The criterion for accepting a narrator’s report of a hadith by meaning.

The questioner : I say that there is reporting a hadith by meaning.

The Shaykh : The hadith?

The questioner : By meaning, O Shaykh, you know that the majority of hadith scholars are of the opinion that it is permissible, and they stipulated the same condition, which is that the narrator who reports by meaning must be knowledgeable about the indication of the words and what their meanings imply. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned that the precision of the narrator is sufficient in this.

The Shaykh : ... .

The questioner : The precision in the narrator is sufficient, I mean, as a condition for this narrator; because in that case, he has precision in both the wording and the meaning. But, O Shaykh, what confuses me is that some words are extremely precise, used by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and this precision leads to a specific meaning or a specific ruling. Then some narrators, possibly even the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), ... in transmitting the hadith, and it passes ... by meaning, and is accepted according to the conditions of the hadith scholars because the narrator is precise and knows what the meanings imply, and this passes and ... it is possible, I mean, a close example of what you mentioned is in the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr that he was ... placing his right hand over his left while standing in prayer, in the text of standing as you mentioned, that this wording came from other than ... , and it may not be precise; so how, O Shaykh, is the criterion for knowing these matters, accepting what is acceptable and rejecting what is rejected?

The Shaykh : In any case, every narration like this narration has a specific study. We say that this hadith, the hadith of Wa'il that I mentioned as an example, Wa'il certainly mentioned it on the occasion of an issue that was being discussed, so the reality required him to cite a phrase from his hadith which he narrated in detail; as we mentioned in some additions in "Sahih Muslim," and when the occasion arose, he mentioned this piece from that hadith. Those who were present understood his intended meaning completely, but those who were far from his hadith, like our brothers today, may fall into misunderstanding if we have not encompassed the other hadiths. If the subject relates to the narration, as I said, he did not err; because he gave the specific ruling in the issue presented, separated from the context of the hadith which he usually narrates in its entirety. But the error comes from the later scholars who do not combine the original of his hadith ... and this phrase that was cut from it on the occasion that necessitated this excerpt. And from here comes the ignorance, not from the hadith scholar; it is from the one who hears the hadith ... and the one who did not attend the session. As for those who attended the session, they do not understand except the correct understanding; therefore, we say it is not permissible for us to come now with a new understanding by which we legislate ... , and it is not permissible to act upon it absolutely ... , so this is the answer to what you asked.