What is the difference between the scholars' saying "a weak narrator" and their saying "he has been weakened" or "a group of scholars have weakened him"?

The questioner : "Weak," "he has been weakened," and "a group of scholars have weakened him"—there is a difference between them.

The Shaykh : For example, "he is lenient" and "he has leniency in him."

The questioner : Very good.

The Shaykh : The first two, "weak" and "he has been weakened," are stronger than "he has weakness in him."

The questioner : Here, the term of my two shaykhs, "he has been weakened," involves a difference. And are they not also equal?

The Shaykh : You asked about three...

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Okay, what are the two?

The questioner : "Weak," "he has been weakened," and "a group of scholars have weakened him."

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Now, my shaykhs added a fourth to complete the benefit: "he has weakness in him."

The Shaykh : Okay, leave me the one that is not yours; keep it for yourself.

The questioner : Leave it for now.

The Shaykh : Your question.

The questioner : My question is: "weak," "he has been weakened," and "a group of scholars have weakened him."

The Shaykh : Which "weak" is stronger than "he has been weakened"?

The questioner: All right.

The Shaykh : As for "a group of scholars have weakened him," it is countered by "a group of scholars have authenticated him," so it does not benefit us with anything other than the fact that he has weakness in him.

The questioner : Yes, and "he has been weakened" is the counterpart to "a group of scholars have weakened him"?

The Shaykh : I told you the third question is "a group of scholars have weakened him." He has weakness in him, but this is said when a group of scholars have also authenticated him.

The questioner : Very good.

The Shaykh : As for "he has weakness in him," he may not be authenticated, but he has slight weakness.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : "He has weakness in him" is less than "weak," and "weak" is stronger than "he has been weakened."

The questioner : Okay, and "he has been weakened" is the same thing?

The Shaykh: It is the same thing.

The questioner : It is the counterpart, meaning he has weakness in him.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : May Allah honor you, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : And beware of that.