What is your opinion on the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah that a weak hadith may be narrated if it contains a reward for an established act?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, I have several important questions. If you permit, may I ask them?
The Shaykh : And if they are not important.
The questioner : You do not answer them.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : If they are not important...
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : Shaykh, you stated that a weak hadith is not acted upon in the virtues of deeds, and this is true. But there is also a statement by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, which you mentioned, where he said: "It is not permissible to rely in the Shari'ah on weak hadiths that are neither authentic nor good. However, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and other scholars permitted narrating in the virtues of deeds what is not known to be established, provided it is not known to be a lie. This is because... This is because if an act is known to be prescribed by a Shari'ah proof, and a hadith is narrated regarding its virtue that is not known to be a lie, it is permissible that the reward may be true. No one among the Imams said that it is permissible to make something obligatory or recommended based on a weak hadith. Whoever says this has contradicted the consensus." Shaykh, when you responded to the three conditions set for not acting upon a weak hadith, you said that the second condition is that it must fall under a principle acted upon in the Shari'ah. You said that if it has an established principle in the Shari'ah, what is the need to act upon the weak hadith? We take the authentic principle. Now, Shaykh, this applies to a hadith that implies action. But what about the statement of Shaykh al-Islam...? It includes, for example, a hadith that is authentic regarding the virtues of deeds, and then a weak hadith comes that specifies the reward for that act. Did you not address the response to this?
The Shaykh : I did not address the response to it. You must give an example so we can see.
The questioner : For example, Shaykh, an act established by an authentic hadith.
The Shaykh : Do not repeat the claim. Give an example, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : There is no example in general.
The Shaykh : Not in general... I want to show you the response you are asking for now.
The questioner : I mean.
The Shaykh : In general, what do you mean by in general? Let me give you an example, like a hadith about the month of Rajab. It encourages fasting on the first day of Rajab. Is it permissible to act upon it?
The questioner: No, it is not permissible.
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : It has no established principle.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It has no established principle from the Messenger of Allah.
The Shaykh : Then why did you read all this text?
The questioner : I read it if there is an act that has an established principle, meaning by an authentic hadith, and another weak hadith comes.
The Shaykh : Does fasting have no established principle?
The questioner : Yes, but this specific designation was not reported.
The Shaykh : Okay, the specific designation was not reported.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, it is not permissible to take it, because it involves a specific designation.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so does this return to the same thing you asked about or criticized? What is the loss if we say we do not act upon the weak hadith, since the general principle is sufficient for us? What is the loss?
The questioner : There is no loss.
The Shaykh : Then I do not understand you, or you do not understand me.
The questioner : For example, Shaykh, the Dhuha prayer.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : This is established.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : A weak hadith came to us, with a slight weakness, meaning.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : It specifies a reward for this prayer.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : So does this also fall under the hadiths that are not acted upon in the virtues of deeds?
The Shaykh : What does "fall under" mean?
The questioner : Meaning we do not take it, we do not believe in it.
The Shaykh : And what does "take it" mean? The opposite of "not take it"? What is it? We take it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So do we take it?
The questioner : By Allah, the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says that if it is not known to be a lie and not known to be established, it means it is permissible that a reward may have been reported.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. You left the topic and said it is permissible.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible, but what is the reality for us?
The questioner : Meaning the reality is that there is no... like this.
The Shaykh : How?
The student : Right...
The Shaykh : Ah, here, okay, in the name of Allah.
The questioner : Is the heating on, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Perhaps, by Allah.
The student : It is attached to the last one.
The Shaykh : ...
The student: Ah, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : This one is off, this one.
The student : This one is off.
The Shaykh : Okay, and this one.
The student : That is enough. Since this one is off, it is strange, but you will feel heat coming out...
The Shaykh : Let us see, now we will turn off the glass too.
The student : ...
The Shaykh : I will give you an example now regarding the Dhuha prayerSahih Ibn Khuzaymah 2:850.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is a weak hadith. Do we take it?
The questioner : Weak? How weak? Is its weakness severe or not?
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Excuse me, Shaykh, you mentioned the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in your response to...
The Shaykh: May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Meaning based on the statement...
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. You are a difficult man, it is apparent on you.
The questioner : Okay, let us take it.
The Shaykh : You do not like the speech, you do not like the answer by the shortest path.
The questioner : Okay, no problem, excuse me.
The Shaykh : Do we take it or not?
The questioner : We do not take it.
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : It relates to creed, meaning.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. Every hadith in worship relates to creed... Are you not aware of how you proceed? And are you not aware that you understand what your question is? Okay.
The questioner : Okay, clarify the statement of Shaykh al-Islam here.
