What is the basis of al-Hakim’s definition of shadhdh in the book *Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith*?
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The questioner : My Shaykh, regarding al-Hakim al-Nisaburi, Abu ‘Abd Allah’s definition of shadhdh.
The Shaykh : It is a rejection of this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : A rejection.
The questioner : But I wanted to ask about a matter within it.
The Shaykh : Please.
The questioner : I came across his statement in his book *Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith* regarding shadhdh. He mentioned that if there is a defect in a hadith and one does not find its cause, he calls it shadhdh, meaning that shadhdh, in his view, is when one is certain that there is a defect in the hadith, but it is not of the type of defects that a critic can articulate. In that case, he says it is shadhdh. He says it is shadhdh if it contains a defect that he could not reach, just as a critic reaches the knowledge of a hadith’s defect. In this case, he says it is shadhdh, as if he is saying there is a defect contrary to the method of identifying defects. This is his statement in *Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith*, despite the fact that in *al-Mustadrak* he says, “It is shadhdh,” and at another time, “It is a sound hadith, shadhdh.”
The Shaykh : Yes, I have no answer to this. This is an interpretation of al-Hakim’s words to smooth out his expression regarding the hadith. Its chain of narration appears sound, but he called it shadhdh. This is an interpretation of al-Hakim’s words, but we did not know this. What we know in the terminology is that they rejected this interpretation of this definition issued by al-Hakim, which is contrary to the position of the scholars of hadith.
The questioner : Excuse me, my Shaykh, he explicitly stated this in *Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith* in the hadith of combining prayers, in the hadith of Qatadah ibn Sa‘id. He mentioned that, meaning, from the narration of al-Mada’ini, who used to write the hadith, and al-Mada’ini mentioned something of that in this hadith. He explicitly stated that we cannot judge the defect of this hadith as we judge others, so it is shadhdh.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, do you remember the wording of the hadith?
The questioner : I think it is in the hadith of combining prayers, my Shaykh, in the combining of advancing the prayer... Qatadah ibn Sa‘id.
The Shaykh : The hadith of Mu‘adh, meaning the hadith of Mu‘adh.
The questioner : The hadith of Mu‘adh.
The Shaykh : It is transmitted.
The questioner : Yes, and he identified its defect, saying, “We do not know its defect. All its narrators are trustworthy, and we do not know its defect, and the scholars are in agreement on its denunciation, or in this sense. So it is shadhdh. So it is shadhdh, contrary to the norm. His definition of shadhdh, yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and the prayer.
The Shaykh : It is a rejection of this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : A rejection.
The questioner : But I wanted to ask about a matter within it.
The Shaykh : Please.
The questioner : I came across his statement in his book *Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith* regarding shadhdh. He mentioned that if there is a defect in a hadith and one does not find its cause, he calls it shadhdh, meaning that shadhdh, in his view, is when one is certain that there is a defect in the hadith, but it is not of the type of defects that a critic can articulate. In that case, he says it is shadhdh. He says it is shadhdh if it contains a defect that he could not reach, just as a critic reaches the knowledge of a hadith’s defect. In this case, he says it is shadhdh, as if he is saying there is a defect contrary to the method of identifying defects. This is his statement in *Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith*, despite the fact that in *al-Mustadrak* he says, “It is shadhdh,” and at another time, “It is a sound hadith, shadhdh.”
The Shaykh : Yes, I have no answer to this. This is an interpretation of al-Hakim’s words to smooth out his expression regarding the hadith. Its chain of narration appears sound, but he called it shadhdh. This is an interpretation of al-Hakim’s words, but we did not know this. What we know in the terminology is that they rejected this interpretation of this definition issued by al-Hakim, which is contrary to the position of the scholars of hadith.
The questioner : Excuse me, my Shaykh, he explicitly stated this in *Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al-Hadith* in the hadith of combining prayers, in the hadith of Qatadah ibn Sa‘id. He mentioned that, meaning, from the narration of al-Mada’ini, who used to write the hadith, and al-Mada’ini mentioned something of that in this hadith. He explicitly stated that we cannot judge the defect of this hadith as we judge others, so it is shadhdh.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, do you remember the wording of the hadith?
The questioner : I think it is in the hadith of combining prayers, my Shaykh, in the combining of advancing the prayer... Qatadah ibn Sa‘id.
The Shaykh : The hadith of Mu‘adh, meaning the hadith of Mu‘adh.
The questioner : The hadith of Mu‘adh.
The Shaykh : It is transmitted.
The questioner : Yes, and he identified its defect, saying, “We do not know its defect. All its narrators are trustworthy, and we do not know its defect, and the scholars are in agreement on its denunciation, or in this sense. So it is shadhdh. So it is shadhdh, contrary to the norm. His definition of shadhdh, yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and the prayer.
Source
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The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.