What is the opinion of some scholars regarding certain hadiths that they describe as having weak chains of narration, while they also state that it is permissible to act upon the good that they indicate?
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The questioner : It is not a matter of establishing a creed or a religion; it is simply a good deed, and the hadith exists.
The Shaykh : The hadith exists, but its chain of narration is weak.
The questioner : There is weakness in it and in its chain of narration.
The Shaykh : And it contains the establishment of a good deed.
The questioner : Yes, how do we do that?
The Shaykh : The answer is that any hadith that reaches us with a weak chain of narration, in which there is an exhortation to do good, is either such that the good mentioned in it is established by this hadith alone, or it is established by other means. If it is established by other means, then the action is not based on this hadith.
The questioner : It is based ... .
The Shaykh : on other means. And if the other case applies, meaning if the claim is that this hadith, yes, its chain of narration is weak, but it contains an exhortation to perform a good deed or to do good among deeds, then it is said to him: What makes you know that the deed mentioned in this hadith is good? Is it this hadith or another hadith? If it is another hadith, there is no problem with the permissibility of acting upon it at that time, but the action is not directly based on this hadith, but rather on that other one. And if you assume that we do not know that this good deed contained in this hadith except through its path, then your saying that it is a good deed is of no benefit whatsoever.
The questioner : Because the attribution ... the rule ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner : It is difficult for him.
The Shaykh : Be patient, let him ... .
The questioner : The hadith is a hadith.
The Shaykh : Where did he get it from?
The questioner : But its weak chain of narration?
The Shaykh : No, allow me to say that your statement "the hadith is a hadith" is incorrect, because as far as I know, from the linguistic perspective, what is it called? For example, in a section of hadith, if its weakness is severe, it is called a fabricated hadith, a false hadith. Is it called a hadith? No ...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If you allow me, it is called a hadith described with a characteristic. It is said, "This is a fabricated hadith," and it is not said in any case that "it is a hadith." Did you notice how it is? It is said, "This is a very weak hadith in terms of its chain of narration," meaning, it is not said in any case that "it is a hadith."
The questioner : Its attribution, it is just a term.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is a technical term. Similarly, we come to your specific topic: this is a hadith with a weak chain of narration, meaning it is weak, but in any case, it is a hadith. No, this is called a hadith in the figurative sense, meaning it was narrated in this way as being attributed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as a hadith, but what is its rank? It is either weak, or very weak, or fabricated.
Al-'Aid al-'Abassi : It is not established.
The Shaykh : Therefore, it is not said regarding this what is said regarding the authentic hadith in all its ranks, starting from the solitary hadith to the widely transmitted hadith to the famous hadith to the mass-transmitted hadith, because all these varying ranks are gathered under one rank, which is authenticity. As for the weak hadith, it is not so. Therefore, you say, "This is an authentic solitary hadith," yes, in any case, it is a hadith, and this is a correct statement. But that is not the case with the weak hadith. Therefore, the objection you raise regarding the weak hadith by analogy to what was previously explained is not applicable. Add to that, if you recall the consensus of the Muslim scholars that it is not permissible to act upon a weak hadith in rulings, or that it is not permissible to establish a legal ruling, even in its lowest rank, which is recommendation, with a weak hadith. Why do they say this? Because they also agreed that a weak hadith does not yield anything but a weak suspicion, and a weak suspicion is one from which Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) prohibited the polytheists from taking their stance, saying [Surat al-Najm: 23], and our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) said in evaluating this suspicion [Surat Yunus: 36], and the Messenger (peace be upon him) confirmed that by saying Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1988Sahih (Darussalam) . Therefore, this hadith that came with a weak chain of narration yields a suspicion, and we have been prohibited in these definitive texts from resorting to it and acting upon it absolutely.
The Shaykh : The hadith exists, but its chain of narration is weak.
The questioner : There is weakness in it and in its chain of narration.
The Shaykh : And it contains the establishment of a good deed.
The questioner : Yes, how do we do that?
The Shaykh : The answer is that any hadith that reaches us with a weak chain of narration, in which there is an exhortation to do good, is either such that the good mentioned in it is established by this hadith alone, or it is established by other means. If it is established by other means, then the action is not based on this hadith.
The questioner : It is based ... .
The Shaykh : on other means. And if the other case applies, meaning if the claim is that this hadith, yes, its chain of narration is weak, but it contains an exhortation to perform a good deed or to do good among deeds, then it is said to him: What makes you know that the deed mentioned in this hadith is good? Is it this hadith or another hadith? If it is another hadith, there is no problem with the permissibility of acting upon it at that time, but the action is not directly based on this hadith, but rather on that other one. And if you assume that we do not know that this good deed contained in this hadith except through its path, then your saying that it is a good deed is of no benefit whatsoever.
The questioner : Because the attribution ... the rule ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner : It is difficult for him.
The Shaykh : Be patient, let him ... .
The questioner : The hadith is a hadith.
The Shaykh : Where did he get it from?
The questioner : But its weak chain of narration?
The Shaykh : No, allow me to say that your statement "the hadith is a hadith" is incorrect, because as far as I know, from the linguistic perspective, what is it called? For example, in a section of hadith, if its weakness is severe, it is called a fabricated hadith, a false hadith. Is it called a hadith? No ...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If you allow me, it is called a hadith described with a characteristic. It is said, "This is a fabricated hadith," and it is not said in any case that "it is a hadith." Did you notice how it is? It is said, "This is a very weak hadith in terms of its chain of narration," meaning, it is not said in any case that "it is a hadith."
The questioner : Its attribution, it is just a term.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is a technical term. Similarly, we come to your specific topic: this is a hadith with a weak chain of narration, meaning it is weak, but in any case, it is a hadith. No, this is called a hadith in the figurative sense, meaning it was narrated in this way as being attributed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as a hadith, but what is its rank? It is either weak, or very weak, or fabricated.
Al-'Aid al-'Abassi : It is not established.
The Shaykh : Therefore, it is not said regarding this what is said regarding the authentic hadith in all its ranks, starting from the solitary hadith to the widely transmitted hadith to the famous hadith to the mass-transmitted hadith, because all these varying ranks are gathered under one rank, which is authenticity. As for the weak hadith, it is not so. Therefore, you say, "This is an authentic solitary hadith," yes, in any case, it is a hadith, and this is a correct statement. But that is not the case with the weak hadith. Therefore, the objection you raise regarding the weak hadith by analogy to what was previously explained is not applicable. Add to that, if you recall the consensus of the Muslim scholars that it is not permissible to act upon a weak hadith in rulings, or that it is not permissible to establish a legal ruling, even in its lowest rank, which is recommendation, with a weak hadith. Why do they say this? Because they also agreed that a weak hadith does not yield anything but a weak suspicion, and a weak suspicion is one from which Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) prohibited the polytheists from taking their stance, saying