الشُّذوذ

الشُّذوذ

In language shudhudh is separation from others, and a shadh is one who stands apart or leaves the group. ¹ In the usage of the Hanafis and Malikis a shadh view is one opposed to the prominent, preferred or sound view; in the usage of the hadith scholars a shadh report has a single chain in which a reliable or unreliable narrator stands alone. ^{1 2} Acting on a shadh view differs for the mujtahid, the follower and the layman: the mujtahid weighs the evidence, while the follower acts only on the prominent or preferred view of his school. ^{2 3} Al-Shatibi holds that a follower may give a fatwa only on the prominent view, while al-Subki holds that a qualified judge may rule by a view he finds stronger on good evidence. ^{4 5}