Is al-Hasan al-Basri’s tadlis regarding Samurah to be understood as explicit hearing in all cases?
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The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions, and whoever follows his guidance and supports him.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Shaykh : Give them an hour of time.
The questioner : O my brothers, naturally, as you know, we want to giveThe Shaykh : a chance for rest, so the time allotted for this blessed session - if Allah wills - is a full hour, and after that, dinner - if Allah wills - returnsThe Shaykh : to rest. May Allah reward you with good. Did we agree on this? May Allah reward you with good.
Is al-Hasan al-Basri’s tadlis regarding Samurah to be understood as explicit hearing in all cases, given the position of some imams such as al-Bukhari, Ibn al-Madini, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Hajar, who placed him in the second tier, and it is known that the 'an'anah of those in the second tier is understood as explicit hearing?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from the badness of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides has no one to mislead, and whoever He misleads has no one to guide. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. As for what follows:
The issue of tadlis is among the subtleties of hadith science. Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) is famous for being among the most distinguished and noble of the Tabi'un, who frequently narrated from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, because of his outspokenness in truth, he would associate with some Companions who were not approved of by some rulers, so he would be cautious about explicitly naming them, and therefore he would practice tadlis with them. He frequently narrated, particularly from Samurah ibn Jundab (or Jundub) (may Allah be pleased with him), a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), without explicitly stating the intermediary or the one who narrated the hadith to him from Samurah (may Allah be Exalted and Glorified). Al-Hasan al-Basri is known for this tadlis. Consequently, it is agreed that if he explicitly stated the narration in some hadiths, whether from his narration from Samurah or from other Companions, in that case, no scholar doubts that his hadith is of the highest validity if its chain is sound in that regard... However, if he used 'an'anah and did not explicitly state the narration, some scholars, both past and present, hesitate to follow his hadith if he was unique in that hadith and it was not corroborated.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him), when he compiled the book of those known for tadlis in his treatise "Tabaqat al-Mudallisun" (Tiers of the Tadlis Practitioners), exerted effort and placed each narrator among these mudallis in various tiers, starting from the first, second, third, and those that follow. Those he included in the first and second tiers are, in his view, those whose hadith is relied upon and whose tadlis is excused, and he did not include them in the third tier and beyond; because al-Hasan al-Basri, in his view, was not one who practiced much tadlis. Here, we should note something that may be hidden from many students of this science: Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him) was undoubtedly a nation alone in this science, and no woman has given birth to his like after him, as far as we have seen and known. However, we should not miss a known and accepted scientific reality, which Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) expressed when he said: "There is no one among us but that he has been refuted and refuted others, except the owner of this grave," pointing to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Accordingly, we advise the beginner students of knowledge in this field, in this noble science from which the majority of Muslim scholars have turned away and diverted to other sciences for many centuries, and only a few individuals in those past eras upheld this science, that we must remember two facts concerning this Imam:
The first fact: They must rely, at the beginning of their study of this science, on the text of this Imam, Ibn Hajar Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Asqalani; because, as we mentioned, he is considered a nation alone in this noble science. Accordingly, everything he mentioned in the biographies, whether in this small treatise, this beneficial treatise on the tiers of the mudallis, or what he mentioned in his book al-Taqrib ("Taqrib al-Tahdhib") as a summary of the biography of each man, students of knowledge should rely on it and use it as an aid to understand his method in summarizing these rulings and arranging those ranks, until they reach a point where they can rival him in his understanding of the science of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil. We say this because it is obligatory for every beginner in this science.
But the second matter they must be aware of and not be heedless of is: that what al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar ruled in each of the two books, whether by ruling on tadlis in "Risalat al-Mudallisun" in specifying the tier his ijtihad reached, or in his authentication of some narrators whose biographies he summarized from his book
"Tahdhib al-Tahdhib" in his book "al-Taqrib"; they should not miss that this is what his ijtihad reached, and that it does not bind others who participated in this science, even if they did not rival him in his academic level. There are thus two tiers of those who work in this field: the tier of beginners in this science; they should rely on what al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in each of the two books, but they should not treat it as if it were a revelation from the sky, given the word of Imam Malik mentioned earlier. But at the same time, they should not dare to declare him in error unless it becomes clear to them through their practice of this science. And a student of this science cannot master it except by practicing it for a long and very long time, due to its subtlety, as we mentioned in some gatherings: that a narrator is disputed regarding, between being authenticated, weakened, or his hadith being graded hasan, so the beginner in this science is confused about which opinion to rely on, so he seeks help in dispelling this confusion by referring to the book of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.
