Is the rule of the increase of a trustworthy narrator accepted absolutely, or is there a detail in it?

The questioner : Is there, O Shaykh, a famous rule, which is: "The increase of a trustworthy narrator is accepted"? Do we take it absolutely, or is there a detail in it?

The Shaykh : No, it is not permissible to take the rule "The increase of a trustworthy narrator is accepted" in its absolute sense. Rather, it is restricted by the condition that the trustworthy narrator who has the increase over the others must be at least equal to them or more trustworthy than them. As for if he is below them in trustworthiness and precision, then his increase is anomalous and is not accepted. This is the anomalous hadith, as it came from Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "The anomalous hadith is not that a trustworthy narrator narrates what another trustworthy narrator did not narrate, but rather that a trustworthy narrator narrates what contradicts one who is more trustworthy than him or has more narrators than him," or as he said (may Allah have mercy on him). So the increase of a trustworthy narrator is accepted, not in its absolute sense as many people before and after have imagined, but rather with this restriction: if there are two trustworthy narrators equal in precision and memorization, and one of them has an increase over the other, his increase is accepted. As for if the one who brought the increase has less memorization and precision than the one who did not bring it, then his increase is rejected due to anomaly. And for that reason, they said in the definition of the authentic hadith—as you know: "And it is not anomalous, and it is not defective."
Yes.