The Meaning of Imam Ahmad’s Statement: Nothing is Established Regarding the Naming

Question:
And how does that Shaykh say that the light is Ahmad, that you should settle for his acceptance, when no one is in this chapter?

Answer:
He does not see the establishment, the establishment of the hadiths, meaning in terms of validity; they are not valid, meaning no hadith among them reaches the level of validity. “It is not established” means nothing among them reaches the level of validity. This does not prevent some of them from strengthening one another until the evidence becomes sufficient to reach the level of hasan li ghayrihi (good by other means). So Imam Ahmad only denied validity; he did not deny that some of them strengthen one another until they reach the level of hasan li ghayrihi. Some scholars have ruled that this hadith is hasan, meaning hasan li ghayrihi. So there is a difference between denying validity and strengthening the chains by supporting one another until they become suitable for citation. Yes.