Comparative Study of Ḥadīth al-Raf in the Sources of the Two Major Sects

Frequently referred to in discourses on Islamic jurisprudence and disciplines, ḥadīth al-raf‘(according to which the responsibility for nine things is lifted from humans due to error and the lack of knowledge), enjoys a clearer text and a stronger chain of transmission, so that its issuance by an Infallible Imam (A.S.) can be ascertained and this confirms the position of those among the Sunnī scholars who have regarded this ḥadīth as valid and relied upon it.None of the Shī‘ī scholars have questioned the validity of this ḥadīth; however, some Sunnī scholars have opposed to it and even regarded it as fabricated.The object (muta‘allaq) of this ḥadīth, as related by both major sects, is flaw, oblivion, and reluctance and the Sunnī traditions have not gone beyond these three instances; whereas, according to the Shī‘ī sources, its object amounts to nine.