What is the meaning of al-Dhahabi's statement in al-Kashif regarding a narrator: "He is trustworthy"?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What does al-Dhahabi's statement in al-Kashif about a man, "He is trustworthy," mean?
The Shaykh : It means, first of all, that it usually signifies two things: that the one who graded him as trustworthy is Ibn Hibban, and in the case of consistency, that he is not graded as trustworthy by this type of grading. That is what it means.
The questioner : Well, Shaykh, if we find a man whom Ibn Hibban and al-'Ujayli graded as trustworthy, and al-Sakhawi followed them, and al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib that he is acceptable, and al-Dhahabi said he is trustworthy, and it appears to me that it is the custom of al-Hafiz that if al-'Ujayli and Ibn Hibban grade a man as trustworthy, he says of him that he is truthful?
The Shaykh : You say, "And it is his custom"?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And your statement is contradicted by your saying that the narrator may have been graded as trustworthy by Ibn Hibban and al-'Ujayli, and al-Hafiz says of him that he is acceptable?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then this is not his consistent custom, so you should say, "Then his predominant custom is this," and this is with leniency in expression.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the claim that it is a predominant custom requires investigation, induction, and thorough examination, and I do not think you have involved yourself among those who conduct induction or thorough examination?
The questioner : No, it is not a complete induction, but I...
The Shaykh : Yes, that is it.
The questioner : I looked at the men about whom this was said, and I have existing evidence by name for those about whom al-Hafiz said he is truthful, and he was not graded as trustworthy except by al-'Ujayli and Ibn Hibban?
The Shaykh : Well, now the details come to you.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Everyone about whom al-'Ujayli and Ibn Hibban said he is trustworthy, his case revolves around the fact that he is not known except through the narration of a single narrator from him. In this case, the grading of al-'Ujayli and Ibn Hibban as trustworthy is not accepted, and even if Ibn Hajar agreed with them. In such a case, Ibn Hajar says of him that he is acceptable. However, if the narrator about whom Ibn Hibban and al-'Ujayli said he is trustworthy has been narrated from by a group of trustworthy narrators, it is possible in this case for al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar to say of him that he is truthful. In fact, I know through tracking that Ibn Hajar, and al-Dhahabi as well, say of some narrators that he is not one of those about whom Ibn Hibban said he is trustworthy, and indeed there is no one who graded him as trustworthy, yet al-Hafiz and al-Dhahabi before him say of him that he is truthful, even though no one before them graded him as trustworthy. Their basis for that is that they found for this narrator, whose original status is that he is unknown, many narrators from among the trustworthy ones, so the hearts of al-Dhahabi and al-'Asqalani were reassured by the narration of this narrator because of the narrations of the trustworthy ones from him, and there is nothing beyond that.
The questioner : And if no one graded him as trustworthy?
The Shaykh : And if no one graded him as trustworthy, then it is even more so.
The questioner : And what is your opinion?
The Shaykh : This is my opinion, and it is even more so that he does that for one whom Ibn Hibban graded as trustworthy, and even more so, and then more so, if al-'Ujayli joined Ibn Hibban in grading him as trustworthy.
The questioner : This man about whom you are speaking, whom Ibn Hibban and al-'Ujayli graded as trustworthy, and al-Sakhawi followed them, and al-Hafiz said of him that he is acceptable, and al-Dhahabi said he is trustworthy, what is your opinion regarding his hadith?
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The questioner : And if he has no supporting narrator.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : It means, first of all, that it usually signifies two things: that the one who graded him as trustworthy is Ibn Hibban, and in the case of consistency, that he is not graded as trustworthy by this type of grading. That is what it means.
The questioner : Well, Shaykh, if we find a man whom Ibn Hibban and al-'Ujayli graded as trustworthy, and al-Sakhawi followed them, and al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib that he is acceptable, and al-Dhahabi said he is trustworthy, and it appears to me that it is the custom of al-Hafiz that if al-'Ujayli and Ibn Hibban grade a man as trustworthy, he says of him that he is truthful?
The Shaykh : You say, "And it is his custom"?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And your statement is contradicted by your saying that the narrator may have been graded as trustworthy by Ibn Hibban and al-'Ujayli, and al-Hafiz says of him that he is acceptable?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then this is not his consistent custom, so you should say, "Then his predominant custom is this," and this is with leniency in expression.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the claim that it is a predominant custom requires investigation, induction, and thorough examination, and I do not think you have involved yourself among those who conduct induction or thorough examination?
The questioner : No, it is not a complete induction, but I...
The Shaykh : Yes, that is it.
The questioner : I looked at the men about whom this was said, and I have existing evidence by name for those about whom al-Hafiz said he is truthful, and he was not graded as trustworthy except by al-'Ujayli and Ibn Hibban?
The Shaykh : Well, now the details come to you.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Everyone about whom al-'Ujayli and Ibn Hibban said he is trustworthy, his case revolves around the fact that he is not known except through the narration of a single narrator from him. In this case, the grading of al-'Ujayli and Ibn Hibban as trustworthy is not accepted, and even if Ibn Hajar agreed with them. In such a case, Ibn Hajar says of him that he is acceptable. However, if the narrator about whom Ibn Hibban and al-'Ujayli said he is trustworthy has been narrated from by a group of trustworthy narrators, it is possible in this case for al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar to say of him that he is truthful. In fact, I know through tracking that Ibn Hajar, and al-Dhahabi as well, say of some narrators that he is not one of those about whom Ibn Hibban said he is trustworthy, and indeed there is no one who graded him as trustworthy, yet al-Hafiz and al-Dhahabi before him say of him that he is truthful, even though no one before them graded him as trustworthy. Their basis for that is that they found for this narrator, whose original status is that he is unknown, many narrators from among the trustworthy ones, so the hearts of al-Dhahabi and al-'Asqalani were reassured by the narration of this narrator because of the narrations of the trustworthy ones from him, and there is nothing beyond that.
The questioner : And if no one graded him as trustworthy?
The Shaykh : And if no one graded him as trustworthy, then it is even more so.
The questioner : And what is your opinion?
The Shaykh : This is my opinion, and it is even more so that he does that for one whom Ibn Hibban graded as trustworthy, and even more so, and then more so, if al-'Ujayli joined Ibn Hibban in grading him as trustworthy.
The questioner : This man about whom you are speaking, whom Ibn Hibban and al-'Ujayli graded as trustworthy, and al-Sakhawi followed them, and al-Hafiz said of him that he is acceptable, and al-Dhahabi said he is trustworthy, what is your opinion regarding his hadith?
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The questioner : And if he has no supporting narrator.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.