When two hadiths appear contradictory to the observer, and it is not possible to reconcile them, nor to identify the abrogating from the abrogated
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The questioner : As we heard from you, or in some of the recorded tapes with your voice, regarding the science of hadith terminology, that if a scholar has two contradictory hadiths, he must reconcile them. If he cannot, he proceeds to the second level and prioritizes the abrogating over the abrogated. If he is not successful in this, he proceeds to the third level, which is if one of them is more authentic than the other. And thus, you mentioned in this tape a statement from Imam Ibn Hajar in "Sharh al-Nukhba" that if the scholar cannot achieve this reconciliation, he pauses. After that, you mentioned from some of the Hanbalis their saying: "If they contradict, they are both dropped," and so on.
The Shaykh : It is not the Hanbalis, but the Hanafis.
The questioner : The Hanafis.
The Shaykh : Yes, please.
The questioner : And thus I said: Rather, it is obligatory to fall back to acting with one of them; meaning, one of these hadiths; so what about the scholar?
The Shaykh : What is the last sentence?
The questioner : I said: It is obligatory for the scholar to fall back.
The Shaykh : Fall back?
The questioner : Fall back.
The Shaykh : What does "fall back" mean?
The questioner : That was your wording in the tape; meaning, acting.
The Shaykh : But what did you understand, in any case?
The questioner : I understood that the scholar, even if he is not successful in this, must, meaning, definitely, act with one of these two hadiths.
The Shaykh : No, that is another error. Rather, he delegates the knowledge to its expert, that is what is meant.
The questioner : Yes, I assumed, meaning I said: If he is not more knowledgeable than this man in his time regarding hadith, and he is not successful in reconciling the two hadiths.
The Shaykh : You have raised all of this, but the last sentence: He was unable to reconcile, and he was unable to know the abrogating from the abrogated, and he was unable to judge the difference in authenticity between the two hadiths. This is the third level, the final level after which there is nothing. He should say: Allah knows best, and delegate the knowledge to its expert.
The questioner : Meaning, he does not act...
The Shaykh : He is unable to act, because what does it mean?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He is unable to act; because if he is told: Act with hadith number one, another person stands up and says: Why do you not act with hadith number two? If you tell him: This one is more authentic than that one, the claim is refuted; because the claim is that both are in the same level. This is what we have studied from "Sharh al-Nukhba" and we always establish it. And if the meaning that al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar says, which we adopt, and which has been recorded from our tongue many times, becomes clear to you; perhaps you no longer have a question.
The questioner : No, when I heard the word "falling back" to acting with one of these hadiths, of course I said: I will ask the Shaykh how to act in it? So...?
The Shaykh : No, no, the tape may not be clear; because the word "falling back" here—may Allah reward you—as is not hidden from you, has no meaning at all; meaning, the three levels are clear to you.
The questioner : Yes, they are clear to me.
The Shaykh : They are clear to you. Good; the final level is that two contradictory hadiths are both in the same level; certainly al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar says: He delegates the knowledge to its expert. He does not say: "If they contradict, they are both dropped." He does not say: "If they contradict, they are both dropped"; he says: Allah knows best what He intends. As for this "falling back," this is the first time I have heard it in such an occasion.
The questioner : The tape was with me...
The Shaykh : By Allah, if it is available now.
The questioner : By Allah, it is not available now.
The Shaykh : It would be good to listen to it here to correct it, as it may be an error from us—for example—in the wording, and every son of Adam is prone to error, but according to my understanding of this science—and I have reached a great age in it, as you see—I do not think that such a word would ever come in such an occasion.
Good; what else is there?
The Shaykh : It is not the Hanbalis, but the Hanafis.
The questioner : The Hanafis.
The Shaykh : Yes, please.
The questioner : And thus I said: Rather, it is obligatory to fall back to acting with one of them; meaning, one of these hadiths; so what about the scholar?
The Shaykh : What is the last sentence?
The questioner : I said: It is obligatory for the scholar to fall back.
The Shaykh : Fall back?
The questioner : Fall back.
The Shaykh : What does "fall back" mean?
The questioner : That was your wording in the tape; meaning, acting.
The Shaykh : But what did you understand, in any case?
The questioner : I understood that the scholar, even if he is not successful in this, must, meaning, definitely, act with one of these two hadiths.
The Shaykh : No, that is another error. Rather, he delegates the knowledge to its expert, that is what is meant.
The questioner : Yes, I assumed, meaning I said: If he is not more knowledgeable than this man in his time regarding hadith, and he is not successful in reconciling the two hadiths.
The Shaykh : You have raised all of this, but the last sentence: He was unable to reconcile, and he was unable to know the abrogating from the abrogated, and he was unable to judge the difference in authenticity between the two hadiths. This is the third level, the final level after which there is nothing. He should say: Allah knows best, and delegate the knowledge to its expert.
The questioner : Meaning, he does not act...
The Shaykh : He is unable to act, because what does it mean?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He is unable to act; because if he is told: Act with hadith number one, another person stands up and says: Why do you not act with hadith number two? If you tell him: This one is more authentic than that one, the claim is refuted; because the claim is that both are in the same level. This is what we have studied from "Sharh al-Nukhba" and we always establish it. And if the meaning that al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar says, which we adopt, and which has been recorded from our tongue many times, becomes clear to you; perhaps you no longer have a question.
The questioner : No, when I heard the word "falling back" to acting with one of these hadiths, of course I said: I will ask the Shaykh how to act in it? So...?
The Shaykh : No, no, the tape may not be clear; because the word "falling back" here—may Allah reward you—as is not hidden from you, has no meaning at all; meaning, the three levels are clear to you.
The questioner : Yes, they are clear to me.
The Shaykh : They are clear to you. Good; the final level is that two contradictory hadiths are both in the same level; certainly al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar says: He delegates the knowledge to its expert. He does not say: "If they contradict, they are both dropped." He does not say: "If they contradict, they are both dropped"; he says: Allah knows best what He intends. As for this "falling back," this is the first time I have heard it in such an occasion.
The questioner : The tape was with me...
The Shaykh : By Allah, if it is available now.
The questioner : By Allah, it is not available now.
The Shaykh : It would be good to listen to it here to correct it, as it may be an error from us—for example—in the wording, and every son of Adam is prone to error, but according to my understanding of this science—and I have reached a great age in it, as you see—I do not think that such a word would ever come in such an occasion.
Good; what else is there?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.