What is the remedy for one who doubts many of the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) matters, such as the seven readings?
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The questioner : What is the remedy for one who doubts many of the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) matters, such as the seven readings, and says?
The Shaykh : Shaykh, please go ahead.
Another questioner : I have two questions, just.
The questioner : And he says: Since we have not seen a connected chain of narration in the approved books, they may be the independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) and juristic preference (istihsan) of some scholars, and he does not accept much of what the scholars say is a collective obligation (fard kifayah); rather, he wants a clear text for all of that?
The Shaykh : Excuse me, it seems there is a clear contradiction in the question; so please repeat it to me?
The questioner : What is the remedy for one who doubts many of the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) matters, such as the seven readings?
The Shaykh : How can it be from the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) when he first doubts, and then says: I want a chain of narration?
The questioner : This statement, I say that these readings are mutawatir (mass-transmitted). He doubts these readings that we read with, and in my belief they are mutawatir (mass-transmitted). That is what he doubts, as if that is the meaning of the question?
The Shaykh : Does he mean that the scholars of readings, for example, say that they are mutawatir (mass-transmitted)?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But the questioner doubts this statement of theirs!
The questioner : No, the questioner is facing this problem because he is a student in the college.
The Shaykh : No problem, his presentation of the problem is contradictory!
The questioner : Yes, I am reading from the question.
The Shaykh : In any case, we answer with an answer that covers the question, while clarifying that there is an error in it; because if his statement is that he is asking about mutawatir (mass-transmitted) matters, but he or someone else doubts them; how is it correct for a Muslim to doubt a mutawatir (mass-transmitted) matter? But I understand that his question means the following: that the scholars, such as the scholars of the seven readings, for example, say that these readings are mutawatir (mass-transmitted), and he is not convinced that they are mutawatir (mass-transmitted); because he is asking for the chain of narration. So we say, as an answer in the end: O brother, O questioner, it is obligatory to refer to the specialists in every science, and to ask them about what pertains to their science, and it is not permissible for the ignorant person to scrutinize and demand a chain of narration when he has no knowledge of this subject; meaning, my example, for instance, I authenticate a hadith for him, and he says to me: Okay, what is the chain of narration in your authentication of this hadith? I say to him: Sit and study the science of hadith terminology and the science of narrators for years until you understand how I authenticate this hadith, and likewise the opposite, for example, the weak hadith, and so on. The general public cannot understand the sciences in which the specialists have specialized, just because the answer did not enter his mind. I remind you of the verse that we have often repeated to your ears on other than this occasion:[An-Nahl 16:43].
So the one who doubts the readings can never know the reality of these readings as scientific research requires, unless he is from the specialists; so he is one of two people: either he is from the specialists, and it is said: Research to know, like a hadith from the hadiths, it is said that it is a mutawatir (mass-transmitted) hadith; so who is able to know if this statement is correct or not? The specialists. So if a questioner asked me about a hadith from the hadiths that I claim is mutawatir (mass-transmitted); like a hadith, for example:Sahih al-Bukhari 3651; how did you know that this hadith is mutawatir (mass-transmitted)? I can give him a general statement, but this does not provide him with the knowledge he is reassured by, rather he must apply this verse: [An-Nahl 16:43]. Likewise, I, for example, am a specialist in readings, so I cannot discuss or criticize specifically one who claims that a certain verse is mutawatir (mass-transmitted) in its reading in a specific way.
So what is obligatory upon me? It is obligatory, as I do in an illness that befalls me, I do not burden my mind and strain myself to know by my own independent legal reasoning (ijtihad), which is based on ignorance of medicine, what my ailment is, so that I can provide treatment for myself; this is impossible!! I ask the specialists among the doctors, and they are the ones who guide me to the treatment and the medicine, and so it is; so it is said to this questioner: It is not permissible for you to demand a chain of narration; because you cannot know the chain of narration pertaining to that science until you study the study of those people who say: This is mutawatir (mass-transmitted), and this reading is an ahad (limited chain) reading that is not relied upon or not read with, or so on.
And this is a rule, it is ... not in the science of readings, but in all the sciences that the questioners are ignorant of, and this is a condition before chaos that has no end, as we said earlier: Everyone does independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) and says: This is halal (lawful) for me, even if so-and-so said: It is haram (forbidden), for example, or the opposite, or something similar, and this chaos is now spreading in the books that you see. One person may not be able to read a phrase properly, and that appears in the annotations; he writes for you: The such-and-such book, edited by so-and-so, what is this editing? It is a patchwork, to cooperate in this patchwork with some modern indexes, and then he becomes an editor!! Let us see the amazing things in these new annotations!!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And all of this is not submitting to the Shari'ah in everything that a person needs; so the answer is:[An-Nahl 16:43], it will come out in your hand and you will become like them, then you will go around and research, you may reach knowing the truth they claim or proving their error in what they say.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Like this.
