The Shaykh was asked about the case where two hadiths appear contradictory to the observer, and it is not possible to reconcile them, nor to identify the abrogating from the abrogated, nor to prefer one over the other.
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The questioner : As we heard from you, or in some of the tapes recorded with your voice, regarding the science of hadith terminology, that if a scholar has two contradictory hadiths, he must strive to reconcile them. If he cannot, he proceeds to the second level and gives precedence to the abrogating over the abrogated. If he does not succeed in this, he proceeds to the third level, which is when one of them is more authentic than the other. And thus, you mentioned in this tape a statement from Imam Ibn Hajar in his commentary on al-Nukhba, that if the scholar cannot achieve this reconciliation, he pauses. After that, you mentioned from some of the Hanbalis, in their statement, that if they contradict, they are both dropped, and so on.
The Shaykh : It is not the Hanbalis, but the Hanafis.
The questioner : The Hanafis.
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : And thus, I said, rather, it is obligatory to fall under acting upon one of these, acting upon one of these two hadiths, acting upon one of these, meaning one of these hadiths. So how does the practitioner...
The Shaykh : What is the last sentence?
The questioner : I said it is obligatory for the scholar to fall under...
The Shaykh : Fall under?
The questioner : Fall under.
The Shaykh : What does "fall under" mean?
The questioner : That was your wording in the tape, meaning acting upon...
The Shaykh : What did you understand?
The questioner : I understood that the scholar, even if he is not successful in this, is necessarily, definitely, required to act upon one of the two hadiths.
The Shaykh : No, that is a mistake. Rather, he entrusts the knowledge to its Master, meaning...
The questioner : Yes, I... I meant that I do not know this man in his time regarding hadith, and he was not successful in reconciling the two hadiths.
The Shaykh : You have cited all of this, but the last sentence: he was unable to reconcile, and he was unable to identify the abrogating from the abrogated, and he was unable to make a distinction in authenticity between the two hadiths. This is the third level, the final level after which there is nothing, to say "Allah knows best" and entrust the knowledge to its Master.
The questioner : Meaning he does not act...
The Shaykh : He is unable to act, because what does it mean?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He is unable to act, because if he is told to act upon hadith number one, another person stands up and says, why do you not act upon hadith number two? If I tell him that this one is more authentic than that one, the claim is refuted that both are in the same rank. This is what we have studied in the commentary on al-Nukhba, and we always affirm it. And if the meaning of what al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar says, which we adopt, and which has been recorded from our tongue many times, becomes clear to you, then perhaps you no longer have a question.
The questioner : No, when I heard the word "falling under" acting upon one of these hadiths, I said I wanted to ask the Shaykh how to act upon it...
The Shaykh : The tape may not be clear, because the word "falling under" here, may Allah reward you, as is not hidden from you, has no meaning at all. The three levels are clear to you.
The questioner : Yes, they are clear to me.
The Shaykh : They are clear to you, good. The final level is that two contradictory hadiths, both in the same rank with certainty, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar says he entrusts the knowledge to its Master. He does not say "they contradicted so they were both dropped." He does not say "they contradicted so they were both dropped." He says "Allah knows best what He intends." As for this "falling under," this is the first time I have heard it in such an occasion.
The questioner : I have the tape...
The Shaykh : By Allah, if it is convenient now, it is good that we listen to it here and correct it. It may be an error on our part in wording, and every son of Adam errs. But according to my understanding of this science, and I have reached in it the age of old age as you see, I do not think such a word would ever come in such an occasion. Good, what else is there?
The Shaykh : It is not the Hanbalis, but the Hanafis.
The questioner : The Hanafis.
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : And thus, I said, rather, it is obligatory to fall under acting upon one of these, acting upon one of these two hadiths, acting upon one of these, meaning one of these hadiths. So how does the practitioner...
The Shaykh : What is the last sentence?
The questioner : I said it is obligatory for the scholar to fall under...
The Shaykh : Fall under?
The questioner : Fall under.
The Shaykh : What does "fall under" mean?
The questioner : That was your wording in the tape, meaning acting upon...
The Shaykh : What did you understand?
The questioner : I understood that the scholar, even if he is not successful in this, is necessarily, definitely, required to act upon one of the two hadiths.
The Shaykh : No, that is a mistake. Rather, he entrusts the knowledge to its Master, meaning...
The questioner : Yes, I... I meant that I do not know this man in his time regarding hadith, and he was not successful in reconciling the two hadiths.
The Shaykh : You have cited all of this, but the last sentence: he was unable to reconcile, and he was unable to identify the abrogating from the abrogated, and he was unable to make a distinction in authenticity between the two hadiths. This is the third level, the final level after which there is nothing, to say "Allah knows best" and entrust the knowledge to its Master.
The questioner : Meaning he does not act...
The Shaykh : He is unable to act, because what does it mean?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He is unable to act, because if he is told to act upon hadith number one, another person stands up and says, why do you not act upon hadith number two? If I tell him that this one is more authentic than that one, the claim is refuted that both are in the same rank. This is what we have studied in the commentary on al-Nukhba, and we always affirm it. And if the meaning of what al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar says, which we adopt, and which has been recorded from our tongue many times, becomes clear to you, then perhaps you no longer have a question.
The questioner : No, when I heard the word "falling under" acting upon one of these hadiths, I said I wanted to ask the Shaykh how to act upon it...
The Shaykh : The tape may not be clear, because the word "falling under" here, may Allah reward you, as is not hidden from you, has no meaning at all. The three levels are clear to you.
The questioner : Yes, they are clear to me.
The Shaykh : They are clear to you, good. The final level is that two contradictory hadiths, both in the same rank with certainty, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar says he entrusts the knowledge to its Master. He does not say "they contradicted so they were both dropped." He does not say "they contradicted so they were both dropped." He says "Allah knows best what He intends." As for this "falling under," this is the first time I have heard it in such an occasion.
The questioner : I have the tape...
The Shaykh : By Allah, if it is convenient now, it is good that we listen to it here and correct it. It may be an error on our part in wording, and every son of Adam errs. But according to my understanding of this science, and I have reached in it the age of old age as you see, I do not think such a word would ever come in such an occasion. Good, what else is there?