The Purpose of Knowing the Book and the Sunnah is Action, Not Merely Knowing Their Rulings and Reciting Them

The Shaykh : The point I have observed regarding the Sunnah is based on a simple premise: the texts of the Book and the Sunnah are not intended merely for recitation or for knowing the rulings contained in them; rather, the purpose is to act upon these rulings. If this is the reality, as I believe it is, and no one disputes it, then we say that these texts, including weak hadiths in terms of acting upon them, occupy the position of means relative to ends. They occupy the position of means relative to goals. They occupy the position of wudu' relative to prayer. Is there any benefit for a man who performs wudu' but does not pray? No, there is no benefit from this. Why? Because wudu' is a means and a condition of prayer. If one fulfills this condition but does not fulfill what is conditioned by it, that condition has no benefit, because he brought the means but did not bring the goal for which that means was legislated. Thus, if we clarify this issue, which is very important as you see, that hadiths in general, and weak hadiths in particular—which is our subject—are a means for action, and if we remember this reality and another legal reality, which is that it is not permissible to narrate a weak hadith, because its narrator exposes himself to lying against the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who said and warned in some hadiths, such as his saying , if this is the reality, meaning it is not permissible for you to narrate the weak hadith, which we know from the previous premise is a means for action, then if it is not permissible for you to bring the means, is it permissible for you to bring the goal, which is action? From here we derive a strong new proof that it is not permissible to act upon a weak hadith, nor is it permissible to narrate it for the sake of knowledge, except with a clarification that it is a weak hadith. Therefore, the second opinion, which states that it is not permissible to act upon a weak hadith in the virtues of deeds absolutely, is correct, due to the many details we have mentioned, the most important of which is that the hadith, like a hadith, is a means, not a goal. The goal is acting upon it. If a means has not been legislated, then a fortiori, the goal intended by that means is not legislated. If a means is forbidden, then a fortiori, the goal is forbidden.