Clarification that the terminology of hadith science has clear, natural meanings that cannot be denied.

The Shaykh : Where did the scholars get these terms from? Then we say to them: The authentic hadith that they do not know from the imams, they claim, is that they used the word "authentic." Is the authentic, in terms of reality, of a single degree? I think if they have any knowledge, and even any intellect, they will say: No, the authentic is not of a single rank. Do you agree with me that they say this? Good. We will say to them: When does a hadith enter the rank of authentic? And in my opinion, I think that if they are tested by denying the good hadith due to their lack of understanding and narrowness of mind, I do not think the matter has reached them to the point where they deny the mass-transmitted hadith. What do you know about them?

The questioner : They do not deny the mass-transmitted hadith.

The Shaykh : They do not deny it. Good. Is the mass-transmitted hadith stronger than the authentic one in their view? Of course. Good. Also, in my opinion, they agree with the scholars that the mass-transmitted hadith conveys certainty and conviction, is that not so? Good. Does the singular authentic hadith, and let us use the terms that are used against them from the first person who innovated all these terms, so I will say: The singular, unique authentic hadith, do they—piece of the door? You missed it, Muhammad, Muhammad—does the singular authentic hadith convey certainty in their view? It does not convey certainty.
The student: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: Good. Now we ask them: What is the difference between the authentic hadith and the... in terms of a person's conviction, a person's conviction in accepting the hadith or not accepting it? I want to say that the scholars of usul al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence) say that the authentic hadith conveys preponderant probability, while the mass-transmitted hadith conveys certainty, as we mentioned earlier. Is this preponderant probability, in terms of its strength with these people, of a single degree and ratio, or does it admit of increase... until it reaches...? I think they cannot deny these ranks, that preponderant probability is not of a single ratio, but is capable of increase, just as it is capable of decrease. So when the scholars of hadith and scholars of usul al-fiqh say that the authentic hadith conveys preponderant probability, that means: The one who looks at this hadith has exited the area of doubt, which is between the two extremes of establishment and non-establishment, and has risen slightly. Meaning, if the mass-transmitted hadith conveys certainty, and we assume that certainty is one hundred degrees, then if it drops by five, or without doubt less than one hundred by five, but the person who looks at this hadith that came through many routes still finds in himself the certainty that, for example, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said this hadith, or this report was said by so-and-so, and so on. And without doubt, this rank of certainty that is in the heart of the researcher, just as it admits of decrease, it admits of increase, as the scholars of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), the scholars of the Salaf (the earliest generations), say that faith increases and decreases. This faith has no limits ever. And all of us, as we know from the correct science of tawhid, know that the more the believer increases in righteous deeds, the more his faith increases. This increase has no limited limit, it is... Likewise, reports, in terms of their relationship to the heart of a person, admit of increase to infinity and admit of decrease to the limit of the stage of doubt, where one does not know, as came in the authentic hadiths: ; So what is doubt linguistically? It is that neither of the two contradictory sides prevails for him. You see, if a Muslim doubts in prayer, as you know from the authentic hadiths, that he should seek the truth, so if it prevails in his opinion that, for example, this is the first rak'ah (unit of prayer), he considers it the first and proceeds. If it does not prevail in his opinion that it is the second, he acts accordingly, then he comes to sujud al-sahw (the prostration for forgetfulness), which is another jurisprudential discussion. What does "it prevailed in his opinion" mean? It means that the scale of ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) tipped in favor of one side over the other. Now, when a person looks at a hadith in which there is a man who is criticized regarding his memory, but not his truthfulness, but through his research he reached the point that... he does not make his hadith dropped, meaning weak, not giving the preponderant probability, but it prevails in his opinion that it gives the preponderant probability, but by what ratio? By a ratio of one percent more than fifty percent. One percent over fifty, it can become two percent over fifty, three percent over fifty. The important thing is that one of the two sides prevails over the other. This is a matter, may Allah reward you, that a person finds in ordinary affairs, let alone in religious matters. And people cannot be weighed with a material scale, by the kilogram or the ounce, it cannot be like that. So so-and-so reported a report. What does the reporter know about this so-and-so, if I may express it that way? So he takes his statement or his action, or he does not take it. But between so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so, there are ranks, and they are all included in the category of the acceptable hadith, and not in Ibn Hajar's terminology in al-Taqrib (the approximation), they are all included, but they are ranks.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : And within the scope of using his report as evidence, but they are ranks, truly ranks... meaning, for example, if it is established with us the companionship of a Companion, and without offense, some of them said about some of the known Companions, out of bias for their school of jurisprudence: We do not take his report. This is a backbiting on his rear, this is unfortunately mentioned. But I say a word of truth. You see, this one whose report we take because he is a Companion, and naturally he is trustworthy and a memorizer, and so on, and it was said about him by some of the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions) that he is a backbiting on his rear. We throw his statement to the wind and consider it a slip of the tongue, we ask Allah for his forgiveness. But do we compare him with Abu Bakr al-Siddiq? The report of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, when it comes to us, let us assume now by mass transmission, meaning ten or twenty of the Tabi'un reported to us a report about Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and another report about a Bedouin man who came from the desert in one of the delegations to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he believed and submitted to Islam, heard a report from him, and went back to the desert, and this report came to us from this Companion. They are not equal, for example, ever, in terms of achieving equal conviction. I say between the report of this Bedouin and the report of the famous Companion, especially if he is a Caliph.