What is the difference between a marfu' and a mawquf hadith?

These two terms describe who a report is actually attributed to, regardless of how sound its chain is. A marfu' ('elevated') hadith is one explicitly attributed to the Prophet himself, describing something he said, did, or silently approved of. A mawquf ('stopped') report, by contrast, is a statement or action attributed only to a Companion, expressing that Companion's own opinion, ruling, or practice, without claiming the Prophet said or did it. Both can have excellent chains of narration, but they carry different weight in Islamic law: a marfu' hadith is a direct source of prophetic guidance, while a mawquf report reflects the understanding of someone who personally witnessed the Prophet's era and companionship, valuable for context and interpretation, but not itself binding revelation in the same way. Scholars are careful to distinguish the two because compilers sometimes recorded them side by side in the same chapter, and confusing a Companion's personal reasoning for a direct prophetic statement would misattribute human judgment to the Prophet himself. Recognizing marfu' versus mawquf is a basic skill taught early in the study of hadith terminology (mustalah al-hadith).

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