On this occasion, I remind you of another book by al-Hafiz Imam al-Dhahabi. Although we cannot say he does not rival al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, considering that the later scholar may correct the earlier one, he is undoubtedly an Imam who encompassed the critics in the biographies of men. Sufficient for you as proof of that is the great and noble book he named "Mizan al-I'tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal" (The Scale of Moderation in the Critique of Men). We find al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar contradicting al-Dhahabi in some of these biographies that he included in "al-Mizan"; just as he contradicts him in some other biographies that al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi mentioned in his book "al-Kashif," which is very concise and can be close to the style of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in his "Taqrib," except that al-Hafiz in this book is more concise in expression and more precise in summarizing the statements of those who differed in the biography of the man; unlike al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him); for in his book "al-Kashif," he may mention one or two opinions and attribute them to those who said them, while he does not give his own opinion... independently, and if we refer to "al-Mizan," we would find detail there for him.
The point here is that a student of knowledge, if he has practiced this discipline and a long time has passed as we mentioned, has the right to take from the statement of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, or from the statement of al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi, or from whoever is in their rank among the imams of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators). And if this is a scientific reality that everyone who has participated and looked into the statements of the scholars knows—when they may differ regarding a single narrator—then it becomes clear to him that there is no harm for any of the later scholars if he disagrees with al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in a statement or in a position he adopted. For example, his statement that al-Hasan al-Basri is in the second rank, which is the rank where one argues with his tadlis (concealment of a defect in a chain), while others held that there is disagreement regarding his hadith until it is accepted by him. So whoever is in the third rank or below that, nothing from his hadith is used as evidence unless he explicitly narrates it.
This is what I have in answer to this question, and we ask Allah for us and for you...
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Shaykh : Give them an hour of time.
The questioner : O my brothers, naturally, as you know, we want to giveThe Shaykh : a chance for rest, so the time allotted for this blessed session - if Allah wills - is a full hour, and after that, dinner - if Allah wills - returnsThe Shaykh : to rest. May Allah reward you with good. Did we agree on this? May Allah reward you with good.
Is al-Hasan al-Basri’s tadlis regarding Samurah to be understood as explicit hearing in all cases, given the position of some imams such as al-Bukhari, Ibn al-Madini, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Hajar, who placed him in the second tier, and it is known that the 'an'anah of those in the second tier is understood as explicit hearing?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from the badness of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides has no one to mislead, and whoever He misleads has no one to guide. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. As for what follows:
The issue of tadlis is among the subtleties of hadith science. Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) is famous for being among the most distinguished and noble of the Tabi'un, who frequently narrated from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, because of his outspokenness in truth, he would associate with some Companions who were not approved of by some rulers, so he would be cautious about explicitly naming them, and therefore he would practice tadlis with them. He frequently narrated, particularly from Samurah ibn Jundab (or Jundub) (may Allah be pleased with him), a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), without explicitly stating the intermediary or the one who narrated the hadith to him from Samurah (may Allah be Exalted and Glorified). Al-Hasan al-Basri is known for this tadlis. Consequently, it is agreed that if he explicitly stated the narration in some hadiths, whether from his narration from Samurah or from other Companions, in that case, no scholar doubts that his hadith is of the highest validity if its chain is sound in that regard... However, if he used 'an'anah and did not explicitly state the narration, some scholars, both past and present, hesitate to follow his hadith if he was unique in that hadith and it was not corroborated.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him), when he compiled the book of those known for tadlis in his treatise "Tabaqat al-Mudallisun" (Tiers of the Tadlis Practitioners), exerted effort and placed each narrator among these mudallis in various tiers, starting from the first, second, third, and those that follow. Those he included in the first and second tiers are, in his view, those whose hadith is relied upon and whose tadlis is excused, and he did not include them in the third tier and beyond; because al-Hasan al-Basri, in his view, was not one who practiced much tadlis. Here, we should note something that may be hidden from many students of this science: Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him) was undoubtedly a nation alone in this science, and no woman has given birth to his like after him, as far as we have seen and known. However, we should not miss a known and accepted scientific reality, which Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) expressed when he said: "There is no one among us but that he has been refuted and refuted others, except the owner of this grave," pointing to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Accordingly, we advise the beginner students of knowledge in this field, in this noble science from which the majority of Muslim scholars have turned away and diverted to other sciences for many centuries, and only a few individuals in those past eras upheld this science, that we must remember two facts concerning this Imam:
