What is the ruling if we come across a chain of narration containing a weak narrator, and this weak narrator has been supported by another narrator, but we have not found a biography for this supporting narrator? Does this support benefit us?

The questioner : If we come across a chain of narration containing a weak narrator, and this weak narrator has been supported, but after searching and scrutinizing the books of narrator biographies, we have not found a biography for this supporting narrator, does this support benefit us?

The Shaykh : It does not benefit.
Abu Layla : Please repeat, our Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Have you heard of the Sufis? They have a state they call the "state" (hal) that takes hold of them.
Abu Layla : Ecstasy (wajd).

The Shaykh : This rarely happens to a knowledgeable, composed Muslim. It may happen, but it is very rare. As for the Sufis, they have made it their habit, their profession, and their craft. However, something similar occurred in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). A man from the Companions named Hanzahalah one day left his house. We can say now that the state took hold of him; he was speaking in an unnatural way, shouting at the top of his voice, saying: "Hanzalah is a hypocrite, Hanzalah is a hypocrite," like a recording, "Hanzalah is a hypocrite, Hanzalah is a hypocrite," while he was walking. He met Abu Bakr, who said to him: "What is the matter with you, O Hanzalah?" He said to him: "What is the matter? We sit in the presence of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and we forget the world and remember the Hereafter and its bliss, but when we return, we get mixed up." I like this Arabic word, "we get mixed up" (aafasna) with wealth, children, and women. It means we mix with them, and it is as if the thing that happened to us... Abu Bakr said to him: "I am the same. Let us go to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." The man was still in the state, "Hanzalah is a hypocrite, Hanzalah is a hypocrite." What is the matter? When he arrived at the Messenger, he mentioned to him what he had mentioned to Abu Bakr, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is as if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is saying that it is not the nature of the human being whom Allah created as a human to remain in a state of unconsciousness regarding his life, his wives, his children. If he is present in a lesson, he takes that lesson into all his mind and heart; it is not reasonable for him to remain like that, otherwise the world would be ruined. And so you find the true Sufis, those who do not exploit what they claim of Sufism in order to reach the debris of this world, were ruining their worldly lives because they were truly absent from themselves due to this strange state that would take hold of them. As for the Sufis of the last times, these people, if it were permissible for us to say, would that they were like the Sufis of that time, because those people were truly striving against their souls, but they exaggerated in this spiritual struggle and fell into contradicting the Shari'ah, thus straying from the straight path despite their intention to strive against the soul. As for the Sufis of the last times, they hide behind Sufism, and their hearts are more arrogant than the hearts of tyrants. This is what some of them expressed in the colloquial Syrian language, saying: "I died and prayed until I got what I wanted, and when I got it, I stopped praying." Because he achieved the goal he was seeking: gathering the students around him, leading them, and robbing them of their wealth. He reached the goal he wanted, and that was it; he closed the shop, followed it, and opened a new shop for trade. This is what they do. When the wise Shari'ah came with justice, it said: From here, the common people say, "An hour for you and an hour for your Lord." But the common people think "an hour for you" means do whatever you wish, whether forbidden or lawful. This is not permissible, of course. But "an hour for you" means you enjoy what Allah has made lawful for you; you enjoy your wife, looking at your family, and taking care of your wealth, but on the condition that you do not neglect the right of your Lord over you.