What a student of knowledge must follow when he finds disagreement in the ruling on a hadith
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Honorable Shaykh! As for the student who is unable to skillfully judge a hadith as authentic or weak, and finds that the early scholars differed on the hadith, what should he follow?
First, if he knows which of them is more precise and knowledgeable, he should follow him out of necessity.
Second: You must know that the Prophetic hadith has a light upon it, and it has a sweetness and pleasantness. Perhaps a person can judge it even if he does not know its narrators. If the wording comes across as awkward and distant in meaning, it is most likely not from the speech of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Even if the narrator may have altered it and narrated it by meaning, this is among the signs.
Likewise, among the signs: That the hadith contradicts what is known of the general principles of the Shari'ah. So if you see one of them ruling that it is weak, and you consider that likely due to the awkwardness of its wording or meaning, or its contradiction with the principles of the Shari'ah, then follow him.
Honorable Shaykh! As for the student who is unable to skillfully judge a hadith as authentic or weak, and finds that the early scholars differed on the hadith, what should he follow?
First, if he knows which of them is more precise and knowledgeable, he should follow him out of necessity.
Second: You must know that the Prophetic hadith has a light upon it, and it has a sweetness and pleasantness. Perhaps a person can judge it even if he does not know its narrators. If the wording comes across as awkward and distant in meaning, it is most likely not from the speech of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Even if the narrator may have altered it and narrated it by meaning, this is among the signs.
Likewise, among the signs: That the hadith contradicts what is known of the general principles of the Shari'ah. So if you see one of them ruling that it is weak, and you consider that likely due to the awkwardness of its wording or meaning, or its contradiction with the principles of the Shari'ah, then follow him.