What is the methodology that a beginner student should follow in the terminology of hadith?
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The questioner : And a student of the terminology, O Shaykh, it seems you have tapes, but they do not come to my mind. However, on the occasion of our brother raising these questions, I say: how should a beginner proceed?
The Shaykh : The easiest book on the subject that we can recommend starting with is *Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith*, which is an explanation of *Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith* (The Summary of the Sciences of Hadith). As is well known, *Ikhtisar* is by al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi, and *Al-Ba'ith* is by Shaykh Ahmad Shakir. This is because this man was one of the rare scholars of hadith in the present era, both in his understanding of the rules of the science and in his practical application. In addition to this, he was a strong man of eloquence in the language.
The questioner : In the language, yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. And he was not like these young emerging scholars; he was a man who had studied Shari'ah and fiqh. So when he spoke, he spoke and proceeded from a very strong standpoint. He was able to weigh the opinions, provide evidence for each, and choose the most correct one. Therefore, to the extent of my knowledge, I did not find for him a peer or an equivalent—may Allah have mercy on him—just as is the rule for every person: one must take from him and reject from him. I met him twice. Yes, the first time was in Makkah, and the second time was during the same Hajj in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. Then he visited us in Dimashq. And—may Allah have mercy on him—he was of a sharp temper; he did not have patience with the student of knowledge, especially one like me at that time, a young man who was enthusiastic. I saw that he relied on the authentication of Ibn Hibban. And I had, from what I had read in the books of some of the scholars, including al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, the conviction that the authentication of Ibn Hibban is not to be relied upon, because he based it on a rule that contradicts the terminology, which is the authentication of unknown narrators. So he did not consider this hadith rule, but rather relied on Ibn Hibban's rule in authenticating unknown narrators. So among my important objectives when I resolved to travel with the Saudi group by land, after the matter of Palestine ended as it did, was that the Saudi group was in Syria in Dimashq, and it had a Saudi leader, naturally, named Fahd al-Mariq. He chose me as a guide for the group, traveling with him by land to Riyadh, and from Riyadh to Makkah. So among the things that encouraged me to agree to this arduous journey was that I would meet Shaykh Ahmad Shakir and Shaykh Hamid al-Faqi.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The owner of the *Al-Hidayah al-Nabawiyyah* magazine and the head of the Anصار al-Sunnah. And indeed, my first concern was that I met first with Hamid al-Faqi, and then withThe Shaykh : Ahmad Shakir. When I went to Ahmad Shakir, he excused himself by saying that his wife was ill. And in his expression, which I do not forget, he said, "Madamati" (a Egyptian word for "as long as"). So it became my portion that I would sit with him later. Then I heard that he had traveled to al-Madinah, and I also had a dispensation to travel to al-Madinah, so I traveled there. I found out the hotel where he was staying, so I went to him. I raised the topic of his reliance on the authentication of Ibn Hibban. And he was a flame of fire, glory be to Allah. He said, "If we do not trust these scholars, where do we learn the science of hadith from?" I said, "No, never." I said, "But, Professor, you know that al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar explained in the introduction to *Al-Lisan* that Ibn Hibban based his reliance and authentication on a rule in which he differs from the scholars. So I agree with you in our appreciation of our scholars, but if they differ, we must look at it before any discussion. So I regretted that I returned with empty hands. Therefore, his annotations on *Al-Musnad*, a large part of them, are based on relying on the authentication of Ibn Hibban. Likewise, he authenticates Ibn Lahi'ah absolutely.
The questioner : Absolutely, yes, O Shaykh...
The Shaykh : Likewise, he does not consider the rejection of Ibn Ishaq due to his use of "an'anah" (indirect narration) and tadlis (concealment of a defect in the chain).
The Shaykh : The easiest book on the subject that we can recommend starting with is *Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith*, which is an explanation of *Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith* (The Summary of the Sciences of Hadith). As is well known, *Ikhtisar* is by al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi, and *Al-Ba'ith* is by Shaykh Ahmad Shakir. This is because this man was one of the rare scholars of hadith in the present era, both in his understanding of the rules of the science and in his practical application. In addition to this, he was a strong man of eloquence in the language.
The questioner : In the language, yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. And he was not like these young emerging scholars; he was a man who had studied Shari'ah and fiqh. So when he spoke, he spoke and proceeded from a very strong standpoint. He was able to weigh the opinions, provide evidence for each, and choose the most correct one. Therefore, to the extent of my knowledge, I did not find for him a peer or an equivalent—may Allah have mercy on him—just as is the rule for every person: one must take from him and reject from him. I met him twice. Yes, the first time was in Makkah, and the second time was during the same Hajj in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. Then he visited us in Dimashq. And—may Allah have mercy on him—he was of a sharp temper; he did not have patience with the student of knowledge, especially one like me at that time, a young man who was enthusiastic. I saw that he relied on the authentication of Ibn Hibban. And I had, from what I had read in the books of some of the scholars, including al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, the conviction that the authentication of Ibn Hibban is not to be relied upon, because he based it on a rule that contradicts the terminology, which is the authentication of unknown narrators. So he did not consider this hadith rule, but rather relied on Ibn Hibban's rule in authenticating unknown narrators. So among my important objectives when I resolved to travel with the Saudi group by land, after the matter of Palestine ended as it did, was that the Saudi group was in Syria in Dimashq, and it had a Saudi leader, naturally, named Fahd al-Mariq. He chose me as a guide for the group, traveling with him by land to Riyadh, and from Riyadh to Makkah. So among the things that encouraged me to agree to this arduous journey was that I would meet Shaykh Ahmad Shakir and Shaykh Hamid al-Faqi.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The owner of the *Al-Hidayah al-Nabawiyyah* magazine and the head of the Anصار al-Sunnah. And indeed, my first concern was that I met first with Hamid al-Faqi, and then withThe Shaykh : Ahmad Shakir. When I went to Ahmad Shakir, he excused himself by saying that his wife was ill. And in his expression, which I do not forget, he said, "Madamati" (a Egyptian word for "as long as"). So it became my portion that I would sit with him later. Then I heard that he had traveled to al-Madinah, and I also had a dispensation to travel to al-Madinah, so I traveled there. I found out the hotel where he was staying, so I went to him. I raised the topic of his reliance on the authentication of Ibn Hibban. And he was a flame of fire, glory be to Allah. He said, "If we do not trust these scholars, where do we learn the science of hadith from?" I said, "No, never." I said, "But, Professor, you know that al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar explained in the introduction to *Al-Lisan* that Ibn Hibban based his reliance and authentication on a rule in which he differs from the scholars. So I agree with you in our appreciation of our scholars, but if they differ, we must look at it before any discussion. So I regretted that I returned with empty hands. Therefore, his annotations on *Al-Musnad*, a large part of them, are based on relying on the authentication of Ibn Hibban. Likewise, he authenticates Ibn Lahi'ah absolutely.
The questioner : Absolutely, yes, O Shaykh...
The Shaykh : Likewise, he does not consider the rejection of Ibn Ishaq due to his use of "an'anah" (indirect narration) and tadlis (concealment of a defect in the chain).
Source
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