The people of misguidance claim that the hadith of the girl in Sahih Muslim has been judged by some scholars to be anomalous and contradictory. Is this correct?

The questioner : My Shaykh, we still have the question regarding the hadith of the girl. They claim that it is contradictory and anomalous. I told them that the narrations they are using to point out the deviation are other narrations, specifically the question the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked her, to which she said: This is not the hadith of the girl itself, but another hadith. He said, "No, who told you this?" I said, "Go back to the books of the Sunnah and you will find this." I directed a question to him: "The hadith of Muslim in 'Sahih Muslim' has not been criticized by anyone for contradiction or anomaly among the masters of this science. Do you know of anyone who has criticized it?" He said, "Yes, it exists." I said, "Who is it?" He said, "I will bring it to you in the next session." So my question to you, my Shaykh: Is this true? Does there exist even one Shaykh...

The Shaykh : I also want to draw your attention to something.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : If he tells you that this is a weak, defective hadith, just as he asked you, you should ask him: "Do you know the terminology of hadith science and the men of the chains?" He will say, "No." Then, "How do you know that this is a weak hadith? Do you know that it is in Sahih Muslim? Do you know that it is in Sahih Muslim?" He will not deny it, of course.

The questioner : Of course, he did not deny it, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Do you know that it is in Sahih Muslim? Yes, indeed. So, did you know, through your own knowledge derived from your effort and toil, that it is weak? He will say, "No." So where did you get the judgment of weakness from? He will say, "I will bring you the source." When he brings it, it will be no one but al-Siqaf. If he goes higher, it will be al-Ghamari. If he goes higher, it will be al-Zahid al-Kawthari. And he stops at this triangle. There is absolutely no one among the masters of hadith who has weakened this hadith in the Sahih. In fact, in some of my books, perhaps in al-Sahihah, God knows, which has not been published...

The questioner : Yes, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Fifteen of the masters of the Muslims who authenticated this hadith, among them are those who can be described as being in the category of the ta'wiliyyah, like Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.

The questioner : Yes. And Imam al-Bayhaqi and al-Nawawi.

The questioner : Al-Nawawi as well?

The Shaykh : Yes, all of these scholars authenticate this hadith.

The questioner : Very good.

The Shaykh : So he will tell you: "Al-Ghamari weakened it, al-Kawthari weakened it." Now I ask you, O Muslim, you do not know about authentic and weak hadith. Who is more knowledgeable in your view: Imam Ahmad, or you, until you come to al-Bayhaqi and go down to al-Asqalani? Are these more knowledgeable, or are these the later scholars from the mu'tadilah and the ta'wiliyyah from whom you are quoting? If a person is not knowledgeable in a certain science, upon whom should he rely? When our Lord says: These masters, from Muslim, and you are going down to Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, to Ibn Hajar—are you certain of their knowledge and virtue, or are you in doubt? He says, "Yes." We tell him, "Why? Why are you certain? Where did this certainty come from?" Because the entire Islamic world acknowledges the knowledge of these scholars without dispute. Although there is disagreement regarding madhhab and 'aqidah, there is disagreement between Ibn Hajar and Ibn Taymiyyah and between al-Nawawi—these are before Ibn Taymiyyah, and Ibn Taymiyyah—but there is no disagreement in the Islamic world that these are masters in knowing authentic hadiths. Do you have two or three people to oppose these, and we do not even say the same number so that it is equal in your eyes and you have the choice? The entire Islamic world acknowledges their trustworthiness regarding authentication and weakening. Here the man will be convinced, and if he is sincere, he will know that he was in clear misguidance.