Is it better to say this is a fabricated hadith, or to say that so-and-so is in this chain of narration and he is a liar, because the text may be authentic?
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The questioner : With a chain of narration that is subject to criticism, and all the men in the chain are trustworthy, is it better to say about this man, even if he is a liar, that the text may be authentic? Is it better to say this is a fabricated hadith, or to say that so-and-so is in this chain of narration and he is a liar?
The Shaykh : It is the second option.
The questioner : Now, if we find such a case, the scholars of hadith, the scholars of terminology, they apply this term to it, even if the chain of narration is from Malik from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar, and then below Malik there is a liar, they say this hadith is fabricated.
The Shaykh : No, they do not do that.
The questioner : In terminology, they count this as such.
The Shaykh : Now, I am reminding you of something.
The questioner : But in practice, O Shaykh, in practice, yes, they may not do this. This is the other matter.
The Shaykh : Now, do you allow a comment or not?
The questioner : Please go ahead.
The Shaykh : To complete your statement, yes.
The questioner : No, I want to ask several questions, and I fear someone might interrupt.
The Shaykh : The Hafiz has mentioned...
The questioner : No, I would prefer the questions to be about hadith and its sciences.
The Shaykh : The Hafiz al-'Iraqi has mentioned that if a hadith scholar finds a hadith with a weak chain of narration, he should not say this is a weak hadith, because it is possible that it has another chain of narration that may be good. Please, relax. It may be good in itself, or authentic. Rather, he should say this chain of narration is weak. And peace be upon you. Then he said, except if he is a Hafiz who has comprehended the paths of the hadith, such that it is most likely in his opinion that there is nothing there that strengthens the hadith. In this case only, it is permissible for him to say the hadith is weak.
And if the matter is so, and it is certainly so, as you are speaking, then it is even more so, and even more so, if the hadith has a chain of narration containing a liar, as I said, and it has another path, as I said, Malik from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar, then it is even more so, and even more so, that it should not be said about this hadith that it is a fabricated hadith. Rather, it should be said this is a fabricated hadith with this chain of narration. But if he knows that it is authentic in consideration of the chain of narration mentioned earlier, it is not permissible, because there is clear misguidance in it. May Allah protect us from falling into it, a man from the people of knowledge.
And I know, and praise be to Allah, that some hadith scholars may say about some hadiths in a chain of narration, they say this is invalid, and they qualify it with this chain of narration. And in that is an indication that it is not so in another chain of narration. This is my opinion on this matter.
The Shaykh : It is the second option.
The questioner : Now, if we find such a case, the scholars of hadith, the scholars of terminology, they apply this term to it, even if the chain of narration is from Malik from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar, and then below Malik there is a liar, they say this hadith is fabricated.
The Shaykh : No, they do not do that.
The questioner : In terminology, they count this as such.
The Shaykh : Now, I am reminding you of something.
The questioner : But in practice, O Shaykh, in practice, yes, they may not do this. This is the other matter.
The Shaykh : Now, do you allow a comment or not?
The questioner : Please go ahead.
The Shaykh : To complete your statement, yes.
The questioner : No, I want to ask several questions, and I fear someone might interrupt.
The Shaykh : The Hafiz has mentioned...
The questioner : No, I would prefer the questions to be about hadith and its sciences.
The Shaykh : The Hafiz al-'Iraqi has mentioned that if a hadith scholar finds a hadith with a weak chain of narration, he should not say this is a weak hadith, because it is possible that it has another chain of narration that may be good. Please, relax. It may be good in itself, or authentic. Rather, he should say this chain of narration is weak. And peace be upon you. Then he said, except if he is a Hafiz who has comprehended the paths of the hadith, such that it is most likely in his opinion that there is nothing there that strengthens the hadith. In this case only, it is permissible for him to say the hadith is weak.
And if the matter is so, and it is certainly so, as you are speaking, then it is even more so, and even more so, if the hadith has a chain of narration containing a liar, as I said, and it has another path, as I said, Malik from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar, then it is even more so, and even more so, that it should not be said about this hadith that it is a fabricated hadith. Rather, it should be said this is a fabricated hadith with this chain of narration. But if he knows that it is authentic in consideration of the chain of narration mentioned earlier, it is not permissible, because there is clear misguidance in it. May Allah protect us from falling into it, a man from the people of knowledge.
And I know, and praise be to Allah, that some hadith scholars may say about some hadiths in a chain of narration, they say this is invalid, and they qualify it with this chain of narration. And in that is an indication that it is not so in another chain of narration. This is my opinion on this matter.