Some people weaken the addition found in the hadith, "Curse them, for they are cursed." If this addition is authentic, what is the method of this cursing?
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The questioner : Some people say that the addition to the hadith is weakened. If this addition is authentic, what is the method of the cursing?
The Shaykh : Those who weaken this addition are, in reality, beginners in this science. They assume that any narrator about whom a criticism is made has weak hadiths, but that is not the case. There are rules, as we have advised you to learn the principles of jurisprudence and the principles of hadith so that a student of knowledge does not fall into error, either in jurisprudence or in hadith. There are rules that state in the terminology: "Criticism takes precedence over vindication, provided the reason for the criticism is explained". After this explanation, one must observe whether this explained criticism is itself a criticism that invalidates reliance on this narrator's hadith, or whether it may or may not be a criticism.
We know from studying the history of many of the imams of hadith and their memorizers that some of them were severe in their criticism and would invalidate reliance on a man for the slightest reason. For example, it was said to one of them, "Why do you not narrate from him?" He said, "Because I saw him riding a mule." I do not know if the mule is not known to you in your lands. A mule is a horse or a type of horse, but...
However, we should not treat our imams of the people of the Sunnah and the community with such treatment that explicitly claims infallibility. Their favor upon us is that they told us, "We are not infallible." Abu Hanifah said to his student Abu Yusuf, whose name is Ya'qub: "O Ya'qub, do not take my opinion, for I say today what I will retract tomorrow. Only take from where we took". Al-Shafi'i said: "There is no one but that a sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is hidden from him. So whatever principle I establish or whatever statement I make that contradicts a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), take the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and cast my opinion to the winds". This is an imam who says, "Cast my opinion to the winds." We do not say this. We are polite with our imams and say, "This is his opinion and this is his independent legal reasoning, and he is rewarded for it, but we see that the other statement made by the other imam is the correct one, with evidence from the Book or from the Sunnah or from reports from our righteous predecessors." This, unfortunately, is an injustice that befalls us, but our inner state says:
"You are but a finger that has bled *** And in the path of Allah is what you have met".
Curse them, for they are cursed
ألعنوهن فإنهن ملعوناتThe Shaykh : Those who weaken this addition are, in reality, beginners in this science. They assume that any narrator about whom a criticism is made has weak hadiths, but that is not the case. There are rules, as we have advised you to learn the principles of jurisprudence and the principles of hadith so that a student of knowledge does not fall into error, either in jurisprudence or in hadith. There are rules that state in the terminology: "Criticism takes precedence over vindication, provided the reason for the criticism is explained". After this explanation, one must observe whether this explained criticism is itself a criticism that invalidates reliance on this narrator's hadith, or whether it may or may not be a criticism.
We know from studying the history of many of the imams of hadith and their memorizers that some of them were severe in their criticism and would invalidate reliance on a man for the slightest reason. For example, it was said to one of them, "Why do you not narrate from him?" He said, "Because I saw him riding a mule." I do not know if the mule is not known to you in your lands. A mule is a horse or a type of horse, but...
However, we should not treat our imams of the people of the Sunnah and the community with such treatment that explicitly claims infallibility. Their favor upon us is that they told us, "We are not infallible." Abu Hanifah said to his student Abu Yusuf, whose name is Ya'qub: "O Ya'qub, do not take my opinion, for I say today what I will retract tomorrow. Only take from where we took". Al-Shafi'i said: "There is no one but that a sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is hidden from him. So whatever principle I establish or whatever statement I make that contradicts a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), take the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and cast my opinion to the winds". This is an imam who says, "Cast my opinion to the winds." We do not say this. We are polite with our imams and say, "This is his opinion and this is his independent legal reasoning, and he is rewarded for it, but we see that the other statement made by the other imam is the correct one, with evidence from the Book or from the Sunnah or from reports from our righteous predecessors." This, unfortunately, is an injustice that befalls us, but our inner state says:
"You are but a finger that has bled *** And in the path of Allah is what you have met".