The first fact: They must rely, at the beginning of their study of this science, on the text of this Imam, Ibn Hajar Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Asqalani; because, as we mentioned, he is considered a nation alone in this noble science. Accordingly, everything he mentioned in the biographies, whether in this small treatise, this beneficial treatise on the tiers of the mudallis, or what he mentioned in his book al-Taqrib ("Taqrib al-Tahdhib") as a summary of the biography of each man, students of knowledge should rely on it and use it as an aid to understand his method in summarizing these rulings and arranging those ranks, until they reach a point where they can rival him in his understanding of the science of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil. We say this because it is obligatory for every beginner in this science.
But the second matter they must be aware of and not be heedless of is: that what al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar ruled in each of the two books, whether by ruling on tadlis in "Risalat al-Mudallisun" in specifying the tier his ijtihad reached, or in his authentication of some narrators whose biographies he summarized from his book
"Tahdhib al-Tahdhib" in his book "al-Taqrib"; they should not miss that this is what his ijtihad reached, and that it does not bind others who participated in this science, even if they did not rival him in his academic level. There are thus two tiers of those who work in this field: the tier of beginners in this science; they should rely on what al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in each of the two books, but they should not treat it as if it were a revelation from the sky, given the word of Imam Malik mentioned earlier. But at the same time, they should not dare to declare him in error unless it becomes clear to them through their practice of this science. And a student of this science cannot master it except by practicing it for a long and very long time, due to its subtlety, as we mentioned in some gatherings: that a narrator is disputed regarding, between being authenticated, weakened, or his hadith being graded hasan, so the beginner in this science is confused about which opinion to rely on, so he seeks help in dispelling this confusion by referring to the book of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.
On this occasion, I remind you of another book by al-Hafiz Imam al-Dhahabi. Although we cannot say he does not rival al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, considering that the later scholar may correct the earlier one, he is undoubtedly an Imam who encompassed the critics in the biographies of men. Sufficient for you as proof of that is the great and noble book he named "Mizan al-I'tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal" (The Scale of Moderation in the Critique of Men). We find al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar contradicting al-Dhahabi in some of these biographies that he included in "al-Mizan"; just as he contradicts him in some other biographies that al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi mentioned in his book "al-Kashif," which is very concise and can be close to the style of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in his "Taqrib," except that al-Hafiz in this book is more concise in expression and more precise in summarizing the statements of those who differed in the biography of the man; unlike al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him); for in his book "al-Kashif," he may mention one or two opinions and attribute them to those who said them, while he does not give his own opinion... independently, and if we refer to "al-Mizan," we would find detail there for him.
The point here is that a student of knowledge, if he has practiced this discipline and a long time has passed as we mentioned, has the right to take from the statement of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, or from the statement of al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi, or from whoever is in their rank among the imams of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil (the critique and vindication of narrators). And if this is a scientific reality that everyone who has participated and looked into the statements of the scholars knows—when they may differ regarding a single narrator—then it becomes clear to him that there is no harm for any of the later scholars if he disagrees with al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in a statement or in a position he adopted. For example, his statement that al-Hasan al-Basri is in the second rank, which is the rank where one argues with his tadlis (concealment of a defect in a chain), while others held that there is disagreement regarding his hadith until it is accepted by him. So whoever is in the third rank or below that, nothing from his hadith is used as evidence unless he explicitly narrates it.
This is what I have in answer to this question, and we ask Allah for us and for you...
Source
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