If we rule that the statement of a Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) "such and such is from the Sunnah" is a mawquf (report stopping at a Companion), is it not possible that this could serve as a shahid (corroborating narration) for the weak marfu' (report traced to the Prophet) that al-Shafi'i mentioned should be corroborated by a sound mursal (report missing the Companion link)?

The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. It occurred to me, O our Shaykh, regarding a previous question and a previous answer to it, that there is a problem I want an answer to. It concerns the issue of the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions) saying "such and such is from the Sunnah." You preferred that it has the ruling of a mawquf (report stopping at a Companion), and you mentioned that there is a difference between saying it has the ruling of a mawquf and saying it has the ruling of a mursal (report missing the Companion link). However, when Imam al-Shafi'i mentioned the chapter on corroborating narrations, he said that a weak marfu' (report traced to the Prophet) should be corroborated by a sound mursal (report missing the Companion link) or by the statement of a Companion for whom no contradiction is known. If we also rule that it has the ruling of a mawquf, is it not also possible that this could be a shahid (corroborating narration) for the weak mursal (report missing the Companion link) that we have?

The Shaykh : What is the connection between this mawquf (report stopping at a Companion) that came in the wording "from the Sunnah" and al-Shafi'i's statement? Is there a connection?

The questioner : Al-Shafi'i said that a weak marfu' (report traced to the Prophet) should be corroborated by another sound mursal (report missing the Companion link) or by the statement of a Companion.

The Shaykh : Here it is not the statement of a Companion!

The questioner : We gave it the ruling of a mawquf (report stopping at a Companion), just as we gave that one the ruling of a mursal (report missing the Companion link).

The Shaykh : The mawquf (report stopping at a Companion) regarding a Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) when he says "from the Sunnah."

The questioner : It has the ruling of a mawquf (report stopping at a Companion).

The Shaykh : The ruling of a mawquf (report stopping at a Companion) means it is mawquf (report stopping at a Companion) upon him, meaning, and let us say, in the correct scientific terminology, it has the ruling of a munqati' (report with a broken chain).

The questioner : Yes, I understood that it has the ruling of a mawquf (report stopping at a Companion), meaning it has the ruling of...

The Shaykh : It is mawquf (report stopping at a Companion) upon the Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), meaning upon the Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him).

The questioner : Yes, now I see the difference, may Allah preserve you.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.

The questioner : What Allah willed.

The Shaykh : Then perhaps you remember why I, regarding the hadith, distinguished between the statement of a Companion "such and such is from the Sunnah" and the statement of a Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) "such and such is from the Sunnah," so they made that one marfu' (report traced to the Prophet) and made this one, I return to say, mawquf (report stopping at a Companion), meaning upon the Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him).The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Because the language of the situation is more eloquent than the language of speech. The inquiry into this Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) who said "from the Sunnah": they mentioned that the difference between the statement of a Companion "such and such is from the Sunnah" is that it means the Sunnah that they knew in their time, whereas the Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) may mean the Sunnah that was established by some of their rulers.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : So this does not have the ruling of that, and therefore they gave it the ruling of a mawquf (report stopping at a Companion), meaning the ruling of a munqati' (report with a broken chain).

The questioner : And the ruling, meaning the Sunnah of the ruler in the time of the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), does not require that it be a Companion; it may be a Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him).

The Shaykh : That is it.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : That is it.

The questioner: May Allah bless you.

The Shaykh : Your companion entered the assembly, slipped in quietly, and did not greet us. I think he took that from some people who say that the greeting is not given in the lesson, just as it is not given to the one praying. So perhaps that is not the case.

The questioner : I will inform him, if Allah wills.

The Shaykh : In any case, first, we may be wrong and you may be right, but if your correctness is valid, it is only half correct. That is because if you greeted and we did not hear, you contradicted the statement of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "If you speak, make it heard; if you feed, make it sufficient; and if you strike, make it decisive..."

Another questioner : The chapter...

The Shaykh : There is no one there who responds...

Another questioner : A corroborating narration (shahid).

The Shaykh : But this testimony does not benefit you, because the greeting is not for the walls, but for the inhabitants. And when you enter the assembly, you greet, if Allah wills.

The questioner: May Allah will it.

The Shaykh: May Allah will it.

The questioner : Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Yes.