Ibn Hajar’s clarification and his approval of al-Bukhari’s practice regarding the mu'allaqat: that what is issued in the form of certainty is established with him, and what is issued in the form of caution is either weak or something else.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Now, let us leave this aside for the moment.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And we move on to the early scholars, from whom we do not know such a technical term. He said, regarding a hadith: “What is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said so-and-so.” If we are unable to understand from this that it is authentic, then out of necessity, we consider it weak.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is clear.
The questioner : Yes, because...
The Shaykh : In that case, the answer has preceded your statement. If we have examined the chain of narration to its end, the matter does not differ between this and that in the result, meaning in the outcome. But what is the difference? The difference is that these later scholars explicitly stated—and I mean those who committed themselves to the rule that if they say “narrated” (ruwi), it is an indication of weakness—that those earlier scholars did not do what they did and did not act as they acted. However, their expression “narrated” (ruwi), from the Arabic perspective, supports the technical term in reality, because, as is not hidden from you, “ruwi” is a passive verb.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine. It seems that the one who uses this expression means that it is not known who narrated this hadith. Thus, the narration returns to the unknown, even if this passive verb was used by someone other than those who agreed upon this latest technical term.
The questioner : It has become clear to me that the earlier scholars, who did not seek this specific precision and this restriction, if the hadith is not authentic, the default regarding it is to suspend judgment on its authenticity, because acting upon a hadith is a branch of its authenticity.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : So, if we are suspending judgment on its authenticity, it falls into the category of what is not acted upon, or what is suspended, until something comes that elevates it.
The Shaykh : As is the case with the two technical terms.
The questioner : Yes, as is the case with them. This means clarifying your statement: what will be the outcome?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
Another questioner : My teacher, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : Please.
Another questioner : The practice of Imam al-Bukhari in his Sahih regarding the mu'allaqat.The Shaykh : Yes.
Another questioner : And the clarification of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in his examination of the Sahih: that what he issued in the form of certainty is established with him, and what he issued in the form of caution is either weak or that his caution was due to one reason or another. Does this not cast a kind of light, as it is said, on the fact that the technical term was in use, even if in a somewhat broader sense, before Imam al-Nawawi and these people?
The Shaykh : Yes, but it is not a rule understood from the early scholars as it is the case with the later scholars.
Another questioner : Correct, that is why I said, in a somewhat broader sense.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is so.
Another questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you, yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And we move on to the early scholars, from whom we do not know such a technical term. He said, regarding a hadith: “What is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said so-and-so.” If we are unable to understand from this that it is authentic, then out of necessity, we consider it weak.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is clear.
The questioner : Yes, because...
The Shaykh : In that case, the answer has preceded your statement. If we have examined the chain of narration to its end, the matter does not differ between this and that in the result, meaning in the outcome. But what is the difference? The difference is that these later scholars explicitly stated—and I mean those who committed themselves to the rule that if they say “narrated” (ruwi), it is an indication of weakness—that those earlier scholars did not do what they did and did not act as they acted. However, their expression “narrated” (ruwi), from the Arabic perspective, supports the technical term in reality, because, as is not hidden from you, “ruwi” is a passive verb.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine. It seems that the one who uses this expression means that it is not known who narrated this hadith. Thus, the narration returns to the unknown, even if this passive verb was used by someone other than those who agreed upon this latest technical term.
The questioner : It has become clear to me that the earlier scholars, who did not seek this specific precision and this restriction, if the hadith is not authentic, the default regarding it is to suspend judgment on its authenticity, because acting upon a hadith is a branch of its authenticity.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : So, if we are suspending judgment on its authenticity, it falls into the category of what is not acted upon, or what is suspended, until something comes that elevates it.
The Shaykh : As is the case with the two technical terms.
The questioner : Yes, as is the case with them. This means clarifying your statement: what will be the outcome?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
Another questioner : My teacher, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : Please.
Another questioner : The practice of Imam al-Bukhari in his Sahih regarding the mu'allaqat.The Shaykh : Yes.
Another questioner : And the clarification of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in his examination of the Sahih: that what he issued in the form of certainty is established with him, and what he issued in the form of caution is either weak or that his caution was due to one reason or another. Does this not cast a kind of light, as it is said, on the fact that the technical term was in use, even if in a somewhat broader sense, before Imam al-Nawawi and these people?
The Shaykh : Yes, but it is not a rule understood from the early scholars as it is the case with the later scholars.
Another questioner : Correct, that is why I said, in a somewhat broader sense.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is so.
Another questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you, yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.