What is meant by the statement of Imam al-Dhahabi, “Two scholars do not agree to authenticate a weak narrator or to weaken a trustworthy one,” when we see so much disagreement?
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The questioner : Our Shaykh, here is a famous statement by al-Dhahabi in al-Muqaddimah and elsewhere. He says, “But this religion is supported and preserved by Allah the Exalted; its scholars do not agree on misguidance, whether intentionally or by mistake. Therefore, two do not agree…” This is the point of difficulty about which I am asking: “…two do not agree to authenticate a weak narrator or to weaken a trustworthy one.” Yet we find that many trustworthy and weak narrators are such that perhaps nine scholars authenticated them and nine weakened them, or the opinion of the critics (al-mujrahin) prevails, or the opposite. So what is the meaning of al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi’s statement that two do not agree to authenticate a weak narrator, when we see much disagreement, even if one side’s opinion prevails?
The Shaykh : It is not hidden from you, may Allah reward you.
The questioner : And may Allah protect you.
The Shaykh : That such a disagreement as we, the later generations, understand it, did not exist for them at all.
The questioner : It is clear to us. It is clear to us, so it is even clearer to them, but the difficulty is how.
The Shaykh : No, no. And therefore, it should not occur to us that they contradict this matter which is clear to us, let alone to them, for it is clearer to them than the sun at noon. So it should be understood to mean something other than this meaning.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : What I see is that they did not agree to weaken what? Did they agree, two of them, to weaken what? A narrator.
The questioner : To weaken a trustworthy one or to authenticate a weak one.
The Shaykh : There is no agreement on this; rather, there is disagreement here.
The questioner : They did not agree in reality or in truth to weaken a trustworthy one.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Except that Allah provided someone to clarify that the matter is the opposite of this.
The Shaykh : It is necessary.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : It is necessary.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you as well, yes.
The questioner : What Allah willed.
The Shaykh : It is not hidden from you, may Allah reward you.
The questioner : And may Allah protect you.
The Shaykh : That such a disagreement as we, the later generations, understand it, did not exist for them at all.
The questioner : It is clear to us. It is clear to us, so it is even clearer to them, but the difficulty is how.
The Shaykh : No, no. And therefore, it should not occur to us that they contradict this matter which is clear to us, let alone to them, for it is clearer to them than the sun at noon. So it should be understood to mean something other than this meaning.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : What I see is that they did not agree to weaken what? Did they agree, two of them, to weaken what? A narrator.
The questioner : To weaken a trustworthy one or to authenticate a weak one.
The Shaykh : There is no agreement on this; rather, there is disagreement here.
The questioner : They did not agree in reality or in truth to weaken a trustworthy one.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Except that Allah provided someone to clarify that the matter is the opposite of this.
The Shaykh : It is necessary.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : It is necessary.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you as well, yes.
The questioner : What Allah willed.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.