Is it obligatory for one who advises others to cite hadiths and be knowledgeable about their authenticity, or is advice without evidence sufficient?
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The questioner : My master, when a person has a neighbor, for example, who does not pray, or any brother I speak with, they tell me that when I come to speak with them about prayer and do good by advising them, they say, "Well, cite an authentic hadith." So they blame me. I do not speak to them using hadiths, or for example, I visit them and remind them, but I do not have an authentic hadith or such. What should I do as a form of da'wah?
The Shaykh : I did not understand what you mean by "authentic hadith"?
The questioner : I mean, they tell me!
The Shaykh : Do not repeat the whole story to me. I understood, but I understood the word "authentic hadith." What does it mean?
The questioner : I mean, they tell me to cite an authentic hadith, for example. It might be in the wording that I do not know how to pronounce it, or I do not have the chain of narration for a specific hadith!
The Shaykh : I mean, they are telling you: Do not advise unless you know the hadith!
The questioner : Yes, the authentic one.
The Shaykh : This is correct speech.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : First of all, you must know that the hadith you want to speak about is authentic. If you do not know that it is authentic, it is not permissible for you to speak about it.
The questioner : So, I sit with my neighbor!
The Shaykh : Listen to this first. Second: If you know that the hadith you want to convey is authentic, but you are unable to recite it exactly as it is mentioned in the books, say: "The meaning is such and such." Do you understand?
The questioner : Yes, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : So, here there are two conditions:
The first condition: Do not speak about the hadith unless you know its authenticity.
The second condition: If you speak about it, speak about it as it came in the books. If you are unable to do so, say: "The meaning is such and such."
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : I did not understand what you mean by "authentic hadith"?
The questioner : I mean, they tell me!
The Shaykh : Do not repeat the whole story to me. I understood, but I understood the word "authentic hadith." What does it mean?
The questioner : I mean, they tell me to cite an authentic hadith, for example. It might be in the wording that I do not know how to pronounce it, or I do not have the chain of narration for a specific hadith!
The Shaykh : I mean, they are telling you: Do not advise unless you know the hadith!
The questioner : Yes, the authentic one.
The Shaykh : This is correct speech.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : First of all, you must know that the hadith you want to speak about is authentic. If you do not know that it is authentic, it is not permissible for you to speak about it.
The questioner : So, I sit with my neighbor!
The Shaykh : Listen to this first. Second: If you know that the hadith you want to convey is authentic, but you are unable to recite it exactly as it is mentioned in the books, say: "The meaning is such and such." Do you understand?
The questioner : Yes, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : So, here there are two conditions:
The first condition: Do not speak about the hadith unless you know its authenticity.
The second condition: If you speak about it, speak about it as it came in the books. If you are unable to do so, say: "The meaning is such and such."
The questioner : May Allah bless you.