What is the ruling on acting upon a weak hadith?

Question : He asks: What is the ruling on acting upon a weak hadith?

Answer : It is not permissible to act upon a weak hadith, because a weak hadith falls under the category of the weaker position, which is not accepted. Therefore, one cannot establish a ruling from the Shari'ah of Allah based on a weak hadith that has not been authenticated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) . Weak hadiths are accepted in matters of the virtues of deeds, meaning in the reward for deeds, provided that three conditions are met. The first condition is that the deed for which a reward is mentioned in a weak hadith must have its basis established. If its basis is not established, it is not cited as evidence. The second condition is that the weakness must not be severe. If the weakness is severe, it is not accepted even in a virtue whose basis is established. The third condition is that one does not believe it to be from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), meaning that a person does not believe that this hadith is authenticated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If these three conditions are met, some scholars have said that it is permissible to accept a weak hadith. The rationale for this, as stated by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, is that if the hadith is about explaining the virtue of a righteous deed whose basis is established, it means that the soul hopes to attain that reward. And if it is about a matter where the prohibition is established, it means that the soul fears incurring that punishment for this transgression. Thus, in reality, it serves as a motivator for a person to perform what is required and to refrain from