Discussion of Shaykh Al-Albani's method of teaching the subject of hadith at the Islamic University, and mention of Ibn Hibban's methodology in authenticating unknown narrators and Ibn Hajar's disagreement with him in al-Taqrib.
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The Shaykh : I conducted a class for students at the university during my time there. I actually introduced a class that was not known, and I think it is still not known today, except that some universities have followed this good innovation, if that expression is correct. I called the class "al-Asanid". I would bring the book "Khalasat Tahdhib al-Kamal" and the book "Sunan Abu Dawud", and I would order the student to write a hadith with its chain of narration. I mention that from the practical lessons I gave them, I used to tell them: It has been established for me through induction that every narrator whom Ibn Hibban authenticates alone, Ibn Hajar usually describes as acceptable (maqbul), sometimes as concealed (mustawr), and sometimes as unknown (majhul). As for authenticating him by following Ibn Hibban, no, because he mentioned in the introduction of al-Lisan that he authenticates narrators based on a principle that contradicts the scholars of al-jarh wa al-ta'dil, which is that "the default for a Muslim is integrity". So, any narrator in whom no defect is known is, in Ibn Hibban's view, a trustworthy narrator (thiqah). Ibn Hajar did not adopt this principle, neither theoretically nor practically. Theoretically, he refuted it in the introduction of "Lisan al-Mizan". Practically, as I told you, in "al-Taqrib", if you see a man whom Ibn Hibban alone authenticated, beware; blindly, go back to al-Taqrib, and you will find it says about him either acceptable, concealed, or unknown. It does not say trustworthy (thiqah), except in this last case, which is established for me as very rare, when the narrator in Ibn Hibban's book has trustworthy narrators who narrated from him, not as Ibn Hibban says, meaning just one narrator.
Abu Malik: He authenticates him.
The Shaykh : Does he authenticate him, or does he usually say about him that he is truthful (sidduq)? Al-Dhahabi in "al-Mizan", look, any narrator whom Ibn Hibban alone authenticated, go back to al-Mizan blindly, and it will tell you he is unknown.
Abu Malik: This is al-Dhahabi.
The Shaykh : Unknown, and Ibn Hibban authenticated him.
Abu Malik: And here it says about him...
The Shaykh : What? On the contrary, meaning...
Abu Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then I conducted classes for them from this side, and I brought with me the book "al-Khalasah", the book "al-Khalasah". It quotes extensively from Ibn Hibban, saying, for example, so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, narrated from so-and-so and from so-and-so, and Ibn Hibban authenticated him. Go back to al-Mizan and you will find it says about him unknown, and it mentions that Ibn Hibban authenticated him. Another book called "al-Kashif", every narrator, except for a rare few, whom Ibn Hibban narrated from, this one was authenticated by Ibn Hibban. What does it say in al-Kashif? "Authenticated" (wuthiq).
Abu Malik: ...
The Shaykh : Authenticated.
Abu Malik: Authenticated.
The Shaykh : Based on the unknown.
Abu Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : Meaning it refers to weakening and authenticating.
Abu Malik: This is the one in which this...
The Shaykh : Perhaps Allah knows best.
Abu Malik: ...
The Shaykh : ... .
Another questioner: Perhaps he did not understand "authenticated" (wuthiq).
The Shaykh : It is not far-fetched.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Not far-fetched.
Another questioner: Perhaps this is...
The Shaykh : This is weak in language, as you see, meaning...
Abu Malik: ... his language.
The Shaykh : His language is very rough.
Abu Malik: He does not know the active from the passive, nor the nominative from the jussive. I mean, I seek forgiveness from Allah, I do not have to say the word "no"... He means he does not listen; he will tell you he refuses to listen to the words of others.
The Shaykh : There is...
Abu Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : There is...
Abu Malik: Yes, it was even said to him that I do not know who went to Riyadh, I think, and he was asked to meet him, and he refused. Yes?
The Shaykh : He refused.
Abu Malik: He refused, yes.
The Shaykh : The mosque... al-Walid, O professor, the gatherings are in trust, so that we can be sure. I say, glory be to Allah, in the recent period, he came to me.
The questioner : And the insurance compensates for them.
Another questioner: Is this compensation permissible?
The Shaykh : If they want to compensate him and he is the one who paid them, it is permissible; otherwise, it is not. If these people want to give him insurance, and he is the one who paid the company, it is permissible; otherwise, it is not.
Another questioner: His work is against third parties, meaning, another man hit him and caused him a loss, so the insurance comes to compensate. Is this compensation permissible?
Abu Malik: He authenticates him.
The Shaykh : Does he authenticate him, or does he usually say about him that he is truthful (sidduq)? Al-Dhahabi in "al-Mizan", look, any narrator whom Ibn Hibban alone authenticated, go back to al-Mizan blindly, and it will tell you he is unknown.
Abu Malik: This is al-Dhahabi.
The Shaykh : Unknown, and Ibn Hibban authenticated him.
Abu Malik: And here it says about him...
The Shaykh : What? On the contrary, meaning...
Abu Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then I conducted classes for them from this side, and I brought with me the book "al-Khalasah", the book "al-Khalasah". It quotes extensively from Ibn Hibban, saying, for example, so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, narrated from so-and-so and from so-and-so, and Ibn Hibban authenticated him. Go back to al-Mizan and you will find it says about him unknown, and it mentions that Ibn Hibban authenticated him. Another book called "al-Kashif", every narrator, except for a rare few, whom Ibn Hibban narrated from, this one was authenticated by Ibn Hibban. What does it say in al-Kashif? "Authenticated" (wuthiq).
Abu Malik: ...
The Shaykh : Authenticated.
Abu Malik: Authenticated.
The Shaykh : Based on the unknown.
Abu Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : Meaning it refers to weakening and authenticating.
Abu Malik: This is the one in which this...
The Shaykh : Perhaps Allah knows best.
Abu Malik: ...
The Shaykh : ... .
Another questioner: Perhaps he did not understand "authenticated" (wuthiq).
The Shaykh : It is not far-fetched.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Not far-fetched.
Another questioner: Perhaps this is...
The Shaykh : This is weak in language, as you see, meaning...
Abu Malik: ... his language.
The Shaykh : His language is very rough.
Abu Malik: He does not know the active from the passive, nor the nominative from the jussive. I mean, I seek forgiveness from Allah, I do not have to say the word "no"... He means he does not listen; he will tell you he refuses to listen to the words of others.
The Shaykh : There is...
Abu Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : There is...
Abu Malik: Yes, it was even said to him that I do not know who went to Riyadh, I think, and he was asked to meet him, and he refused. Yes?
The Shaykh : He refused.
Abu Malik: He refused, yes.
The Shaykh : The mosque... al-Walid, O professor, the gatherings are in trust, so that we can be sure. I say, glory be to Allah, in the recent period, he came to me.
The questioner : And the insurance compensates for them.
Another questioner: Is this compensation permissible?
The Shaykh : If they want to compensate him and he is the one who paid them, it is permissible; otherwise, it is not. If these people want to give him insurance, and he is the one who paid the company, it is permissible; otherwise, it is not.
Another questioner: His work is against third parties, meaning, another man hit him and caused him a loss, so the insurance comes to compensate. Is this compensation permissible?