When a hadith is graded as weak in your critical editions of the Sunan of Ibn Majah, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i, does this refer to the chain present in the Sunan, or is it possible that it is authentic through another chain not mentioned by Ibn Majah, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i?
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The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh. When a hadith is graded as weak in your critical editions of the Sunan of Ibn Majah, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i, does this refer to the chain present in the Sunan, or is it possible that it is authentic through another chain not mentioned by Ibn Majah, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i?
The Shaykh : The general principle in such a matter is that if a hadith is in the Sunan of Ibn Majah with a weak chain, but is found elsewhere with an authentic chain, or if there are other chains or corroborating narrations that strengthen it, the principle is that we say it is authentic or good, and we do not say it is weak based solely on the chain in the book. I assign the hadith its appropriate grade. This is the general rule. However, I mentioned in some of these introductions that I strive to rescue a hadith in one of the four Sunan from weakness by referring not only to these Sunan but also to other books, whether printed or manuscript, unless such reference and extensive research are not feasible. In that case, I judge the chain before me. I also mentioned, I believe, in the introduction to the Sahih of al-Tirmidhi that a hadith had passed by in one of the Sunan which I had graded as weak based on the chain in that specific Sunan. Then, when it came time to edit the Sunan of al-Tirmidhi, it became clear to me that for that hadith, which I had graded as weak due to the specific chain in the book, I had found other chains, so I authenticated the text through those chains, even though the chain in the book is weak. I drew attention to this, and this is the answer to this question in the introduction to the Sahih of the Sunan of al-Tirmidhi. Let this be known to everyone. Yes.
The Shaykh : The general principle in such a matter is that if a hadith is in the Sunan of Ibn Majah with a weak chain, but is found elsewhere with an authentic chain, or if there are other chains or corroborating narrations that strengthen it, the principle is that we say it is authentic or good, and we do not say it is weak based solely on the chain in the book. I assign the hadith its appropriate grade. This is the general rule. However, I mentioned in some of these introductions that I strive to rescue a hadith in one of the four Sunan from weakness by referring not only to these Sunan but also to other books, whether printed or manuscript, unless such reference and extensive research are not feasible. In that case, I judge the chain before me. I also mentioned, I believe, in the introduction to the Sahih of al-Tirmidhi that a hadith had passed by in one of the Sunan which I had graded as weak based on the chain in that specific Sunan. Then, when it came time to edit the Sunan of al-Tirmidhi, it became clear to me that for that hadith, which I had graded as weak due to the specific chain in the book, I had found other chains, so I authenticated the text through those chains, even though the chain in the book is weak. I drew attention to this, and this is the answer to this question in the introduction to the Sahih of the Sunan of al-Tirmidhi. Let this be known to everyone. Yes.