The Hafiz says of al-Juzjani, the author of *Ahdal al-Rijal* (that he is severe in his attitude toward the Shi'ah of Kufa, and that he is a Nasibi or deviant). Is it established that he is a Nasibi?

The questioner: All right, our Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, here regarding al-Juzjani, the author of *Ahdal al-Rijal*, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar frequently states that he is severe toward the Shi'ah of Kufa because he is a Nasibi or deviant. Is it actually established, our Shaykh, that he is a Nasibi?

The Shaykh: I do not have a study on him.

The questioner: Because there are those who weaken the story of the hen, where he stood up and took it from the people of hadith and said, "Slaughter it," and they were unable to slaughter it. He said, "Glory be to Allah," meaning, how many of the people of hadith are you who are unable to slaughter a hen, while I have slaughtered and killed such and such. There are those who weaken this story due to a defect in its chain.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner: All right, what prevails for you regarding the conduct of al-Juzjani? Is he actually severe toward the people of Kufa?

The Shaykh: No, I do not have any opinion on him; I do not have a study on him.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh: Yes, but please benefit us, you.

The questioner: What has become apparent to me, meaning, when I compared his words to the words of others regarding the conditions of men, I found that although he strongly rebukes a narrator for the sake of religious innovation, he explicitly states that he is a memorizer and his hadith is acceptable. Just as he spoke about al-A'mash and spoke about Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i and others, he rebuked them for religious innovation, saying they are inclined, deviant, and astray, using severe expressions, but he did not explicitly reject their hadith; rather, he authenticated them. So, in such a case, it is not said that he is severe if he weakens a man from Kufa, nor is his weakening accepted.

The Shaykh: Yes, but this tracking to this extent is sufficient to judge him.

The questioner: ... When I came upon the books on the conditions of men, if our Shaykh had written in this field, or is it possible?

The Shaykh: No, but I say that this judgment, in order to validate such a judgment, requires examining the man's statements regarding dozens of narrators, such that we do not find a trustworthy man like those trustworthy men whose names I mentioned, yet he still hinted at their madhhab, but he authenticated them. Is this a consistent pattern in all the narrators? This actually requires thorough investigation, as was the case with the early imams of hadith.

The questioner: All right, our Shaykh, is it sufficient to take the book *Ahdal al-Rijal*, gather all its biographies, look at those from Kufa whom he spoke about, and compare his words to the words of others? If we find that the majority agree, we consider him moderate, and if we find that the majority disagree, we consider him severe?

The Shaykh: Ah, I tell you, it may be sufficient and it may not be sufficient. In this matter, it is exactly like what we used to mention on other occasions. This issue relates to the quantity of people, a significant number, of those he spoke about in this book. If they are few, it is not sufficient, but if they are many, it may be sufficient. In truth, we want to extract the names of these people and conduct a precise and objective study, as they say, and apply the rule to which we are inclined.

The questioner: Meaning, we consider the matter of number in the examination, as you mentioned, and the other matter, our Shaykh, is the issue of the type of disagreement.

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.

The questioner: Perhaps he criticizes the great ones or the great imams, and such a thing is held against him.

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.

The questioner: Unlike, for example, a light disagreement or something like that.

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.

The questioner: May Allah bless you.

The Shaykh : And may He reward you.