The Difference Between the Common People and the Scholars Regarding the Authenticity of Hadiths

The Shaykh : We return now to the question: "Where is Allah?" You were taught that this narration is weak and that it contradicts the correct narration. Look, our Muslim brothers, this statement—there is no scholar in the world who preceded those who taught you this teaching; there is no one in the world.

The questioner : ...with what he says in this talk.

The Shaykh : Allow me, brother, the citations; you do not understand them. May Allah be pleased with you. You are not able to place these narrations and distinguish the stronger position from the weaker position, nor is the one who says that the narration: is stronger than this one; he is not able, nor is he qualified to research this topic. But now, this specific point opens up a very important question for us, and I draw your attention to a verse in the Noble Qur'an. I hope you do not think that it has no relation to the topic; it has every relation. Our Lord says: . So now, the Lord of the Worlds has divided the Muslim community into two groups: scholars and non-scholars, and He made obligatory upon each group what is not obligatory upon the other. He made it obligatory for the majority of people to ask the minority of people, who are the scholars: "Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know." Now, without a doubt, you have come across many, many books in the science of hadith, some of which are known as the "Sahih" (authentic collections), such as "Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim," Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim, and so on. The general Muslim public cannot ignore these; rather, they must rely on them. Relying on them is done in one of two ways: The first way is: "Al-Bukhari narrated it," and that is enough for the general people; this is an authentic hadith. "Muslim narrated it," and this is an authentic hadith. This is for the general people, the group that is not among the scholars. The second group, who are the minority, especially in this time, may find an error in al-Bukhari or in Imam Muslim, whether in a word of an authentic hadith or in the hadith as a whole. They may consider it weak, while it is authentic with al-Bukhari and Muslim. But this is for whom? For the general people? No, it is for the special people, who are the scholars. Good. Now, you are inserting yourselves into the general people, not the special people.

The questioner : The general people.

The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.