The Shaykh's opinion on one who lacks the ability to adjudicate between the statements of hadith scholars regarding the authentication and weakening of hadiths.

The questioner : He saysThe questioner: What is the opinionThe Shaykh : of one who does not have the ability to reconcile the statements of hadith scholars regarding the authentication and weakening of hadiths, if a ruling comes to him that depends on the authentication of the hadith; so that this hadith is disputed regarding its authentication?

The Shaykh : Repeat.

The questioner: What is the opinionThe Shaykh : of one who does not have the ability to reconcile the statements of hadith scholars regarding the authentication and weakening of hadiths, if a ruling comes to him that depends on the authentication of the hadith; so that this hadith is disputed regarding its authentication?

The Shaykh: This resembles the previous issue, meaning, for example, a hadith that Ibn Hibban authenticated, and Ahmad weakened, and he has no means of adjudication, so Ahmad is more trustworthy than Ibn Hibban, and so on until the matter becomes difficult for him. At that point, the matter returns to what we mentioned earlier: , it is necessary to do so. However, the matter may overlap with the previous answer, and it also serves as an answer to some examples of these hadiths. If authenticating the hadith involves caution for the Muslim's religion, he takes the opinion of the one who authenticated it, provided that he is unable to adjudicate by looking at the authenticator or the weakener. And the opposite is the opposite: if authenticating the hadith entails being lenient with some of the rulings of the Shari'ah, then he takes the opinion of the one who weakened the hadith. The matter is actually easy but broad. One who is confused by this confusion should use his knowledge if he has knowledge, otherwise he should return to the saying of the Exalted: . It appears, and Allah knows best, that this last point is what this person who is stuck in a state of confusion should resort to; he is unable to prefer one opinion over another, so he asks someone he trusts in their knowledge from among the scholars and people of virtue around him.