What is the ruling on citing a hadith that contains an unknown narrator in its chain?
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The questioner : Regarding the hadith that contains an unknown narrator, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Why cite his hadith when there is a possibility that this unknown narrator is rejected or accused?
The Shaykh : Why, what?
The questioner : Citing a hadith that contains an unknown narrator, an unknown narrator, with the possibility that this unknown narrator may be accused or rejected.
The Shaykh : If the unknown narrator is alone, the matter is not strong, but when the hadith is strengthened, one looks at multiple aspects. So your question now, regarding the unknown narrator, first, as I think, you mean an unknown identity.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, is it consistent to cite an unknown identity now? Perhaps the answer will become clear to you. Do you have an example of a hadith that came with a weak chain that needed strengthening, and it was strengthened by another chain containing only an unknown identity? Do you have something like that?
The questioner : I do not remember reading it, O Shaykh, but I recorded it at home.
The Shaykh : It does not concern me.
The questioner : I do not remember, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Ah, how are you?
The student : It seems to me, O my Shaykh, that citing an unknown identity is far-fetched.
The questioner : Okay, if he is a hidden narrator, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If he is what?
The questioner : If he is of unknown status.
The Shaykh : The original ruling for one of unknown status, as you know, according to some, such as Ibn Hibban, Ibn Khuzaymah, and what is his name, the one from al-'Ujayli, is that he is trustworthy, or at least that he can be cited, because he is more likely to be trustworthy than what I mentioned regarding an unknown identity.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Why cite his hadith when there is a possibility that this unknown narrator is rejected or accused?
The Shaykh : Why, what?
The questioner : Citing a hadith that contains an unknown narrator, an unknown narrator, with the possibility that this unknown narrator may be accused or rejected.
The Shaykh : If the unknown narrator is alone, the matter is not strong, but when the hadith is strengthened, one looks at multiple aspects. So your question now, regarding the unknown narrator, first, as I think, you mean an unknown identity.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, is it consistent to cite an unknown identity now? Perhaps the answer will become clear to you. Do you have an example of a hadith that came with a weak chain that needed strengthening, and it was strengthened by another chain containing only an unknown identity? Do you have something like that?
The questioner : I do not remember reading it, O Shaykh, but I recorded it at home.
The Shaykh : It does not concern me.
The questioner : I do not remember, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Ah, how are you?
The student : It seems to me, O my Shaykh, that citing an unknown identity is far-fetched.
The questioner : Okay, if he is a hidden narrator, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If he is what?
The questioner : If he is of unknown status.
The Shaykh : The original ruling for one of unknown status, as you know, according to some, such as Ibn Hibban, Ibn Khuzaymah, and what is his name, the one from al-'Ujayli, is that he is trustworthy, or at least that he can be cited, because he is more likely to be trustworthy than what I mentioned regarding an unknown identity.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.