The Shaykh’s completion of the answer regarding the methodology a student of knowledge follows in learning the terminology of hadith.
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The questioner : We return, Shaykh, to the terminology after this intense encouragement. This is with regard to that.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : After that, he should try to ascend to the original abridgment of the sciences of hadith, meaning the book of Ibn al-Salah, *al-Muqaddimah*, with the commentary of al-Hafiz al-Iraqi on it. And he must, during that process, refer to the treatise of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, *Sharh al-Nukhba*.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because this book is truly from an imam for whom we know no equivalent.
The questioner : (may Allah have mercy on him).
The Shaykh : In the science of hadith and the science of terminology and the rules of this science, he condensed this science in this treatise. It would have been better to start with it, were it not for the very heavy compression and abridgment in it, which a beginner may not understand. If a knowledgeable man becomes available for this beginner,
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : a distinguished and well-established scholar,
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : and he studied the treatise with him, this would be a very great gain for the student of knowledge. But because of its extreme brevity, it is not easy for the student of knowledge to uncover the treasures contained in this treatise. The point is that from the abridgment of Ibn Kathir, one must refer to the sources from which it was derived and from which this abridgment was taken, such as the book, for example, *'Ulum al-Hadith* by al-Hakim, and the book of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi. What is its name?
The questioner : *Al-Kafiyah*.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : *Al-Kafiyah*.
The Shaykh : *Al-Kafiyah*, yes. And by this, the student of knowledge is able to purify this science from these sources, which are the mainstay of students of knowledge in this field. Then he must practice practically in knowing these terms, which are intellectual rules. For example, if he studies the definition of an authentic hadith, he must take a hadith with its chain of narration and study it in light of what he has read, and judge whether it is authentic or good. Because regarding the good hadith, there is an extreme precision, as al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi pointed out in his treatise *al-Muqaddimah* on the good hadith. And this is something that beginners in this science do not notice. The good hadith: one researcher hesitates in his judgment on it, let alone two or three researchers. It may appear to him that this chain is good one time, and it may appear to him that it is weak another time. What do you think if the research and examination are distributed among two or three people? There must be disagreement in it. Those who grow up in this science do not appreciate this. One says this is good, and it is weak. And when he weakens it, he relies on some statements and does not mix with these statements other statements that strengthen this narrator and make his hadith at least good. The point of all this speech is that one must apply practically what he has studied of this science before he comes out to the people with a composition of a treatise or a book. And unfortunately, this is what does not happen.
The questioner : A piece of advice you mentioned, my Shaykh... We listened to your blessed tapes and acted upon them.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : After that, he should try to ascend to the original abridgment of the sciences of hadith, meaning the book of Ibn al-Salah, *al-Muqaddimah*, with the commentary of al-Hafiz al-Iraqi on it. And he must, during that process, refer to the treatise of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, *Sharh al-Nukhba*.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because this book is truly from an imam for whom we know no equivalent.
The questioner : (may Allah have mercy on him).
The Shaykh : In the science of hadith and the science of terminology and the rules of this science, he condensed this science in this treatise. It would have been better to start with it, were it not for the very heavy compression and abridgment in it, which a beginner may not understand. If a knowledgeable man becomes available for this beginner,
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : a distinguished and well-established scholar,
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : and he studied the treatise with him, this would be a very great gain for the student of knowledge. But because of its extreme brevity, it is not easy for the student of knowledge to uncover the treasures contained in this treatise. The point is that from the abridgment of Ibn Kathir, one must refer to the sources from which it was derived and from which this abridgment was taken, such as the book, for example, *'Ulum al-Hadith* by al-Hakim, and the book of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi. What is its name?
The questioner : *Al-Kafiyah*.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : *Al-Kafiyah*.
The Shaykh : *Al-Kafiyah*, yes. And by this, the student of knowledge is able to purify this science from these sources, which are the mainstay of students of knowledge in this field. Then he must practice practically in knowing these terms, which are intellectual rules. For example, if he studies the definition of an authentic hadith, he must take a hadith with its chain of narration and study it in light of what he has read, and judge whether it is authentic or good. Because regarding the good hadith, there is an extreme precision, as al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi pointed out in his treatise *al-Muqaddimah* on the good hadith. And this is something that beginners in this science do not notice. The good hadith: one researcher hesitates in his judgment on it, let alone two or three researchers. It may appear to him that this chain is good one time, and it may appear to him that it is weak another time. What do you think if the research and examination are distributed among two or three people? There must be disagreement in it. Those who grow up in this science do not appreciate this. One says this is good, and it is weak. And when he weakens it, he relies on some statements and does not mix with these statements other statements that strengthen this narrator and make his hadith at least good. The point of all this speech is that one must apply practically what he has studied of this science before he comes out to the people with a composition of a treatise or a book. And unfortunately, this is what does not happen.
The questioner : A piece of advice you mentioned, my Shaykh... We listened to your blessed tapes and acted upon them.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed!
Source
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The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.