A continuation regarding the disagreement of a single imam in his assessment of a narrator, whether by criticism or vindication.

The questioner : You said, may Allah preserve you, regarding the hadith numbered one thousand and thirty-three, . You mentioned that the hadith is weak in this wording, and you mentioned one of its narrators, who vindicated him and who criticized him. When you mentioned the list of those who were vindicated and the list of those who were criticized, you said, may Allah preserve you, that you have seen the names of Ibn Ma'in and Ibn Hibban mentioned in both lists, the list of those who were vindicated and the list of those who were weakened. This is only due to the difference in the independent legal reasoning of the critic regarding the narrator. He may vindicate him, then it becomes clear to him a defect that necessitates criticizing him, so he criticizes him. This is the obligatory position for every knowledgeable and sincere critic. In that case, is the statement of the imam who vindicated him preferred, or his statement where he criticized him? There is no doubt that the latter is preferred regarding him, because necessarily, he does not criticize except when it has become clear to him that there is in the narrator what deserves criticism. So regarding him, it is an explained criticism. Therefore, it is preferred over the vindication. Consequently, his vindication is considered a weaker position from which he has turned away. So the names of Ibn Ma'in and Ibn Hibban are dropped from the first list as vindicators, and their number is reduced from eight to six. We look at what is the statement of Ibn Ma'in and Ibn Hibban. Ibn Ma'in's statement in the first instance: he said once, "The hadith is weak," and he said another time, "By Allah, in whom there is no god but He, it is a denounced narration." This would be an explanation.

The Shaykh : Of course.

The questioner : Yes, likewise, our Shaykh, the statement of Ibn Hibban.

The Shaykh : I was about to say, before you supported me with your support, that this was an error, but you supported me with your support, so I expanded it with an explained criticism.

The questioner : Yes, first he said, "The hadith is weak," and he said another time, "By Allah, in whom there is no god but He, it is a denounced narration." And likewise with Ibn Hibban, he said, "His hadith is considered [valid] except through the narration of Baqiyyah from him."

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Perhaps this is through the route of Baqiyyah. May Allah reward you.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.

The questioner : May Allah protect you from all evil.