The Shaykh : Shaykh, please go ahead.
Another questioner : I have two questions, just.
The questioner : And he says: Since we have not seen a connected chain of narration in the approved books, they may be the independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) and juristic preference (istihsan) of some scholars, and he does not accept much of what the scholars say is a collective obligation (fard kifayah); rather, he wants a clear text for all of that?
The Shaykh : Excuse me, it seems there is a clear contradiction in the question; so please repeat it to me?
The questioner : What is the remedy for one who doubts many of the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) matters, such as the seven readings?
The Shaykh : How can it be from the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) when he first doubts, and then says: I want a chain of narration?
The questioner : This statement, I say that these readings are mutawatir (mass-transmitted). He doubts these readings that we read with, and in my belief they are mutawatir (mass-transmitted). That is what he doubts, as if that is the meaning of the question?
The Shaykh : Does he mean that the scholars of readings, for example, say that they are mutawatir (mass-transmitted)?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But the questioner doubts this statement of theirs!
The questioner : No, the questioner is facing this problem because he is a student in the college.
The Shaykh : No problem, his presentation of the problem is contradictory!
The questioner : Yes, I am reading from the question.
The Shaykh : In any case, we answer with an answer that covers the question, while clarifying that there is an error in it; because if his statement is that he is asking about mutawatir (mass-transmitted) matters, but he or someone else doubts them; how is it correct for a Muslim to doubt a mutawatir (mass-transmitted) matter? But I understand that his question means the following: that the scholars, such as the scholars of the seven readings, for example, say that these readings are mutawatir (mass-transmitted), and he is not convinced that they are mutawatir (mass-transmitted); because he is asking for the chain of narration. So we say, as an answer in the end: O brother, O questioner, it is obligatory to refer to the specialists in every science, and to ask them about what pertains to their science, and it is not permissible for the ignorant person to scrutinize and demand a chain of narration when he has no knowledge of this subject; meaning, my example, for instance, I authenticate a hadith for him, and he says to me: Okay, what is the chain of narration in your authentication of this hadith? I say to him: Sit and study the science of hadith terminology and the science of narrators for years until you understand how I authenticate this hadith, and likewise the opposite, for example, the weak hadith, and so on. The general public cannot understand the sciences in which the specialists have specialized, just because the answer did not enter his mind. I remind you of the verse that we have often repeated to your ears on other than this occasion:
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَSo the one who doubts the readings can never know the reality of these readings as scientific research requires, unless he is from the specialists; so he is one of two people: either he is from the specialists, and it is said: Research to know, like a hadith from the hadiths, it is said that it is a mutawatir (mass-transmitted) hadith; so who is able to know if this statement is correct or not? The specialists. So if a questioner asked me about a hadith from the hadiths that I claim is mutawatir (mass-transmitted); like a hadith, for example:
The best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter
خير الناس قرني ، ثم الذين يلونهم ، ثم الذين يلونهمSo ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَSo what is obligatory upon me? It is obligatory, as I do in an illness that befalls me, I do not burden my mind and strain myself to know by my own independent legal reasoning (ijtihad), which is based on ignorance of medicine, what my ailment is, so that I can provide treatment for myself; this is impossible!! I ask the specialists among the doctors, and they are the ones who guide me to the treatment and the medicine, and so it is; so it is said to this questioner: It is not permissible for you to demand a chain of narration; because you cannot know the chain of narration pertaining to that science until you study the study of those people who say: This is mutawatir (mass-transmitted), and this reading is an ahad (limited chain) reading that is not relied upon or not read with, or so on.
And this is a rule, it is ... not in the science of readings, but in all the sciences that the questioners are ignorant of, and this is a condition before chaos that has no end, as we said earlier: Everyone does independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) and says: This is halal (lawful) for me, even if so-and-so said: It is haram (forbidden), for example, or the opposite, or something similar, and this chaos is now spreading in the books that you see. One person may not be able to read a phrase properly, and that appears in the annotations; he writes for you: The such-and-such book, edited by so-and-so, what is this editing? It is a patchwork, to cooperate in this patchwork with some modern indexes, and then he becomes an editor!! Let us see the amazing things in these new annotations!!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And all of this is not submitting to the Shari'ah in everything that a person needs; so the answer is:
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Like this.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.