What is meant by al-Hakim's statement in al-Mustadrak: "on the condition of the two Shaykhs"? Does it mean that its narrators are like the narrators of the two Shaykhs, or that they are exactly equal to them, or similar to them?
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The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh. What is meant by al-Hakim's statement in al-Mustadrak: "on the condition of the two Shaykhs"? Does it mean that the narrators of the hadith are like the narrators of the two Shaykhs, or that they are exactly equal to them, or similar to them?
The Shaykh : Neither this nor that. The intention is that the narrators of the hadith that al-Hakim authenticated in his book, which is "on the condition of the two Shaykhs," are such that every narrator in the chain of that hadith has been narrated from by the two Shaykhs in their Sahihs. It does not mean that these narrators are in trustworthiness and integrity like the narrators of the two Sahihs. No, rather, it is by their specific identities, persons, and names that al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from them in their Sahihs. However, there is an important observation that students of knowledge should pay close attention to, which is:
It is not hidden from beginners in the pursuit of this blessed knowledge that al-Hakim's generation and the time in which he lived were a generation below that of Imam al-Bukhari and Muslim by approximately a century. Such that between him in the chains he mentions for his hadiths in al-Mustadrak and the Shaykh of Imam al-Bukhari or Muslim in such a chain, there are two or more intermediaries between al-Hakim and that Shaykh. So when al-Hakim says of such a hadith, "authentic on the condition of Muslim," he does not mean every man, including his Shaykh and his Shaykh's Shaykh (who is the Shaykh of his Shaykh), but rather he means the Shaykh of Imam al-Bukhari or Muslim, excluding those below him.
And if the matter is so, then it is necessary to verify and confirm the trustworthiness of the one who narrated the hadith from the Shaykh of the two Shaykhs, and the one who narrated this hadith from that Shaykh, so that the chain is authentic at that point. And even then, it would not be "authentic on the condition of the two Shaykhs" in an absolute sense, because those below the Shaykh of the two Shaykhs in that chain are not on the condition of al-Bukhari and Muslim. This is one point, and another is:
It is when al-Hakim says: "authentic on the condition of the two Shaykhs," and he does not mean every individual in that chain, with the detail mentioned previously that each of them is on the condition of the two Shaykhs, but rather some are on the condition of al-Bukhari and some are on the condition of Muslim. This group is what he calls "on the condition of the two Shaykhs." And it is undoubtedly, as is not hidden, a leniency in expression and a suggestion that every narrator among those narrators is on the condition of the two Shaykhs. So both this and that should be noted when we want to authenticate a hadith that al-Hakim authenticated on the condition of the two Shaykhs.
The Shaykh : Neither this nor that. The intention is that the narrators of the hadith that al-Hakim authenticated in his book, which is "on the condition of the two Shaykhs," are such that every narrator in the chain of that hadith has been narrated from by the two Shaykhs in their Sahihs. It does not mean that these narrators are in trustworthiness and integrity like the narrators of the two Sahihs. No, rather, it is by their specific identities, persons, and names that al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from them in their Sahihs. However, there is an important observation that students of knowledge should pay close attention to, which is:
It is not hidden from beginners in the pursuit of this blessed knowledge that al-Hakim's generation and the time in which he lived were a generation below that of Imam al-Bukhari and Muslim by approximately a century. Such that between him in the chains he mentions for his hadiths in al-Mustadrak and the Shaykh of Imam al-Bukhari or Muslim in such a chain, there are two or more intermediaries between al-Hakim and that Shaykh. So when al-Hakim says of such a hadith, "authentic on the condition of Muslim," he does not mean every man, including his Shaykh and his Shaykh's Shaykh (who is the Shaykh of his Shaykh), but rather he means the Shaykh of Imam al-Bukhari or Muslim, excluding those below him.
And if the matter is so, then it is necessary to verify and confirm the trustworthiness of the one who narrated the hadith from the Shaykh of the two Shaykhs, and the one who narrated this hadith from that Shaykh, so that the chain is authentic at that point. And even then, it would not be "authentic on the condition of the two Shaykhs" in an absolute sense, because those below the Shaykh of the two Shaykhs in that chain are not on the condition of al-Bukhari and Muslim. This is one point, and another is:
It is when al-Hakim says: "authentic on the condition of the two Shaykhs," and he does not mean every individual in that chain, with the detail mentioned previously that each of them is on the condition of the two Shaykhs, but rather some are on the condition of al-Bukhari and some are on the condition of Muslim. This group is what he calls "on the condition of the two Shaykhs." And it is undoubtedly, as is not hidden, a leniency in expression and a suggestion that every narrator among those narrators is on the condition of the two Shaykhs. So both this and that should be noted when we want to authenticate a hadith that al-Hakim authenticated on the condition of the two Shaykhs.