Is what al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi mentioned about al-Khatib, that he stipulated in his book *Tarikh Baghdad* to adopt the opinion of the latest scholars in the critique and vindication of narrators, correct?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. In *Siyar A'lam al-Nubala* by al-Dhahabi, and also in *Tadhkirat al-Huffaz*, al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) reported that al-Khatib stipulated that al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, in his book *Tarikh Baghdad*, when he transmitted the critique and vindication of narrators from the scholars, he would adopt the opinion of the last one mentioned. As happened in the biography of Abu Hanifa, where he began with the statements of those who vouched for his reliability, then concluded the discussion with the statements of those who criticized him. So al-Khatib includes him among the critics because he placed the statements of the critics last. He reported that al-Khatib's stipulation is to consider the later opinion in the biography, whether it be a criticism or a vindication. This is found in *al-Nubala* in the biography of al-Khatib. The question is: Is this statement correct or not? And if it is correct, is it general for the long biographies like the biography of Abu Hanifa, the medium ones, and the short ones which may contain only two statements, where one person says so-and-so is trustworthy and another says so-and-so is weak? Is this opinion considered in these small biographies, or is it specific to the long biographies if it is correct?
The Shaykh : As we said in other questions, sometimes the one being asked is more knowledgeable about the matter than the asker.The questioner : .
The questioner : In both parts of the question.
The Shaykh : Yes, I do not have a study on this topic. In this case, we accept the statement of the Hafiz in its generality, unless something comes that restricts it, or unless it is established for us something that contradicts it.
The questioner : What Allah willed.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : That is, the original principle is generality regarding all the statements in the words of al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi.
The Shaykh : And the original principle is following.
The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you as well. Yes.
Another questioner : What the brother Abu al-Hasan al-Khatib transmitted, al-Khatib explicitly stated it in the introduction of *al-Tarikh*. He said, "The opinion I rely on is..."
The Shaykh : What I heard was, "Peace, Professor," while you were showing us the indication, and an indication does not suffice in place of a phrase.
Another questioner : I say, my Shaykh, al-Khatib.
The Shaykh : This is a benefit I noticed, and it is necessary. Abu 'Ubaydah, yes.
The questioner : Because the statement mentioned by al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi is mentioned in the introduction of *al-Sahih*.
The Shaykh : He explicitly stated it.
Another questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : Well, what is its text, Professor?
Another questioner : The opinion he relies on is the last opinion he cites.
The Shaykh : It is also general, it is also general.
The questioner : General, yes.
The Shaykh : So I affirm what I said earlier: it is not for the later scholars except to accept the efforts of the earlier scholars, and to accept their research, their independent legal reasoning, and their scholarly opinions, unless it becomes clear to these later scholars something that compels them to contradict them. Because this is the path of the believers which the Noble Qur'an encouraged, in such as His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Yusuf 12:108] So it is obligatory for us to follow those who came before us, because knowledge is continuous and does not accept stagnation. As I say in some gatherings, I do not know if I have read it written or printed: knowledge does not accept rigidity.
The questioner : Yes, I have heard this many times, I have heard it and read it.
The Shaykh : I have read it.
The questioner : From you, yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, the point is that people like us, the later scholars, must strive, and must research, and must not stop at the efforts of the earlier scholars. But this does not mean that we neglect their efforts and do not benefit from them. Rather, the original principle is to benefit from them, unless something becomes clear to us that compels us, out of necessity, to contradict some of them in what they held.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : As we said in other questions, sometimes the one being asked is more knowledgeable about the matter than the asker.The questioner : .
The questioner : In both parts of the question.
The Shaykh : Yes, I do not have a study on this topic. In this case, we accept the statement of the Hafiz in its generality, unless something comes that restricts it, or unless it is established for us something that contradicts it.
The questioner : What Allah willed.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : That is, the original principle is generality regarding all the statements in the words of al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi.
The Shaykh : And the original principle is following.
The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you as well. Yes.
Another questioner : What the brother Abu al-Hasan al-Khatib transmitted, al-Khatib explicitly stated it in the introduction of *al-Tarikh*. He said, "The opinion I rely on is..."
The Shaykh : What I heard was, "Peace, Professor," while you were showing us the indication, and an indication does not suffice in place of a phrase.
Another questioner : I say, my Shaykh, al-Khatib.
The Shaykh : This is a benefit I noticed, and it is necessary. Abu 'Ubaydah, yes.
The questioner : Because the statement mentioned by al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi is mentioned in the introduction of *al-Sahih*.
The Shaykh : He explicitly stated it.
Another questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : Well, what is its text, Professor?
Another questioner : The opinion he relies on is the last opinion he cites.
The Shaykh : It is also general, it is also general.
The questioner : General, yes.
The Shaykh : So I affirm what I said earlier: it is not for the later scholars except to accept the efforts of the earlier scholars, and to accept their research, their independent legal reasoning, and their scholarly opinions, unless it becomes clear to these later scholars something that compels them to contradict them. Because this is the path of the believers which the Noble Qur'an encouraged, in such as His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He:
Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him."
قل هذه سبيلي أدعوا الى الله على بصيرة أنا ومن اتبعني وسبحان الله وما أنا من المشركينThe questioner : Yes, I have heard this many times, I have heard it and read it.
The Shaykh : I have read it.
The questioner : From you, yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, the point is that people like us, the later scholars, must strive, and must research, and must not stop at the efforts of the earlier scholars. But this does not mean that we neglect their efforts and do not benefit from them. Rather, the original principle is to benefit from them, unless something becomes clear to us that compels us, out of necessity, to contradict some of them in what they held.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, our Shaykh.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.