The Hafiz al-Dhahabi says, "The scholars of hadith criticism are divided into three categories: the strict, the moderate, and the lenient." Is this accepted without qualification?

The questioner : The Hafiz al-Dhahabi says...?

The Shaykh : The understanding from your words is that it is accepted without qualification.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : I mean, if one is called strict, is he called so without qualification, and that one moderate, and that one lenient, or what? This matter is clear; it is accepted.

The questioner : How is it applied?

The Shaykh : This is what I want to understand from you: does it mean that anyone who is named, for example, as moderate, is accepted as moderate and balanced without investigation and without... and the reverse is the reverse?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : I do not have an answer...

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : I understood from your question that we take those he classified as strict without qualification, and those he classified as moderate without qualification... like that. Of course, the answer is no; investigation is necessary.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : No, we must return to the rules.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : We must return to the rules: the critique of a narrator takes precedence over his vindication, and vindication is accepted implicitly from one who is not known for issues like those of Ibn Hazm. It is necessary to return to the rules.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : No, we do not take it without qualification; each one must be investigated individually.