What is the stronger position regarding the first person to use the term *hasan* hadith in its technical sense?

The questioner : What is the stronger position regarding the first person to use the term *hasan* hadith in its technical sense?

The Shaykh : What we believe is that such a question does not yield much benefit, because this is a historical matter, and it is difficult to prove historical matters. First, second, it is sufficient for us to know, regarding this question, that there are well-known imams among all Muslim scholars, renowned for their knowledge, specialization, and leadership in the science of hadith. It is enough for us to know that some of these are the ones we identified as the first to use this name or this category of hadith. If we know that so-and-so, for example, authenticated a certain hadith or weakened a certain hadith, and we know nothing else, this does not mean that he is the first to authenticate or weaken that hadith, because the matter may be, as they say, "there are secrets in the corners." Perhaps you have come across the story narrated in the books of hadith about Imam al-Zuhri. He attended a hadith session of one of the hadith scholars, who was narrating in the manner of the early hadith scholars, with the chains of narration that had reached him for those hadiths. Imam al-Zuhri, as you know, is one of the great imams of hadith in the era of the Tabi'un, and although he was young in age among them, he was great in knowledge. So he began narrating thoseThe Shaykh : hadiths, and Imam al-Zuhri found them strange. In the end, he could not do anything but be frank with thatThe Shaykh : narrator, saying that he found some of the hadiths strange. Did you encompass the entire Sunnah? Do not blame me when I start speaking like this; the coughing fits take over.
The student : I ask Allah to preserve you.

The Shaykh : The phlegm overcomes me somewhat, but in any case, I am in great health, praise be to Allah.
The student : I ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to preserve you.

The Shaykh : May Allah keep you safe. The point is: that wise, astute, and learned hadith scholar said to him: "O young man, have you encompassed the Sunnah or all of the hadith?" He said: "No." He said: "Three-quarters of it?" He said: "No." He said: "Half of it?" He said: "Perhaps." He said: "Then consider what you have heard and found strange to be from the other half." My citing this story is very clear in our current context, with the note that my first answer was that such a question has no value. Because if we assume that the first person to use the term *hasan* hadith was so-and-so, but the scholars who came after him ignored it and did not act upon it, what is the value of knowing about this first person? And the reverse is exactly the same: we do not know who the first person was, but we know that Imam al-Bukhari used this term, and his student al-Tirmidhi followed him and popularized it in his *Sunan*, and so on. We know this fact, and then the scholars of hadith followed this path and this methodology without any denial. This is what is important in the matter. As for who was the first, knowing this does not lead to anything significant, as I said at the beginning of the answer. Here, I must draw attention to a piece of evidence we often use in jurisprudential issues, but this evidence applies to what we are discussing. When Muslims follow a path—of course, by Muslims I mean the scholars here, not the common people, as is the case with those who are not truly scholars, when they approve of some innovations and their spread, because this is a matter agreed upon by the general public and some of the weak in knowledge, while the strong in knowledge denied it, and the others either knew and remained silent, or were ignorant and followed the common people. I mean by this word the Muslim scholars. When these scholars follow a methodology, a scientific path, or a scientific terminology without dispute among them, then the noble verse applies: . The point of this verse is His saying (Mighty and Majestic): . So the path of the believers, from the day the term *hasan* hadith was used—and I repeat, it does not matter to us who was the first; what matters is that the practice of the Muslims followed this usage. It is not permissible for us to contradict this due to personal ijtihad and immature intentions. Because knowledge, as I always say, and Brother Abu al-Hasan mentions this well, does not accept stagnation; it is always advancing. We know that all the current Islamic sciences known to Muslims were not known with these terminologies in the earliest, most radiant era, because circumstances required and demanded it, so the scholars exerted effort in them. Some matters they agreed upon, and that is the path of the believers. Some matters they differed on, and here the saying of Allah the Exalted in the other verse applies: . What they agreed upon, it is not permissible for us to contradict them in. What they differed on, we return to the evidence. And the matter is, as He said (the Exalted): . So disagreement is a natural, necessary thing. Therefore, I do not deny or blame a student of knowledge who differs from al-Bukhari and Muslim, let alone al-Albani in the last times. I do not deny that to him if he is truly a student of knowledge and has exerted effort, and it appears to him something different from what appeared to the early or late scholars we named. But I deny it to one who is truly a scholar to introduce a new terminology in the field that confuses the minds of students of knowledge, let alone the general Muslims and all Muslims who trusted their scholars, especially the early ones, and consequently these late ones who follow the path of the first ones. For this and that, I say: the question in its origin has no value. The value is in knowing that there is a usage by the great scholars of hadith of the past, to whom the necks of the great scholars who know the status of scholars and the status of the knowledge they specialized in are subject, let alone those who came after them. Therefore, it is not befitting for students of knowledge who have followed the path of these scholars, whom they do not dare to contradict, that their minds be disturbed and their balances upset by a babbler who babbles in contradiction to what the imams were upon. This is my answer to this question, and it is sufficient, if Allah wills.