Al-Muttafaq wa al-Muftaraq in the Names of the Noble Companions: Abdullah ibn Zayd as a Model

المتفق والمفترق في أسماء الصحابة الكرام

Abstract

The agreed and the different is one of the most precise types of Hadith sciences, and the Hadith scholars have paid attention to it because of its importance in distinguishing narrators who agree in names or lineages and differ in persons, in order to preserve the chains of transmission from illusion and confusion.  Among the most prominent examples of Companions is Abdullah ibn Zayd, whose name is difficult to distinguish due to their shared characteristics and the lack of a single study that comprehensively addresses both. This research aims to clarify the points of agreement and difference between them, differentiate their narrations, and expose the errors of some scholars in identifying one over the other. The research employs a descriptive, analytical, and comparative approach, examining books of Sunnah and biographical works and analyzing the shared characteristics and differences found therein. The research concludes that there are two Companions named Abdullah ibn Zayd who shared many characteristics but differed in some of their students, narrations, and experiences. It also reveals that some prominent hadith scholars erred in identifying one over the other due to the numerous similarities between them. Furthermore, the research clarifies the differences between Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Mazini and Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Abd Rabbih, and highlights the importance of the science of shared and differing characteristics in serving the Prophetic Sunnah and verifying hadith transmission.