming it permissible.

To differentiate between a Hadith narrated bi al-lafz (with its exact wording) and one narrated bi al-ma‘na: 1. Collecting the Hadith's chains of narration and scrutinizing its versions: If the Hadith has multiple chains of narration and its wordings are consistent, it indicates that it was narrated bi al-lafz. If the wordings differ, it often means that some narrators conveyed the Hadith bi al-ma‘na. 2. Examining the wording used to convey the Hadith: Comprehensive and eloquent wordings are often from the Prophet's (peace be upon him) own words, unlike Hadiths with a weaker style, which are more likely to have been narrated bi al-ma‘na. 3. Specialization: This distinction is only possible for those knowledgeable in Hadith, its chains of narration, its wordings, and who have a deep understanding of the Arabic language.

Al-Mu'allimi said: It is possible to determine whether a narration is in the Prophet's, a Companion's, or a Tabi'i's (Successor's) wording by examining the Hadith narrations and the circumstances of their narrators, but achieving this is difficult for anyone other than those specialized in it.

Ibn Hajar said: Among the examples of jawami' al-kalim (concise and comprehensive words) are the Prophetic Hadiths whose wordings are not altered by the narrators. The way to know this is when the Hadith has few points of origin and its wordings are consistent.

Dr. Muhammad Abu Shahbah said: The agreement of narrations on the wording indicates that it is the exact wording heard from the Messenger. Many Hadiths, for those who appreciate eloquence, are undoubtedly from the words of the most eloquent of Arabs. Narration bi al-lafz is predominant in short Hadiths, while narration bi al-ma‘na in long Hadiths is often limited to a few words.

Distinguishing between a Hadith narrated bi al-lafz and one narrated bi al-ma‘na may not have a significant impact, because the objective is to establish Islamic rulings, and this is achieved through a Hadith narrated bi al-ma‘na, provided there is no distortion of the prophetic meaning.