The majority of hadith scholars agree on the permissibility of narrating a hadith by meaning, provided that the narrator is knowledgeable about the implications of the words.
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The questioner : Shaykh, regarding narrating a hadith by meaning.
The Shaykh : The hadith?
The questioner : Shaykh, you know that the majority of hadith scholars agree on its permissibility, and they stipulated a condition for it, which is that the narrator who narrates by meaning must be knowledgeable about the implications of the words and what their meanings indicate. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned that the attribute of precision is sufficient for precision in the narrator.
The Shaykh : Ah.
The questioner : Sufficient for, meaning the condition for this narrator, because he has precision in the wording and precision in the meaning. But, Shaykh, there is something that is difficult: some words are very precise, used by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and this precision leads to a specific meaning or a specific ruling. Some narrators, even possibly the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), may not notice this precision in the wording of the hadith and narrate it by meaning, and it is accepted based on the conditions of the hadith scholars that the narrator is precise and knowledgeable about what the meanings indicate. This passes. For example, it could be a close example to what you mentioned in the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr, that he used to hold that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to place his right hand over his left while standing in prayer. The word "standing," as you mentioned, came from someone other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and may not be precise. So how, Shaykh, is the criterion for knowing these matters and accepting what is accepted and rejecting what is rejected?
The Shaykh : In any case, every narration like this narration has a specific study. We say that this hadith, the hadith of Wa'il that I mentioned as an example, Wa'il certainly mentioned it on the occasion of an issue that was related to it, and the reality required him to cite a phrase from his hadith which he narrated in detail, as we mentioned in some answers in *Sahih Muslim*. When the occasion came, he mentioned this piece from that hadith, so those who were present understood his intended meaning completely. But those who were far from his hadith, like us today, may fall into misunderstanding if we have not encompassed the other hadiths. If the matter relates to the narrator, who is the Companion as I said, he did not err because he gave the specific ruling in the issue presented, separated from the context of the hadith which he usually narrates in its entirety. But the error comes from the later scholars who do not combine the original detailed hadith with this phrase that was excerpted from it on an occasion that necessitated this excerpt. And from here comes the illusion, not from the hadith scholar, but from the one who hears the hadith after a time when they did not attend the session. As for those who attended the session, they do not understand anything but the correct understanding. Therefore, we say it is not permissible for us to come now with a correct understanding and legislate a Sunnah that no one from the Companions ever practiced. This is the answer to what you asked.
The Shaykh : The hadith?
The questioner : Shaykh, you know that the majority of hadith scholars agree on its permissibility, and they stipulated a condition for it, which is that the narrator who narrates by meaning must be knowledgeable about the implications of the words and what their meanings indicate. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned that the attribute of precision is sufficient for precision in the narrator.
The Shaykh : Ah.
The questioner : Sufficient for, meaning the condition for this narrator, because he has precision in the wording and precision in the meaning. But, Shaykh, there is something that is difficult: some words are very precise, used by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and this precision leads to a specific meaning or a specific ruling. Some narrators, even possibly the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), may not notice this precision in the wording of the hadith and narrate it by meaning, and it is accepted based on the conditions of the hadith scholars that the narrator is precise and knowledgeable about what the meanings indicate. This passes. For example, it could be a close example to what you mentioned in the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr, that he used to hold that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to place his right hand over his left while standing in prayer. The word "standing," as you mentioned, came from someone other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and may not be precise. So how, Shaykh, is the criterion for knowing these matters and accepting what is accepted and rejecting what is rejected?
The Shaykh : In any case, every narration like this narration has a specific study. We say that this hadith, the hadith of Wa'il that I mentioned as an example, Wa'il certainly mentioned it on the occasion of an issue that was related to it, and the reality required him to cite a phrase from his hadith which he narrated in detail, as we mentioned in some answers in *Sahih Muslim*. When the occasion came, he mentioned this piece from that hadith, so those who were present understood his intended meaning completely. But those who were far from his hadith, like us today, may fall into misunderstanding if we have not encompassed the other hadiths. If the matter relates to the narrator, who is the Companion as I said, he did not err because he gave the specific ruling in the issue presented, separated from the context of the hadith which he usually narrates in its entirety. But the error comes from the later scholars who do not combine the original detailed hadith with this phrase that was excerpted from it on an occasion that necessitated this excerpt. And from here comes the illusion, not from the hadith scholar, but from the one who hears the hadith after a time when they did not attend the session. As for those who attended the session, they do not understand anything but the correct understanding. Therefore, we say it is not permissible for us to come now with a correct understanding and legislate a Sunnah that no one from the Companions ever practiced. This is the answer to what you asked.