If al-Bayhaqi narrates a hadith through al-Bazzar, and you wish to examine the chain to verify or weaken the hadith, do you look at al-Bazzar’s chain or al-Bayhaqi’s chain?

The questioner : It was said: through al-Bazzar. So when you want to examine the chain to verify or weaken the hadith, do you look at al-Bazzar’s chain or the chain of Imam al-Bayhaqi?

The Shaykh : What I understood from your words just now is that al-Bayhaqi narrated it through al-Bazzar.

The questioner : Yes, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : What is the difference between al-Bazzar’s chain and al-Bayhaqi’s chain that you are asking this question?

The questioner : Al-Bayhaqi is later.

The Shaykh : Answer me with something I do not know.

The questioner : Yes, the addition of narrators in al-Bayhaqi’s chain.

The Shaykh : Where is the addition? You are saying al-Bayhaqi narrated it through al-Bazzar.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : What does it mean to narrate through al-Bazzar? It means al-Bayhaqi said: So-and-so narrated to me, he said: So-and-so narrated to me, he said: Al-Bazzar narrated to me.

The questioner : That is correct.

The Shaykh : Okay, what is the benefit?

The questioner : Now, So-and-so narrated to me from So-and-so; are these two men examined?

The Shaykh : Second.

The questioner : In order to verify the chain.

The Shaykh : My brother, the chain is in al-Bazzar’s Musnad.

The questioner : So then, they are not examined.

The Shaykh: Of course.

The questioner : Yes, meaning the reliance is on what is below al-Bazzar, meaning what is above al-Bazzar, al-Bazzar’s shaykh and those above him.

The Shaykh : Of course, yes.

The questioner : I mean, my shaykh, the issue I had was a valid hadith from al-Bazzar; when al-Bazzar’s student narrated this hadith...

The Shaykh : A valid hadith from al-Bazzar? Do you not mean it is in his collection?

The questioner : In his collection, yes.

The Shaykh : God is Great. Okay.