The Basmalah: We stated that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) and we ruled that the hadith is weak. On what basis did we establish that it is a recommended practice?

The questioner : We are still on the Basmalah, Shaykh. We entered the topic of it being a recommended practice (sunnah) and ruled that the hadith is weak. On what basis did we establish that it is a recommended practice?

The Shaykh : Yes. This question has merit. He says: If the hadith is weak, where does its status as a recommended practice (sunnah) come from? The author of *Al-Nukat 'ala al-Muharrar*, Ibn Muflih, a student of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, mentioned that if a hadith is weak but its weakness is not severe, it is not strong enough to establish an obligation, but there is room for it to be a recommended practice (mustahabb). If the text is a prohibition, and the hadith is a prohibition, and the weakness is not severe, it is not strong enough to establish a prohibition, but there is room for it to be a disliked act (makruh). Holding the view of a recommended practice (mustahabb) in the chapter of commands and a disliked act (makruh) in the chapter of prohibitions is a matter of precaution. However, if the weakness is severe, it is not acted upon.