The Rule of Prioritizing the Affirmative over the Negative

The questioner:
May Allah reward you. This questioner says: O Shaykh, if I heard, is the affirmative prioritized over the negative?

The Shaykh:
The affirmative.

The questioner:
Or the affirmative is prioritized over the negative.

The Shaykh:
This is a legal rule. If one person says, "Zayd heard it or it was narrated," and another says, "No," the affirmative is prioritized. The one who says, "I narrate the hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he is trustworthy," is prioritized over the one who stops it at the Companion. The one who connects it to the Companion is prioritized over the one who cuts it off and stops it at the Successor. This is the rule, provided he is trustworthy. So, the one who says, "I heard so-and-so, the Shaykh of so-and-so, say such and such," is prioritized over what we have heard. The affirmative is prioritized. Yes.

The questioner:
You mean, it is a fatwa, and we acted upon it, and it was our proof among the students, meaning when you heard it.

The Shaykh:
The affirmative is prioritized; this is a rule.

The questioner:
Abu Muqaddim, hearing.

The Shaykh:
Yes, the affirmative is prioritized over the people.

The questioner:
The question that came up.

The Shaykh:
The affirmative is prioritized over the fire.

Another questioner:
If he was one of your students, O Haidar. And if the people were, for example, among your students.

The Shaykh:
Yes, and even if it was from the Companions, two Companions: 'Umar says, "I heard the Prophet," and al-Siddiq says, "I did not hear it," and 'Umar is prioritized. 'Umar says, "I heard it," and 'Uthman says, "I did not hear it," and 'Umar is prioritized. 'Uthman says, "I heard it," and 'Ali says, "I did not hear it," and 'Uthman is prioritized. This is the rule. Yes?

Another questioner:
Abu, what is the rule, O brothers?

The Shaykh:
Yes, yes.