Is it correct to say that al-Tirmidhi is to be followed in his weakening of hadith but not in his authentication?

The questioner: His EminenceThe Shaykh : Is it correct to say that al-Tirmidhi is to be followed in his weakening of hadith but not in his authentication?

The Shaykh : In my opinion, this is closer to being acceptable, but not absolutely. It is not absolute for one who has dealt with this matter and practiced it for a long period. Otherwise, the lenient often becomes strict, and the strict often becomes lenient. So there is no fixed rule; rather, it is a rule of the majority. Al-Tirmidhi is known for his leniency in authentication, and he is not known for that in weakening. So the default is that he is to be followed in his weakening, but not always. The clearest thing that illustrates this is that al-Tirmidhi’s weakening may be correct regarding the chain of a certain hadith, but there may be something for this hadith that strengthens it and takes it out of the weakness by which al-Tirmidhi weakened it. So it is not appropriate to take it as a consistent rule that al-Tirmidhi’s weakening is relied upon absolutely. In reality, there is no consistent rule such that a person accumulates upon it, rests, and is thereby spared from research and verification. Rather, verification is what students of knowledge should rely upon. But every science must be started by its practitioner gradually. So the beginners in this science must follow the imams of hadith in authentication and weakening, even if there is some criticism in their authentication and weakening. This reliance is necessary, just as the follower of a scholar is with the independent jurist. Unless it becomes clear to him that this hadith scholar erred in authentication or weakening, in which case he returns to the scientific rules of hadith and applies them, and does not follow the opinion of al-Tirmidhi or others who are lenient in authentication or moderate in weakening. Yes.

The questioner : And do you consider Ibn Hajar’s statement on the authenticity or weakness of a hadith ... to be sufficient to some extent?

The Shaykh : It is so; because al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar is, in reality, among the great scholars, preservers, and verifiers who combined the knowledge of hadith with the knowledge of language, jurisprudence, comparative jurisprudence, and the like. So he is a pillar to be relied upon, and he is worthy of being relied upon. But with the observation of the rule established by Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) in his saying: "There is no one among us except that he was returned to and returned upon, except the owner of this grave (peace and blessings be upon him)." But the majority of his work is correct. It should be relied upon more than relying on al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban from two aspects:
First: because he came after them and supplements what Allah wills from them.
And second: because he has a broader knowledge and understanding of the paths of hadith, the narrators of hadith, and the statements of scholars regarding it.
Yes.