Is a hasan li-ghayrihi hadith, once established as hasan li-ghayrihi, cited as evidence in the same way as a sahih li-dhatihi hadith?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. You previously asked a question, and the answer was very brief. If there is a detailed explanation, that is good. I ask you: Is a hasan li-ghayrihi hadith, once established as hasan li-ghayrihi, cited as evidence in the same way as a sahih li-dhatihi hadith, at the same level of citation, meaning using it as proof for Islamic legal rulings and in matters of creed and in all things, is it at the same degree of citation or not?
The Shaykh : Naturally, the answer in brief is yes, and in detail, no. Because your question mentioned the same level, you will learn the difference from what follows. If someone had not developed your question, but cast it in the following form: Is a sahih ahad hadith cited as evidence in legal rulings at the level of a mashhur or mustafid or mutawatir hadith? What would the answer be? That is the answer. So what do you see of the answer?
The questioner : The question, just one more time.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The question?
The Shaykh : The question, my question?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I say, if a questioner had developed your previous question and said: Is citing a sahih hadith that is ahad—whether ghareeb, fard, mashhur, or mustafid—or a mutawatir hadith, is citing all these types of sahih hadiths acceptable in Islamic legal rulings without disagreement? Are these hadiths at the same level of strength in citation? Naturally, the answer will be no, is it not? My answer just mentioned was no.
But when we say no, does it detract from using as evidence the hadith that is below the highest of these levels, which is the sahih ghareeb fard hadith? The answer will also be no. It does not invalidate or correct the use of it as evidence, but it is not at the level of citing a mutawatir hadith. Exactly the same answer applies to your specific question regarding the difference between the hasan hadith and the sahih hadith.
The Shaykh : Naturally, the answer in brief is yes, and in detail, no. Because your question mentioned the same level, you will learn the difference from what follows. If someone had not developed your question, but cast it in the following form: Is a sahih ahad hadith cited as evidence in legal rulings at the level of a mashhur or mustafid or mutawatir hadith? What would the answer be? That is the answer. So what do you see of the answer?
The questioner : The question, just one more time.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The question?
The Shaykh : The question, my question?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I say, if a questioner had developed your previous question and said: Is citing a sahih hadith that is ahad—whether ghareeb, fard, mashhur, or mustafid—or a mutawatir hadith, is citing all these types of sahih hadiths acceptable in Islamic legal rulings without disagreement? Are these hadiths at the same level of strength in citation? Naturally, the answer will be no, is it not? My answer just mentioned was no.
But when we say no, does it detract from using as evidence the hadith that is below the highest of these levels, which is the sahih ghareeb fard hadith? The answer will also be no. It does not invalidate or correct the use of it as evidence, but it is not at the level of citing a mutawatir hadith. Exactly the same answer applies to your specific question regarding the difference between the hasan hadith and the sahih hadith.