If two hadiths conflict and we do not know which is the abrogating and which is the abrogated, and they cannot be reconciled; what are the criteria used by the researcher?
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The questioner: Your honorable father - may Allah preserve you - if two hadiths conflict and it is not known which is the abrogating and which is the abrogated, and they cannot be reconciled; what are the criteria used by the researcher? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: The scholars of hadith have addressed this situation that has arisen.The questioner : , and the most comprehensive statement I have seen on this issue is the statement of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in his treatise "Sharh al-Nukhba." He mentioned and said: "If two hadiths from the category of acceptable ones come in conflict, it is obligatory to reconcile them by one of the many methods." Al-Hafiz - because his book is concise - did not mention that al-Hafiz al-Iraqi, in his "Sharh" on the "Introduction of Ibn al-Salah," stated that the methods mentioned by the scholars that enable them to reconcile two conflicting hadiths are more than a hundred; therefore, it is very, very, very rare that we imagine the situation he mentioned.The questioner : ; that it was not possible to reconcile the two hadiths by any of these methods.
And it would be good forThe questioner : to give an example so we can see if it is truly impossible to reconcile by any of those many methods, but we continue to quote the full statement of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar; because that is the answer to this question; he said: "The two acceptable hadiths are reconciled by one of the methods mentioned by the scholars." When he says "acceptable," one should be aware of his intent; that is: that each of the two conflicting hadiths must be established in itself. As for if a sound hadith comes and is contradicted by a weak hadith; then there is no need to reconcile the established and the non-established; therefore he said: "If two hadiths from the category of acceptable - that is, established - come, either at the level of hasan or the level of sahih, he said: 'It is obligatory to reconcile them by one of the many methods'; if reconciliation is not possible, the second stage comes, he said: 'The abrogating and the abrogated are considered,' that is: we look; if it is possible to know which is earlier and which is later, the earlier is abrogated by the later, this is the second stage; that is: it is said: such and such a hadith is earlier, and it is abrogated by the hadith that came after it.
He said: "If it is not possible to determine the date that indicates that one is earlier and the other is later, then one proceeds to preference (tarjih)"; that is: the third step is proceeding to preference, the meaning of this: he mentioned earlier in the first situation the reconciliation of the two acceptable hadiths, and the intended meaning is what is hasan or above, if we are unable to reconcile and unable to know the abrogating from the abrogated, he said: "We proceed to preference," the meaning of that: we look at which of the two hadiths is stronger than the other, the stronger is relied upon, and the weaker one below it is set aside; for example:
A sahih hadith is contradicted by a hasan hadith, and reconciliation is not possible, and we are unable to know the date - that is, the abrogating from the abrogated - we leave the hasan and take the sahih.
A sahih hadith is contradicted by a famous or widely transmitted hadith, but the sahih hadith is ahad, strange, and singular, we leave this singular hadith and take the famous, widely transmitted hadith which has more than one route.
A hadith of this type, sahih and widely transmitted or famous, is contradicted by a mutawatir hadith, the hadith is preferred ... .
... The fourth and last: he said: "If they are equal in authenticity, the matter is left to the people of knowledge, and we say: Allah knows best." Some scholars say in this last situation: "They conflicted and both fell," this is an error in statement, it is not permissible for a Muslim who knows what comes out of his mouth to say; because the hadiths of the Messenger - peace be upon him - are not treated with this treatment "they conflicted and both fell" !! Rather we say: Allah knows best His intent.
So do you think is there a hadith in the mind ofThe questioner : or one of the attendees that he thinks cannot be reconciled so that we say: they conflicted, so Allah knows best His intent? I do not think such a thing exists; due to the many routes mentioned by the scholars in their books, and each of these routes can be a means to reconcile the two conflicting hadiths.
Other than that?
The Shaykh: The scholars of hadith have addressed this situation that has arisen.The questioner : , and the most comprehensive statement I have seen on this issue is the statement of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in his treatise "Sharh al-Nukhba." He mentioned and said: "If two hadiths from the category of acceptable ones come in conflict, it is obligatory to reconcile them by one of the many methods." Al-Hafiz - because his book is concise - did not mention that al-Hafiz al-Iraqi, in his "Sharh" on the "Introduction of Ibn al-Salah," stated that the methods mentioned by the scholars that enable them to reconcile two conflicting hadiths are more than a hundred; therefore, it is very, very, very rare that we imagine the situation he mentioned.The questioner : ; that it was not possible to reconcile the two hadiths by any of these methods.
And it would be good forThe questioner : to give an example so we can see if it is truly impossible to reconcile by any of those many methods, but we continue to quote the full statement of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar; because that is the answer to this question; he said: "The two acceptable hadiths are reconciled by one of the methods mentioned by the scholars." When he says "acceptable," one should be aware of his intent; that is: that each of the two conflicting hadiths must be established in itself. As for if a sound hadith comes and is contradicted by a weak hadith; then there is no need to reconcile the established and the non-established; therefore he said: "If two hadiths from the category of acceptable - that is, established - come, either at the level of hasan or the level of sahih, he said: 'It is obligatory to reconcile them by one of the many methods'; if reconciliation is not possible, the second stage comes, he said: 'The abrogating and the abrogated are considered,' that is: we look; if it is possible to know which is earlier and which is later, the earlier is abrogated by the later, this is the second stage; that is: it is said: such and such a hadith is earlier, and it is abrogated by the hadith that came after it.
He said: "If it is not possible to determine the date that indicates that one is earlier and the other is later, then one proceeds to preference (tarjih)"; that is: the third step is proceeding to preference, the meaning of this: he mentioned earlier in the first situation the reconciliation of the two acceptable hadiths, and the intended meaning is what is hasan or above, if we are unable to reconcile and unable to know the abrogating from the abrogated, he said: "We proceed to preference," the meaning of that: we look at which of the two hadiths is stronger than the other, the stronger is relied upon, and the weaker one below it is set aside; for example:
A sahih hadith is contradicted by a hasan hadith, and reconciliation is not possible, and we are unable to know the date - that is, the abrogating from the abrogated - we leave the hasan and take the sahih.
A sahih hadith is contradicted by a famous or widely transmitted hadith, but the sahih hadith is ahad, strange, and singular, we leave this singular hadith and take the famous, widely transmitted hadith which has more than one route.
A hadith of this type, sahih and widely transmitted or famous, is contradicted by a mutawatir hadith, the hadith is preferred ... .
... The fourth and last: he said: "If they are equal in authenticity, the matter is left to the people of knowledge, and we say: Allah knows best." Some scholars say in this last situation: "They conflicted and both fell," this is an error in statement, it is not permissible for a Muslim who knows what comes out of his mouth to say; because the hadiths of the Messenger - peace be upon him - are not treated with this treatment "they conflicted and both fell" !! Rather we say: Allah knows best His intent.
So do you think is there a hadith in the mind ofThe questioner : or one of the attendees that he thinks cannot be reconciled so that we say: they conflicted, so Allah knows best His intent? I do not think such a thing exists; due to the many routes mentioned by the scholars in their books, and each of these routes can be a means to reconcile the two conflicting hadiths.
Other than that?
Source
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