How is the justice of a concealed narrator determined when his narrations are compared with those of the trustworthy ones?
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The questioner : What do you mean by justice?
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : How is justice determined?
The Shaykh : Justice?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you mean by justice that he is a Muslim who follows the commands and abstains from what is forbidden? If so, this man would first be considered concealed from this perspective. If he has many hadiths that he narrated, and no inclination toward any of the desires or matters that would invalidate his justice appears in them, then this investigation and thorough examination leads one to believe that this person is not merely just, but also precise and a preserver. You know that Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) went to the extent of authenticating the unknown narrator because he said: "The original state of every Muslim is justice". However, (Glorified and Exalted is He), he overlooked the fact that this may suffice for testimony, but it does not suffice for being precise in hadith. Therefore, his authentication of those for whom he held that the original state is justice was criticized, because this is not sufficient unless precision and preservation are also established alongside justice.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : How is justice determined?
The Shaykh : Justice?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you mean by justice that he is a Muslim who follows the commands and abstains from what is forbidden? If so, this man would first be considered concealed from this perspective. If he has many hadiths that he narrated, and no inclination toward any of the desires or matters that would invalidate his justice appears in them, then this investigation and thorough examination leads one to believe that this person is not merely just, but also precise and a preserver. You know that Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) went to the extent of authenticating the unknown narrator because he said: "The original state of every Muslim is justice". However, (Glorified and Exalted is He), he overlooked the fact that this may suffice for testimony, but it does not suffice for being precise in hadith. Therefore, his authentication of those for whom he held that the original state is justice was criticized, because this is not sufficient unless precision and preservation are also established alongside justice.