Causes des divergences dans les traditions et les catégories des narrateurs

Those who relate traditions are of four categories, [2] no more.

"Et certes, ce hadith t'a été transmis par quatre hommes, aucun cinquième n'est là."

[First : The hypocrites :] The hypocrite is a person who makes a show of faith and adopts the appearance of a Muslim; he does not hesitate in sinning nor does he keep aloof from vice; he wilfully attributes false things against the Messenger of Allāh - may Allāh bless him and his descendants. If people knew that he was a hypocrite and a liar, they would not accept anything from him and would not confirm what he says. Rather they say that he is the companion of the Prophet, has met him, heard (his sayings) from him and acquired (knowledge) from him. They therefore accept what he says.

Un hypocrite est celui qui montre la foi extérieurement, simule l'islam, ne se soucie ni ne se gêne de pécher, ment délibérément sur le Messager de Dieu (que la paix soit sur lui et sa famille). Si les gens savaient qu'il est un hypocrite menteur, ils ne le prendraient pas, ne croiraient pas en lui, mais ils diraient : "Il est le compagnon du Messager de Dieu (que la paix soit sur lui et sa famille), il l'a vu, il a entendu de lui et il est resté près de lui", et ils accepteraient ses paroles.

Allāh too had warned you well about the hypocrites and described them fully to you. They have continued after the Holy Prophet. They gained positions with the leaders of misguidance and callers towards Hell through falsehoods and slanderings. So, they put them in high posts and made them officers over the heads of the people, and amassed wealth through them. People are always with the rulers and after this world, except those to whom Allāh affords protection. This is the first of the four categories.

Dieu t'a informé des hypocrites comme Il te l'a informé, et Il les a décrits comme Il te les a décrits. Ensuite, ils ont survécu après lui (que la paix soit sur lui), se rapprochant des guides égarés et des prédicateurs de l'enfer par le mensonge et la calomnie. Ils ont suivi leurs actions et les ont placés sur les gens, se délectant de ce monde. Les gens sont avec les rois et le monde, sauf ceux qu'Allah protège. Celui-ci est l'un des quatre.

[Second: Those who are mistaken :] Then there is the individual who heard (a saying) from the Holy Prophet but did not memorise it as it was, but surmised it. He does not lie wilfully. Now, he carries the saying with him and relates it, acts upon it and claims that: “I heard it from the Messenger of Allāh.” If the Muslims come to know that he has committed a mistake in it, they will not accept it from him, and if he himself knows that he is on the wrong he will give it up.

Un homme a entendu du Messager de Dieu (que la paix soit sur lui et sa famille) quelque chose qu'il n'a pas retenu correctement, il l'a mal interprété sans intention de mentir. Il le transmet et agit selon cela, en disant : "J'ai entendu cela du Messager de Dieu (que la paix soit sur lui et sa famille)". Si les musulmans savaient qu'il s'est trompé, ils ne le prendraient pas de lui, et s'il savait qu'il s'est trompé, il le rejetterait.

[Third: Those who are ignorant :] The third man is he who heard the Prophet ordering to do a thing and later the Prophet refrained the people from doing it, but this man did not know it, or he heard the Prophet refraining people from a thing and later he allowed it, but this man did not know it. In this way he retained in his mind what had been repealed, and did not retain the repealing tradition. If he knew that it had been repealed he would reject it, or if the Muslims knew, when they heard it from him, that it had been repealed they would reject it.

شَيْئاً يَأْمُرُ بِهِ، ثُمَّ نَهَى عَنْهُ وَهُوَ لاَ يَعْلَمُ، أَوْ سَمِعَهُ يَنهَىُ عَنْ شَيْء، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهِ وَهُوَ لايَعْلَمُ، فَحَفِظَ المَنسُوخَ، وَلَمْ يَحْفَظِ النَّاسِخَ، فَلَوْ عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ مَنْسُوخٌ لَرَفَضَهُ، وَلَوْ عَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ إذْ سَمِعُوهُ مِنْهُ أَنَّهُ مَنْسُوخٌ لَرَفَضُوهُ.

[Fourth: Those who memorise truthfully :] The last, namely the fourth man, is he who does not speak a lie against Allāh or against His Prophet. He hates falsehood out of fear for Allāh and respect for the Messenger of Allāh, and does not commit mistakes, but retains (in his mind) exactly what he heard (from the Prophet), and he relates it as he heard it without adding anything or omitting anything. He heard the repealing tradition, he retained it and acted upon it, and he heard the repealed tradition and rejected it. He also understands the particular and the general, and he knows the definite and indefinite, and gives everything its due position.

Et le dernier des quatre, il n'a pas menti envers Allah ni envers Son Messager, il déteste le mensonge par crainte d'Allah et par respect pour le Messager d'Allah (que la paix et les bénédictions d'Allah soient sur lui et sa famille). Il n'a pas négligé, mais a préservé ce qu'il a entendu sur son visage, et l'a transmis tel qu'il l'a entendu, sans y ajouter ni en retrancher. Il a préservé ce qui a été abrogé et a agi en conséquence, et a évité ce qui a été abrogé. Il a distingué entre ce qui est spécifique et ce qui est général, entre ce qui est clair et ce qui est ambigu, et a placé chaque chose à sa place.

The sayings of the Prophet used to be of two types. One was particular and the other common. Sometimes a man would hear him but he would not know what Allāh, the Glorified, meant by it or what the Messenger of Allāh meant by it. In this way the listener carries it and memorises it without knowing its meaning and its real intention, or what was its reason.

Il y avait deux types de discours dans les paroles du Messager de Dieu (que la paix et les bénédictions de Dieu soient sur lui et sa famille) : un discours spécifique et un discours général. Ainsi, celui qui ne comprend pas ce que Dieu a voulu dire et ce que le Messager de Dieu (que la paix et les bénédictions de Dieu soient sur lui et sa famille) a voulu dire, l'entend et le transmet sans en comprendre le sens, l'intention ou la raison pour laquelle il a été dit.

Among the companions of the Messenger of Allāh all were not in the habit of putting him questions and ask him the meanings, indeed they always wished that some Bedouin or stranger might come and ask him (peace be upon him) so that they would also listen. Whenever any such thing came before me, I asked him about its meaning and preserved it.

Tous les compagnons du Messager d'Allah (que la paix et les bénédictions d'Allah soient sur lui et sa famille) ne sont pas ceux qui lui posaient des questions et cherchaient des éclaircissements. Parfois, ils aimaient qu'un bédouin ou un étranger vienne lui poser des questions afin qu'ils puissent entendre. Rien de tel ne se passait en ma présence sans que je ne pose des questions et ne le retienne.

These are the reasons and grounds of differences among the people in their traditions.

Voici les aspects sur lesquels les gens divergent et les défauts dans leurs récits.