I am a student of knowledge and I searched for a hadith like the hadith: (Those who set things right when people have gone astray). The references at my disposal, such as al-Tirmidhi and al-Khatib, rate the hadith as weak in both.
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The questioner : If you please, O Shaykh, may Allah reward you with good. I am a student of knowledge and I searched for a hadith like the hadith: The references at my disposal, such as al-Tirmidhi and al-Khatib, rate the hadith as weak in both. Then I found you saying in *Al-Mishkat* that Abu 'Amr al-Dani narrated it, but Abu 'Amr al-Dani is not at my disposal. So, should I follow you in this?
The Shaykh : This is what we have been going around and around on. One must follow, whether you call it following or imitation, it is no problem. Because al-San'ani, as I said earlier, you accept the report of a single narrator, which is me. I said al-Dani narrated this; it is a report that you must accept. I said with a sound chain; it is also one that you must accept, because this is either correct or incorrect. As for you, it is not permissible for you to rely on your narrow research and say this hadith is weak, thereby disregarding the work of those who came before you to this hadith and its study, who reached a result that contradicts your position, and you were unable to reach the source by which the hadith is sound. Therefore, it is not permissible for you to exercise independent judgment in this situation; rather, you must either follow or imitate. Yes.
Those who reform when people have corrupted
الذين يصلحون إذا فسد الناسThe Shaykh : This is what we have been going around and around on. One must follow, whether you call it following or imitation, it is no problem. Because al-San'ani, as I said earlier, you accept the report of a single narrator, which is me. I said al-Dani narrated this; it is a report that you must accept. I said with a sound chain; it is also one that you must accept, because this is either correct or incorrect. As for you, it is not permissible for you to rely on your narrow research and say this hadith is weak, thereby disregarding the work of those who came before you to this hadith and its study, who reached a result that contradicts your position, and you were unable to reach the source by which the hadith is sound. Therefore, it is not permissible for you to exercise independent judgment in this situation; rather, you must either follow or imitate. Yes.