The Shaykh : But, my brother.
The Shaykh : And if they are not important.
The questioner : You do not answer them.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : If they are not important...
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : Shaykh, you stated that a weak hadith is not acted upon in the virtues of deeds, and this is true. But there is also a statement by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, which you mentioned, where he said: "It is not permissible to rely in the Shari'ah on weak hadiths that are neither authentic nor good. However, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and other scholars permitted narrating in the virtues of deeds what is not known to be established, provided it is not known to be a lie. This is because... This is because if an act is known to be prescribed by a Shari'ah proof, and a hadith is narrated regarding its virtue that is not known to be a lie, it is permissible that the reward may be true. No one among the Imams said that it is permissible to make something obligatory or recommended based on a weak hadith. Whoever says this has contradicted the consensus." Shaykh, when you responded to the three conditions set for not acting upon a weak hadith, you said that the second condition is that it must fall under a principle acted upon in the Shari'ah. You said that if it has an established principle in the Shari'ah, what is the need to act upon the weak hadith? We take the authentic principle. Now, Shaykh, this applies to a hadith that implies action. But what about the statement of Shaykh al-Islam...? It includes, for example, a hadith that is authentic regarding the virtues of deeds, and then a weak hadith comes that specifies the reward for that act. Did you not address the response to this?
The Shaykh : I did not address the response to it. You must give an example so we can see.
The questioner : For example, Shaykh, an act established by an authentic hadith.
The Shaykh : Do not repeat the claim. Give an example, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : There is no example in general.
The Shaykh : Not in general... I want to show you the response you are asking for now.
The questioner : I mean.
The Shaykh : In general, what do you mean by in general? Let me give you an example, like a hadith about the month of Rajab. It encourages fasting on the first day of Rajab. Is it permissible to act upon it?
The questioner: No, it is not permissible.
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : It has no established principle.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It has no established principle from the Messenger of Allah.
The Shaykh : Then why did you read all this text?
The questioner : I read it if there is an act that has an established principle, meaning by an authentic hadith, and another weak hadith comes.
The Shaykh : Does fasting have no established principle?
The questioner : Yes, but this specific designation was not reported.
The Shaykh : Okay, the specific designation was not reported.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, it is not permissible to take it, because it involves a specific designation.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so does this return to the same thing you asked about or criticized? What is the loss if we say we do not act upon the weak hadith, since the general principle is sufficient for us? What is the loss?
The questioner : There is no loss.
The Shaykh : Then I do not understand you, or you do not understand me.
The questioner : For example, Shaykh, the Dhuha prayer.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : This is established.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : A weak hadith came to us, with a slight weakness, meaning.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : It specifies a reward for this prayer.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : So does this also fall under the hadiths that are not acted upon in the virtues of deeds?
The Shaykh : What does "fall under" mean?
The questioner : Meaning we do not take it, we do not believe in it.
The Shaykh : And what does "take it" mean? The opposite of "not take it"? What is it? We take it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So do we take it?
The questioner : By Allah, the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says that if it is not known to be a lie and not known to be established, it means it is permissible that a reward may have been reported.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. You left the topic and said it is permissible.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible, but what is the reality for us?
The questioner : Meaning the reality is that there is no... like this.
The Shaykh : How?
The student : Right...
The Shaykh : Ah, here, okay, in the name of Allah.
The questioner : Is the heating on, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Perhaps, by Allah.
The student : It is attached to the last one.
The Shaykh : ...
The student: Ah, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : This one is off, this one.
The student : This one is off.
The Shaykh : Okay, and this one.
The student : That is enough. Since this one is off, it is strange, but you will feel heat coming out...
The Shaykh : Let us see, now we will turn off the glass too.
The student : ...
The Shaykh : I will give you an example now regarding the Dhuha prayer
No one guards the Duha prayer except a believer
لا يحافظ على صلاة الضحى إلا مؤمنThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is a weak hadith. Do we take it?
The questioner : Weak? How weak? Is its weakness severe or not?
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Excuse me, Shaykh, you mentioned the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in your response to...
The Shaykh: May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Meaning based on the statement...
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. You are a difficult man, it is apparent on you.
The questioner : Okay, let us take it.
The Shaykh : You do not like the speech, you do not like the answer by the shortest path.
The questioner : Okay, no problem, excuse me.
The Shaykh : Do we take it or not?
The questioner : We do not take it.
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : It relates to creed, meaning.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. Every hadith in worship relates to creed... Are you not aware of how you proceed? And are you not aware that you understand what your question is? Okay.
The questioner : Okay, clarify the statement of Shaykh al-Islam here.
The Shaykh : But, my brother.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.