A note on the benefit derived from Shaykh al-Mu'allimi al-Yamani (may Allah have mercy on him), which Shaykh al-Albani gained from *al-Tankil* regarding the validity of Ibn Hibban's authentication of those who were his contemporaries.
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The Shaykh : And the other thing, I gained it from Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Yamani (may Allah have mercy on him).
The questioner : In your commentary on *al-Tankil*?
The Shaykh : Yes, in the commentary on *al-Tankil*, where he provided me with a benefit, which is: that when Ibn Hibban narrates from a teacher of his and authenticates him, his authentication here is not like the authentication of someone about whom you asked how he authenticates him, when there are many years between them. No, he knew him well and got to know him closely. So, his authentication here is acceptable. And since I read this phrase, I have been wanting to know the teachers of Ibn Hibban about whom he used the phrase of authentication. But the truth I was surprised by after studying this book of his is that he does not write biographies of his teachers except very rarely. Yes, by Allah, so I lost what I had hoped to gain. I do not remember, even now, any of his teachers whom he authenticated other than Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili, and Ibn Khuzaymah, the author of the *Sahih*, who is his famous teacher. But whenever I come across a teacher of his in his book *al-Sahih*, I go back to *al-Thiqat* and I do not find him. So I do not know—this is the point—I do not know where al-Mu'allimi (may Allah have mercy on him) took that benefit he presented to the readers when he said: "If he authenticates his teacher, then he is authenticated by his authentication". Perhaps he means like these two examples I mentioned, or something similar to them that I do not remember now. Otherwise, he has teachers in the hundreds for whom he did not write biographies in *al-Thiqat*.
The questioner : Or it is a general rule, because if a person was a contemporary of someone or studied under a teacher, he knows him better. So, if he authenticates him, it is as a general rule and a general nature of people.
The Shaykh : It is so, may Allah reward you. But where is this authentication? We are asking where it is?
The questioner : Yes, that is correct.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner : In your commentary on *al-Tankil*?
The Shaykh : Yes, in the commentary on *al-Tankil*, where he provided me with a benefit, which is: that when Ibn Hibban narrates from a teacher of his and authenticates him, his authentication here is not like the authentication of someone about whom you asked how he authenticates him, when there are many years between them. No, he knew him well and got to know him closely. So, his authentication here is acceptable. And since I read this phrase, I have been wanting to know the teachers of Ibn Hibban about whom he used the phrase of authentication. But the truth I was surprised by after studying this book of his is that he does not write biographies of his teachers except very rarely. Yes, by Allah, so I lost what I had hoped to gain. I do not remember, even now, any of his teachers whom he authenticated other than Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili, and Ibn Khuzaymah, the author of the *Sahih*, who is his famous teacher. But whenever I come across a teacher of his in his book *al-Sahih*, I go back to *al-Thiqat* and I do not find him. So I do not know—this is the point—I do not know where al-Mu'allimi (may Allah have mercy on him) took that benefit he presented to the readers when he said: "If he authenticates his teacher, then he is authenticated by his authentication". Perhaps he means like these two examples I mentioned, or something similar to them that I do not remember now. Otherwise, he has teachers in the hundreds for whom he did not write biographies in *al-Thiqat*.
The questioner : Or it is a general rule, because if a person was a contemporary of someone or studied under a teacher, he knows him better. So, if he authenticates him, it is as a general rule and a general nature of people.
The Shaykh : It is so, may Allah reward you. But where is this authentication? We are asking where it is?
The questioner : Yes, that is correct.
The Shaykh : That is it.